Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATED: See below original ORIGINAL: I was a little skeptical at first about ordering this ocarina. I have a few other ocarinas that I have been playing for quite some time now and I've been looking to experience other ocarina brands in an attempt to expand my collection. So I figured that for $30 this one was worth a try. To break the basics down: Shipping: Arrived a day before the ETA (always good) Packaging: Arrived in its pouch, in a small box, in a larger box. No bubble wrap, but arrived intact nonetheless. Since Amazon handled the shipping it's probably not the seller's fault. Pouch: I have to say, this is probably one of the nicer pouches I own. It closes via Velcro, has a string loop at the top, AND a belt strap on the back. Not very plushy but feels very durable. Neck strap: The neck strap is nice looking. It comes detached so you have to tie it on yourself, no biggie. It's decorated with some white glass beads and various threading. It is also adjustable, which is a plus. However, it is not really big so someone with a larger size head might have a little more difficultly getting it on. And now for the meat and potatoes, the ocarina itself: Finish: As pictured and is aesthetically pleasing. Supposed to be straw-fired. It smells like such (the smell is pretty strong), but it also appears like a coat of wood lacquer has been applied over top of it judging by the dried droplets around the blunt edges (the nose, inside the holes, around the mouth). Nothing to worry about of course. Mine had a few chips in the finish on the back that I managed to color in myself, though. The only nit pick I have about this would be the neck strap hole or fingering holes. No finish has been applied on the inside or around the edges of either of them so it looks sorta cheap and without the added attention to detail. That's just nit picky stuff on my part though. Had the instrument costed more than $30 I would have deducted for this, but for a lower price one shouldn't expect perfection. Overall I like it. Design/Feel: I really like the shape. The air channel is angled back which alleviates the stress applied to the wrists and the top of your hands when trying to hold an ocarina and twist it toward your mouth. The hole spacing is nice and spacious, but not huge, so someone with medium hands should be happy. It has Taiwanese sub-holes (which I personally like) and these is a small indention for your fingers to fit into to reach them. The texture also has a really nice feel. Sound/Tone : Not too too airy (when played casually), loud and open, mellow, and pleasant. The last three high notes don't seem to require any special technique to produce a lovely, not too airy tone as well. That's a definite plus. Tuning: This is where I made my deduction. The tuning is slightly off (as tested by an electronic tuner). It's not unplayable bad, in fact it still sounds lovely, but the difference is definitely noticeable when compared to other ocarinas. Some notes are fine but the others can be almost half note off (semi-toned), as in a D is played as a C# and G is F#. It is possible to hit these notes properly but it can be uncomfortable to do so in that there are different gaps in breath requirements for each note (as in there isn't a steady increase in breath requirement as you go up the scale but a more varied requirement). Some gaps are small between two notes and some have slightly larger gaps. To be fair, the breath required for this particular one seems to be a little higher for a 12 hole (maybe due to the small air channel?), but this factor can make each correctly played note increasingly airy as you go up the scale. In other words, playing pleasantly/comfortably produces notes that are about a half note off, and to hit each note properly, varied amounts of air is required between each note, and a lot of it in the upper registry (which is normal). I'm well aware of the differences and picky-ness of wind instruments in their breath requirements so this could just be something to do with my particular ocarina and not the style/seller in general, or the design that this ocarina follows. Mine probably just needed a little more fine tuning applied to it. Regardless, the ocarina still sounds beautiful, it just requires a lot of air and has a picky breath control (mine at least does). Overall, I'm pleased with the instrument/purchase. It's at a really good price right now, the finish is acceptable, and the sound is very nice. However, it could use a little more attention to detail and some fine tuning to make it more user friendly. Regardless, it's a good instrument for the money. I'm not sure it's ideally fit for a beginner, but definitely for someone on a budget looking to broaden their collection. It is definitely worth the $30. I'm quite happy with it and plan to fiddle around with it regularly. I personally like a challenge. Who knows, it might become my favorite ocarina for a while. Thank you, Ocarina Wind! :) UPDATED REVIEW: After owning the ocarina for sometime I deduced that it was a little flawed as i appears I was one of the earlier buyers of this model. New models of things always have a few bugs to work out so I decided to inquire about replacing the one I received. After emailing OcarinaWind I could not be happier with the wonderful service I received! Mike promptly replaced my ocarina at no charge with one I absolutely adore now. The tone and tuning are all around superior to the previous one I received and the finish is exceptionally well done, and the high notes are full and easy to hit! I really love the smooth matte texture of the straw fire, the nifty beaded neck strap, and the way the mouth piece curves (it really does relieve the stress on your wrist and improves the overall ease of playing). Overall I could not be happier with the service and quality of the ocarina that I have received!! I seriously cannot believe how low the price is for such a quality instrument (coming from someone with 6 other ocarinas of various makers), and it is easily one of my favorites, if not my favorite. You would not regret buying this! Thanks again OcarinaWind!!