XB or HWD

[kijekuyo]

I'm in California trying to decide between two dizis, both in a Taiwan shop. Here are the links.

stmusic.anow.com.tw/showroom/view.php?C=5354323 (Xie Bing)

stmusic.anow.com.tw/showroom/view.php?C=5078191 (Huang Wei Dong)

My wife was in Taiwan recently and offered to bring the second one home with her, but I was an idiot and declined.

I was pretty sure I wanted to get a Xie Bing, but I was reading a the "Tone Color" thread and saw that allentchang wrote: "Some people think that Dong Xue Hua is too bright and hard for their tastes and prefer the softer Huang Wei Dong."

I would prefer a softer sound, and I wanted to ask you all if this is a common impression, and if anyone knows how XB fits into the "hardness/softness" scale.

By the way, after conversion, the prices work out this way:

1020 TWD = $34.00 (XB) + $20 shipping

1275 TWD = $42.50 (HWD) + $20 shipping

Their main competitor is at Eason:
www.easonmusicstore.com/webshaper/store/viewProd.asp?pkProductItem=139

Price: $60 + $10.50 shipping

Thanks for any insight you might have. It's sure hard to shop for a flute without trying it, isn't it?

[Blue]

Definitely hard to shop without trying it :/

Consult this thread for more information regarding Xie Bing's flutes.

starvoid.proboards.com/thread/1890/tone-color-dizi

Eason is a reputable seller (although admittedly this seller often browses this forum). Generally, if the flute is more expensive, it means better quality control and better materials. In the case of cheaper flutes, you would probably want to try them out in person just to be sure.

Can you communicate in Chinese? You would probably have to do so with the case with STMusic 'cause I've been there and know that they really only speak Chinese (but they do get quite a few Japanese customers visiting in person).

If I really had time (which regrettably I don't), I could have try out the flutes you mentioned at the physical STMusic shop and give you a recommendation. Another option would be to forward your question to a certain Taiwanese-based Chinese language flute forum on facebook.

[kijekuyo]

Thank you.

I don't have too many doubts about the quality of the three flutes I listed. It seems that the two makers are reputable and the flutes are all rated "professional" level. I was only wondering if the makers specialize in a certain sound. For example, in the Native American flute world, there are makers who tend towards a reedy, sharp sound, known as "plains" style, and others with an airier, softer note, known as "woodlands" style.

I was curious if there is a parallel distinction in the dizi world, and if these two makers are known to tend toward one sound or the other. I favor softer. Your earlier post inspired my question.

By the way, my wife grew up in Keelung and Taipei; she has already been exchanging e-mails with them in her native Chinese. This is how I learned the shipping price. One reason I'm considering buying from STMusic is that their prices are lower than Carrot Music, Sound-Of-Mountain, and Eason, even with the higher shipping. Balancing that a little bit, though, is Eason's inclusion of a storage box.

[Blue]

I've submitted your question to the Chinese language facebook page (笛.簫.尺八.箏.琴.交流社).

Let's see how they respond.

[kijekuyo]

Aug 25, 2013 15:56:10 GMT Blue said:

I've submitted your question to the Chinese language facebook page (笛.簫.尺八.箏.琴.交流社).

Let's see how they respond.

Thank you. That was very kind.

[Blue]

You'll have to ask your wife to translate this for you . . . .

One person wrote with three facebook "likes": 解兵的我沒用過，不過黃衛東先生的笛子，不是一眼美女。
跟董雪華老師的笛子比起來聲音比較中性樸實，同檔次的笛子竹材相對來說黃的好~
其實做笛子的師傅技術都差不多，就看有沒有用心而已~

Another person wrote with one facebook "like": 解兵的剛好界於 董 黃之間他使用的竹材都不差但正因為如此偶而會出現一兩把 音準不夠的 我這有一把解兵的若您想把完我可以提供 但是記得環我便是

[Blue]

Chinese can be a rather poetic and consequentially ambiguous language: therefore, it can be a challenge to provide a good translation.

Here's my translation attempt with the first answer:

I never used a Xie Bing flute before, but Huang Wei Dong's dizi is not beauty at first sight (ambiguous if this refers to appearance or sound of the flute). Compared to Dong Xue Hua's flutes, Huang Wei Dong's flutes sound more neutral (ambiguous if this refers to the brightness or hardness/softness of the tone). Huang uses better quality bamboo material (or Huang has better quality control for the same grade of bamboo material). Actually all the master dizi makers have similar technical skills: it's a matter if they put a lot of effort (in creating a particular dizi).

[Blue]

Here's my translation of the second response:
(The sound quality?) of Xie Bing's dizi is between that of Dong Xue Hua and Huang Wei Dong. The quality of the bamboo material Xie Bing uses is not bad, but occasionally he has one or two of his flutes whose tone isn't accurate. (Actually, the author's sentence reads “Because the quality of the bamboo material Xie Bing uses is not bad, one can encounter one or two of his flutes whose tone isn't accurate.” However, logically this doesn't make sense to me). I do have a Xie Bing flute that I can loan to you if you want to try, but don't forget to return it to me.

[kijekuyo]

Thanks for the time you gave to these translations. Actually, I forwarded the messages to my wife, who translated, herself. Hers was very close to yours with the same questions about ambiguity. My interpretation is that perhaps the 董雪華 has a lot of presence, and that the 黃衛東 is more subtle or understated. And maybe the 黃衛東 is less refined.

After both of your interpretations, I would say that I might like the 黃衛東 for its sound character. I wonder about his success rate of attaining the correct pitch, as was mentioned with 解兵.

Thanks again.

[edcat7]

There is a YT video of a performer with a Huang Wei Dong dizi and yes it's more mellow than DXH.

I asked my new dizi tutor what he thought of DXH compared to Huang Wei Dong and he said both were good but generally, generally he preferred DXH.
The bamboo on a DXH was better hence it costs more.

Using Google translate he said the "refined" models were about the same.

I acquired a studio quality digital recorder and recorded some music with both a C DXH and a C sandalwood dizi. There was a difference on the recording , though only slightly. But when i was playing the difference was more significant. I also checked the tuning with a Seiko chromatic tuner.
I was surprised that my once bright C sandalwood was fine but the C DXH was bright. The C sandalwood was also so much easier to play.

I think the moral of this story is once one has bought a decent dizi (or any instrument) it is wise to stop buying more and make the best tone of what one already has.

Ed