IRENE
IRENE
@irene
5 years ago
167 posts

oh oh....I did finally find it.   thanks....such interesting things we read about here.   No wonder I get to bed so late. ooooooooooooops, 

IRENE
IRENE
@irene
5 years ago
167 posts

thanks Steven for your comments...and Thanks VERY MUCH for Pondoro for your photo of cat in the hole.  cute...and yep, I've been wondering where that instrument is made.  So I looked up "CLOUD NINE" on the net.  no results.  Can you direct me more.   I've seen those played on you tube....with a quick pass by 'em....as it's usually a big group that is playing and I wanted to see more of the bass sound that I was hearing.  THIS IS THE INSTRUMENT....more info please.  thanks loads.  aloha, irene

Pondoro
Pondoro
@pondoro
5 years ago
34 posts

My wife has a 7-key bass model built by Cloud Nine. I was shocked at how easy it was to tune. I realize that bass notes are less critical (she has no "Bb" key and the standard advice is, "Just use B"!!). But I clipped my Snark electronic tuner on the edge of the sound hole, loosened a screw and slid the key. Took about 5 minutes and is good until the weather changes drastically (like winter > summer). If she was a professional she'd probably tune it before every performance but for playing around home 2-3 times a year is fine. In the picture our cat is going up close and personal to validate the tuning.


updated by @pondoro: 07/12/19 08:00:44AM
Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
5 years ago
2,111 posts

IIRC tuning instruments like that is a matter of how long the twangy bits are... each has a set screw sort of arrangement and can be slid in/out a tiny bit to adjust how much is flexible.

Steven Berger
Steven Berger
@steven-berger
5 years ago
143 posts

IRENE:


Thanks Ken for this link.   THAT IS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.  and he was playing it soooooo cruz like.  wow.  It's a Stineway version of a thumb piano.  I bet it is no easy picnicking to tune.   aloha, irene



I don't know about this particular instrument, Irene, but to tune a kalimba, you need a tiny hammer. These hammers sometimes come with the purchase of the kalimba...if not, they can be found on ebay.


One needs to be the patient sort...they can be a real bear to tune and to keep from buzzing!hairpull


 

IRENE
IRENE
@irene
5 years ago
167 posts

Thanks Ken for this link.   THAT IS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.  and he was playing it soooooo cruz like.  wow.  It's a Stineway version of a thumb piano.  I bet it is no easy picnicking to tune.   aloha, irene

Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
5 years ago
2,111 posts

Irene -- can you not click on the words Array mbira in Ballad Gal original post?  It's a link...

IRENE
IRENE
@irene
5 years ago
167 posts

hey hey, folks, I want to see a photo of this  marimbulas.   Curiosity....aloha, irene

Steven Berger
Steven Berger
@steven-berger
5 years ago
143 posts

I have a 17 key kalimba....quite enough for me, folks!

Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
5 years ago
2,111 posts

Yup -- Arry is the brand -- the maker company.  I've made a couple of small kalimbas, but that 5 octave marimbula is really fabulous!

Pondoro
Pondoro
@pondoro
5 years ago
34 posts

They are also called marimbulas, m'rimbulas, etc. No one seems to spell it the same way. The large ones that I have seen have had a lot less "keys" and were in the bass range. The smaller ones are usually called kalimbas and come in a variety of ranges. This is certainly an Olympic class version. And you are correct, I would hate to fall on it.

Dusty Turtle
Dusty Turtle
@dusty
5 years ago
1,720 posts

That's a remarkably pretty sound. I'm pretty sure "Array" is a brand and the instrument is called an mbira.  They are sometimes called thumb pianos and usually only have about an octave range.  I've never seen one that large before.  Pretty cool.




--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator

As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
Ballad Gal
Ballad Gal
@ballad-gal
5 years ago
34 posts

I've never heard of an Array mbira before. Sounds pretty. Looks kind of scary though!

Array mbira


updated by @ballad-gal: 07/13/19 06:16:35AM