Can anyone help identify this Erhu?

[laurenweaver]

Hi everyone!
I've been put off importing an erhu into UK because of lack of CITES certificates. I saw this one in the UK for sale.
It's not new but doesn't look very used either.
Could someone who can read Chinese look at the labels on it  and advise me if it's any good? Thank you

 Click here ..     link

[song]

Jan 10, 2014 10:29:38 GMT laurenweaver said:

Hi everyone!
I've been put off importing an erhu into UK because of lack of CITES certificates. I saw this one in the UK for sale.
It's not new but doesn't look very used either.
Could someone who can read Chinese look at the labels on it  and advise me if it's any good? Thank you

 Click here ..     link

Hi Lauren

It looks like an ok entry level Erhu.

If you want something better feel free to contact me. We ship all our erhus with a cites certificate. If it gets impounded by customs we make sure we get it released or we send another. No excuses and no buts.

[laurenweaver]

Thanks for looking. I looked at Eason once I discovered the sellers on Amazon weren't legal. To be honest
I thought they were too expensive at the moment. I appreciate that they are quality items and come pre tuned but
if this is just going to be a whim for my son I don't want to spend so much at this point. Once again, thank you so much
for taking the time to help. I might make a silly offer for the one on eBay!

[song]

Hi Lauren,

Then the eBay Erhu looks like something for you. It doesn't look like it's missing anything. Please do not cut the bunch of nylon strings holding the two steel strings together when you receive it.

Sw

[edcat7]

Does your son play either the violin or cello. If he does he will need a better erhu. Otherwise if you are not sure you can always upgrade later, though this budget erhu's tone may put your son of the erhu forever. Where abouts are you in the UK?

[laurenweaver]

No, he just plays guitar at the moment but only for his own pleasure. We live near Derby (Midlands)
I really don't know why he chose the Erhu, it came out of the blue! This was around a year ago. I thought 
he would forget about it.. Guess I was wrong!  I take your point about the sound quality, but I think he should
see if he can get to grips with playing it and then look again at a higher level.
Am I correct in reading the label as Tian Ming? I googled it and came up with nothing.

[edcat7]

Since Derby is only a shortish drive away from Sheffield I suggest you see it for yourself. It is a budget instrument, the fact the tuning pegs are a different wood to the rest of the erhu proves it so. However from the slightly blurred photo the snakeskin looks ok, though you will
have no way of knowing if it is sagging. It should be taut like a drum. If it isn't, for that erhu, I'd walk away, £60 isn't a good deal for a second hand budget erhu. Actually the drive there and back would cost £10 in petrol?

[laurenweaver]

Yes, I take your point. £10 for petrol? ... and the rest! Would sit for half an hour in the roadworks on the M1! The guy did say he was open to offers but any money spent if it's no good would be a waste.
I would like to thank you both for talking to me; at least it stopped me making a hasty decision, which I am sometimes inclined to do :/ Cheers

[thebamboogrove]

This is an old shanghai model, before 1985. The different wood pegs are ok, but the skin is actually very well done. and in good shape. For 50pounds, i think its a worthwhile buy.

[edcat7]

Ask the vendor if the snakeskin is taut. My guess is there will be no other bidders. I'd email the guy and suggest if it doesn't go for the asking price offer £30 maximum and pick it up yourself. If it does go for the asking price, believe me, it isn't a loss, there will be others on ebay if you wait.

I bought a beautiful second hand ebony Man Rui Xing erhu on eBay a couple of years ago with receipts from the MRX shop in Beijing. However the snakeskin was slightly sagging then. Now it's almost unplayable. But because I got it at a ridiculous low price, my "professional quality" is worth the money and hassle of reskinning it.

[thebamboogrove]

Ask to see a close-up, over exposed picture of the wood.

Pre-1985 wood, HOPEFULLY Ebony or rosewood are the real-deal. Ebony was cut till depletion and modern "ebony" even from named makers are mostly Black Sandalwood. Ifs its ebony, pre 1985, even if the skin is slightly sagged, its easily revitalised.

