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*** Reasons NOT to buy Mountain Ocarinas ***

*** Our 365 Days/Lifetime - Double Guarantee ***

*** Free 5 Part Video Course ***

 

All of our ocarinas:

  • Include a neck cord with safety connector so that you can carry your ocarina easily and safely.
  • Are fully chromatic with a range of an octave and three notes (18 tones). The C ocarina has one less hole but has the same 18 tone range (see the FAQ for a detailed explanation).
  • We ship worldwide. How much is shipping? More info


WarmStone, Key of G

WarmStone, Key of C
  • Price: $99.95
  • Length: 5.5 inches or 13.9 cm
  • Tonal range: B4 - E6
  • Appearance resembles of ivory inlaid with malechite
  • Made of Corian®, solid surface composite material, non-porous, allows highest surface polish
  • Interior liner which resists moisture condensation in the windways
  • About half an octave lower in pitch, and mellower in sound than the G ocarina
  • Reasons NOT to buy Mountain Ocarinas
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More information about our ocarinas

Aluminum, Key of G
  • Price: $79.95
  • Length: 4.5 inches or 11.4 cm
  • Tonal range: F#5 - B6
  • Machined from aircraft grade aluminum
  • Colors: brass/gold, blue, red
  • Hardcoat anodized to provide a hard, scratch-resistant, attractive surface
  • Interior liner which provides thermal insulation and resists moisture condensation in the windways
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More information about our ocarinas

Aluminum, Key of C
  • Price: $89.95
  • Length: 5.5 inches or 13.9 cm
  • Tonal range: B4 - E6
  • Machined from aircraft grade aluminum
  • Brass/gold in color
  • Hardcoat anodized to provide a hard, scratch-resistant, attractive surface
  • Interior liner which provides thermal insulation and resists moisture condensation in the windways
  • About half an octave lower in pitch, and mellower in sound than the G ocarina
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More information about our ocarinas

Polycarbonate, Key of G
  • Price: $24.95
  • Length: 4.5 inches or 11.4 cm
  • Tonal range: F#5 - B6
  • Made of extremely tough polycarbonate material
  • Highly impact resistant
  • Texturization makes surfaces very scratch resistant
  • Precise replica of our more expensive ocarinas
  • High sound quality, very difficult to distinguish from our more expensive ocarinas
  • The polycarbonate G ocarina is recommended to go along with our self-learning curriculum. The curriculum is recorded on a G ocarina
  • Reasons NOT to buy Mountain Ocarinas
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More information about our ocarinas

Polycarbonate, Key of C
  • Price: $24.95
  • Length: 5.5 inches or 13.9 cm
  • Tonal range: B4 - E6
  • Made of extremely tough polycarbonate material
  • Highly impact resistant
  • Texturization makes surfaces very scratch resistant
  • Precise replica of our more expensive ocarinas
  • High sound quality, very difficult to distinguish from our more expensive ocarinas
  • About half an octave lower in pitch, and mellower in sound than the G ocarina
  • Why does it have one less hole than the G? See the FAQ.
  • Reasons NOT to buy Mountain Ocarinas
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More information about our ocarinas

Polycarbonate, Keys of G and C

Comparison Of Our Ocarinas
Picture *Key Made Of Price Notes

larger | Video 		G
(higher
tone)
listen		 WarmStone $89.95 WarmStone ocarinas are made from Corian®, a solid surface non-porous material. The advantages of this material allow these ocarinas to have the most highly poished finish as well as the best moisture resistance.

larger 		C
(lower
tone)
listen		 WarmStone $99.95 Similar to our G WarmStone ocarinas except that they are an inch longer, about half an octave lower in pitch, and mellower in sound.

larger | Video 		G
(higher
tone)
listen		 Aluminum $79.95 Extremely-durable hardcoat anodized aircraft grade aluminum. Each instrument is machined to precise specifications. Brass/Gold in color.

larger | Video 		C
(lower
tone)
listen		 Aluminum $89.95 Similar to our G aluminum ocarinas except that they are an inch longer, about half an octave lower in pitch, and mellower in sound.
**
larger | Video 		G
(higher
tone)
listen		 Polycarbonate $24.95 Precise replica of our hardwood ocarinas. We even hand sand each windway. As a result, their sound nearly matches that of our hardwood ocarinas. Great sound. Very tough.

larger | Video 		C
(lower
tone)
listen		 Polycarbonate $24.95 Similar to our G polycarbonate ocarinas except that they are an inch longer, about half an octave lower in pitch, and mellower in sound.

