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Post by valdae on Apr 18, 2012 21:51:12 GMT
I came across this zhongruan on amazon.com a few days ago. I haven’t checked but I think this vendor is also on TRADE TANG. I find the instrument interesting but rather odd in that the frets are bone embedded in wood, never saw that before. This is considered an instrument for a beginner to intermediate player. Notice it has four screws at the end holding the tailpiece in place – that gives me pause (my sunburst ruan uses only one screw). The total cost plus shipping clocks in at $317.00, not bad. I could purchase this ruan at the end of summer, but I’d much rather hold out for a concert quality instrument, which on my pittance will take longer to save for. With that said, my mantra is the following: Must…not…buy…….this…..in…stru…ment…… www.amazon.com/ZR201-Intermediate-Chinese-musical-instrument/dp/B006IOI8OC/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3K2FD8BAFTWWA&colid=2LTJ0499XZBGD |
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 18, 2012 22:33:57 GMT
This is the zhongruan I have: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260930958623?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp5197.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D260930958623%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1#shIdI did some research before I bought it, having asked a previous buyer. It is of intermediate quality but sounds far better than other makes of zhongruan for the same money. My teacher, (who as far as he knows is the UK's only professional liuqin/zhongruan player), who luckily lives near me, has a SGN zhongruan costing 4x as much. Song Guang Ning to the zhongruan is the what Gibson is to the guitar. Eason.com.sg sells the most beautiful SGN I have seen, at nearly US$2000. I reckon the above eBay seller may be able to get it for less. (Sorry SW!) I fully understand (but my wife and kids don't  wanting to get the best you can afford. My living room is cluttered with all my instruments. I'm still looking for a professional quality F and G key hulusi. I think I'll wait till the next time my dizi/erhu teacher goes back to China. |
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Post by valdae on Apr 19, 2012 13:58:32 GMT
That is a beautiful ruan, and I’ve never seen that soundhole pattern before. The ruan displayed at Amazon is, in the parlance of the guitar world, a “beater”; an inexpensive instrument to take to the beach or on a picnic or the like. It would be nice to have a third ruan and I intend to get another but I really want something of a higher quality. What I have considered getting for now instead is an ebow [no, a purist I’m not]. It’s an electromagnet that sets the strings to vibrate, whereby you can get sounds like a violin or cello. For recording purposes it would be invaluable.
Ideally, I’d like to have five ruans, one of which I’d like to design. As a player who once had eight guitars I can honestly say more is better, in that they all have their quirks and peculiarities about them. No two sounded the same, and again, for recording purposes…
With that said, I will do my best to ignore the “Amazon ruan”. If I were to come into a windfall [Where for art thou?] I’d buy both. For now, having two is a blessing of variety, though I crave more.
~ Eric
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 19, 2012 14:23:56 GMT
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Post by sanmenxia on Apr 19, 2012 14:38:12 GMT
Amazon are not selling this themselves, it's third party suppliers selling through Amazon.
Even Amazon UK has someone selling a ruan.
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Post by valdae on Apr 19, 2012 15:57:13 GMT
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Post by sanmenxia on Apr 19, 2012 17:19:17 GMT
Sorry that came across as a bit abrupt and unfriendly. I've just notice the seller is probably not in the US, and they in fact have their own website. I suppose if you order through Amazon you have the advantage of dealing with a known and domestic company with a reputation to uphold.
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Post by valdae on Apr 19, 2012 17:29:32 GMT
As I said earlier that vendor is probably on Trade Tang. And no, I didn't think you were being abrupt or unfriendly. I have to admit I was very surprised to see a ruan on Amazon, but hey, they carry sitars, so why not.
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Post by xindi on Apr 19, 2012 21:35:30 GMT
I quite like this - it stops the wear on the frets happening as quick and is very pretty aesthetically. I've seen it in pipas too - it is not too dissimilar to the imitation ivory frets of guitars and other fretted instruments. That ruan of Ed's is very good quality and value actually - at least compared to the ones I've seen in shops in China. Perhaps they are all marked up, and some haggling is expected to get the best price, but they would still be more than the one above. Can you use it for other stringed instruments? Wonder if you have any clips of it..... not that I'm interested in making an instrument sound like a violin or cello .... I like instruments to sound as they are lol, but I do like the idea of messing around with electric sound (soon and very soon  ) |
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Post by valdae on Apr 19, 2012 21:56:48 GMT
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Post by edcat7 on Apr 19, 2012 22:07:36 GMT
What is an 'ebow', I'll have to look it up. Actually i may not as I might be tempted to buy it.
Yes, the girl on the left is playing Eason's best zhongruan....and she does it justice! I am slightly surprised it's not the same one as my teacher's.
I told him I'd like to busk when I retire and he replied that there is no money in it for zhongruans players. That's one reason why the hulusi, dizi, erhu and liuqin, in that order , will be my choice for busking.
Xindi
My cousin from HK speaks Mandarin like a Mainlander and when she and her friends go over, she is the one who buys everything since there seems to be 2 prices for everything- even cinema tickets!
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wanting to get the best you can afford. My living room is cluttered with all my instruments. I'm still looking for a professional quality F and G key hulusi. I think I'll wait till the next time my dizi/erhu teacher goes back to China.
)