Putting the THUMB in the strum...
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  • Battmann October 18, 2015 at 10:03pm

    another kalimba306493577?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

  • PhilUSAFRet February 28, 2015 at 12:00pm

    Thank you.  I don't have large hands and have arthritis in base of my thumbs, so I want to find just the right size cigar box.  Also, looks like that bar type pickup I mentioned below will work perfectly.

  • Ben "Gitty" Baker February 28, 2015 at 11:39am

    About 4 7/8" Phil.

  • PhilUSAFRet February 28, 2015 at 11:30am

    Can't seem to find the width of the CB Gitty hardwood bridge in their kalimba kit.

    Anyone?

  • Battmann January 10, 2015 at 8:40pm

    306400982?profile=original1st kalimba I made that wasnt a kit. used the electricians grounding bar method and flat wire metal  fish tape for the tines.smooth out the tine ends and i'm good to go.  

  • PhilUSAFRet December 19, 2014 at 8:15am

    Anyone try these bar type piezo?  Seems like they would be great for kalimbas

    30798-2.jpg

  • Marcus Darwell June 14, 2014 at 5:10pm
    In Zimbabwe it's called mbira and is usually played inside a large gourd. Listen to this guy, Forward Kwenda...enjoy... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dj-lDwx2s
  • Naz Nomad December 31, 2013 at 3:46pm

    Not sure if this has been posted before, but ... wow!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcuAk5UY5g8

  • Battmann December 24, 2013 at 3:40pm

    2nd kalimba.basic kit from cb gitty

    quick xmas gift.306209332?profile=original

  • rain-air November 20, 2013 at 6:06am

    Uh, there's a lot of variables there: can you afford to waste a few millimeters of your material? what material anyway? would you care to retune the instrument to different pitches @ a later point? looks over function?

    some insight (including a length chart) can be found here:

    kalimbamagic on tines etc.

This reply was deleted.

Forum

I made 3 Kalimbas. Yay!

Ok so i made 3 Kalimbas with small cigar boxes i had. I used car wiper blades for tines.They sound so different. I'm not sure if it's the sound holes but only 2 were successful really. From left to right: Left Kalmia is the loudest but the box is a good size and the sound holes are in the middle.Middle Kalimba is horrible - i think it's the lid. It just buzzes and sounds rubbish. Right Kalmia is quite nice but a lot quieter than the others - i like the shape though it fits nice in the hand. I…

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Started by Estone Villan
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My kalimba

For me best keys are mini hand saw blades right now. Metal saw blades didn't bent and braked easily. I Snapped the saw blades half and made them safe for player. I tuned each key in right note with guitar tuner. I have seen that professionally made kalimbas have keys in different length. I think that moving key in different length under bridges etc. works same way as different length keys. How important is bridges etc. distance between each other under keys I don't know right now.      

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Started by Jantan ux
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