* All of the above recordings were made on our polycarbonate instruments. The "listen" links above are meant to demonstrate the difference in pitch between the G and C ocarinas not between polycarbonate, hardwood and aluminum.

** Our G polycarbonate ocarina is our most popular model. Our self-learning music curriculum is recorded with this ocarina, and this is the instrument that we generally recommend people to start with.

Frequently Asked Questions about our ocarinas

Comparison of materials that our ocarinas are made out of.


Self-Learning Music Curriculum
  • Price: $24.95
  • Learning to Play MOUNTAIN OCARINAS® consists of a 40 page book (24 units) and 3 companion CDs.
  • This thorough introduction to music guides you step by step from sounding your first notes to playing from a book of folksongs or hymns.
  • Designed for learning on your own, without a teacher, so absolutely NO prior knowledge of music is required.
  • Note: The songs recorded on the instructional CDs are performed on a G ocarina.
  • Click here for sample curriculum pages

Music Books

300 Celtic Folksongs for MOUNTAIN OCARINAS®
  • Price: $19.95
  • A wonderful collection of traditional music from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales that sounds great on the ocarina. This book is also very suitable for other folk instruments. (We specify for MOUNTAIN OCARINAS® only because some ocarinas do not have enough range to play all the songs in this book)
  • Full of haunting ancient airs and ballads as well as spirited faster tunes.
  • The easiest songs are noted so that learners can quickly find songs that they can play.
  • Enough material to keep you busy for a long, long time.
  • Click here for sample music book pages

Favorite Hymns in Easy Keys

Favorite Carols in Easy Keys
  • Price: $9.95
  • Nineteen favorite Christmas carols in easy to read and play settings, with chords and lyrics.
  • Chords and music are written so that a G or a C ocarina can play along with other musicians without transposing.
  • Includes a tutorial on how to play your G ocarina with other musicians.
  • Click here for sample music book pages

Are Our Ocarinas and Products
Right For You?

Maybe. Maybe not. The only way to know is to try them out yourself. Get to know them. Get comfortable with them. See if you like their tone, feel, fingering, expressiveness, the nuances of how they play.

The only way to know if an instrument right for you is to spend time with it.

This is why we offer a 365 Days/Lifetime - Double Guarantee (see below)... so you can try our instruments at your leisure and see if they are right for you. Take your time. You'll have one full year to decide.

Go to this page to hear from some people who were un-happy with their purchase from us... along with some people who were not. Here are some Reasons NOT to buy Mountain Ocarinas

Watch our free 5 part video course for an introduction to playing our flutes.


365 Days/Lifetime - Double Guarantee

1. 365 Days Complete Satisfaction Guarantee. Order any products directly from us (either from this website or over the phone). Try our products for as long as you like... up to one full year. If you decide for any reason that you don't want to keep any of our products, simply contact us by phone or email and let us know. We will cheerfully refund your full purchase price. We will also refund the shipping charges for orders shipped to the U.S.A.

2. Lifetime Breakage Guarantee. If your ocarina is ever accidentally damaged to a point where you can no longer play it, simply return it to us, and we will either fix it or replace it with an ocarina of similar value.

BBB certification


Learn To Play The Ocarina In 5 Lessons





Customer Review






The vast majority of feedback we receive from customers is positive, but certainly not 100% of it. It seems a bit lopsided to show only our positives, ignoring the fact that our product is not right for everybody. Not all people who buy our products will be happy with their purchase. I briefly searched through my email and found all of the not so happy customer emails. I also found some of the happy customer emails. Both un-happy and happy are displayed below:

Hi,

I have recieved the Ocarinas. They are lovely, but I do not like the sound that they make. I am going to return them today.

Warmest Regards,

xxxxx


Dear Karl, Cliff & Families;

This past week I received my two polycarbonate ocarinas (keys of C and G) as well as "Learning to Play Mountain Ocarinas." My order arrived in three days which is in and of itself outstanding. Your ocarinas are beyond explanation, they play great!

