 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
|
||||||||||||||
| Wax on the Qianjing | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 01:46 am |
|
1st Post |
|
AllenZ Approved 
|
So I was replacing my QianJing today and I remember a while back Sung Wah had a blog posting about a Mr. Z giving him advice on the QiangJing http://tansungwah.blogspot.com/2008/03/tips-from-mr-z-part-2.html) .... so I said, what the heck, I do have a big roll of QianJing string and gave it a try.... Thus, I did a tie with around 6 or more loops around the strings, and give or take 2 loops around neck, so I give a whirl, not much difference in my opinon.... (it also made a weird vibrating sound, I guess it wasn't stable) then I remembered I had some teapot candles, so I decided to give wax a try.... Taking some of the melted wax and using my hobby knife to dip it into the wax to carefully apply to my QianJing (didn't want to go thru the mess of just pouring it on) around the sides of the strings around the metal strings and the ones on the neck..... to my surprise.... my Ebony Dunhuang sounds a lot better!!! The notes are more clear, less squeeky sounds.... before even if I hit the right positions, there's still alittle of this really bad nasal like one, now its practically decreased 80%!!! Personally I think it sound better that ever before~ But I'll ask my instructor and see what he thinks. Anyone else tried this method and get the same result? Last edited on Wed Mar 12th, 2008 02:04 am by AllenZ ____________________ To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities. "You're lucky Buddhism teaches freedom from desire, because I've got the desire to kick your ass!" 【温故知新】 「古きを尋ねて、新しきを知る」 |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 07:56 pm |
|
2nd Post |
|
karl Approved
|
I have noticed that the qianjing where it contacts the string is getting worn down. Instead of replacing it, I rotate the quianjing around the neck so the worn contact point is in another location. My thoughts are there is more stress on the qianjing where it touches the string and moving it will increase the life of the qianjing. I wonder if that really works or it's just wishful thinking. So if there is a tension problem when it is tied. That is the tension on the each loop is not even, then you could try rotating it back back and forth around the neck. It should even out the tension. Is there any truth to this?
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 08:51 pm |
|
3rd Post |
|
Clyde Approved 
|
God Bless Last edited on Thu Jul 10th, 2008 05:13 am by Clyde |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 08:51 pm |
|
4th Post |
|
AllenZ Approved
|
Hi Karl, I clearly remeber Sung Wah wrote up something about this in the past: http://tansungwah.blogspot.com/2007/08/rotating-qianjing-trick.html
____________________ To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities. "You're lucky Buddhism teaches freedom from desire, because I've got the desire to kick your ass!" 【温故知新】 「古きを尋ねて、新しきを知る」 |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 01:00 pm |
|
5th Post |
|
Den Approved 
|
So, I finally got around to waxing the qianjin and used a knife blade like you did, I didnt think I would be able to detect a subtle difference so I asked my wife if she would compare before and after. She said that she could detect a difference but could not explain it to me in words ............. I have noticed a long time I cannot tell so much with sounds, probably due to way too many years around noisy machinery. anyway, she did say that she figured it sounded better. than what I aint sure, sometimes her and I lose a little in the translation. lol I guess I will leave it on there for a long time and then take it off and see if I can detect something from that approach. allenz, what kind of pooch is that on your avatar?? looks mighty cheerful about something.! Den
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 01:38 pm |
|
6th Post |
|
karl Approved
|
Clyde wrote: Clyde, I have noticed on some erhus, there is a small (quarter to eighth inch) square cloth wedged between the strings directly about the qianjing. Is that what you are talking about? I was wondering what that was for. Also I have noticed that tuning one string affects the tune of the other string. And I have to tune 1 string, then the other and go back and check the original because it has changed. My guess is that they touch a the qianjing and somehow it affects the other string. After that I push the both strings hard near the qianjing to release the tension. Sometimes the sound changes again and I have to retune the string. My theory is that tuning pulls the qianjing up and down which affects the sound of the other string. Also if the qianjing is pulled out of its 'natural' position, by playing the instrument, it releases the tension on the qianjing and cases it to slide back (ever so slightly) causing the tune to be off. Is any of this correct? Or is this in my head?
