A guqin manufacturing process

Abstract

The application discloses a guqin manufacturing process, which comprises the following steps: step one, woodworking processing: (1) adopting radial-cut sandalwood with an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm 3 as wood material to manufacture a guqin panel by guqin tooling; (2) adopting radial-cut sandalwood with an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm 3 as wood material. The guqin manufacturing process has the beneficial effects that: by adopting radial-cut sandalwood with an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm 3 as guqin material, the string path resistance is improved; only wood paint, extremely fine ash scraping, mark installation and polishing and finish coating techniques are used in the lacquering stage (period of 6-8 months), so that the guqin manufacturing period is shortened, the guqin deformation and cracking problem caused by the different shrinkage ratios of the ash mould (hard) and the guqin wood blank (soft) is overcome, the ash mould thickness is reduced, the guqin manufacturing cost is saved, the guqin slot abdomen size is controlled by adding or reducing the wood thickness of the panel and the bottom plate in the wood blank stage, the guqin tone is ensured to be lighter, softer, more delicate and more distant, and the tone conduction is smoother.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of classical musical instrument manufacturing technology, specifically a process for making a guqin (a seven-stringed zither). Background Technology

[0002] The guqin, also known as the yaoqin, yuqin, silong, and seven-stringed zither, is a traditional Chinese musical instrument with a history of at least three thousand years. It holds the most revered position among Chinese musical instruments. The term "qin" originally referred specifically to the instrument, but was renamed guqin in the 1920s to distinguish it from the piano. There are sayings such as "A scholar should never be without his qin and se" and "Left qin, right book." Ranked first among the four arts of traditional Chinese culture—qin, qi, shu, and hua—it is considered a symbol of elegance and served as accompaniment for scholars' recitations. Since ancient times, it has been an essential skill and a required subject for many scholars.

[0003] The beauty of the guqin lies in its beautiful outline, its beautiful soundboard, and its elegant curves. The ancients revered the guqin, attributing names to various parts of the human body to it, thus imbuing it with humanistic and even mythological qualities.

[0004] Currently, the existing techniques for making guqin are as follows:

[0005] (1) Woodworking stage: Traditional techniques for making guqin (a seven-stringed zither) use radial-cut spruce (air-dry density of 0.385 g / cm³). 3 ).

[0006] (2) The painting stage requires wood lacquer, wrapping with ramie cloth, coarse ash (after drying and sanding), medium ash (after drying and sanding), fine ash (after drying and sanding), topcoat, wiping and polishing, stringing and tuning. The thickness of the raw lacquer and ash base is about 2 mm, and the cycle is 1 to 2 years.

[0007] (3) The soft wooden base of the guqin releases the sound, while the hard ash base suppresses the sound and controls the lightness, subtlety, paleness, and distance of the guqin's timbre.

[0008] The above-mentioned guqin making techniques have the following drawbacks:

[0009] (1) Spruce used to make guqin has a low air-dry density and a thicker lacquer base, about 2 mm thick. It is difficult to estimate the tone of the finished guqin after testing on the soundboard during the blank stage. The string resistance and resonance conduction are poor, and it is easily deformed and cracked due to the influence of environmental humidity and temperature. (Specifically, when making guqin from spruce, because the shrinkage ratio of the lacquer base and the guqin wood is different, the water absorption rate of the wood varies throughout the year (water is absorbed and released through the two sound holes, Longchi and Fengzhao, which are in contact with the outside of the guqin; the air humidity is 80%-90% and the temperature is 30℃ during the plum rain season; the humidity in heated rooms is 20%-30% in winter). The humidity levels vary (percentage, temperature 18-20℃), and each string of the guqin is stretched longitudinally by 7 kg, resulting in a total tension of 49 kg. Under these conditions, the wood repeatedly absorbs and dehydrates over time. According to the law of conservation of energy, the guqin is prone to deformation and cracking, a phenomenon known in the industry as "southern guqin cracks in the north" (caused by humidity differences between the north and south, leading to changes in the humidity of the instrument body, and the 49 kg tension stretched longitudinally). Moreover, the processing cycle is long, and it is not possible to guarantee the lightness, subtlety, paleness, and depth of the guqin's tone. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To overcome the technical deficiencies in the prior art and effectively solve the technical problems in the background art, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0011] A method for making a guqin (a seven-stringed zither) includes the following steps:

[0012] Step 1: Guqin woodworking:

[0013] (I) Using an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³ 3 The instrument is made from radially cut Sapele wood. The soundboard is crafted using traditional instrument-making tools. The soundbox structure, including the central, partial, and chime-style sound chambers, is designed and manufactured according to the sound production principle of the guqin's resonating chamber.