I have been making and playing Native American flutes for several years and you flutes, with the intuitive fingering, are very similar to the native flutes. I had very little difficulty fingering your flutes because of the similarities. Both your flutes and the native flutes are by their very nature and origin, meant to play by ear and your flutes are even more forgiving for this style of playing than are the native flutes. Your suggestion on your web site to purchase both the "C" and "G" flutes was right, because having both allows not only a reprieve from playing just one, but allows a much wider range of sound and type of music played.

While playing the native flute I never had a desire, or a need to learn to read music. The uniqueness of the native flute is the fact that they play best when the player improvises rather than playing by formal structured methods. Your ocarinas I believe fall into the same mode of improvised playing. Having said that, I quickly discovered that using your self learning music curriculum (which is a bargain) is actually a lot of fun! Incorporating the instruction manual along with the three CD's gives one the feeling that you are in the presence of your music teacher (hearing a voice) giving personal instructions, yet at your pace and not at the pace of the instructor. I can't believe that after all these years I'm actually learning to read music and enjoying it!

Your ocarinas and learning curriculum have filled a void for this 69 year old retired guy. I can't wait to get to my lessons and review the last lessons before going to a new lesson. I apply every lesson to both ocarinas and as a result each lesson is actually two separate lessons which produce separate enjoyments.

THANKS!

Closing, I wish you and yours health and happiness!

Barry Manning



Dear Mountain Ocarinas,

I received your curriculum and folk song book. It is not what I need. I would like to return it. How would you like me to ship it. Thank you for your attention to this.

Best Regards,

xxxxx



Hi Karl!

My Mountain Ocarinas and instructional books arrived today! They were nicely packed and arrived quickly all the way from you there in the States. When the box came I was so excited! I've only been able to play with my ocarinas for a little, and already I totally love them both! They do have such a sweet sound to them (and I *do* love the mellower C ocarina!) and I can't wait 'till after my exams (2 weeks) so I can spend some proper time not only learning how to play them, but also learning how to read music!

The teaching material seems to be so well written, and perfect for someone [like me!] who has no proper musical background at all. In fact I think it will not only help me to understand and play my wonderful new Mountain Ocarinas, but will also help me with my present ceramic English pendant ocarinas (as I know the fingerings well, but haven't put them together with the musical notation) because your teaching method seems to be very cross-applicable between instruments.

Thankyou for being so honest with me about your recommendations, for getting it all to me so quickly and for making both such exactingly designed, beautiful sounding instruments and well written, enthusiastic instructional material.

~ a very very happy xxxxxx excited to properly begin his journey into the world of music


Dear Customer Service,

I received my order and I am extremely disappointed. The Ocarina sounds terrible. It looks nice, but sounds like a toy. Sounded better online. I have a small clay Ocarina purchase in Argentina that sounds better. Good thing I did not buy the more expensive one I really wanted. Do you have a return policy?

Karl's Response

Dear xxxxx,

I'm sorry you are disappointed with your ocarina. Have no fear! We will cheerfully refund your money at any time. I encourage you to take your time and get to know your new ocarina. You are free to return your ocarina for a refund a month or a year from now without a problem. Ultimately, we want you to be happy with your purchase. While our instruments sometimes take a bit of time to adjust to, we find that our clients generally love their ocarinas after they grow accustomed to them, even if they were unsure about the sound "right out of the box."

One of our biggest fans is a guy who posted on the internet that he didn't like our sound. (This was his "right out of the box" experience.) Now, however, he loves our instruments, has ordered several, and regularly sends people our way.

Here is an excerpt from a follow up email that we send to all our clients:

> ...you will probably NOT achieve
> your optimal sound during the first few days of,
> playing. Rather, your tone will improve DRAMATICALLY
> over time as you gradually grow accustomed to the
> proper airspeed and other nuances of the instrument. In
> fact, Mountain Ocarinas are specifically designed for
> you to grow into them, rather than grow out of them, as
> your skills improve.


So, I encourage you to take all the time you want to get to know your ocarina. With all that said, people have different tastes, so here is how to obtain a refund. Simply return the instrument to us at the address below:

Mountain Ocarinas Inc.
71 Hoskins Rd.
Bloomfield, CT 06002

In the package, please include your name, address, and your desire for a refund. After receiving your package, we will refund your full purchase price.

