Your First Gong - Recommendations

Some recommendations for your first gong based on the symphonic type gong. For further details check out www.scientiasounds.com

[@rpastrology]

Thanks for this. Very helpful and useful

[@Gina-pb1ei]

Thanks very helpful

[@rodochan79]

My first time hearing one of these was at Wat Chedi, in Chiang Mai. I was 1 block away and just followed the vibes They let tourists hit the gong at the temple

[@DADTHEFATHER]

Thankyou for this. I need to know if listening to gong meditations on my home sound system will give me the same spiritual effect? Thanks

[@maxwellfan55]

Thank you, this is very helpful and will make people more informed before stepping into this new world of sound. Perhaps you can advise. I'm an (amateur) percussionist, but a trained drummer expanding further into mixed percussion. I will probably buy a Chau Gong. I have a limited budget but would like be quite sure of my choice. Is a 24" too small for a gong, and where can I find a selection of mallets? I want the (mounted) gong to give a sound background to congas, bongos etc. Also where is the best place to buy second-hand? Thanks.

[@scientiasounds6929]

Thanks for you comments and questions. If possible, I would go for a 28" gong or even a 32" one. this will give you more scope with the music you intend to perform. Chau gongs tend to be cheaper than the equivalent German nickel silver versions. Regarding second hand, I'm not sure where you are in the World but there are no second hand dealers in UK where I'm based. Best bet is to go to Facebook as there are a couple of second hand gong pages on there. I occasionally advertise ones from my collection there as well. Regarding mallets, again the choice is vast. I recommend Dragonfly Percussions 'Resonance Series Medium Soft', 'Resonance series Large Double sided' and particularly for Chau gongs, their 'School Band Tam-tam' mallets. If you are based in UK, I can supply these. Get in touch via the Scientia Sounds website www.scientiasounds.com.

[@maxwellfan55]

@@scientiasounds6929 Thank you for your advice.

[@johannabernardy5923]

Would an Atlantis be the best if I’ll be playing it mostly outside

[@mazistar492]

Thank you. Can I ask is it advisable to clean the gong if so with what? I notice there are products on the market? Is this advisable? If so how often? Is there anything we need to watch in terms of protecting the gong?

[@scientiasounds6929]

Hi Mazi - normally we say do not clean a gong unless there is a real need to. Use a soft cloth just to dust it. Use soap and water to remove finger marks, flume marks etc but THOROUGHLY dry it afterwards. For more stubborn stains get my book 'Gongs and Tam-tams - A Guide' available from the Scientia Sounds website as there is an entire chapter on this. Don't use any 'polishes' that have ammonia in. I will be doing a video on gong cleaning in the future.

[@mazistar492]

@@scientiasounds6929 thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I truly value this. I recently purchased my first gong and I did purchase a cleaner but I will adhere to your advice as do not want to damage it at all. Namaste 🙏🏻🤍✨

[@bigdon37]

Philip would you know approximately what year Paiste reduced their blinds thickness?

[@scientiasounds6929]

It was about 1990. Copper and tin prices had risen sharply in the preceding years.