MOOZICA17 Keys Kalimba Marimba, Solid Koa Wood Professional Thumb Piano Musical Instrument (Koa-K17K)

The media could not be loaded. This is my first kalimba so I don't exactly have any other points of reference; Regardless, I believe that I made the right choice in purchasing this one and would recommend it to anyone who's been thinking about picking one up themselves.Pros:- Most importantly, it sounds gorgeous; Each key resonates wonderfully (the highest keys are a bit flat but that's less a fault with the product and more just the nature of the instrument)- Quality craftsmanship, the mahogany is sturdy yet light. The tines are sturdy as well and the engraved notes are accurate and legible.- Very easy to learn, I cannot stress this enough. Despite my many attempts, I have always struggled to pick up any instrument, this kalimba being the only exception. It has been around a week and I have learned how to play 8 songs by ear.- Easy to tune, just tap the bottom of the tine to heighten the pitch and the top to lower it. My kalimba arrived needing only minor adjustments. I couldn't find the app that Moozica recommended but I found an app called Pano Tuner which worked perfectly.- The hard case is very durable and portable, with a pocket for some of the additional items and a slot behind the kalimba for the tuner.Cons:- Just one con and it in no way sways my high regards of this product. While it is a lovely, shimmering, deep navy blue, the color of my kalimba is not the sleek dark teal as pictured.

EDIT: A few days after posting my original review (see below), MOOZICA messaged me letting me know that multiple koa kalimbas were damaged during shipment and they were would be more than happy to provide a replacement free of charge. I was able to pick out any one I wanted. Since koa seems to be more delicate, I went with the deep blue kalimba, made out of mahoghany wood. Before I complained of the kaimba feeling cheat due to the artifical feel, but this one felt and looked amazing.MOOZICA has great customer service, and replied very quickly to any comments or questions that I had. I was made aware of what was going on concerning the shipment every step of the way. It's little things like that that really matters in the long run. The kalimba arrived a bit earlier than expected and it was everything I thought it would be.A very deep blue color with a light gloss and was already in tune when I took it out of the box. It really stands out from the rest of my kalimbas, since I am more used to natural wood colors. When I compared the sounds to my other kalimbas (flatboard LingTing, acrlic Kimi, and hallow Unikko (all 17 keys)) this one was among my families favorite. It has a higher tone than my flatboardand and does not sustain as long, making it ideal for songs that has multiple notes played close together (so the notes do not run together). Although my first kalimba was damaged, I can easily say that this has been a positive experience, and look forward to their other products.+++Feels CheapPrevious Review: I recieved my first kalimba last year, but am not at all an expert. For reference, I have 2 LingTing Kalimbas (flatboard), 1 Kimi (acrylic), and 1 Unokki (hollow). This kalimba felt so cheap compared to my others and I was not a fan of the shiny coat that it had (gave it an artifical feel). Plus it arrived damaged, with a crack in the wood. If you are in the market for a kalimba, there are better ones out there with a similar price range than this. I ended up returning it for a refund, and do not plan on buying a Moozica Kalimba again.

Since I posted this review, the seller offered me a solution that was generous and useful. When I figured out how to contact them they were courteous, prompt and helpful. My original review (below) was 4 stars but since my problem is solved I have upgraded my opinion to 5 stars, both for the instrument and for the company.Original:I've been practicing on a cheaper 17 key kalimba and this one is much, much nicer. It's also heavier but since the touch of the keys is lighter I don't find it more tiring for my hands. The tone is very pleasing.I do have a couple of concerns:1) The high C sounds a bit flat. The manual explains how to lower the tone but I do not instructions on how to raise it. So far I've been unable to find out how to contact the company to get instructions on how to do that.2) I had a lot of trouble getting the stickers applied because the cuts were a little too deep so part of the paper backing remained on the stickers when they were removed. I did manage to get the paper off and stick them on the keys but doing so meant handling them a lot. I fear that they may not adhere long.

A few days after i posted a review & returned the 2nd cracked kalimba to Amazon, a representative from MOOZICA team approached me and sincerely made an offer of free replacement which i think was very thoughtful & generous. They explained to me that “Regarding the cracking issue, sometimes kalimbas can be affected by poor storage conditions at the Amazon warehouse if they remain there for extended periods. This may unfortunately lead to wood cracking, which we are actively working to prevent in the future.”Today I have received the package contained everything as described, and a beautiful kalimba with no discrepancies at all. Im glad that i accepted their offer otherwise i would miss the opportunity to enjoy the nice acacia koa kalimba made by MOOZICA.