Please don't hesitate to call me toll-free or email again if you think I can help in any way.

Warmest regards,
Karl Ahrens

Mountain Ocarinas Inc.
Toll-Free Phone: 888-4-A-Flute (888-423-5883)






I would like to request an Return number for this order. I much prefer my Polycarbonate in G over the C. Thank you.



Karl,

Thank you for returning my call today. I really appreciate you taking care of the defective CDs.

And thank you so much for including Favorite Hymns in Easy Keys and Favorite Carols in Easy Keys and one of your new design Polycarbonate ocarinas! I'm really looking forward to getting to play it.

Since first seeing your ocarinas and books, I have remained hugely impressed by your design skill, perseverance, and enterprise. There were a lot of things to spend money on at the Florida Home School convention, but your instruments and books were the only things that "got me". I've used the Learning to Play book and the three ocarinas I bought from you at the convention on several long road trips to work with my kids on music. Their durability and portability are wonderful. It is a GREAT design, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so. I will enjoy showing the instruments to students I find in this new adventure of The Family Music School. Your instruments and books could fit in all kinds of ways. We'll see what the coming year brings!

I am eager to explore a method for converting the 300 Celtic Folksongs to MIDI files. I'll let you know what I discover. For me, the best way to learn software has been to take on a project, so this should be good. I hope to be able to get back with you within a week to report what I've learned. Thanks again, and God bless you!




Hello I just received one of your flutes and I'm not very happy with it can I get a return label?

Susan's Response

Dear xxxxxx,

We will be happy to process your return. Simply send the ocarina back to us by USPS first class mail. You may send the return to:

Mountain Ocarinas Inc
71 Hoskins Rd
Bloomfield, CT 06002

When we receive your return we will issue a refund to your credit card, including postage, and notify you by email.

Best wishes,

Susan Ahrens
Shipping Manager
Mountain Ocarinas Inc.






Dear Karl,

I just recieved My ocarina on Friday, and have been playing it. I just HAD to say:

THIS IS THE BEST OCARINA I EVER KNEW!!!! It's so sweet, and it has an awesome range-- I would seriously sell all of my instruments to own this amazing masterpiece! I read somewhere on the web that your ocarinas are "ugly". I disagree 100% ! They are gorgeous! your QUALITY Instruments are just that-- Q U A L I T Y.... and your Guarentee Roc's too.

Your ocarinas rock! It is taking a bit to learn the new finger tequnique, but Your ocarinas have great tonal quality, and I wear it everywhere. I tried the fingering pattern sent with my ocarina, and found that you can also use various combinations to make some of the notes. I don't play the songs like the ones on your website, whereas I am learning to play by ear, and prefer a slightly diffrent style. I find that your ocarinas are rather versitile, and the pie's the limit as far as your ocarinas seem! Talk about Concertage ;) . well, I've got to go and clean my humble living quarters, but will be sure to make time to practice my-- er, YOUR ocarina!

Brandon P Buchholz ~The Great Brando, collector of musical instruments




I am fond of Irish whistle. So, when I happened across a polycarbonate G on eBay, I was intrigued. I bought it.

I find I'm very pleased with the shape, size, fingering, and durability of the instrument. So much so, that I immediately ordered the course, the Celtic song book, and the WarmStone "ivory" G from you.

After I have made more progress on the G, I will probably order a polycarb and WarmStone C. I find the G's shape more attractive, though.

I find your instruments a bit more "packable" than my Irish whistles, because they are smaller, tougher, and shaped for any pocket. I also seems that your ocarinas offer all of the ornamentation potentials of Celtic whitles.

Congratulations or excellently engineered, and highly affordable instrument!

Thanks,

Kari S.,
San Diego, CA



Hi Karl--

Howdy from Texas!

I have been playing your G ocarinas for several years now --i had one that resembled a lego brick [as someone else described it. i kinda like that description, but i have a huge respect for legos!]. We received new ocarinas last year that were updated. I have yet to find an instrument that brings me as much joy as your little ocarinas. I feel sappy saying that [can you tell I'm not a sappy kinda gal? LOL!], but it is SO true!! I take my little ocarina along w/ me EVERYWHERE! i like the C's too, but the little size of the G's appeals to me. What do you expect from someone who prefers the little hatchback to the Dodge Ram...? snicker.

