Good deal on a Guqin for a beginner?

[lightningduck]

Is this a good deal on a Guqin for a beginner?

I've been playing six string bass for decades, including fretless, and now Sanxian since last winter, but I saw someone playing a Guqin and realized I could adapt my musical knowledge and physical technique fairly well.  

I found this offer and it's much cheaper than others so I was wondering if it would be a good pickup for a beginner


www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805590579831.html

谢谢你们

[edcat7]

That's a good price, you should be able to hit a few notes. Are you sure it's the guqin you're after as the guzheng is similar but much more popular?

[lightningduck]

Dec 5, 2023 21:56:50 GMT edcat7 said:

That's a good price, you should be able to hit a few notes. Are you sure it's the guqin you're after as the guzheng is similar but much more popular?

Yeah, very much the Guqin.  Guzheng frankly intimidates that hell out of me but the Guqin looks like it's played similar to what I can do on bass.  It's fretless, which I have done on bass and do now on sanxian, it seems to be played a lot like a slide guitar physically.  I've done some techniques and tricks approaching from the top of the neck...I think I could handle it, and add a new flavor to my Chinese ensemble that already has several Guzheng and a Dizi with Pipa and Ruan occasionally floating in (plus my Sanxian)...plus my own musical endeavors that have me mixing my Sanxian and some canned Erhu and Guzheng tones in with more Western treatments

[lightningduck]

Frankly, I think the biggest challenge would be adjusting to the tuning. I don't tune my Sanxian traditionally (G-C-g and A-D-a) but tune them in fifths (G-C-f and A-D-g) which is the same interval as my bass guitar. This means all my (by now instinctive) scales, intervals and patterns transfer across all three. Any tune I learn, I can play on all three once I decide what key I want to play it in and find a reference note

The Guqin is tuned simply to a seven note scale (with different variations of what scale you are using). There's no practical way I would be able to tune it in fourths like my other instruments without likely causing damage or just not being possible. So it's very like I could mechanically transfer my skills, but it'd be more of a challenge to play musically naturally

[lightningduck]

Oops, I just found out that is NOT an ad for a Guqin, that's an ad just for the box...I think it's deceptively worded/presented

'Cause I'm not seeing a Guqig for under $250 at the very lowest

Anyone have a used one they want to sell?  Now I'm intrigued...

[edcat7]

I once typed gugin on YT and tbh didn't like what I heard, there was little in the way of melody and frankly I was bored. btw there's a basic gugin for $169 on Redmusic shop you might want to have a look at.

ps. if you mention my name you probably get 5% off...I know it's not much.