I got this gong for our office to ring every time we have a software release.

It’s not a huge orchestral gong but it does have a very nice loud ring to it. I was surprised how much noise it could actually produce.

My only (half) complaint is that stand is not the same as the one in the picture. The given stand is still functional (and probably sturdier) so I’ve uploaded a picture of what the stand actually looks like in case you guys care.

This is a great gong, if you’re looking for a reasonably small, fairly inexpensive gong. Pretty heavy, good sound, doesn’t seem cheap. But the one we got did NOT come with the stand pictured, rather it came with another one you can see around the Web (the more traditional-looking all-metal stand with two vertical bars and the gong hanging from a bar across them). We actually wanted the stand we got, so it was a bonus for us, but word to the wise … Another good thing about the stand we got is that the metal base bars are wide enough to take some pads or little feet, if you want to put the thing on furniture that might be damaged otherwise.

Excellent quality gong, sturdy and well made stand, mallet included. Not cheap, but worth every dollar. You may want to stick pads under legs to avoid marking furniture or floor.

Superficially, a gong is a one note instrument. Not so in practice: hitting at different distances from the center will activate or deactivate certain harmonics and a variety of chords (not in the usual chromatic scale) can be produced. Also, the quality of the sound depends on the way you hit. Interestingly, the gong is activated by nearby noises (for instance, a loud conversation). No wonder that composers like Olivier Messiaen were endlessly fascinated with the sound of gongs.