Wittner903012 Taktell Piccolo Super-Mini Metronome, Ruby

i got this little metronome to use while practicing mandolin. i am not a big fan of the tones generated by electronic metronomes, and i really enjoy the soothing visual rhythm of a pendulum. from everything i had found, it seemed a Wittner would be the right choice. but which one?well, i had a number of additional requirements... ours is a rather full yet modest house - and chaos is always just around the bend. between my hound dog that likes to 'sing' along and an exuberant husband, it can get quite loud during practice time so i needed something i could hear through the din. we also have a very mischievous kitten and her playful older brother... so i was hoping for something that would not be as likely to catch their eye during practice, and that i could perhaps put up for safekeeping in the meantime. a bright color to aid in finding it should it get snatched wouldn't hurt either.after reading all the reviews, i decided to give the super-mini a chance. i did have some reservations on whether such a small device could produce a crisp and loud enough click to work.no worries there. this little darling has a great click that stands apart from other noise well. it is small enough to fit in my mandolin case or on my music stand between uses. it also has been sent flying at least twice due to kitten antics, and it remains unchipped/cracked and true to the beat. added bonus: the red color did, in fact, make it easy to find under furniture.a couple comments on other reviews:- several people have said their mini did not come with the windup key. mine was cleverly nested in the right front of the metronome face, so it is inside the storage case front. it may be other people did not realize that is what it was. (though, of course, it could just be that theirs were missing).- one person said that the windup key could not be removed between uses. either this person was plain wrong or the design has changed, because the key can easily be unscrewed for storage inside the case front as described in bullet listed above. this is a great design idea, because it means 1) you do not need to store the metronome in the packaging box in order to protect the key and 2) it can be stored in very small spaces.- some people have groused about the ease of reading the speeds. i would agree that the numbers on the face are small, but that is the price of having such a tiny little footprint. there really isn't any way to make the numbers bigger without having them bleed onto one another. if someone wants bigger print, they should buy a bigger metronome.

The one on the right I have had since the mid 70’s . It has a W Germany stamp on the pendulum . It still works fantastic. That’s almost 50 years . I missed placed it . So you know , when the new one came in I found the old one , ha ha . I still enjoy the mechanical metronome when I practice my saxophone. I have a tuner and digital metronome on my phone for tuning . But it’s hard to beat the swinging pendulum and the click’s practicing . IMHO

The media could not be loaded. This metronome is fabulous. It has a wonderful sound and looks good to boot.

The metronome functioned just as it has been described and was easy to use. Very small and, thus, portable. The plastic case was broken so not sure how it stands up to the rigors of being carried around. Would suggest keeping the box for added protection if portability is a requirement. The sound of the metronome was quite perfect, not too loud or annoying.

Requires no batteries and is a very decent looking metronome with great portability. It is a great alternative to the maddening beeping of electronic metronomes. It also provides visual time keeping with the beat. My only problem with this metronome is that the increments are not 100% accurate. The increments are very close and the beat is always constant.

The media could not be loaded. The little metronome fits inside my guitar case which is a great plus! Made in Germany [so mechanics designed and manufactured with precision] Quite loud for such a little thing!

I grew up with this same metronome. Now my five year old is beginning piano and I knew I wanted him to have the same one I did. I ordered it and was pleasantly surprised at just how little the design has changed. The clear plastic cover seems a little different. Other than that, it could be the one I had for thirty years. And that one worked flawlessly for thirty years. (It eventually got lost in a move.) I'm confident this one will last just as long, provided I can get my kid to treat it as respectfully as I treated mine.

Even if WW III starts and there is no power due to the EMP, I will die playing violin in time with this classic metronome.