Started putting together a few kalimbas cause they're so much fun to build and ended up with a stack of them. Took them to the local flea market and sold (3), so I'm on a roll now and the inspiration came from this site!
The ones I'm working on now are getting the "trim" enhancements and seem to be more popular with the flea market buyers. Trim being artistic bridges, sound holes trimmed with brass or nickel covers, etc. This is a hoot!
Here's a pic of that first batch and there are more in "my pictures" if you should care to look.
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I'm asking $10 for the kid's boxes (5 note @ 2.5x5) and $25 to $45 for the bigger ones based on the box size, number of twangers and how fancy they are. Haven't had anybody claim my prices are outrageous so I'm probably not asking enough but I'd rather sell them than have 'em pile up.
If I were making them with the split bridge instead of the grounding bar, I'd be asking more because those are much harder to put together & tune. Granted, the split bridge sounds better (to my ear) but they take a lot longer to build.
IMO
'Tis fine to build 'em using a buss bar so you can sell 'em cheaper... It will at least give more people an opportunity to try playing one one their own. The more the merrier!
:-)
rc
Hi all! I am new to the kalimba now owning 3 of them. 7 8 9 keys can't play a thing and tabs online are missing.
I like your homebrews! what did you use for the tines?
Haven't built these for quite awhile now - had to let my booth go (just barely making expenses), so most of the stuff I've been working on lately has been dulcimers, guitars and banjos.
Anyway, mostly I used lawn rake tines but sometimes fish tape or bicycle spokes. You can get a basic lawn rake at Loews for about $9 and that will make 3 or 4 kalimbas or more depending on your design.
I found several sites for tabs, starting at the KalimbaMagic site. You have to dig but I came up with at least a dozen songs (free) that I was giving away with the kalimbas when they sold.
Good luck and have fun! They're a blast to build!
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