|
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 02:25 pm |
|
7th Post |
|
Clyde Approved
|
God Bless Last edited on Thu Jul 10th, 2008 05:14 am by Clyde |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 03:56 pm |
|
8th Post |
|
dsouthwood Approved 
|
I have also noticed that tuning one string affects the tuning of the other, but my guess is that tuning the string puts more or less pressure on the snakeskin, and as that flexes it raises or lowers the tension of the other string. So--those of you who have wood or other rigid materials as the resonator on your instruments, do you hear that effect or not? Dennis
____________________ Music contains all of life. |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 04:37 pm |
|
9th Post |
|
may Approved 
|
Hello AllenZ, For qianjing, I'm using an 80 lb. braided fishing line called T.U.F.-Line plus, made with 100% Spectra Fiber, 0% stretch. It has worked very well for me, and I noticed and improvement immediately. I have a new 150lb. Dacron braid that I will try next. Prior to changing the jianqing, when I press on the strings to play, I noticed the strings move away from the qianjing and I see a little gap every time I put pressure on the strings. When I replaced it with the new qianjing, I made it quite tight and now, there's little to no movement on the qianjing no matter how hard I press on the strings. The erhu sounded better instantly. In my case, I think the improvement came more from the way the qianjing is applied and the correct tightness, and not so much from what material I used. Of course I would hesitate to use something that is stretchy or flimsy. I have no idea if I'm doing the right thing, but it's easy enough to test it out for yourself. But it certainly sounds better. I actually decided to experiment with a couple dabs of hot glue where you put the wax on the qianjing. Well, I can't hear much of a difference, maybe just a tad. I'll try on another erhu later. I wonder if wax vs. hot glue makes a difference? May AllenZ wrote: So I was replacing my QianJing today and I remember a while back Sung Wah had a blog posting about a Mr. Z giving him advice on the QiangJing http://tansungwah.blogspot.com/2008/03/tips-from-mr-z-part-2.html) .... so I said, what the heck, I do have a big roll of QianJing string and gave it a try.... Attachment: lines.jpg (Downloaded 85 times) Last edited on Thu Mar 13th, 2008 07:32 pm by may |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 06:02 pm |
|
10th Post |
|
AllenZ Approved
|
Den, Maybe you're Erhu just sounds good on the first place so there's not much room for more improvement.... LoL. My's a really average grade Erhu, sounds horrible when I first brought it, so anything good would have been a big difference to me. I have been fiddling on it for a while so it can produce a decent clear sounds these days.... From applying Habu Oil to the Waxing the Qianjing, I believe my Erhu sound is at least decent sounding now~ The sound is more clean, the sound is more mellow for my's. I think I'll experiment with bridges next time to max out the potential of my starter Erhu. Oh one thing I noticed, if you didn't use enough wax, and if you play the open outer and inner strings, there's a strange vibrating sound. It's a good idea to do more than one light coat with hobby knife... maybe u can use a small spoon and slowly pour it on, then scrap any extra big clumps with the dull end of a knife. *In addition, did you retie the QianJing like how Sung Wah's friend Mr Z recommended? Because I also retie to a way where there's only 6-7 loops around the strings, give or take 2 loops top and bottom. I know it looks big and clumpy in my picture, but the QianJing itself is realy small, just the layers of wax makes it look big* Oh yeah the doggy is a Shiba Dog. Attachment: Waxed.jpg (Downloaded 88 times) Last edited on Thu Mar 13th, 2008 06:17 pm by AllenZ ____________________ To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities. "You're lucky Buddhism teaches freedom from desire, because I've got the desire to kick your ass!" 【温故知新】 「古きを尋ねて、新しきを知る」 |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 06:08 pm |
|
11th Post |
|
AllenZ Approved
|
May, A fishing line makes a lot of sense, since you want it to be strong yet flexible in a way. I'll definitely try that next time. The wax I applied, I applied a bountiful amount out on the strings, locking it in a bit. I find that the notes I play are more clear and more sweet afterwards. I just used Qianjing string that brought from Sung Wah and added some wax from a teapot candle, nothing really fancy.
____________________ To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities. "You're lucky Buddhism teaches freedom from desire, because I've got the desire to kick your ass!" 【温故知新】 「古きを尋ねて、新しきを知る」 |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 11:59 pm |
|
12th Post |
|
Clyde Approved
|
God Bless Last edited on Thu Jul 10th, 2008 05:14 am by Clyde |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Mar 14th, 2008 03:32 pm |
|
13th Post |
|
tansungwah Approved 
|
Very interesting topic. Thanks for testing that out for us Allenz and hello May its nice to see you again. I also think that the 6 loops across the string + 2 loops above/below seems a bit flimsy. But I think the waxing or glueing makes up for it. SW
____________________ Online Store: Erhu Pipa Guzheng Liuqin Ruan Sanxian Yangqin Hulusi Dizi Suona Xiao Chinese Music Instruments Blog Follow me on Twitter! |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Current time is 05:10 am | |
| ezFolk Forums > Other Instruments > Erhu > Wax on the Qianjing | Top |
