Erhu options?

[orientalmusic]

I have been wanting to try and learn the erhu for a long time now. I have no background with bow instruments, but my father does. He plays a variant of the erhu called a xim xaus, and I think at the very least he can help me with my technique. Anyways, there are a few options that I am looking into. I know Eason's erhu's are pretty good for beginners but I want a broad selection. As a beginner, my budget is around $200-300. 

Here is what I have got so far:

www.ebay.com/itm/Erhu-Dunhuang-Brand-Professional-Chinese-Violin-Fiddle-Musical-Instrument/231296797243?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D38530%26meid%3D4d2f2e710deb4d0ebe6dbba4e53cc468%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D231098547729

www.amazon.com/Eason-Music-Selling-Shanghai-Rosewood/dp/B010GCHPHC/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1480797564&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=Erhu&psc=1

www.ebay.com/itm/DunHuang-Brand-Beginner-Erhu-Chinese-Violin-Fiddle-Musical-Instrument-New-3725-/272391631218?hash=item3f6bce7172:g:XAgAAOSwAuZX6aKn

www.ebay.com/itm/CHINESE-TRADITIONAL-MUSICAL-INSTRUMENT-Erhu-of-DUNHUANG-brand-07BM-by-free-ship/162235644388?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D888007%26algo%3DDISC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D38530%26meid%3D12a5619187df477ab8b6ec85574987ab%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D282180326294

www.ebay.com/itm/CHINESE-TRADITIONAL-MUSICAL-INSTRUMENT-Erhu-of-DUNHUANG-brand-07AM-by-free-ship/161934824950?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D38530%26meid%3Dfbccb31846ea4edf917d38c3054bd6d0%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D162235644388

[edcat7]

Hi Orientalmusic and welcome,

Eason music is our vendor of choice quite simply because many of us here have bought from him and so far we've all been happy. Having said that the other erhus look good except the third one; I would avoid brass tuners. The last one, made from ebony, is also interesting. True ebony rather than some kind of rosewood stained black has a more mellow tone.

I had to look up xim xaus (you learn something new every day!) and I had a brief look at YT. The two players had a rather stiff bowing arm. Eason has a good video on YT which you may want to study.

I would get in touch with the individual vendors and request for photos of the actual erhu they would send to you. Ask especially for photos of the snakeskin. Ok, for the price you're paying all of the erhus will student grade. If you're not sure, post the photos here and we'll help you decide.

Best wishes,

Ed

[davidmdahl]

Welcome to the forum, Oriental Music. As Ed wrote, Eason Music is an excellent resource for the erhu. The proprietor, Sung Wah, knows the erhu very well, and deals straight. I suggest that you contact Eason Music for recommendations based on your wishes and budget.

Dunhuang is a well-respected maker of the full range of Chinese instruments, including erhu. At the novice erhu level, Dunhuang is a good option since you will at least wind up with a usable instrument. At the higher priced models, I think you can do better for the price. You can get Dunhuang erhus from a variety of sources, including Eason. In the USA, Carol Chang (Yukina), sells Dunhuang via Ebay and her own website for Sound of Asia. I think that Carol knows a lot more about the guzheng and related zithers, but she is an ethical and reliable vendor in my experience.

Another possible option, is a Landtom erhu. These are available on Amazon.com. Earlier this year I played on a Landtom erhu purchased by a local friend. When I tried it out, I didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised. I don't see the model (~$300) I played currently on Amazon, so maybe the cheaper models still listed are not quite as good. According to the feedback, the included bow and case may be on the cheap side. Better options are available from Eason or Ebay if you want a better bow or case at some point. It is usually easy to return an Amazon purchase if it doesn't work out, not always very easy to do with an erhu.

Best wishes,

David