icon
FREE SHIPPING WITHIN USA FREE SHIPPING WITHIN USA

Old singing bowls vs new singing bowls

Old singing bowls vs new singing bowls

Are the old singing bowls better than the new ones?

Some manufacturers still follow the old tradition by hand hammering singing bowls and in some cases, the results are pretty amazing. Other manufacturers produce singing bowls by pressing, casting and cutting on turning machines, but the work they do pales in comparison to the work of the alchemy masters of the past.

The alloys used today are quite different from those used traditionally (seven metals singing bows myth). Centuries ago singing bowls were made out of bronze with traces of other metals that the main two ingredients, copper and tin (approximately 80/20) were contaminated with. Today singing bowls are mainly made of brass, which is a combination of copper and zinc. When you look at certain antique singing bowls, you can see the level of mastery and care they were hammered with. Some antique bowls have such a smooth wall, it's hard to believe that they were hammered at all. I am taking full responsibility by saying that contemporary bowls are made with much less care. Nonetheless, sales are flowing anyway! A very small percentage of practitioners are familiar with the good quality of singing bowls. In many cases, fresh sound workers are not trained at all to listen to the fine nuances distinguishing the real masterpiece from a junk singing bowl. Instead, they were taught to put a bowl with a certain note next to a corresponding chakra. I am also familiar with many teaching “masters” who don't possess good quality instruments and still make many sales after they have done teaching the class. 

The students (and teachers) don't know what they don't know until someone demonstrates a real jewel and points out the unveiling aesthetics of sound. 

To make it even a better sale, modern sound bowls are crafted with various images of Tara or Buddha, lotus flowers and mandalas. I spoke to a woman once who took a very pricey sound healing workshop. Her teacher told her that an authentic singing bowl will not bring any benefits if there isn’t a mandala or mantra written on it. “And you believed it!” - I said (there was no question mark at the end of my sentence).

What is the difference between singing bowls?

So what is the main difference between the old and the new singing bowl? Usually, the old singing bowl will sound softer and sweeter than a new one. The energy it emits has a soul, versus the metallic (although pleasant) sound of the newer ones. It varies from one instrument to another and this opinion is certainly not applicable to each singing bowl. Generally speaking, when you get familiar with the acoustic features and go beyond the concept of sonic vibrations, you start to realize the subtle energy that sound is carrying. Most likely you will prefer to work with the antique sound bowl then. In terms of investment, antique singing bowls are growing in value because of the age and the fact that these instruments are vanishing from the market. If contemporary singing bowls are growing in value, it could happen because of raising the price of copper or the salesman's myths.

If you have found this article interesting, we would strongly appreciate it if you could please share it with your friends. We would also love to hear your feedback. Please, help us by writing your thoughts and experience in the comments window below the article. 

Thank you.

Comments on this post (1)

  • jan. 13, 2023

    I found a bowl I don’t know what it is made of it’s about 7 inches wide pretty heavy and tarnished with alot of sketches on it inside and out some look like snakes making letters an afew look like coffens an some look like Chrystal’s

    — Shawn oloughlin

Leave a comment

Recent posts
Notes and Chakras? Spiritual fraud with the best intentions 2024
Singing bowl playing instructions
What is so special about the singing bowl? My story.
The Benefits of Himalayan Singing Bowls
Singing Bowl, What's The Secret
10 Best Practices for Optimal Sound Healing
The Seven Metals Singing Bowl Myth
Healing Resonance and healing frequencies
The Danger Of Sound Baths Gongs And Singing Bowls
Best Singing Bowls For The Crown Chakra?
Sound Bowl Meditation
Why Sound Healing Bowls?
Singing bowls for healing
Types of Himalayan singing bowls
Planetary Frequencies
What is frequency of love?
Singing Bowl Therapy
What Is Sound Bowl Meditation?
The pulse of a singing bowl
Singing Bowls Remedy for Alcoholism, Depression and Anxiety
How to take care and clean a singing bowl
Old singing bowls vs new singing bowls
What is a Singing Bowl?
Bronze and brass singing bowls versus crystal or glass singing bowls
How to choose a singing bowl?
Sound Healing And Light Thrapy
Harmony has a formula
Notes in music
What is sound meditation
Planetary sounds
Brainwave entrainment
The Octave and the Perfect fifth
Consonance and Dissonance
Exercise with singing bowl "Listening with the body"
Gongs and singing bowls can change your life!