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Post by edcat7 on Jan 29, 2014 1:33:23 GMT
OK, got it. However, like with any musical instrument there are mainly two concerns: a quality concern and... let's call it the quantity concern. For instance, I have an arch-top guitar. It cost me $500 USD. For me I can't imagine I need a better instrument. I mean I don't play professionally and I'm fine with it. It's a Crafter Korean brand. Quality-wise it's excellent. You won't believe you can get such a nicely crafted instrument for $500. Quantity-wise someone said about it in an Internet review: "It's not a $2k Gibson but for the price you can't beat it". For me it's excelent quantity-wise either. I don't know why I would need a $2k Gibson. It sounds great for my needs. I also have a Yamaha acoustic guitar and it's just great quality-wise: everything is perfect. It also sounds fine Quantity-wise for me. Someone will say that Martin sounds better but I don't really need Martin at triple the price compared to my Yamaha. Why? I also have blah-blah-blah - you get it. When I get a nice instrument I keep it. So, speaking of these cheaper pipas (Dunhuang, Xinghai in the range below $600 and above $500) are they good enough quality-wise first? Are they well cut, sanded, polished, finished? Or are there any rough edges, file marks, scratches and dents, etc.? Then, after the quality concern is satisfied, how bad are they compared to the higher end instruments quantity-wise? Are they 10% duller sounding, 20% duller sounding, or 50% duller sounding? By the way I recently heard that Beijing made wood instruments (read Xinghai) are better in respect to one quality factor: they are more well dried than the Shanghai made pipas. It's said that the Shanghai (read Dunhuang) pipa will eventually have its soundboard warped or cracked when it finally releases the water trapped in it during the manufacturing process in the wet Shanghai climate. How true is that? Going off topic: I noticed that like for like guitars in the US are significantly cheaper than in the UK. I would never dream of getting a $2000 Gibson but a $2000 erhu...hmmm. I suppose music forums like this and the internet encourages us to get the "best" one, whether it's a guitar or an erhu. |
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 29, 2014 8:49:36 GMT
Going off topic: I noticed that like for like guitars in the US are significantly cheaper than in the UK. I would never dream of getting a $2000 Gibson but a $2000 erhu...hmmm. I suppose music forums like this and the internet encourages us to get the "best" one, whether it's a guitar or an erhu. In general, it is a good idea to get as good of an instrument as you can afford. A really good instrument is more fun to play and is a good investment for success. That doesn't mean the only right instrument is the most expensive. I got my daughter a Seagull guitar for about $500 that is about as good as I can imagine she or I will ever need. Is it the best? Probably not, but plenty good enough. After playing for a while, you will be in a better position to know what you want and save up for something special. Best wishes, David |
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Post by edcat7 on Jan 29, 2014 10:01:30 GMT
Going off topic: I noticed that like for like guitars in the US are significantly cheaper than in the UK. I would never dream of getting a $2000 Gibson but a $2000 erhu...hmmm. I suppose music forums like this and the internet encourages us to get the "best" one, whether it's a guitar or an erhu. In general, it is a good idea to get as good of an instrument as you can afford. A really good instrument is more fun to play and is a good investment for success. That doesn't mean the only right instrument is the most expensive. I got my daughter a Seagull guitar for about $500 that is about as good as I can imagine she or I will ever need. Is it the best? Probably not, but plenty good enough. After playing for a while, you will be in a better position to know what you want and save up for something special. Best wishes, David I have a good idea what Seagull you bought: USD500 is roughly GBP350 which I don't think is too much money for one instrument. Seagulls here start from GBP700! |
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Post by sutong on Jan 29, 2014 11:43:17 GMT
My Shanghai Dunhuang student pipa is the same cost as the Seagull guitar. Maybe the Seagull guitar is factory produced in large numbers cheaply like the Shanghai Dunhuang pipa. The third octave is brittle and harsh. I find it painful to play lun here and the sharpness is deafening.
