Ordered a Yunzhi Guitar

[BigMikeinNJ]

It's very natural for people to worry and ask "hey Mike, so you saved a bunch of money and all but how did they do, did the guitar REALLY stack up to the model it was copied from". Well in my case while I am waiting for my guitar to be built I find and Eastman AR880 John Pisano in natural on a CL somewhere in Missouri. The seller was only asking $1350.00 and it was really perfect. It was made for a 2006 NAMM show for John Pisano to present to Mel Bay Publishing who were responsible for a cd of duets they released for him. It had MEL BAY in pale gold paint on the 3rd position. Gorgeous wood, really comfortable neck. I sold it later to a broker, bought it back from him, sold it again... LOL

YES Yunzhi did a great job. Here are the two guitars side by side

[Duniku]

Firstly, many thanks for the comments regarding my recordings.

In response to Xuoham, well spotted on the small room recording! I would say you are very modest with your 'inexperienced ears"!

I am not used to playing with a traditional set of heavy guitar strings so I find as I don't use a pick they are hard to get bring out the sound. That might be me or I may just change the strings. Some good suggestions above for experimenting.

I would agree the sound is rather mellow on the recording - to me it seems to peak but not according to the metre. I had a lower input recording I though twas quite nice.

Agreed the top E sound a bit twangy. I wonder if this will get worse with a slightly lighter gauge.

I have no amp right now so I am curious to know how I can compensate for the above. Once I make some change sI am happy to post some more sounds.

NEWSFLASH

Lora has left the company but I had a very nice email from her replacement as I am sure other buyers have:

Her name is Jennifer.

Phone :+86 15933271100
skype : shiye0201@outlook.com
website : www.yunzhimusic.en.alibaba.com

Thank you all for your comments

[xuoham]

Lora has left the company but I had a very nice email from her replacement as I am sure other buyers have:
Her name is Jennifer.

Yes i got the mail regarding Ms Lora.
I guess she is full time busy with "Yolanda Team" but i guess it's still a partnership with Yunzhi, as she seems to be selling the pickguards etc ... I got my extra pickguard for $30, neat transaction, fast delivery, and unbelievably NICE thick ebony pickguard for a ridiculous price. A little O/T but since China is very big, could it be that this (fairly black) ebony is Chinese ebony, and thus not concerned with the ebony preservation ban ? We know they get rosewood from India, but ebony ?

Agreed the top E sound a bit twangy. I wonder if this will get worse with a slightly lighter gauge.

Worse ? I think it sounds pretty shimmering and nice !

I love the mids in your recording too, they bounce very well almost like from a thin top OM flat top guitar, i got this with mine too and i was very pleasantly surprised at first (yes, i know... i am just discovering acoustic archtops).

Do you notice any change after playing it quite a bit ?

Mine seems to slowly open up and i seem to notice a little more bass, not sure though.

The shimmer in mine blends beautifully with the fat (yet articulate) K.A hand wound PAF i installed. Highly recommended.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Interesting that Ms Lora left Yunzhi, I know she was really working hard with Team Yolanda as a side project. I am sure she's at Yunzhi all the time (the office and artisan work area). I did NOT get the email from Miss Jennifer nor did I hear from Ms. Lora, I will have to write Lora and Mr. Li...

Curiouser and curiouser...

[Nils]

Yes, this is a surprise. I actually wrote to Lora Yu two days ago to place an order for a Yunzhi archtop. She responded promptly, and - after a few email exchanges - sent me an invoice for the first payment yesterday from her Yolanda address. I made the payment yesterday (through PayPal), and assume that all is in order. She hasn't made any indications to me that she was on her way out... Anyway, I'll keep all of you posted as soon as I hear something - whether from her or her replacement.

[Duniku]

Xuoham,

Could you tell me more about your choice of pickup? Is it floating and did you install yourself?