For years I have demonstrated the durability of your ocarinas by twirling them at high speed on their lanyard and whacking them full force against any brick or concrete surface. One of these days it will crack [maybe??] and i will cry, but i can not beLIEVE how strong they are!! Takes a licking and keeps on playing.

I also like that my little kids can play with them unsupervised--i don't have to worry about them getting scratched, broken, drowned, or messed up. Shoot, the kids can even leave them in the mud, in the Texas heat, in the NY freezing winters, run over them w/ their bikes, and just wash them out and play them. [we've done all of the above, by the way.] Even the dog and teething toddler can't dent these things very easily. I have 5 kids and adore that I can let them "play" with the ocarina --catching those little ocarina blurbs here and there by a 2yo and 4yo is too cool. Stuff in my house needs to be virtually indestructible, and these ocarinas make the cut!!

I admit it: i am one of those diehard players that you will see playing the ocarina while driving down the road. But only on looooong straight stretches --i promise!! It also serves as a great way to call the kids on the playground a la Sound of Music. The older model gave a better short blast than the new one.

I must confess --I *really* prefer the older smaller rectangular one. Mostly cuz it WAS smaller, and also because the finger holes had a raised ridge around the holes --that makes it a LOT easier to find quickly. i put my older one away and spent the last year focussing on the new model, THEN pulled out the old one. I'm still hooked on the smaller compact model. The thumb holes were easier to cover as well. A completely subjective opinion is the way the lanyard is attached-- i preferred the separate hole as opposed to the lanyard being strung through the instrument itself. Not sure why though --it was easy enough to use a twist tie to thread my own lanyard through the new model.

i do like the new ocarina's squeak-proof quality and extra hole. i kinda wish the extra hole stayed w/ the linear fingering idea, but I realize that for those of us who were used to the original fingering it simply made sense to add the note to the finger that wasn't being used! My only regret is that I can't easily play The Star Spangled Banner. But that song has a range that rivals the rift between Heaven and Hell. Can't really blame the ocarina for that :-)

My oldest has been working through the curriculum and we all enjoy the cd's. i use a beginning recorder book for introducing the ocarina to my younger students --we just ignore the fingering instruction. I played clarinet in marching band, so I started off w/ enough music theory experience and the ocarina was very intuitive. BUT --even my musically-challenged friend could play Mary had a Little Lamb w/in 30 minutes on the ocarina!! not very well, but you can't have everything, eh? lol. did I mention she was NOT a music person? that's an understatement!

We have several students that have progressed rapidly on these instruments. I'm convinced that the portability and easy maintenance are key to this success. An excellent product that makes it easy to sound professional.

My oldest son takes his ocarina on Boy Scout campouts. I braided a burgundy and gold lanyard for my ocarina -- I'm partial to the burgundy color :-) I'd love to get the green one, but am hesitant to spend that much money on something that i am not very careful with [did you catch that things in my house need to be ridiculously durable?]. The amazing part is that while I lose car keys and other odds n ends, i have yet to lose my ocarina!! My husband keeps asking me why that is --I just tell him "A gal's gotta have priorities, ya know."

I am always impressed at your attention to customer needs. Many families have benefitted from your generosity and talent. You truly have a product that is pleasing to the Lord! i pray your family is blessed w/ your ministry.

Thank you so much, and please let me know if there is ever anything we can do to help *you*.

take care-

Amy Hedtke
Red Oak, TX




We are having so much fun with these. I had to order another G so it will be easier to play with my daughter. I was a serious flutist before I had kids, but the flute never comes out of its case anymore. I've never played a folk instrument before that feels like I can make it my own. I can't stop messing with these ocarinas, though. Thanks!



Hi!

Well, now that I've got my order in, I can sign up for MOM! And by the way, I am incredibly delighted with my instruments! The polycarbonate isn't as pretty as some of the other models, but with my rough n' tumble life I needed something that I could take with me into the field. Wow, I'm just gushing, again, but its so great to be working with you - I really feel that personal touch so lacking in today's world! Hope to hear more from you soon!



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