Hu Po is the warm all-rounder of the Dashi series, equally at home on stage, in a teaching studio and in a recording booth.
It follows the series' standardised timber selection and play-testing. Soundboard moisture content is brought into range before assembly, so the instrument behaves consistently for players in different regions.
The voice is rounded and warm, with a full low-middle register. On stage, even with modest sound reinforcement, its resonance fills the space; encore practice and programme pieces are both comfortable.
For long-distance transport use a soft case plus a carton, with padding under the bridges. Let the instrument rest for a day before retuning so it can settle into the new environment.
For how performance-grade instruments are specified, see how to choose a performance-grade guzheng.
Buying advice: this model is listed at CNY 10000, which is a lower price in the range of the 7 models in the Master series (prices run CNY 7300 to CNY 28000).Zhishang (CNY 13000) is the next step up and is worth comparing if your budget is close. To keep the budget down, start from Dreamlike Days (CNY 7300). Qingsun sits at the same price with a different look and voicing — pick on taste. Bulk pricing is explained in How to order.
FAQ: Is the "Master Series" made personally by a master? The series is assembled and voiced under senior luthiers, with critical steps completed by experienced technicians and cross-checked by several players before release. We do not inflate this with personal names — the standard is the actual assembly process.
Suitable for: the Master series spans teaching through performance, suited to training-centre lessons, conservatory teaching and personal advancement. Batch orders for institutions and schools get tiered pricing with a specification list. Tell us your scenario through the enquiry form when you need a programme.
I read through the reviews before buying, and it was not a mistake, I took it to a lesson, and my teacher said the tone was good too. The tuning holds very steadily, two months of playing and it has barely drifted.
I had been watching this shop for a long time, and finally ordered. Compared with my last one, the difference was obvious straight away, the crate was very large, and I could not move it on my own. Worth the price.
It shipped the day after I ordered, delivery was faster than I expected. It looks even better made in person than in the photos, you can see the details far more clearly.
I compared several sellers, and went with this one, the strings feel a little soft under the fingers, so a child can press them without strain, it came in a wooden crate packed with thick foam, five days in transit and not a single knock, I'd buy again!
I bought it because a well-known teacher oversaw it, and it did not disappoint, the grain on the soundboard looks natural, the finish is thin, and you can tell it was applied by hand, they sent me a video of the actual instrument before shipping, which put my mind at rest, I'll be back!
A friend recommended them, she said hers has given no trouble in three years. No extra microphone is needed at performances, and the back rows can hear it. The colour is a shade darker than the photos, but it feels better made, this much workmanship at this price, there is nothing to find fault with, worth the price.
The tone is far more open than my last instrument. Customer service even showed me how to tune it, so I was not nervous picking it up for the first time.
My teacher recommended this series, saying it is good value, a friend heard it at my place, and asked where I bought it, it feels very solid overall, and it does not shift even when you play hard, five stars!
It stands in the living room, and guests ask what it cost the moment they see it, the resonance is better than I expected, and it holds up on something like Fighting the Typhoon, the tuning pins are set just right, neither loose nor stiff. At this price it holds its own against anything, I'd buy again.
The harmonics ring out clearly, and come out with the lightest touch, the edges are finished very cleanly, with no rough spots!
This is the first instrument I have bought at this price, and once it arrived I felt reassured, the sound is very clean, with none of that muffled buzz!