Da Jia Gui Xiu is the more refined-looking instrument of the Kaoji series — for adult students, recitals and competitions, where the same instrument can be used for practice and for the stage.
Beyond the acoustic standard of the exam series, more work goes into appearance: decoration and colour are compared instrument by instrument at the finishing stage. Pitch and action standards are not relaxed.
The tone is bright and responsive, so an adult beginner can hear exactly where their technique is wrong. On stage the brightness holds even when nerves make the sound thin.
Adults often practise irregularly. Keep sessions under an hour and watch posture and wrist angle. During long breaks, loosen the strings slightly so the top is not under constant load.
For exam grades and sizing, see graded exam guzheng buying guide.
Buying advice: this model is listed at CNY 5000, which is the entry price in the range of the 8 models in the Kaoji series (prices run CNY 5000 to CNY 8560).Among the Clouds (CNY 5500) is the next step up and is worth comparing if your budget is close. Warm Lotus sits at the same price with a different look and voicing — pick on taste. Bulk pricing is explained in How to order.
FAQ: How far will an exam-series instrument take a student? The series covers the full cycle from beginner to upper-intermediate, and the corresponding grade range is noted on each product page. Students aiming at music-specialist school admission should choose the upper models of this series.
Suitable for: the Grading series is for young students, training centres and exam candidates — stable tuning and comfortable action make it a reliable choice for grading and daily practice. Batch orders for studios and schools are quoted by quantity with a specification list. Send your quantities and scenario through the enquiry form.
It feels very solid overall, and it does not shift even when you play hard. Very happy with it!
I read through the reviews before buying, and it was not a mistake. The edges are finished very cleanly, with no rough spots, compared with my last one, the difference was obvious straight away, I'll be back!
I compared several sellers, and went with this one, customer service was very patient, and answered every question one by one.
I hesitated for a long time, and ordered during a promotion, the seams on the back are very even, and you can tell the work was done with care!
It shipped the day after I ordered, delivery was faster than I expected, the tuning pins are set just right, neither loose nor stiff, at this price it holds its own against anything. The crate was very large, and I could not move it on my own. Worth the price!
It looks even better made in person than in the photos, you can see the details far more clearly, it lives in the teaching room, where students take turns on it, and it takes the wear, this much workmanship at this price, there is nothing to find fault with, there is a slight difference between the colour and the website, but it is acceptable, I'd buy again!
This is my second purchase here, and the feel is just as I remembered, I took it to a lesson, and my teacher said the tone was good too, the sound is very clean, with none of that muffled buzz, five stars!
The grain on the soundboard looks natural, the finish is thin, and you can tell it was applied by hand. After-sales rang me to check it had arrived, which is rare, it drifted quite often at first, and took three tunings to settle. Worth the price.
The tuning holds very steadily, two months of playing and it has barely drifted, a friend heard it at my place, and asked where I bought it!
I have been learning for two years, my teacher said not to spend too much, and this one is just right, the colour is a shade darker than the photos, but it feels better made!