[0014] (ii) Using an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³ 3 The wood is sapele wood, which is used as the material for the guqin. The bottom plate of the guqin is made using traditional guqin-making tools. The dragon pool and phoenix pond are carved out on the bottom plate. The inner side of the soundbox of the guqin bottom plate is made with a traditional chisel to create strip-shaped concave textures horizontally. The "lip" is made 1 cm outside the edge of the dragon pool and phoenix pond on the inner side of the soundbox.

[0015] (III) Fix the guqin bottom plate made in (II) onto the guqin top plate made in (I) to form the resonating box of the guqin body. Install the supporting resonating box between the 3rd and 4th frets and between the 7th and 8th frets of the resonating box respectively to increase the resonance conduction effect of the guqin's heaven and earth pillars. Repeatedly test the sound with the sound test stand to continuously adjust the structure of the guqin's soundbox to achieve the final perfect tone. After signing the soundbox side, evenly apply a transparent paste made of alum and glutinous rice paste after heating. Finally, after the guqin is glued together with lacquer, wrap the joint of the top and bottom plates with cold gauze to prevent cracking.

[0016] (iv) Install the dragon teeth and crown corners at the tail of the guqin soundboard in (iii), and install the teeth support at the tail of the bottom plate;

[0017] (v) Install the bridge and the dew-collecting plate on the front of the guqin's soundboard in (iv), and install the dew-collecting plate on the front of the bottom plate;

[0018] Step Two: Guqin Lacquer Finishing:

[0019] (I) After applying several coats of wood lacquer to the cold-weave zither blank, sand it with 120-grit dry sandpaper. Mix 300-grit extremely fine deer antler powder according to the mass ratio, stir evenly, and scrape it onto the surface of the zither body in step one. Then place it in a shaded room with a temperature of 15-25℃ and a humidity of 60-80% until the extremely fine ash is completely dry.

[0020] (ii) After the extremely fine ash on the surface of the instrument is completely dry, polish the ash smooth and then remove the fuzzy sound.

[0021] (III) First, paint the body of the instrument with colored lacquer, then place it in a shaded room with the required temperature and humidity until it is completely dry. Then, use wet sandpaper to polish it and apply a transparent topcoat. After it dries, apply the topcoat repeatedly 10-15 times.

[0022] Step 3: Install the goose feet on the waist of the base plate of the gingival support installed in Step 2;

[0023] Step 4: Prepare the string holes by drilling the side of the instrument body closest to the bridge in Step 3;

[0024] Step 5: Install the tuning pegs in the tuning peg soundbox;

[0025] Step Six: Install the seven strings of the guqin.

[0026] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the ultra-fine ash in step two is as follows: raw lacquer and 300-mesh ultra-fine deer antler powder are mixed in a mass ratio of 1-2:1, and evenly applied to the zither body obtained by applying wood lacquer. Then, it is placed in a shaded room with the required temperature and humidity until it dries completely, making the ash layer thinner and more stable.

[0027] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lacquer is made by repeatedly stirring raw lacquer and glutinous rice paste in a 3:1 ratio.

[0028] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processing cycle of step two is 6-8 months.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the raw lacquer base is 0.03 to 0.5 mm.

