The Kantele is a plucked Psaltery from Finland. Though it only has 10 strings, you'll be surprised at the amount of music you can create. The tone has a sweet and evocative quality unlike any other instrument we offer.
You can start by just plucking simple melodies. Or you can learn how to play chords
The finished Kantele is built by the craftsmen at Musicmakers and comes ready to play. Just choose your rosette!
Low to High - A3, B3, C4, D4, E4, F4, G4, A4, B4, C5
Virtual Kantele
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I purchased my Kantele to play with friends. Those friends have a Bowed Psaltery and a Mountain Dulcimer. The Kantele has a very lovely sound to it and I'm very excited to start learning how to play. With a music background already, I'm able to pick out some simple songs. Thank you for the very quick delivery and great service. My husband surprised me with the bag and extra set of strings.
Happy Wisconsinite
02/22/2024
Verified Buyer
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Beautiful instrument with a gorgeous sound!
I bought the finished kantele and it is beautifully built and finished. The sound is great,and the service was wonderful - I received my instrument less than a week after ordering. Highly recommend!
June Caldwell
02/05/2024
Verified Buyer
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Exceptional
We gave this to our grandson for his 16th birthday.
From start to finish the customer service was fantastic.
His words when opening it tonight were â this is awesome. It is exactly rightâ
Thank you for this wonderfully crafted instrument which made his day!
Joy Petrich
05/22/2023
Verified Buyer
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Great Christmas Gift
I bought this as a Christmas gift for my husband. It was packed well, and arrived in Texas with no damage. The instrument is beautifully made and plays great. My husband is thrilled to finally have a kantele.
Erica
12/26/2022
Verified Buyer
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Wonderful timbre and craftsmanship!
I purchased this gift for my wife on our 25-year anniversary of being together. We are professional musicians and met in music school. We are always on the lookout for new sounds to add to our repertoire. She opened the present today and spent the entire day playing it, and watching videos of other Kantele players, studying the history of the instrument. It has been a wonderful inspiration to her, and I am sure she will be using it in our future musical offerings! Thanks very much to the makers of this beautiful piece!
Kevin
10/05/2022
Verified Buyer
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A nice instrument
A very good instrument. Little problems with forte and mezzo-forte, but probably it is due to strings.
My wife's try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D63aGY5oqtM
Yakov Nizhnik
08/16/2021
Verified Buyer
1 of 1 customers found this helpful.
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no stranger to stringed instruments
beautiful resonance and sustain, clear, bell-like tones, beautifully put together, very nice wood, and a beautiful rosette. Packaged and shipped without hassle or incident, and superbly protected from shipping damage, and their customer service is great! We purchased 2 Kantele one each for my wife and one for me, on separate orders, Musicmakers called to make sure this was right, rather than just making and shipping them. And they're assembled beautifully-completely professional luthiers at MusicMakers! If the stars could make music, they'd sound like a kantele.
Jerry Griffin
02/07/2021
Verified Buyer
1 of 1 customers found this helpful.
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Haunting Instrument
I have wanted a kantele for years, and finally sprung to purchase Musicmakers' 10-string version. It was packaged very well, and shipped without damage. My cats were very interested in the unpacking process. The wood is beautiful, and sound is clear as a bell - both my daughter and I take turns playing it. You can see my unboxing video here: https://twitter.com/thewoodwyrm/status/1347171282802991104
The start of one of my favorite tunes from Loituma - “Eriskummainen Kantele” (whimsical kantele): https://twitter.com/thewoodwyrm/status/1347700633378451457
Or.... how about the ever-haunting “Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold” from the 1977 Hobbit?: https://twitter.com/thewoodwyrm/status/1347704823907540994
Becky Barnes
01/15/2021
Verified Buyer
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Enthusiastic
My Kantele delivered on everything promised in the description. Nicely crafted, Solid! Well-packed when shipped. I couldn’t ask for more. I’ve never played one before, so I’m just having a blast learning! I foresee a lot of potential with this instrument.
Patti
02/27/2019
Verified Buyer
1 of 1 customers found this helpful.
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Enchanting
I am VERY pleased with my purchase of my kantele! The caftsmanship is supurb and the sound is so so beautiful. Actually when I play it people tell me its "enchating". Its an easy instrument to learn and worth every penny I spent on it. I just wish I had found your company years ago when I first got into playing music. Also, your staff I found very friendly and knowlegable over the phone in helping me in choising the right instrument for me. I just love my kantele, and I can't keep from playing it! Thank you so much for everything!
Aaron
04/25/2018
Verified Buyer
4 of 4 customers found this helpful.
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Thank you for a beautiful instrument.
I received one of your beautiful 10-string kanteles back in December 2011 and I am absolutely loving it! I am giving a presentation tomorrow and performing for the first time on my kantele. I will definitely mention Musicmaker's Kits. I also ordered sheet music, extra strings, and a case from your company which I received quickly and in perfect condition. I love folk music from all over the world and it's incredible that you make and sell so many great instruments from different cultures. I will keep recommending your beautiful, affordable instruments to my friends who also enjoy playing. I'll keep in touch!
Heather W.
04/25/2018
Verified Buyer
3 of 3 customers found this helpful.
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Lovely
The new Kantele is lovely. Just what I'd hoped it would be - beautiful piece of mahogany and very pretty tone.
Tried it in a little recording with 12 string (slide) and some synth (a string quartet!). Rather a doleful piece but I like the timbre of the kantele with the 12 string.
GB
04/25/2018
Verified Buyer
2 of 3 customers found this helpful.
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Impressive and Beautiful Instrument
Hi, Matt!
I've watched your Kantele video so often, I feel I almost know you personally. Anyway, I received my Kantele last week, May 4, and it arrived in perfect condition. In unpacking it, I was at once impressed by the visual beauty of the instrument. With its' long, graceful line and gentle angle, it looks like a piece of modern sculpture, but still has an air of centuries about it. The mahogany and walnut woods are beautiful, and the snowflake rosette is just the perfect touch. All in all, my Kantele speaks quality and expert craftsmanship, and I am completely pleased and satisfied.
So, Matt, I would like to thank you and all the guys at MM for your kindness and good service.
Don Graff
04/25/2018
Verified Buyer
2 of 2 customers found this helpful.
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ready made kantele
beautiful to look at, well made and beautiful wood. Beautiful to play; it sounds so hauntingly mystical and actually far better than over your site. thank you.