Dunhuang Standard Grade Erhu

I am a beginner, but I am so happy with this erhu. The pegs worked perfectly and the instrument was already set up nicely. I do wonder if something happened with my qianjin, but it isn't major enough that it would have to be fixed any time soon. I am going to buy a new bow, but overall the instrument is very good. I had to replace the D string that was already on the instrument, but the replacement string did the trick. I have been playing everyday since it arrived, and it has been wonderful.

I even played along with a video for the song Horse Racing, and my erhu sounded the exact same as the professional erhu that player in the video was using. I love the black color, and am so happy that it came with all of the accessories as well as a case. I did receive 6 bridges while the product says it comes with four, but that is good I guess.
I am also thankful for the fingering guides. I really have nothing to complain about, as this has been a very positive experience. It arrived the first day out of the projected 5 days it said that it would arrive.

This erhu looks nice, but it's just for the beginners. I mean the sound, and the value is below the average level as those sell at China. In China, it may just deserve 80-100$.

I love this erhu. It has a pleasant tone for the price and it's construction is satisfactory. I am still a beginner and was cautious about spending a lot of money on an instrument that I may not play too much, and this was a great compromise. For any other beginners out there, I wouldn't depend on the VCD to learn anything. The one that I got with mine has tips for "Performance," not on "How to play," and while it has subtitles, they are in Chinese not in English. No worries, though, there are lots of good YouTube videos that can help if you cannot find a teacher to help you start.

However, the bow is unsatisfactory. It came very loose with no hope of tightening the frog enough to correct it. (I know that erhus have a loose bow, but at the frog's tightest, the bamboo was a good six inches away from the string.) I corrected it a little by tightening the horsehair at the tip. After a week of playing, I found that the knot that kept the horsehair attached to the frog simply slipped out and, thus, no more bow! Very sad. I didn't bother contacting the seller, I simply ordered a higher quality bow from another website. They are not expensive as far as bows for other instruments go (only $20-30). The included bow also has black horsehair, and from speaking to other erhu players, I discovered that white is usually of better quality and holds the rosin better, producing a better tone. Also, the rosin that came in the "kit" was petrified, but I easily replaced it with $4 at my local music shop.

Even if I had known that the bow was junk, I still would have ordered this instrument. The price is right, and the erhu itself is a great beginner model. The money that I have had to spend to continue playing it is still less than other models. The case that it comes in is of surprising quality and it comes with ample accessories to tweak it's tone (foam, felt, and bridges).
29 people found this helpful

This was a great starter instrument. Minor assembly is required, but it is hugely intuitive and simple to accomplish. Great purchase!

Pretty cool instrument, I can't wait to get a little better with it to record with it. I just hope I don't drive my neighbors too crazy with the practicing