1. Panel thickness across various sound zones

Take a moment to inspect your guzheng for the number of "wooden sounds" ("wooden sounds" are also known as "empty" or "cracked" sounds, characterized by insensitive tone and short sustain, as if the string hits a paper surface, the sound quickly fades away). From the 13th string to the 1st string, pluck them one by one, not all at once. If there are only 1-2, congrats, it's a fine instrument! Around 5 is still decent, as domestic brand guzhengs typically have no less than 5. If there are about 8, that's a common occurrence, around 90%. If all 13 strings produce wooden sounds, it's time to smash it! In fact, most guzhengs on the market are at that level. "Wooden sounds" occur due to an irrational thickness of the soundboard, which prevents the vibration of the strings from being transmitted through the bridge to excite the soundboard's vibration.

The skill of a guzheng maker is primarily reflected in their control over the panel thickness. The texture size of the panels is derived from the differences in the root, middle, and tip sections of the tree, as well as from whether it faces the sun or the shade. Different sound zones and panel thicknesses vary, with no standard data but only experiential data. Even with experiential data, the accuracy of the woodworker's execution is crucial, as an unreasonable set of data can ruin the sound. Therefore, in the guzheng industry, regardless of the factory's size or reputation, there are only two types of guzhengs—those made by professionals and those made by amateurs.

Even an expert's guzheng sounds are poor if they are of the popular variety, and an amateur's guzheng is terrible even if it's made of zitan. By the way: The expensive materials like zitan, nanmu, and redwood used for the exterior of the guzheng do not determine the sound quality, but only have a minor effect on resonance. Prioritizing material over sound is a major misconception in guzheng selection (I've never seen a guzheng without a wooden sound).

2. Moisture content of the panels

High moisture content in the soundboard leads to muffled sounds; reasonable moisture content ensures a clear, bright sound (assuming a reasonable thickness of the soundboard). The best choice for the guzheng soundboard is to use tung wood that has been naturally dried for over 5 years. Dunhuang's soundboard is baked over a fire to reduce moisture content to below 10%. In fact, Dunhuang initially used naturally dried soundboards, but due to the continuous expansion of production, it was impossible to maintain a sufficient stock of soundboards for natural drying. Therefore, the baking method had to be used instead, although it certainly does not produce the same clear sound as naturally dried soundboards. The production and quality of fine products in musical instrument companies are inversely proportional.

Echo

The proper curvature and arch of the zither body, as well as the size of the sound holes on the bottom plate, affect the resonance of the guzheng.

4. Strings

Good strings can enhance the sound quality of a guzheng, but don't expect them to save a poor sound quality.