The Ohm Store · José Antonio Álvarez
An exhibit of silver-nickel instruments
Step into a collection of heirloom gongs and mini-gong experience plates, hand-forged in Spain by José Antonio Álvarez of Real Gong.
- Silver-nickel alloy
- Hand-forged in Spain
- Fire patina, never paint
A note from Frank
Meet the plates
A short introduction to the silver-nickel accent instruments, in Frank’s words.
Tap for sound · about a minute
The maker
European gong-making, one piece of metal at a time
José Antonio Álvarez works from his Real Gong workshop in southeast Spain. He is The Ohm Store’s exclusive partner for instruments created with silver-nickel alloy: the Origen Collection gongs and the Accent Collection plates in this exhibit.
Only a handful of European foundries can produce this alloy. Straight from the foundry, a flat piece sounds hollow and tinny. José breathes life into each one: heat, hammer, and rest, until that piece of metal becomes the instrument it was meant to be.
He works out the dimensions of each shape with tantric numerology and sacred geometry before he starts. The colors you see are fire patina. No two pieces are exactly the same.
The works
Centerpiece gongs, and mini-gong experience plates
A gong can be the anchor of a room. The plates are designed to layer into a multi-textural sound experience, on their own or beside a larger instrument.
32″ Root Gong
$3,499
Root is deep and warm. The tone pulls inward toward the center and settles into a dense, grounded hum. Its face branches outward from an 11 cm mandala like roots spreading from a single core. A gentle stroke is enough. It keeps singing long after you stop.
- Diameter: 32 inches
- Silver-nickel alloy · hand-forged in Lorquí, Spain
- Includes a Real Gong mallet matched to the instrument
- Stand sold separately
32″ Light Gong
$3,499
Light keeps a soft low floor, then opens and lifts. Overtones shimmer up and out. Its face streams in even rays from an 18 cm mandala, like light radiating from a single source.
- Diameter: 32 inches
- Silver-nickel alloy · Origen Collection
- Includes a Real Gong mallet matched to the instrument
- Stand sold separately
Mini-gong experience instruments
Three shapes. One alloy. Three timbres.
The Gong Plate, the Circle Gong Plate, and the Triangle are accent instruments. Same maker, same silver-nickel, shaped, finished, and hammered into three different voices.
Circle Gong Plate
$559.20
A round plate, 11 inches across and about a tenth of an inch thick. It is the deepest toned of the three, with the behaviors of a smaller, more focused gong. A mini-gong experience.
With a felt mallet, the sound swells for a moment and then settles into one round, deep tone. An aluminum mallet brings out a brighter timbre.
- 11 inches across · about 0.1 inch thick
- Three mallets · hanging cord · presentation box
- 35 created in this first offering
Gong Plate
$895
A two-toned sound wave. Soft and harder mallets let you lean into the lower tone or bring out the chime-y higher end. The ring is long and even. In our recording, the sustain holds for 40 seconds or longer.
If you already play singing bowls, the plate feels like a clear bell. Gong flumies have been used on it successfully in Sound School.
- 6.7″ × 10.2″ × 0.1″ thick
- About 2.12 pounds
- Three mallets · presentation box
Triangle Gong Plate
$495
The bright-light accent piece. An alternative to the clearing, opening-and-closing role of a tingsha set. It carries more bell tones above its fundamental, and its ring has a slow, audible pulse, a gentle wah-wah as it fades.
Where the plate and the circle give you sustain, the triangle pierces the silence, shimmers, and decays over a shorter time. With a metal striker you get a bright cluster of high tones.
- 8.66″ × 7.48″
- Three mallets · hanging cord · presentation box
Listen and look
The instruments in motion
Vertical clips are framed like phone-shaped exhibit screens. Wide shots breathe across the wall. Sound is on where you press play.
Muted detail loop · Frank’s intro is at the top of the page
Better played together
How the collection lives as a set
Because each plate has its main note in a different register (low, middle, and high), playing them together creates a kind of imperfect chord rather than three copies of the same note.
-
Circle + Triangle
Deep, round lower register with a bright accent on top. The most contrast of the pairings.
-
Plate + Circle
Two longer tones: one round and deep, one clear and bell-like. Entangle them.
-
Plate + Triangle
A focused, bright pairing. Play the plate, then accent over it with the triangle.
-
All three
Low, middle, and high. They sustain for different amounts of time, so each can settle into its own role.
As foundation, or as a layer
If you are building a collection from scratch, a 32″ Origen gong can be the anchor of the room, with the plates as the portable, multi-timbral set beside it. If you already play singing bowls or a larger gong, the plates add registers you do not already have: a mini-gong depth, a two-toned bell, and a bright accent for openings and closings.
There is no wrong first piece. For one clear, long tone, start with the Gong Plate. For the feeling of a gong in a smaller form, choose the Circle. To mark transitions, consider the Triangle. For a small set that complements itself and the instruments you already own, the three are cohesive together.
From people who live with these instruments
Voices from the collection
Swipe through. Real customer cards from José Álvarez’s past and present gongs — Spirit, Krishna, Radha, and the Accent plates.
The full collection
Choose your piece, or complete the set
Each instrument is limited. Small runs. Long lead times. A unique visionary process.
Before you begin
A few practical notes
What is a mini-gong experience instrument?
The Circle Gong Plate is described as having the behaviors of a smaller, more focused gong: a round plate about 11 inches across. The rectangular Gong Plate and the Triangle are accent instruments from the same silver-nickel collection, made to layer into a multi-textural sound experience.
Can I start with just one plate?
Yes. There is no wrong answer. For one clear, long tone, start with the Gong Plate. For the feeling of a gong in a smaller form, choose the Circle. To mark transitions, consider the Triangle. The three are also cohesive as a small set.
Do the plates complement a larger gong?
Yes. A larger gong can be the centerpiece of a room and a collection. These accent instruments are designed to be layered into a multi-textural sound experience beside it, or to become the portable foundation of a practice on their own.
What is fire patina?
The colors are created by fire patina: heat oxidation from José’s torch. There is no paint, no dye, and no chemical coloring. No two pieces are exactly the same.
What arrives with each instrument?
The Circle includes three mallets, a hanging cord, and a presentation box. The Gong Plate includes three mallets and a presentation box. The Triangle includes three mallets, a hanging cord with wooden bead, and a presentation box. Each 32″ Origen gong includes a matched Real Gong mallet; a stand is sold separately.
