Home-made Erhu

Just last Sunday I decided to try making an erhu, which is a Chinese fiddle out of some cardboard paper core and other materials I bought or had lying around.

A new beginner's instrument will set you back over $300 SGD. The cost of this one? Just $15 SGD and 3-4 hours of work.

Materials used:
- Cardboard roll for the soundbox (Free, complements of Alina)
- Wood dowel for the pegs and neck ($6)
- Plastic cotton bud box cover for the front of the soundbox (Free)
- Screw to hold one end of the strings (Free. Swiped from dad's toolbox)
- Scrap felt (Free, complements of Ni Zhen)
- Spare erhu bridge (Free)
- Erhu strings ($3 for both strings)
- Bow (salvaged from a crude gaohu I bought from a roadshow)
- Qian jin, which is a type of string ($1. Not shown in the picture)

Equipment:
- Hand drill
- Screwdriver
- Files

Materials

Soundbox with hole drilled through it for the neck.

Soundbox with neck

Neck with holes drilled for the pegs

Pegs with ends filed down to size and holes drilled for the strings

Screw at the bottom end

Half-assembled. Pegs, neck, soundbox and cover

The bow is strung between the strings. Notice the qian jin tied over the neck and strings below the pegs

Closeup of soundbox with bridge, felt and strings

Finished. Without flash

With flash

And here's a short test of the finished piece:



I'll try to post a full song when I can find the time.