Yueqin "Moon Guitar" (YQ-2)
Product Description
Features:
- Paulownia Body
- Redwood neck
- Rosewood Pegs and Body Binding
- Includes Hard-shell case & electronic tuner
The Chinese Yueqin, also known as the moon guitar, gekkin, la ch'in, or yueh-ch'in, features a short, fretted neck and a round, hollow, wooden body. The Asian gekkin is distinct from other similar instruments because it lacks a sound-hole; in its place, this Chinese moon-zither has one or more strands of wire attached to the interior of the body. These wires vibrate to create sound. The Asian la ch'in is strung with four strings grouped in four courses, and the frets are arranged for a diatonic sound. Modern moon guitars may, however, feature semitones. Originally strung with silk, modern gekkins feature nylon strings. There is no bridge on the Chinese yue qin; instead, the strings attach directly to the anchor. The Asian moon-zither is played with a long, sharp plectrum, which is attached to the instrument by a chord. One contemporary innovation is to use a guitar pick instead of the traditional plectrum.