Wang Guoxing: Gusu's "Erhu King"
■ His erhu is the "treasure" in the eyes of erhu players.
■ How can an erhu pass through his hand and estimate the sky-high price of 1.8 million?
In the humble factory, "Baoqin" was born.
Wang Guoxing was contacted by phone. When the reporter came to Panmen Road, Wumenqiao Street, Suzhou according to the address, he saw an old button factory. Only after asking the doorman did I know that the Suzhou Guoxing Musical Instrument Factory in Wang Guoxing was rented by the factory, and it crossed many paths. On the second floor of a simple factory building in the factory, the reporter finally found the destination.
The workshop is very stuffy. Wang Guoxing is busy with some erhu producers. In order to cool down, some simply went shirtless.
Wang Guoxing, a burly figure, is introverted and inarticulate. He can talk about the making process of erhu. He took out the best erhu, which had just been rated as "Shengshibaoqin", and introduced the unique knowledge of erhu to reporters.
Wang Guoxing said that the structure of erhu is relatively simple, consisting of tube, rod, leather, string, string, bow, weight, horse and bow hair, but a top-class erhu that can be recognized by erhu players has to go through more than 100 processes from material selection, processing, assembly to tuning. Among them, the most critical is the first process-material selection.
The new mahogany, old mahogany, rosewood and erhu produced in Wang Guoxing are mainly these three kinds of wood. "The hue is good, the density is good, and it is generally not deformed."
However, Wang Guoxing is still keen on using old and new redwoods, most of which are old redwoods. Wang Guoxing took some cut pieces of wood and beat it. The reporter found that these Woods have two kinds of sounds. "The most beautiful sound is made by the old redwood, which is an excellent material for making erhu. Because these old redwoods are long and dry, and the wood has no moisture, the sound of knocking is very clear. "
"More than 80% erhu players in China are using and collecting ancient mahogany erhu." Wang Guoxing said that the best erhu in Shi Sheng Xianhe, which won the gold medal last year, was made of rosewood. At that time, the expert's appraisal was 152600 yuan. The best erhu of "Shi Sheng Baoqin" this time is made of excellent old mahogany, and the price is 30,000 higher than last year. "Most of the fine old mahogany I use are/kloc-old mahogany furniture over 0/00 years old. It is difficult to buy old mahogany furniture now, and most of them have become cultural relics. Besides, better old mahogany furniture can fetch a high price after maintenance. In this way, the production cost of the old mahogany erhu is much higher than that of the new mahogany. "
The piano barrel is like a whole piece of wood.
Erhu has a key part, that is, the piano tube. When the reporter saw the piano barrel being polished in Wang Guoxing's hand, he suddenly wondered, "How thick old mahogany furniture does this need? Otherwise, how can you dig out the piano barrel? " Wang Guoxing said with a smile, the piano pole is made of small wooden squares on furniture, and the piano barrel is cut with plates. When most people saw this piano barrel, they thought it was made of hollow wood. Actually, it's not like this, but it's made up of six small boards. "A good erhu is very fine, and the stitches are invisible."
Wang Guoxing told reporters that besides the splicing process, the material selection of piano barrel is also extremely important. Even if the six small boards are all old mahogany, they are not casually spliced. Still have to listen to the vibration effect of knocking on these wood, whether it resonates well and sounds good. "If you listen to the same vibrato repeatedly, you can make a piano tube, otherwise the sound quality of playing erhu will be affected."
The elasticity of python skin is very important.
In Wang Guoxing's workshop, there is a small room dedicated to making skin, which smells faint. The skin on the piano barrel is snake skin, but Wang Guoxing said it is not ordinary snake skin, but python skin.
"The layman looks at the color, and we look at the elasticity." Wang Guoxing introduced that there are many kinds of python skins, and no instrument can identify the quality of the leather, which depends on the accumulation of experience. Wang Guoxing was very satisfied with slapping a new covered python skin. "This is elastic, so it is easy to vibrate, and the sound effect is particularly good when used."
Wang Guoxing said that python skin has better elasticity and exquisite patterns. "The pattern is even and artistic, and the python skin like the best erhu spool is a boutique."
In addition, it is difficult to know exactly how much python skin is stretched when peeling, and there is no standard to compare it, which depends entirely on feeling. Wang Guoxing revealed that he was too nervous and his voice was sharp and harsh; If the tension is too loose, the sound will appear hollow, the vibration will not be enough, and the sound will be more rigid. To make the erhu sound mellow and pure, it is all in this "sprout", but the skill of "sprout" is not taught by the master, so you have to explore it yourself.
Wang Guoxing bluntly said that the price of erhu varies greatly with different materials and workmanship. "Generally erhu is mass-produced, and the price ranges from several hundred yuan to several thousand yuan. Especially the high-end erhu, often 10 pieces are made together, which only takes nearly two months. "
"Cloning" Father's Craft
Wang Guoxing, 47, went to work in Suzhou National Musical Instrument Factory at the age of 19, and then embarked on the road of making erhu. All his skills were taught by his father.
Speaking of Wang Guoxing's father, most old Suzhou people are familiar with his name-Wang Ruiquan, a master of erhu production and a national arts and crafts artist. Together with Li Yongxiang, a famous Hu-maker in Beijing, it is called "Southern King and Northern Plum" and is praised as "China Erhu King" by domestic musical instruments and performers. Liu Tianhua, an outstanding national music composer and erhu and pipa player in China, played the erhu made by Wang Ruiquan himself.
Wang Ruiquan, who is 90 years old this year, used to be the master of Zhou Wanchun China Musical Instrument Store, an old brand of Jingdezhen Road in Suzhou, and later became the "pillar" of Suzhou National Musical Instrument Factory. After graduating from junior high school, Wang Guoxing entered his father's unit. "At that time, there were indicators in the factory, and each craftsman could bring a child into the factory." Wang Guoxing said that when his father taught him to play the erhu, he didn't treat him as a son, but as an apprentice. He is very strict. If he makes a little mistake in his study, he will be severely criticized and even beaten by his father.
Wang Guoxing is very savvy. He has mastered the skill of "cloning" his father's erhu. After two or three years of study, Wang Guoxing can make it independently. From 65438 to 0995, due to various reasons, he left Suzhou National Musical Instrument Factory to make and sell erhu with several friends. In 2000, he rented a factory in Panmen Road and started his own small workshop. Here, he successively produced China's top erhu, Shi Sheng Crane and Shi Sheng Baoqin.
Looking for father erhu is fruitless
The gold erhu is expensive, and the silver and bronze prizes are also expensive. Wang Guoxing introduced that in the last session, the price of erhu that won the silver prize was 65,438+10,000 yuan, and the price that won the bronze prize was about 50,000 yuan. This year, he won the Silver Award and the Bronze Award for Erhu, which increased with the Gold Award, being 654.38+0.2 million and 63,000 respectively.
Up to now, Shi Sheng Crane is still preserved in Wang Guoxing's home. Wang Guoxing said that after winning the prize, someone made a special trip to bid 1.6 million, but he didn't want to sell it. "I think there must always be a good piano around."
Erhu can be made again. Why don't others pay a high price? According to Wang Guoxing, he has a regret and an unfinished wish, that is, to hold a piano exhibition. "In the early years, the erhu made by my father was basically in the hands of erhu players and collectors. I've been looking for it for years, but I can't find it. They don't want to take it out. "