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Post by Minh on Feb 4, 2014 2:11:24 GMT
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Post by sutong on Feb 14, 2014 1:28:48 GMT
Its a very interesting snake shape but the players holds it like she is pulling pasta noodle.
I find the improvising is boring. It makes electric pipa seem dull. The player tempo is slow enough and she does not bring much than exsperimentation. Btw this electric pipa seems to sound poor balance on the clip. Maybe the cut snake shape from tge traditional pear cause this vague bass.
There should be more electric pipas like guitars.
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Post by joepip on Feb 16, 2014 4:44:47 GMT
The sound seems really thick and the instrument doesn't seem to have the variety in timbre and tone that a normal pipa has. I'll definitely pass.
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Post by sutong on Feb 17, 2014 13:49:11 GMT
I think that is maybe the experimental design of this electric pipa. I never see one like this before. There is no body to resonate and maybe the octave balance hasn't been sorted.
I love electric guitars anyway so I will definitely get an electric pipa!
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Post by Minh on Feb 17, 2014 20:34:36 GMT
The other electric kinds I normally see in videos still look and have the form of the traditional pipa, that one looked like someone was too hungry and ate most of the pipa.
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Post by sutong on Feb 26, 2014 19:08:09 GMT
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Post by sutong on May 26, 2014 15:37:54 GMT
The maker says that it is just a prototype for demo. They are still experimenting with the final product. It is interesting to try different shapes, success or not. My new electric pipa made by MRX is coming very very soon! Thank you Bamboogrove for all the hard work. I hopemit sounds better than this one. It does Looking good like a classical pipa which I like.
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Post by Minh on May 26, 2014 23:07:47 GMT
Do post a video when you get it! Or pictures, it must look cool. Hihi
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Post by sutong on May 27, 2014 22:45:53 GMT
It looks just like this actually: except I ordered a non-varnish finish on the MRX. The electronics are very hidden not show. I find my recording phone is not very good. Everything sound underwater but I don't live in the Netherlands haha. Hoping this week! What do you use for recording erhu? Is the pipa hard to record well. I hear my finger nails hit the strings. My rhythm wheel of tremelo still not smooth. The gap from little finger back to thumb strike still sound delayed. Maybe with electric pipa, adding sustain reverb can hide this until i get smoother.
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Post by Minh on Jun 1, 2014 19:02:54 GMT
I find that pipa in general already look super cool! I use my laptop or a smart phone, and record all the wrong sounds!
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Post by thebamboogrove on Jun 2, 2014 13:59:31 GMT
Mrx did the fretting himself, so I was told. He wasn't happy with the sound cos the full acoustic mrx is so resonant, you play against a full symphonic orchestra and it still penetrates. We reduced the internal acoustics of the pipa by reducing the depth of the internals, and all soundposts were shortened. Else your 5w amp will do nothing vs the organic acoustics.
From sutong's emails, you said that the ease of feet pressing, sliding and performing were like a dream. That's why performers all the way to most recorded virtuosos swear by mrx.
I can only do so much without your support, sutong. Sutong pulled out all stops. The pipa was originally 899. 250 more for changing internals and a Korean preamp with transducer, 160 more for opting for a buff finish instead of a painted finish.
I wanted a solid body. They suggested I get electric guitar instead. These are the old man's exact words. He's right. The weird sounding thing you heard in one of the other videos was all electromagnetics and no pipa.
In this version, it's Zimbabwean rosewood, buffed. I feel it can be heavier but any heavier and higher quality will triple the price of this pipa. A heavier but worse quality woid wouldn't have given you the pipa sound you love
Sutong was kind enough to understand all these. The making process since 17 April till 4 May had been an eventful process, that I will savor. The learning about internals and sound transmitting mechanisms in a pipa is more than enriching.
All in all, it was worth it
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Post by sutong on Jun 2, 2014 23:29:20 GMT
You're right Minh - I love the pear shape - it's so sexy cool. Just need a hybrid industrial stud pipa with metal jacket look to play in my rock band. I can't thank Bamboogrove enough! When I decide to try electric pipa, like electric guitars which I have a few of, I thought it shouldn't be too hard to make. Boy am I wrong! The crystal pipa type is the most common electric pipa. It looks very girly which is fine and I don't mind. But the price is horrible for a piece of plastic. I think Man Rui Xing's team are very wise: I had planned on an electric guitar pipa body like Wu Man's custom made. When I hear hers on youtube, I realise she does not play it more, because it is so little like a pipa, and so more like a four string guitar in pipa shape and fret board. This is no good maybe, so she return to use traditional pipa mostly for all of her main works after that electric pipa. The desicion by MRX to reduce the internal brace and sound chamber down to 2cm was very clever. If you ever play a Strat or Fender, you know how boring they are practicing silent. MRX gives a very personal concerto type sound in a bedroom. It is comfortable loud for me. Orchestra pipas are like deafened dizi players! So the intimacy of this one is great The buff finish is really important to me - I try varnished finish before and the varnished bodies smell bad in summer. The varnish comes off an odour which is sickly. I play too rushed in the demo clips of the MRX thread but that's exciting. Now to save up for an acoustic MRX pipa Actually I really love the electromagnetic humbucker type sound coupled with electric feedback! I will do a demo of this - it's like non-harmonic distortion but maybe this kind of sonority annoys traditional chinese music listeners.
