What Gong Should I Buy?

I’m back from a short break and a short vacation. Today I answer that popular question, “What gong should I buy?”
Gong Dealers mentioned in the video:
Steve Weiss Music: www.steveweissmusic.com/
Memphis Gong Chamber: memphisdrumshop.com/gongs
Gongs Unlimited: gongs-unlimited.com/
The Gong Shop: www.thegongshop.com/
Andy’s Music: www.andysmusicchicago.com/
All of the above are in the USA where I live, but they do ship overseas.
If you are in Europe, I recommend Thomann:
www.thomann.de/de/index.html (Germany)
www.thomann.de/gb/index.html (UK)
www.thomann.de/fr/index.html (France)
If you have any questions, or any topics you would like to see me cover, put them in the comments below. ⬇︎
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For all things gong: www.gongtopia.com
My music on Bandcamp: gongtopia.bandcamp.com
The Way of the Gong™ Blog: thewayofthegong.blogspot.com
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[@lou_bee]

My collection of gongs and singing bowls is based on tuning and frequency, which requires accurate sound measurements. There are a number of free or reasonably priced apps that will work with your phone or tablet. For testing the fundamental frequency, I use Pitch-Lab Pro (or Lite), and the Pano Tuner apps. And if you're truly serious, nothing beats a (real-time) audio spectrum analyzer app, such as Spectroid, which gives you a graphical display of the complete harmonic profile, while identifying the five most prominent frequencies. I think of it as a DNA test for sound.

[@Gongtopia]

Lou, your comment here shows how people can have very different approaches. I have various tuner apps but rarely use them. I do it all by ear. I find that the best and easiest way for me. I don't really care what the tuning/note/frequency of an instrument is. I only care if it sounds right for me and what I do. It helps that I have a good ear though…

[@lou_bee]

@@Gongtopia Yes, but it's hard to find pitch-perfect instruments to create the consonant (Pythagorean) intervals of unisons, octaves, Perfect 4ths, and Perfect 5ths over a wide frequency range without measurements. However, the final arbiter is always how the prospective applicant plays with the other members of the choir. For me, measurements are only the first step in the selection process. As my audiophile mentor used to say, "If it tests good and sounds bad, it's bad, period!"

[@jonathanmosebach2921]

Do you think you'd ever do a gong tour of all of your gear, or do a video on your racks and hanging gongs. And what type of hardware you use?

[@Gongtopia]

Yes, yes, and yes. I have started a 'Grand Tour' of my gear with the last 2 videos: 'Bells' and 'Burma Bells & Bell Plates'. I will be going through all of my gongs, including some very rare and rarely seen or heard ones, as well as other related instruments I use. I'll do a new rack video too! After this past week off for 'Gong Camp,' I should have the next video up next Wednesday. So subscribe if you haven't already and thanks for the comment!

[@JohnLRice]

Good advice, Michael! 😎👍 I just posted a ink to your video in the description of my recent gong video.

[@Gongtopia]

Cool, thanks!

[@cherylann8292]

Can you please tell me the size and brand of the ones behind you, which i believe the left one to be a Grotta Sonora? What would be the deepest most resonant 19" in Grotta Sonora and other brands. Thank you

[@Gongtopia]

The 2 gongs behind me are a 26" Grotta Sonora Deep Gong that I got at the Gong Summit in 2019. It is the 2nd one they made. The other one is a 32" Paiste Sound Creation #3 Earth from the 1980s. As far as 19" gongs, few companies make anything that size. I do have a 19" Grotta Sonora hand held gong, but it's rather thick, so it's not deep in sound and the resonance is rather short.