Hugh Tracey TM Alto Kalimba with Pickup
This Kalimba's notes are arranged just as the Alto Kalimba's, but they are mounted on a board instead of the resonant box. The TM Alto Kalimba gets its name because the body is shaped like the AMI TradeMark kalimba logo.
This one comes with a built-in piezo-electric pickup. Plug it into a guitar amp, effects processor, PA system, or a direct box using a standard 1/4 inch guitar chord, and you are on your way to rocking out on this new age African instrument. Of course, this instrument still lets you play it acoustically. You can take it anywhere - a mountaintop, a canyon, or out in the desert.
The Alto is my favorite of the Hugh Tracey Kalimbas. The large tines are easy to play, and the two octave setup from low G to high G is simple to undestand. A truly beautiful instrument.
The TM Alto doesn't give you the "wah" sound that you can get with the resonant box Alto Kalimba. The flat board can be played against a table or window pane as a soundingboard. The flat board also permits the use of the right index finger on the up-stroke, a technique used with the mbira.
Hear what the ELECTRIC Hugh Tracey TM Alto Kalimba Sounds Like!
- Item #: TMALTO+P
