Buying a Chinese Xiao on Ebay

[Nikodemus]

Hi all!

I´d really like to get my hands on a decent xiao, but there aren´t that many options available. Eason Enterprises is pretty much the only place suggested here on the forums, and their instruments seem nice, indeed.

But then I found this store on Ebay, that seems to sell xiaos from the same maker as Eason. And they are quite a bit cheaper.

I realize that when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. But, since I figured you guys have a lot more experience than me, I wanted to ask for your opinion and possible experiences about this Ebay vendor.

What I want is decent flute with a good price/quality -ratio, and I don´t want to end up with a pretty instrument that you cannot play. I do know that buyin stuff over the internet without seeing them isn´t the right way to do these things, but it´s really the only choice I have.

So, do you have any experience or comments on this?

Thanks a lot!

[herbivore12]

I don't have experience with purchasing Chinese instruments from E-Bay, but I've received several nice instruments (bawu, hulusi, and dizi) from the Melody of China website, at what I think were fair prices. The group is run by professional musicians here in the SF Bay Area, and I don't think they sell the tourist-trinket quality instruments you often see.

Good luck!

[hsie]

I think there are many qualified flutes available on ebay, while it can cost from usd20 till usd175 (by the best Xiao flute maker in today's China), so all depends on your own choice, it is difficult to make a judgement on the quality just by its appearance, even a very cheap one can share a nearly identical apperance as those high-end one, only after playing can you know if it is a qualified one.

[James_Alto]

[ Thread revival - Mod ]

I don't have experience with purchasing Chinese instruments from E-Bay, but I've received several nice instruments (bawu, hulusi, and dizi) from the Melody of China website, at what I think were fair prices. The group is run by professional musicians here in the SF Bay Area, and I don't think they sell the tourist-trinket quality instruments you often see.

Good luck!

The founder of Melody of China has split from the group. He's the one who does the flute music you hear on Kung Fu Panda!

His name is Henry Wang - he is a terrific Guanzi and Oboeist, and runs his own site now.

I bought my guanzi from him - you can find him on the same auction site under no1stringmaster or info at datungarts dot net.

No relationship with him - other than being a happy customer. He's in the SF area too - and his instruments are really top notch.