I mention that the Shanghai Dunhuang pipa struggle with alternate chi diao tuning. The bass notes cannot balance with the rest of the higher octaves. Do guitars have this problem? I have played with a few, but none over US$500 are as bad as this pipa. Is this beciuse pipa making by factory traditional method is harder than guitar? If at 6 months I find such big problems with my Dunhuang, then a year more, even more.
Everyone knows of Shanghai Dunhuang due to their fame for guzheng, but from my limited experience, I think their name markets their pipa sales. It is true, I could find a better quality guitar for $500 than a pipa.
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Post by edcat7 on Feb 3, 2014 23:30:09 GMT
Going off topic: I noticed that like for like guitars in the US are significantly cheaper than in the UK. I would never dream of getting a $2000 Gibson but a $2000 erhu...hmmm. I suppose music forums like this and the internet encourages us to get the "best" one, whether it's a guitar or an erhu. In general, it is a good idea to get as good of an instrument as you can afford. A really good instrument is more fun to play and is a good investment for success. That doesn't mean the only right instrument is the most expensive. I got my daughter a Seagull guitar for about $500 that is about as good as I can imagine she or I will ever need. Is it the best? Probably not, but plenty good enough. After playing for a while, you will be in a better position to know what you want and save up for something special. Best wishes, David Going off topic again I put a bid on a nearly new Seagull S6 on a whim without any expectation of winning. (Over here in the UK Seagulls are a luxury item.) I was shocked to find I won. Now if anyone wants to ppm and give me some advice I'd be most appreciative. Ed |
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Post by davidmdahl on Feb 4, 2014 7:01:15 GMT
Going off topic again I put a bid on a nearly new Seagull S6 on a whim without any expectation of winning. (Over here in the UK Seagulls are a luxury item.) I was shocked to find I won. Now if anyone wants to ppm and give me some advice I'd be most appreciative. Ed You're kidding, right? Get guitar lessons! Congratulations on the S6. That's what my daughter has, and it is a beauty. Have fun! Best wishes, David |
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Post by edcat7 on Feb 4, 2014 8:14:33 GMT
What? along with dizi/erhu lessons and soon to have liuqin lessons? I thought there is enough help off the internet and it's accompanying books to give me at least a start. However if after a year I haven't made enough progress I will consider tuition. It's just the thought of learning say 1 or 2 chords, which I know I could teach myself, would take up most if not all of a half hour tuition. The positive side to guitar tuition is guitar teachers here are ten a penny.
At least now I have a bit more street cred with my daughters!
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Post by davidmdahl on Feb 4, 2014 16:53:42 GMT
I know the feeling, Ed. It is plenty hard enough to take lessons on two instruments, which is pretty much my limit. If you are going to start liuqin on top of dizi and erhu, then maybe you could take a break from erhu or dizi for a while. When the time is right, I do suggest taking a few lessons on guitar. If you are going to take the time and trouble to learn on your own, you might as well have some help to get the most out of your practicing.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by edcat7 on Feb 4, 2014 23:52:04 GMT
The erhu and dizi would always be my primary instruments which I aim to get to a good level. I aim to get to at least intermediate level on the liuqin and if I can play Donovan's Catch the Wind and Stan Getz' Shadow of your Smile I'd be overjoyed.
David, now that I know you can play the guitar TOO... and have a zhongruan: are skills from one instrument transferable to the other? As far as I know chords are not commonly used on the zhongruan but interestingly Eason has a Zhongruan chord chart somewhere on his website.
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Post by davidmdahl on Feb 5, 2014 0:54:55 GMT
Ed, I don't really play either guitar or ruan. The guitars are for my daughter. I have a zhongruan with about six or seven frets that need to be reglued. The poor thing is getting pretty lonely. For now, I have a great guzheng teacher who is keeping me busy, and another for dan tranh, so the ruan will have to wait.
Best wishes,
David
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