1. The Corinthian Bells and Arabesque chimes have similar sizes and tunings. What’s the difference?
Both of those chimes are made by the same manufacturer, Wind River Chimes. Therefore, the sizes, number of tubes, colors and keys of each size are the same. The main differences are stylistic: the top crown/cap and the bottom wind sail are different. All other components are the same: string, tubes and striker. The price varies slightly, with the Arabesque being the most expensive because of the stylized crown and sail. Most importantly, the resonance and depth of sound is the same within each equal-sized chime.
2. I’m looking for a deep/bass chime. How does that relate to the keys/scales of each chime? Is a chime tuned to the scale of A deeper than a chime tuned to C?
The length and diameter of the tubes on each chime define the deepness of the sound, rather than a particular key or scale. An example is these three Corinthian Bells chimes: the 27-inch, the 44-inch and the 74-inch. Even though all three are hand-tuned to the key of C, they vary greatly in sound. In general the smaller the chime, the higher in pitch/tone the chime will be. (For music folks, it’s basically different octaves of the same chord.) The deepest chime is the 65-inch model (the 836) in the Corinthian Bells and Bells of Vienna chimes. Be sure to listen to the sound samples!
3. I love my chime! But the string broke. What do I do?
If your chime looks like one that you see on our site (be sure to look at the wind sail—they’re different on all chimes), contact us at 877-293-6395 (toll free) for repair information. We will pass along the manufacturer’s name and contact information for the chime that you have. Manufacturers generally repair/restring only the chimes that they manufacture. If you bought the chime through BuyChimes, just call us. We’ll look up your order and give you date/details of that purchase if you want/need it for warranty purposes.
4. I’m considering giving a chime as a gift to a friend, but I’m not sure if they will enjoy a chime, or even have a place for it. What do you suggest?
Most folks love receiving a high-quality chime as a gift—it’s the perfect memory-making gift for a house-warming, birthday, anniversary, wedding, sympathy, etc. BUT, we understand your concern! If the recipient doesn’t like/want the chime, we ask that they call us at 877-293-6395 (toll free). We will easily accept the returned chime and work with them on an acceptable resolution.
5. What’s the most popular chime you sell?
Any Corinthian Bells chime, but especially the 30-inch and the 36-inch chimes are best-sellers. Most folks find their deep resonance and tone pleasing, and for gifts, they’re not too big and overwhelming.
6. Is BuyChimes the manufacturer? Do you sell wholesale?
No, we do not manufacture wind chimes. We are proud e-commerce retailers! Therefore, we do not sell wholesale—nor do we sell parts or offer repair services.
7. I saw a beautiful chime in a gift shop, but they didn’t have it in the color I want. I wrote down the UPC code from the booklet on the chime. Can you tell me which chime I saw?
Yes, if you spy a chime on our site that looks similar, we can figure it out. Just call us at 877-293-6395 (toll free). We have all the manufacturer’s UPC codes and can easily match that to the chime on our website.
8. Will I need to assemble the chime?
No. All wind chimes are fully assembled and ready to hang.
9. I have a Grace Note wind chime. Do you sell that brand?
We used to sell Grace Note chimes, but in May 2023, they went out of business. So we no longer carry them. You may still be able to find their chimes in small garden shops.
10. I’m overwhelmed with all the choices! How do I ever choose?
We encourage customers to think about two things: (1) how frequently do you want to hear the chime? (2) how much wind do you get? The larger chimes are heavier and do not ring as frequently, especially if you live in a spot that does not get many breezes/wind. It definitely takes more wind to move the chimes that are heavier than 10 lbs.