Selection Criteria of Good Erhu

[YouLanFengChune]

Hi! I thought I might share with everyone the details of Erhu selection done in my company. We usually start with an unassembled Erhu.

The range described here is the ones above $800

Visually
1) Material Dimensions
a. Back end wood thickness exceed 6 mm
2) Material Colour
a. Deep red, with white horizontal golden/white specks ( for violet Sandalwood, Andaman Paduak)
b. Deep Brown with a clear definition of grains (fo aged rosewood)
3) Grains
a. Solid looking
b. uniformed
c. the grains need to be 3 dimensional and compact.
b. as little sudden changes in grain design across the 6 pieces if possible

Empirical
1) Weight
a. net weight of sandalwood resonator box exceeds 450 gram (without base)
b. net weight of roseood resonator box exceed 350 gram (without base)


Audio
1) zero wolf tones (adjustment of bridge and cloth needed)
2) Even tone across both string.
3) perfect pitching at accurate fifth at any point.
4) lowest volume lower than 65 dB. Max volume exceed 80 dB.
5) sound field in un obstructed/aided hall exceed 18 metres. (no decrease of volume at any time within 18 m)

[YouLanFengChune]

Please share more details o how you mightselect a good Erhu!

[sanmenxia]

I think all the above are good points. But to me they are technical and physical qualities, and a good erhu will have them anyway as a minimum. I would choose on sound (timbre) only, I don’t mean good or bad in a technical sense, but on the type of sound. eg whether it’s bright, mellow, clear, big, smooth etc.