Selecting wind chimes you will be happy with

Not all wind chimes are created equal and selecting the proper wind chime is important for the long term sanity of you, your family, and your guests.

Quality wind chimes will have a precise musical pitch and the wind chime elements will harmonize with one another. This will create a soothing effect on the listener. A wind chime that is not properly tuned will create a dissonance that will be a long term irritation to those forced to listen to it. Tuning problems are common with many of the cheap imports from China. Many of these chimes are pretty to look at but the sound will likely drive you nuts in the long run.

Another factor one must consider is the volume that will be produced by the wind chime when the wind blows. Generally, the larger the wind chime is the louder the wind chime will be. Many people prefer the quiet tinkle of a smaller wind chime and may not be able to tolerate the loud sounds generated by a larger wind chime. If you prefer a low volume wind chime you may want to select a smaller chime.

There are many different types of wind chimes available on the market. Your selection will include wind chimes made from bamboo, aluminum, glass, pewter, steel, and other exotic materials such as sliced thunder eggs or obsidian. All of these materials can make a fine wind chime if the design and construction of the chime is done properly. Of the choices commonly available, wind chimes manufactured from aluminum or pewter are generally the best choice because these materials will not rust and keep their beauty for many years. Steel wind chimes tend to rust in a few years and bamboo wind chimes often will crack within a year when exposed to the elements. Glass wind chimes are fragile and will break relatively easily.

American manufacturers tend to produce the finest chimes you will find. The most popular American manufacturers are Woodstock Percussion, Whispering Winds, Music of the Spheres, Spirit Winds, QMT, Gracenotes, and J. W. Stannard.

Woodstock Percussion is the largest American manufacturer of wind chimes and offers a huge selection in many different styles and sizes. Most of their wind chimes are actually manufactured in China but under strict quality control guidelines from Woodstock. As a result, you can expect all Woodstock wind chimes to be top quality.

Whispering Winds specializes in pewter chimes with themed designs. These chimes will not rust and come is a multitude of themes and sizes. The chime tubes are made of aluminum and the artsy portion of the chime is manufactured from pewter. These chimes are rugged and will withstand sever weather. The only drawback to this design is that it requires a significant amount of wind to make the chime perform at its best. Whispering Winds elected to cease production of their wind chimes in 2006 so their availability is limited to the stock of current inventories. This is unfortunate for all of us since Whispering Winds produced some of the most unique, beautiful, and rugged wind chimes.

Music of the Spheres specializes in thick walled aluminum wind chimes. These wind chimes will resonate much longer than competing chimes of similar size and tend to be loud. Because these wind chimes are precisely tuned the loud volume is well tolerated by most people. In fact, many will purchase this chime specifically because it is loud. Music of the Spheres manufactures some of the nicest sounding wind chimes you will find anywhere. These are truly beautiful chimes.

Spirit Winds is probably the most important manufacture of bamboo wind chimes in America. Actually, the wind chimes are manufactured in Asia but the quality is strictly controlled by Spirit Winds in America. Spirit Winds offers a large variety of sizes and designs. Some wind chimes are all bamboo and some are composed of aluminum chime rods with remaining parts being bamboo. Initial quality is good for these wind chimes but the dark finish on the bamboo tends to bleach out within a year when the wind chime is left out in the rain. There is also a tendency for the bamboo to crack over time. None the less, if your choice for a wind chime is bamboo then Spirit Winds is an excellent choice.

QMT manufactures several different lines of wind chimes such as Gentle Spirits, Bells of Vienna, Majesty Bells, Arias, and Weatherland. All of these lines have distinct design elements. That is to say, each design is different. Gentle Spirits are a thick walled aluminum wind chime with a beautiful finish of green, gold, or black. Majesty bells have a wooden windcatcher and top with aluminum tubes and look much like your classic wind chime. Weatherland and Arias chimes have a similar design using a wooden windcatcher and wood top. All wind chimes manufactured by QMT are top quality.

J. W. Stannard produces wind chimes in a variety of sizes and styles. All their designs tend to have the classic wind chime look with wooden windchatcher and top and aluminum chime tubes. All Stannard wind chimes are precision tuned and produce excellent tone.

The best wind chimes are tuned so that each chime tube will harmonize with the other chime tubes on the wind chime. If the tubes aren’t tuned properly the joy of the chime will soon be lost. Popular tunings are derived from Pentatonic, Gregorian and other melodic musical scales. Some chimes play the notes of a popular song such as Amazing Grace or the music of Bach. The key to a good sounding wind chime is that all chime tubes must harmonize with all other chime tubes on the chime.

When purchasing your next wind chime keep in mind that your long term satisfaction will depend on the proper selection of chime size, tuning and chime material. Actually, it’s not at all complicated, just audition the chime on line or at your favorite store. If it sounds good to you then the chime will, no doubt, be your friend for many years to come.