What are some of the features
my kalimba could have?
Sound Holes
Sound holes are great for modulating the sound of the kalimba. By waving your thumbs or fingers over the holes and then uncovering them, you are able to change the relative weight of various kalimba tones that are sympathetically vibrating along with the note or notes you played, resulting in a "wah wah" effect. The Hugh Tracey box-mounted kalimbas come with a sound hole in the front and two little holes in the back. The Catania gourd-mounted kalimbas have one sound hole in the front and two small holes on the side. The Goshen box-mounted kalimabs have a sound hole in the front and two on the side.
Electronic Pickups
Electronic pickups are available on all Hugh Tracey kalimbas, adding between $12 (for box-mounted kalimbas) and $20 (for board-mounted kalimbas) to the price. The pickups are now robust (I have had only 2 bad pickups out of about 1200 kalimbas in my most recent batch).
Board-mounted Kalimbas
Board-mounted kalimbas can't modulate the sound with the wah-wah as box-mounted kalimbas can, but the board mounted models are more durable (ie, a good choice for people who may drop their kalimba often). Also, you can more easily place a board-mounted kalimba inside of a gourd (called a deze in Shona tradition) both to amplify and also give it a bit of a buzzing sound - a traditional effect much desired by Africans. If you don't have a gourd, experiment with different plastic bowls in your kitchen or at the 99-cent store.