[0030] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the size of the guqin's soundbox is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the wood left in the panel and bottom plate during the wooden blank stage, and the soundbox structure of the middle soundbox, the partial soundbox, and the chime-style soundbox is designed and manufactured according to the sound production principle of the guqin's resonance box to control the guqin's timbre and maintain it as light, subtle, faint, and distant.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this invention are: the guqin manufacturing process uses an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³. 3 Using radially cut Sapele wood as the material improves the string's durability. The lacquering process involves only a few steps: removing fuzz, applying lacquer, wrapping the joint between the top and bottom boards with a thin layer of gauze, scraping a very fine layer of ash, installing and sanding the frets, applying the top lacquer, cleaning and polishing, stringing and tuning, and releasing string tension (a process that takes 6-8 months). This shortens the lacquering cycle and overcomes the problem of deformation and cracking caused by the different shrinkage rates of the ash (hard) and the guqin wood (soft) due to changes in temperature and humidity. It also reduces the thickness of the ash, saving on production costs. Furthermore, by adjusting the thickness of the wood left on the top and bottom boards during the wood blank stage, the size of the soundbox can be controlled, allowing for the design and production of different soundbox structures. This results in different resonant boxes for the guqin, making string vibration, resonance, and sound transmission smoother. This ensures a lighter, more subtle, delicate, and distant tone, and smoother sound transmission. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be described more clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0033] A method for making a guqin (a seven-stringed zither) includes the following steps:

[0034] Step 1: Guqin woodworking:

[0035] (I) Using an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³ 3 The use of radially cut Sapele wood as the material for the guqin improves the string resistance. The soundboard of the guqin is made using traditional guqin-making tools, and the soundboard structure of the central sound chamber, the partial sound chamber, and the chime-style sound chamber is designed and made according to the sound production principle of the guqin's resonating box.

[0036] (ii) Using an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³ 3 The wood used is radially cut Sapele wood. The bottom plate of the guqin is made using traditional guqin-making tools. The dragon pool and phoenix pond are carved out on the bottom plate. A strip-shaped concave texture is made horizontally on the inner side of the soundbox of the guqin bottom plate using a traditional chisel. A "lip" is made on the inner side of the soundbox 1 cm away from the edge of the dragon pool and phoenix pond. This causes the dragon pool and phoenix pond on the bottom plate to reflect on the side of the soundbox, producing a lingering resonance.

[0037] (III) Fix the guqin bottom plate made in (II) onto the guqin top plate made in (I) to form the resonating box of the guqin body. Install the supporting resonating box between the 3rd and 4th frets and between the 7th and 8th frets respectively to increase the resonance conduction of the guqin's top and bottom pillars. Repeatedly test the sound on the soundboard and continuously adjust the structure of the guqin's soundbox to achieve the final perfect tone. After signing the soundbox side, evenly apply a transparent paste made of alum and glutinous rice paste after heating. The purpose is to block the soundbox from contacting the outside air and avoid the resonating box being affected by the outside humidity. In addition, alum has a good anti-insect and anti-corrosion effect. Finally, after the guqin is glued together, wrap the joint of the top and bottom plates with cold gauze to prevent cracking. Specifically, the lacquer is made by repeatedly stirring raw lacquer and glutinous rice paste in a 3:1 ratio.

[0038] (iv) Install the dragon teeth and crown corners at the tail of the guqin soundboard in (iii), and install the teeth support at the tail of the bottom plate;

[0039] (v) Install the bridge and the dew-collecting plate on the front of the guqin's soundboard in (iv), and install the dew-collecting plate on the front of the bottom plate;

[0040] Step Two: Guqin Lacquer Finishing:

[0041] (I) After applying several coats of lacquer to the guqin blank wrapped in cold gauze, sand it with 120-grit dry sandpaper. Mix 300-grit extremely fine deer antler powder according to the mass ratio, stir evenly, and scrape it onto the surface of the guqin body in step one. Then place it in a shaded room with a temperature of 20℃ and a humidity of 70% until the extremely fine ash is completely dry (extremely fine ash: mix raw lacquer and 300-grit extremely fine deer antler powder in a mass ratio of 1-2:1, stir evenly, and scrape it onto the guqin body obtained by applying lacquer. Then place it in a shaded room with the required temperature and humidity until it is completely dry, so that the ash is thinner and more stable). Specifically, the thickness of the raw lacquer ash is 0.1 mm, which is close to the sound effect of the finished guqin.

[0042] (ii) After the fine ash coating on the surface of the instrument has dried completely, polish the ash coating until smooth and then remove the fuzzy sound.

[0043] (III) First, paint the body of the instrument with colored lacquer, then place it in a shaded room with the required temperature and humidity until it is completely dry. Then, use wet sandpaper to polish it and apply a transparent topcoat. After it dries, apply the topcoat 12 times.