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Post by Minh on Jun 4, 2014 0:51:57 GMT
It is quite understandable how excited you are, look at that sexy new instrument, it's not mine and just looking at the pictures even I'm excited hahaha I loved the few sounds from the demo videos, it is very interesting. You love it, so that's even greater. Congrats on your new instrument!
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Post by song on Jun 4, 2014 15:10:39 GMT
Wow, a MRX pipa with electronics under $1000 fretted by MRX himself.... I'm sure Samuel would be interested to know. He happens to be pals with MRX and has a pipa quartet looking at such stuff....
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Post by sutong on Jun 4, 2014 21:34:02 GMT
It is quite understandable how excited you are, look at that sexy new instrument, it's not mine and just looking at the pictures even I'm excited hahaha I loved the few sounds from the demo videos, it is very interesting. You love it, so that's even greater. Congrats on your new instrument! It is funny you say that. I brought all my spare coins to buy new guitar strings and the guitar shop keeper smiled at me and tell me that I make a lot of money on the streets. I have taken my pipa there in its case and no one ask questions. Outside, everyone stops to look at it even when I play badly yet try my best haha You know you want one - playing this one makes me want two. MRX make incredible fretboards. It is so even. So perfect, so buttery smooth i feel like I glide up and down so much. My 561M is a good as firewood compared to this amazing sexy pipa.
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Post by sutong on Jun 4, 2014 21:39:39 GMT
Wow, a MRX pipa with electronics under $1000 fretted by MRX himself.... I'm sure Samuel would be interested to know. He happens to be pals with MRX and has a pipa quartet looking at such stuff.... Bamboogrove really work hard at communicating to make it work - the semi-acoustic build is the clever bit behind the brilliant fretboard. My amp in the demo is not very good. I need to hook it to a Fishman PA haha. Samuel is my hero! His videos are great and he makes Yang Jing's videos appear which is what I use to teach myself pipa. I wish I had a teacher like him - I see how his students all move gracefully around the fretboard and my hands move clumsy like a hungry octopus on speed. I can watch more videos to try and copy but it take me a long time to understand.
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Post by Minh on Jun 5, 2014 4:04:00 GMT
I liked it just for the "clumsy like a hungry octopus on speed" hahahahha
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jock
Intermediate
Posts: 44
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Post by jock on Jul 28, 2014 8:27:00 GMT
i recently find that there are clothes made especially for playing pipa. do they have some unique functions or it's just for beauty?
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Post by samuelwong on Jul 31, 2014 9:35:34 GMT
i recently find that there are clothes made especially for playing pipa. do they have some unique functions or it's just for beauty? I don't think there are clothes made for pipa...as long as its not restrictive. Most of the clothes pipa players wear are just for beauty.
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Post by samuelwong on Jul 31, 2014 9:40:09 GMT
Wow, a MRX pipa with electronics under $1000 fretted by MRX himself.... I'm sure Samuel would be interested to know. He happens to be pals with MRX and has a pipa quartet looking at such stuff.... Bamboogrove really work hard at communicating to make it work - the semi-acoustic build is the clever bit behind the brilliant fretboard. My amp in the demo is not very good. I need to hook it to a Fishman PA haha. Samuel is my hero! His videos are great and he makes Yang Jing's videos appear which is what I use to teach myself pipa. I wish I had a teacher like him - I see how his students all move gracefully around the fretboard and my hands move clumsy like a hungry octopus on speed. I can watch more videos to try and copy but it take me a long time to understand. Hello Sutong, Hate to break it to you, but i don't think Man Rui Xing makes electronic/electro-acoustic pipas. Also, $1000 for a pipa by Man Rui Xing is way way way too cheap. Also its well known that he's in his 70s - he doesn't make pipas anymore - he's too old! He, however has workers working for him in a factory.... you might want to check where that pipa came from. Sam
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Post by samuelwong on Jul 31, 2014 9:43:41 GMT
Hi all, Just to update. My pipa quartet recently did a video: youtu.be/AuYG4MNGwUE thought i'll share it with you all! Sam
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Post by davidmdahl on Jul 31, 2014 20:18:12 GMT
Hi all, Just to update. My pipa quartet recently did a video: youtu.be/AuYG4MNGwUE thought i'll share it with you all! Sam Fun arrangement and performance! I liked it. Best wishes, David
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jock
Intermediate
Posts: 44
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Post by jock on Aug 4, 2014 5:46:33 GMT
i recently find that there are clothes made especially for playing pipa. do they have some unique functions or it's just for beauty? I don't think there are clothes made for pipa...as long as its not restrictive. Most of the clothes pipa players wear are just for beauty. you are right. i watch some shows on the internet, and they actually wear different kinds of clothes. but most of them wear cheong-sam. it's really beautiful.
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Post by samuelwong on Aug 19, 2014 16:07:37 GMT
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Post by sutong on Sept 16, 2014 18:22:16 GMT
Hi Samuel, Great playing! That's very interesting co-ordination. I hope you will arrange pipa for older chinesefolk song too! I just back from China and had a lot of fun visiting music shops. Honestly - I'm surprised to hear that my electric pipa might not be MRX from factory (it was not made by Mr Xing - factory made by his team and fretted by his supervision. When I try other MRXs in Beijing, I am really pleased with Bamboogrove for customising mine. It sounds much better tone than more expensive Dunhuangs. Mine seems closer to Xing hai 8914 i. Design but sounds different. It is not solid body. The electric is a simple line strip pick up,not piezo transducing expensiveness! Haha I forget how to play now... Wish you well for pipa ventures!
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