If i were in UK, and for 50 pounds, its ebony, its MINE!

[laurenweaver]

Oh dear, now I'm unsure again. Excuse my ignorance - how can you tell it's pre 1985?

[edcat7]

Actually TBG has a point, the skin looks good. Some of us snobs on the forum prefer other erhu makers to Shanghai Dunhuang. SD is China's largest erhu manufacturer and sense that these erhus are mass produced in "factories". I'm only guessing but back in the '80's SD was a lot smaller and hence more time was spent on them. You could spend a lot worse than getting an erhu for £60. I didn't see a bridge there or a wooly felt dampener and you'll need to rosin the bow. These are widely available on ebay and are cheap to buy.

Pity you're not looking for a high end erhu as you could buy my one, later on in the year. The cost of a musical instrument is only part of the total costs of music, you have tuition fees, cost of travelling etc. Whilst most guitar players I know are self taught learning the erhu will require tuition. No one buys a violin with the hope of teaching themselves.

[laurenweaver]

I noticed there was no sign of a bridge but have asked about that and the tautness of the skin. I said I would consider paying £25 plus
postage IF the skin was OK. You never know, it might be worth a lot more if tbg is correct. Failing that I'll go for a new starter level from Eason.
Watch out for it on Flog It :L  !!! 

[edcat7]

You know, if that erhu is that old, the wood ageing and drying more should make it sound better.

[edcat7]

I noticed that the starting price has lowered to £20 and postage reduced to £7.50. I can feel the vendor is panicking. Super if you can get it for £27.50 A bridge including postage would only cost a pound or so. A cheap lump of rosin, around £3. I wonder if I should make a bid?
Just joking.

[laurenweaver]

He lowered it because of the comments I passed on from here (selective!) He says the drum is quite taut. So fingers crossed I should get it for £27.50. 
Unless 'someone else' bids :L :L
I still might get an entry level from Eason as well(just the import VAT that puts me off a bit) and then we've got a project and something we know is OK to play straight away.
Thanks for all your input

[thebamboogrove]

at 30 pounds, its worth it.

[edcat7]

The customs here are quite keen. I'd ask any overseas vendor to "adjust" the bill on the receipts. Customs here charge on the postage as well, so in theory if the item is only a penny but the postage is £100, you'll be paying vat on the £100.01

btw I'm an old student from Sheffield poly.

[laurenweaver]

I'm just old

[edcat7]

Probably my age. It's my instruments that make me feel younger Perhaps you could learn the erhu too and bond with your son. I'm still trying to figure out what I have in common with my two daughters. They can turn on the tv and use a computer, something I can't do.

[sanmenxia]

I was watching the end of the auction, thinking I would make a max bid of £33 + £7.50 P&P. It went for £61 (£53.50 + £7.50 P&P) in the end. No it doesn't mean if I bid £54 i would have won. I wouldn't buy an erhu without trying it first, well I might if the price was right! So I set a max of £33 + £7.50 P&P I was was prepared to gamble. As it turned out, other bidders bid higher and I didn't have to take the gamble

The maker is Yangzhong (in Jiangsu) Changming instruments factory. A quick search comes up with 1989 as their starting year so probably not a pre 1985 erhu. I agree the skin does look good. It's hard to see but it looks like it has a thick varnish or lacquer, the pegs might be of the same wood as the rest of the erhu but without the varnish.

[thebamboogrove]

Hi Sanmenxia! Do you have sanxian you can play?

[edcat7]

Lauren

If you didn't win the bid console yourself it probably sounded disappointing anyway. If you did win, we'll like to know how it sounds.

[sanmenxia]

Jan 12, 2014 22:09:49 GMT thebamboogrove said:

Hi Sanmenxia! Do you have sanxian you can play?

Off topic but yes I have a sanxian...