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Post by UtmostVacuity on Sept 10, 2004 17:52:31 GMT
OK, here's my dilemma. I spend most of my time in Boston, but come home to Chicago for a few weeks every year. It's very inconvenient to schlep or ship my qin around--this is a very high-quality NAGA qin--so I want a special qin to keep at home. By 'special' I mean CRAP.  I'm literally looking for a terrible-quality, very cheap qin that I can practice technique on at home while hundreds of miles away from my baby. Now, can anyone (1) recommend a source in the US, or (2) make an offer themselves? If anyone has broken qins, qins that were made for 'decorative purposes' only (i.e. so bad no-one would dream of performing with them), or anything of that sort, I'd love to buy! The bottom line is as-cheap-as-possible. |
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Post by Charlie Huang on Sept 10, 2004 18:31:01 GMT
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Post by Blueharp on Sept 26, 2004 8:07:55 GMT
Cardcaptor Charles,
Thanks for finding this instrument! I would be interested in finding out from the person that bought it if it is decent.
I am saving up for a silk string guqin from Wang Peng in Beijing, but would like a metal/nylon hybrid string practice instrument.
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Post by crappy qin on Oct 2, 2004 12:06:02 GMT
I have a collection of Wang Peng's qin (not for sale). Please email to forbidden98@hotmail.com if you are interested to view the pictures.
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Post by Guqin on Oct 8, 2004 10:21:37 GMT
I have a collection of Wang Peng's qin (not for sale). Please email to forbidden98@hotmail.com if you are interested to view the pictures. I am sure some of you have listens to the recordings and pictures of the Wang Peng's qin that I have forwarded. Please feel free to put your comments... |
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Post by blueharp on Nov 11, 2004 6:28:34 GMT
I would like to thank Guqin for very generously sharing pictures and recordings of the Wang Peng qins. They are remarkable! The one I liked the best was designed by Mr.Wang after the Great Wall of China - the Chang Cheng. The most unusual shape is the Ting Yun - sort of like a cloud.  I have never seen anything like it. All of the instruments are works of art, how can one choose! |
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Jin
Novice
musician of none.
Posts: 7
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Post by Jin on Nov 26, 2004 21:13:32 GMT
I don't recommend you buying a "crappy qin" under any circumstances. Qin is an instrument that requires a long time of playing, the longer you play it, the more skillful you are, the better sound you will get. And a low quality qin will certainly affect your listening ability. I think. |
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Post by yushang on Nov 27, 2004 2:07:58 GMT
Though his qins are nice but too expensive. His factory(he own a factory) made qin is around $1000 USD and qins made himself is $12,000USD. Which one you are going to buy? Cardcaptor Charles, Thanks for finding this instrument! I would be interested in finding out from the person that bought it if it is decent. I am saving up for a silk string guqin from Wang Peng in Beijing, but would like a metal/nylon hybrid string practice instrument. |
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Post by blueharp on Nov 27, 2004 23:14:41 GMT
Though his qins are nice but too expensive. His factory(he own a factory) made qin is around $1000 USD and qins made himself is $12,000USD. Which one you are going to buy? My criteria are: a well made instrument designed specifically for silk strings good tone I would love to get one made by Mr. Wang. However if one of "factory made" instruments meets the criteria then I would certainly consider it. |
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Post by Charlie Huang on Nov 28, 2004 14:57:54 GMT
I wouldn't mind if it was factory made if the sound and workmanship was exceptional. If one doesn't have the money to but it from the big qin makers, then it's worth considering. My friend got an obvious factory made qin in a music shop in China (though she luckily had a local qin teacher select it for her). The sound was good for the level of qin in question, but the only thing wrong with it was the yueshan was too low, which causes buzzing sounds. I've helped her stick toothpicks underneath the string at the yueshan to raise the strings a bit, had to pile on about three for the upper strings (a method which Li Xiangting uses as well). The buzzing sound disappeared. I told her to get her carpenter friend to construct a thin piece of wood around 3-4mm high to fit on top of the yueshan to raise the strings (it would be detachable as we really don't want to glue it on just in case).
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 21, 2005 10:14:50 GMT
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Post by davidmdahl on Oct 21, 2005 20:42:09 GMT
Would it be good for martial arts battles as in Kung Fu Hustle? <g> Frankly I think I could cause a lot more intense pain by playing my erhu.
Is any sort of paulownia wood usually used in a qin? The qin photos I remember show a pretty dark wood. Or is it simply stained to be so dark?
Best wishes,
David
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 21, 2005 21:53:31 GMT
Would be prefect for a prop (at the current price of $150) or display.
Paulownia (new) should be bright and not stained. New paulownia in immersed in water for a year to remove sap, then air dried for at least 5 years. Zeng Chengwei's tong wood qins are like that. This qin looks stained, or is another variety of wood. Dark wood probably has to do with age (it should be a dark drown, almost slight chocolatey colour), indicates shanmu (the grain is wide). Old tong wood only exists for antique qins, colour is still light but darker.
