Many novice guzheng lovers pay special attention to the material of guzheng when they buy guzheng. and grade level. This is a serious misunderstanding, mainly because of the first contact with the guzheng and the lack of understanding of the guzheng. The material is the main material of the guzheng based on the conventional concept, and it is caused by the misleading of individual information on the Internet.

①Guzheng panel

All guzheng panels (sound boards) are made of paulownia wood (folding board zheng, digging zheng), Japanese paulownia wood (slightly higher density) is used for glare digging zheng, and Lankao paulownia wood is used for Dunhuang, Shensheng, Suzaku, etc. The panel is a whole piece, which is divided into good and bad grades, and it is also an important basic part that determines the sound of the guzheng.

②Guzheng soleplate

Guzheng soleplates are also made of paulownia wood, but the quality requirements are not particularly high. Many guzheng soleplates are not a single piece, but are spliced together (you don’t need to mind if you choose a zheng).

③Guzheng decoration

The so-called decorative board is the material used for the head, tail and side of the kite, which is what many of us call the material (mahogany, sandalwood, etc.). These materials are only a few millimeters of layers on the outside. It has little or even negligible impact on the timbre of the guzheng. It is true that good materials can improve the appearance and so-called properties of guzheng. The production of brand guzheng is based on sound quality. (Some small-brand guzheng, the sound quality is not very good, and their materials are nanmu, sandalwood...just a gimmick)

④Guzheng frame

The inside of the zither is a frame, usually made of white pine.

⑤Guzheng number

The material of the zither code is usually the same as that of the plaque, or other hardwoods.

PS: What is the difference between different grades of Guzheng? (Many beginners are confused about this)

In general, the sound quality of Guzheng is the core and the only criterion for dividing different grades. The factors that affect the sound quality include three major aspects: material (soundboard grade is the key, zither strings, etc.), technical system, and the level of the zither maker.

The technical system of different brands is different, which makes their guzheng sound characteristics different. For example, the sound of Dunhuang guzheng is bright and crisp, with penetrating power, while it is also the divine sound of Shanghai zheng.

What is the difference between different grades or different prices of guzheng under the same brand?

For example, different grades of Dunhuang guzheng use different panel grades, and they are made by masters of different levels (the guzheng produced by different branches sometimes even have slight differences). Different models of guzheng of the same grade have similar sound quality, and the price of different decoration techniques will also be slightly different. For example, the price of shell carving is usually slightly higher than that of plain noodles.

In addition, models with larger production volumes tend to have slightly worse sound quality stability than guzheng produced in small batches.

After understanding the above content, I believe that beginners have more knowledge about guzheng, so don't buy guzheng based on the so-called material.