Today I will be explaining how kalimbas are crafted! Though loved by all of us in the Bold family, I find myself explaining what a kalimba is to 90% of people that find out about Bold Musik or see one of our kalimbas laying around. What better way to spread the word about this amazing instrument than by explaining how it was created in the first place!
The first and one of the most important steps of building a kalimba is choosing high quality materials. Most kalimbas are made from woods such as maple, rosewood, mahogany, bamboo, koa, and more. We chose to craft our kalimbas from mahogany wood due to the warm and balanced tone is creates.
Tines are the second item necessary for a kalimba, and presently they are mostly all made from different types of steel. However, the first kalimbas actually had wooden tines! When picking a metal for your tines, the most important aspect is picking a strong and durable material that won't bend from the strength of your fingers.