12 Hole Wooden Ocarina Alto C Elm Wood Wd12001

The media could not be loaded. The packaging was great. It arrived in a flip top box and was well protected. Inside, besides the ocarina, was a tutorial and songbook that is of good quality and well produced. The carrying bag seems hand made and is also of really good quality, thick enough to protect the instrument and has a beautiful Asian flower design too.The instrument itself is nicely made, and has a nice, evenly aplied lacquer coating that highlights the natural wood grain. I've only played this ocarina for one day but it doesn't seem to have any issues with moisture buildup in the mouth piece. It sounds in tune (although I haven't used a tuner to check). The holes are at a proper distance and there is an indentation for each of the third holes that makes it easy for placement and sliding up to the small holes.I have 3 other ocarinas: one cheap ceramic, a Night by Noble plastic, and a STL Ocarina ceramic, all in C. This one sounds comparable to the Night by Noble, although it does sound a bit airy. It does easily hit all the notes of the scale, though. Overall I'd say this is a 4.5 to 5 star instrument!

I currently own 4 ocarinas, and my Letu has become my go-to for everyday playing. The sound is about equivalent to a decent clay ocarina ($30. - $50. range) & it doesn't have the additional fullness that I'd hoped for from a wood instrument, but it has other pluses. The pitch is accurate (given that pitch is always dependent on your breath control, and the highest and lowest notes are always more difficult to hit accurately). I expected no less considering the price.Pro's - this instrument is beautiful, it is amazingly light, and it is unbreakable. (Despite the lightness it is quite sturdy and not at all cheaply made.) The wood grain is sweet. The color is lighter than the oc in the picture and it is protected with a shiny varnish. Incidentally, the maker's mark looks cool. I find that the finger holes are placed so that they are more comfortable for me than the average oc, especially the sub-holes. It's nice to be able to hit the lowest notes without being conscious of having to place my fingers just so. I like being able to take this baby anywhere without having to worry about breakage or extra weight - it's perfect for backpacking.I also like the bag that it came in - it's a sturdy burnt orange fabric with a smooth black lining that won't scratch the ocarina.Con's -1. Cost.2. It tends to get spitty a bit sooner than a clay oc, probably because it doesn't absorb moisture as well. Not a big deal, IMO.3. The music (tabs) that it comes with are so small that they're a joke and the instruction is minimal - if you're a beginner, get the beginner's book from STL Ocarina and learn how to play right. You can still struggle through the Zelda tabs while you're learning, but trust me, you'll be a lot less frustrated if you have a decent guide.On the whole, this ocarina is worth it if you have the money and you're committed to playing or you love wood. If you're just exploring you might want to go for a less expensive clay model, but if you do invest in the Letu you'll have a good-looking quality instrument that isn't going to break.

I am an experienced ocarina player with a large collection of instruments, and I am extremely pleased with this ocarina. The tone is beautiful and sweet. The wood grain is also very attractive, with a high gloss finish. Some minor breath control is required to get the lowest and highest notes in pitch and sounding clearly, but this is easy to overcome with a little practice. (And I want to say that I have ocarinas from highly regarded makers that are much more difficult to play in tune and which require much more breath control.) Wooden ocarinas are rare, and I honestly didn't expect this level of refinement from this instrument. It easily compares to "professional" ocarinas costing significantly more.

Beautiful, and an instrument to grow into. My first ocarinas have been clay from Ocarina Wind and they are easy to learn with and lovely to play. This ocarina is a pleasing instrument. My problem with it is that the few very highest notes are tricky to hit right, and I need better breath control to handle them properly. The wood and finish is beautiful, the tone is sweet, it feels good in the hands, but it needs the owner's extra practice to get the extra benefits of good reliable sound. I'm keeping mine forever, by the way, and I grab it at least once a day to tootle with, and I think I'll eventually learn it well enough to help it sound good, when I'll realize it's a 5 star.

My grandkids love music and this is easy to make sounds with. They do not need to know how to play. Great for the music lover.

I would not recommend this if you are a beginner. I am unsure if more use would've somehow made it sound better, but it really does not have good quality sound. Some notes are considerably off. If you don't mind if the sound is just right, this is really pretty, but if you want something that looks AND sounds high quality but still on a budget then I would recommend a quality plastic ocarina for around the same price.

This ocarina is even more beautiful in person, it has such a beautiful sound and plays the notes so well, this is my first wooden ocarina and I'm in love with it, I'm proud to own this piece and it's the best in my small collection so far and I can't see much else topping it, certainly worth the price and it's even become my favorite :)

It was a good instrument, but too difficult for me to hit high notes. If you’re advanced, this is a beautiful piece, but not for the beginner.