Hi all,

I've been playing my new Gosselink C5 for the past few days and thought I'd share my first impressions of it.

It's a 10 hole ocarina with a split C hole. The picture on the website shows a B sub-hole, so I expected it to be an 11 hole - however this is not the case (not too bad if you ask me).

The fingering chart on the website shows an Italian system, however it actually uses the Asian system. I prefer the Asian system in general, and especially here because the left pinky hole on bass ocarinas can get too big with the Italian system.

Ergonomically, it is comfortable to hold, support and play. It doesn't require a stretch with the fingers, and the holes are not too big.

It weighs 770 grams, lighter than specified on the website. I don't have other bass ocarinas to compare it to, but I can say it is much heavier than any of my altos, including my double alto G. The weight jump is considerable, but manageable.

It requires a high breath pressure, especially for the high notes. However, they're not hard to hit at all. No acute bend or any special technique is required for them to speak clearly. The breath curve is smooth and I don't feel like there's a huge jump for the high notes.

The timbre is textured, which I think pairs beautifully with the low bass sound. The ocarina is also very responsive. Articulation feels almost percussive, I like this very much.

The only nitpick I have is the low Eb. It feels a hair too flat, however this is very minor. It requires a very slight adjustment with breath pressure to fix. I figured out I can use the split hole to adjust for it as well. The alternate fingerings for Eb that I'm used to also work.

Maybe it's just my specific instrument, I don't know.

Overall I'm very happy with it. It doesn't feel too different to play than any of my alto Cs. It's still a bit tiring on my wrist, but I hope I'll get used to the weight over time.

Gosselink C5 demo and first impressions