Thomann Tibetan Alu Singing Bowl 32cm

An easy to play bowl with a rich sound.

I was a bit apprehensive about buying an aluminium spun bowl - but I really like it and it has turned out to be the best value for money bowl I have purchased.

The bowl creates two distinctive tones which can be mixed by adjusting where and how you stroke the bowl - A clear higher tone and a lower booming tone. So it is quite versatile which adds to the interest for someone starting out.

You may need to make the supplied cushion a bit sticky or place some rough material over it as the force required to make such a large bowl sing well means the bowl can rotate on the cushion.

Also this bowl needs to be played slowly as excessive speed will cause the hammer to vibrate harshly against the bowl - which in itself can be quite a nice effect if used well - but irritating whilst learning.

The only bad point was that the bowl was badly finished round the top edge and a bit 'jagged' however this does not affect the sound.

I must be honest, I bought this bowl as an experiment, as I didn't really believe something good could come from an aluminum bowl. But I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. It has a clear and long sound. Ok, there is not as much debt and feeling in it as it's messing brothers and sisters, but you can hit it with different mallets and different force, it will always give the same tone, almost like a big bell. So it's really reliable on that end.
I use it in sound baths when I need to change a setting, because I know the sound will continue while I do my thing.
I initially also wanted it to play it while holding it, as I thought it wouldn't be heavy, but since it's a rather big bowl, it is rather heavy if you want to hold it for a longer period.
The finishing is not very high quality. The paint peals off rather easily. That's why I gave a lower score on quality.
But overall, a successful experiment. A decent bowl for a small price.