[0044] Specifically, the processing cycle for this step is 7 months.

[0045] Step 3: Install the goose feet on the waist of the base plate of the gingival support installed in Step 2;

[0046] Step 4: Prepare the string holes by drilling the side of the instrument body closest to the bridge in Step 3;

[0047] Step 5: Install the tuning pegs in the tuning peg soundbox;

[0048] Step Six: Install the seven strings of the guqin.

[0049] Specifically, the size of the guqin's soundbox is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the wood used in the panel and base during the wooden blank stage. The soundbox structure of the central, partial, and chime-style soundboxes is designed and manufactured according to the sound production principle of the guqin's resonating box to control the guqin's timbre, maintaining a light, subtle, faint, and distant tone.

[0050] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A technique for making a guqin (a seven-stringed zither), characterized by: Includes the following steps: Step 1: Guqin woodworking: (a) Using an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³ 3 The instrument is made from radially cut Sapele wood. The soundboard is crafted using traditional instrument-making tools. The soundbox structure, including the central, partial, and chime-style sound chambers, is designed and manufactured according to the sound production principle of the guqin's resonating chamber. (ii) Using an air-dry density of 0.67 g / cm³ 3 The wood is sapele wood, which is used as the material for the guqin. The bottom board of the guqin is made using traditional guqin-making tools. The dragon pool and phoenix pond are carved out on the bottom board. A strip-shaped concave texture is made horizontally on the inside of the bottom board using a traditional chisel. The "lip" is made 1 cm away from the edge of the dragon pool and phoenix pond. (III) Fix the guqin bottom plate made in (II) onto the guqin top plate made in (I) to form the soundbox of the guqin body. Install the guqin top and bottom pillars between the 3rd and 4th frets and between the 7th and 8th frets of the soundbox to support the soundbox and increase the resonance conduction. Repeatedly test the sound using a sound test stand to continuously adjust the structure of the guqin soundbox to achieve the final perfect tone. After signing the soundbox side, evenly apply a transparent paste made of alum and glutinous rice paste after heating. Finally, after the guqin is glued together with lacquer, wrap the joint of the top and bottom plates with cold gauze to prevent cracking. (iv) Install the dragon's teeth and crown corners at the tail of the guqin soundboard in (iii), and install the teeth support at the tail of the bottom board; (v) Install the bridge and the dew-collecting device on the top of the guqin soundboard in (iv), and install the dew-collecting device on the top of the bottom board; Step Two: Guqin Lacquer Finishing: (I) After applying several coats of lacquer to the cold-weave zither blank, sand it with 120-grit dry sandpaper. Mix raw lacquer with 300-grit deer antler powder in a mass ratio of 1-2:1, mix evenly, and scrape it onto the surface of the zither body in step I. Then place it in a shaded room with a temperature of 15-25℃ and a humidity of 60-80% until the ultra-fine ash is completely dry, making the ash thinner and more stable. (ii) After the extremely fine ash on the surface of the instrument has dried completely, polish the ash smooth and then remove the fuzzy sound. (III) First, apply colored lacquer to the body of the instrument, then place it in a shaded room with the required temperature and humidity until it is completely dry. Then, use wet sandpaper to polish it and apply a transparent topcoat. After it dries, apply the topcoat repeatedly 10-15 times. The above processing cycle is 6-8 months; Step 3: Install the goose feet on the waist of the guqin's bottom plate where the gum support was installed in Step 2; Step 4: Prepare the string holes by drilling the side of the instrument body closest to the bridge in Step 3; Step 5: Install the tuning pegs in the tuning peg soundbox; Step Six: Install the seven strings of the guqin.

2. The guqin manufacturing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lacquer is made by repeatedly stirring a mixture of raw lacquer and glutinous rice paste in a 3:1 ratio.

3. The guqin manufacturing process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the raw lacquer base is 0.03-0.5 mm.

4. The guqin manufacturing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The size of the guqin's soundbox is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the wood used in the panel and base during the blanking stage. The soundbox structure of the central, partial, and chime-style soundboxes is designed and manufactured according to the sound production principle of the guqin's resonating box to control the guqin's timbre and maintain a light, subtle, faint, and distant tone.