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Post by blueharp on Oct 22, 2005 7:34:17 GMT
The instrument appears to be fairly decently made.
The hui are not obscured like the fake antique qins offered on eBay.
The strings don't appear to be the horrid purple wrapped standard ones.
A look at the tuning pegs shows that at least they are decent (much like the rosewood ones I purchased from CCN).
The Rong-kou seem to be fairly skillfully made unlike the fake antiques.
I have seen a few qins with the same type of finish - a mix of red and black.
HOWEVER - it is definately not a "regular size" qin. 37" (93.98cm) is very small. Way too small for me to play as my hands a a bit large.
There are a few finish imperfections visible in one of the pictures. If you look at the pic of the tail of the qin you can see the shadows cast by the strings are not even. That causes buzzing and dead spots.
Without playing it there is no way of telling if it has a decent sound or not.
Remember I bought a cheap qin offered on ebay almost a year ago and it has turned out to be a relatively decent instrument.
For a beginner or someone just wanting to give the qin a try without investing relatively large sums of money it might not be a bad investment.
If nothing else it can be used to shoot magic arrows! ;D
Steve
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 23, 2005 13:25:20 GMT
I noticed the size flaw as well but never managed to follow it up. I thought it looked rather small in those pics. I've heard that their exists 3/4 size qins for children...
Anyways, it definately isn't a qin for the serious. As I said, display or prop might be suffice for its use.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 26, 2005 10:00:22 GMT
This has got to be a joke: cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-noble-musical-instrument-Gu-Qin-Koto-Zither-Harp_W0QQitemZ7360473651QQcategoryZ359QQssPageNameZWD4VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemLooks antique, but I am suspicious. I would have got it for fun seeing that ridiculously low price, but the shipping price makes it not worth the pennies. Plus, not enough information (pictures are essential when it comes to guqins, esp. antique ones). And it is not listed in the musical instruments category, which might mean it is not playable, or has flaws. EDIT: Spotted something wrong. The top two strings go over the hui for almost the entire length of the qin. Plus, the strings seem too far apart. Not finely made. Certainly not antique (unless the qin maker of former times was crap). The form is not listed in Wuzhizhai Qinpu, so it must be made up. Yin tuo looks wrongly made. Hui look too big. I've asked the seller to e-mail me some pics. These will tell us more about this qin and be an example for exercise in spotting crappy qins. |
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 26, 2005 16:17:29 GMT
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Post by blueharp on Oct 26, 2005 18:55:04 GMT
It is most certainly a fake antique - there are more and more of them on ebay. Usually with a ridiculously low selling price and an equally ridiculous shipping price. As you noted the workmanship is rather poor. The guanjue is not unrecognized. It is very similar the the Jiu Xiao Huan Pei, but much cruder in execution. Modern reproduction from CCN:  Original from CCN:  It might be made playable by some drastic modifications however this "guqin" and the ones like it are best used as a piece of wall art. Or to shoot magic arrows! Steve |
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Post by Charlie Huang on Oct 27, 2005 10:16:43 GMT
The inscriptions look like they've been carved using mechanical means.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Nov 16, 2005 17:38:21 GMT
Good lord. Just went back to check up on it and it has been sold for a mere $9.99. Of course, one wonders if the bidder even looked at the silly shipping cost, which is 23 times more than the cost of the bleeding paperweight. He must be laughing. Oh deary me.
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Post by Charlie Huang on Nov 17, 2005 15:03:47 GMT
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 9, 2006 19:20:27 GMT
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Post by davidmdahl on Jan 9, 2006 20:48:37 GMT
I see a lot of question marks as well on all of the items listed for "sunboy1976". If you can read Chinese, you might try the link under "Visit this seller's eBay Store".
Best wishes,
David
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Post by blueharp on Jan 10, 2006 6:37:36 GMT
I'll hazard a guess and say that the fonts are probably not found in other ebay locations EXCEPT for ebay.com.cn.
In other words - ebay.com doesn't have the necessary fonts to display the chinese character set so everything shows up as question marks. The fonts are found on ebay.com.cn so if you can read chinese it's all there!
From what I can make out sunboy1976 claims to be an expert/dealer (Meng Yan?) for various guqin makers including Wang Peng. The most expensive instrument offered is by Wang Peng and costs 50 000 yuan!
It is unclear which guqins are being offered. The model referred to is the zhong-ni entry level, but I believe that the seller states that their inventory is constantly changing and to send them a message as to what they have.
It just might be legit.
Steve
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Post by Charlie Huang on Jan 10, 2006 14:04:31 GMT
Having viewed the Chinese site, it seems legit to me. The only maker I know there is Wang Peng and that 50,000 Y one is probably the best and out of my league! How much is that is pounds? £3,200! I could get three good qins with that kind of money! But I suppose it is for really good players.
The others I don't know about, but I can only afford the entry level one with my current funds, not worth the money as I want a better one than I already have, which is a slightly above average qin.
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I'm literally looking for a terrible-quality, very cheap qin that I can practice technique on at home while hundreds of miles away from my baby. 
I have never seen anything like it.
