Switching things up from the last unveiling of my smallest ocarinas yet with my first ever pendant ocarina batch, this next batch is going full swing to my largest ocarina build to date! I am pleased to give a first look at batch #21, and the first ever batch of bass B3 ocarinas! This beautiful set consists of two ocarinas, SN 042 and 043, made from a handsome selection of ribbon stripe sapele for the body, figured blue gum eucalyptus for the top, and aromatic cedar for the mouthpiece. I had actually finished this batch all the way back in September, and this set was even completed before my first bass C4 unveiling, however with all of the high profile custom builds and new pendant push I haven’t had an opportunity to unveil this set until just now.
One of my favorite things about larger bass inline ocarinas is that you have so much room to show off the amazing figured woods. Both the ribbon stripe sapele and curly eucalyptus just dance and shimmer in the light, with iridescent chatoyance in both woods that moves, further complimented by a warm earthy brown palette of color that pairs nicely together for a classic feel. These ocarinas are beautiful, big, and soft spoken with a breathy rich warmth that flows effortlessly across the range, from soft lows, to earthy mids, and rich clear highs. The breath curve, tone, and response for both ocarinas are extremely well matched, with no difference between the two in terms of playability and tone. And although these ocarinas have a bit of that natural breathy bass feel that you would expect from a larger ocarina, they still have clarity to the tone, and play very easily form the lowest note to the highest note without having to push or strain.
One thing to note about this set in particular is the slight difference with the fingerhole pattern. Because I was developing this set out first as part of my effort to hone in my bass C4 build, I was experimenting with a number of grips and finger spread positions. As a result, this set consists of two fingerhole variations – 042 with a standard close spread the same as my tenor size ocarinas, and 043 with a much wider grip. While the fingerhole sizes for both ocarinas are identical, the spacing between fingers is noticeably different. In both cases, the right thumb and left pinky are quite large, and are not recommended for people with very small hands or narrow fingers. However, with practice, the average hand size can find these ocarinas still manageable. Despite being physically large inline ocarinas, these ocarinas are still incredibly light and comfortable to hold.
For full details about the development, background, and sound samples of this ocarina batch, you can check out the unveiling video and song demo for this batch in the links below on the Bretti Musical Instruments YouTube page:
Batch 21 Inline Ocarina Review – Bass B3 – February 2026
Native American Style Flute Inspired Improv – Bass B3 Inline Ocarina