And you mentioned 80/20 strings. Honestly I have no idea what the benefits are in selecting different string types. I understood that a thicker guage will give a bigger sound but that is about the extent of my knowledge.

I am just curious as to why you made those choices. I am contacting the Yunzhi office today to find out what standard strings they put on the guitar so I know the starting point.

Thanks

[BigMikeinNJ]

Believe me if Ms. Lora has left Yunzhi your order will proceed just as if she was there. They are REALLY trying to make a great impression and win as many new customers as possible. I am sure Ms. Jennifer is competent and they'll be watching everything carefully during this transition. Ms. Lora was such a treat to work with, can't say enough about Yunzhi too. Wish I had the funds I have them make me a Byrdland style guitar but with a standard length and width neck.

You'll be fine.

[xuoham]

Duniku,

Yes the KA i have is floating and attached to the pickguard. It was hard to get it straight and i don't regret having followed the advice i got from this forum to use double sided tape, the strong type, for car use.
The original holes were not so well placed and not so tight so i filled them with wood glue and toothpick (epoxy would have been better maybe) and hand drilled them again to my best possible position. Count that you must have some foam or felt under the pickup where it's the closest to the top of the guitar.
I was all but easy, i undid and redid many times andi had to carve a bit the pickguard.
If i had to do it again i would probably order the same pickup but the one that one can attach to the neck, with this U shape mounting piece. Not too pretty but way easier and still floating above the top.

My choices were directly inspired from what forum members advised, especially Dr Spook for the KA handwound PAF.
Also i learned a lot from members like RPGuitar and his numerous videos.

For strings, honestly, in general i tend to prefer Phosphor Bronze for my flat top acoustics but since the guitar came with 80/20 and i read many times from members that tend to prefer 80/20, i went for some obvious Elixir nanoweb 80/20.
Before trying to experiment with PhBronze, i guess my next string set will be something like Thomastik Spectrum or Newtone Masterclass, or even Martin SP. Now that i rediscovered the virtues of Finger Ease i want to try uncoated strings again.

The Yunzhi standard strings on mine were some (fake?) D'Addario that were not too good.
Usually 80/20 is the norm on cheap guitars since it is a bit brighter and more flattering and gold looks probably more attractive for the average customer. All the really low end guitar i see here in Japan have 80/20.

And the truth is also that there is a very superficial reason for 80/20: they look better on this Yunzhi than phosphorange bronze, eh oui !

Regarding gauge, i play more with fingers than pick and i personally hate rigid strings, 11/52 is just fine for me and yields a nice behavior with pick and fingers and both, and thumbpick, and clawhammer, and harp harmonics, and slap, and bottleneck, and ....

Since i am not really playing jazz i don't use the Thomastik BeBop , i'm they sure would be fine with other styles i guess, but the great thing with this Kent Armstrong hand wound PAF is that it is already balanced for acoustic strings. The osund is just perfect ! I could not believe it. One of the best purchases of this year for me. Coming from and old 1966 ES335 and two Ibanez equipped with Seth Lover PUs , though it's a bit different sounding (more articulate and less honky and microphonic ?) it has the same fat sound i like from a PAF, especially when playing those 3 or 4 notes stabs up the neck.
I lack the experience with guitars and pickups to have a credible opinion when comparing, but for me it's really my dream come true: KA PAF with JJB transducer (or condenser microphone at home).

[yolandateam]

Hi, Guys,

This is Lora here, Firstly, thanks for all your supporting and your trust for my past works.

Yes, I did left yunzhi this week, But even I left yunzhi, i am not stop doing jazz guitar business. I will do jazz business in my following years and will try my best to do it in my whole life. Cause I love this job and it is really very happy to help you get a dream guitar. Not only a job, but also it is my interests.

For me, I did international business from 2005, in the past , I did building material business, and digital photo frame business, and for doing jazz guitar business is my lovest job.

And from the past nearly 4 years, I learned more knowledge for checking jazz guitar for customers, and know the Chinese supplier very well, Cause all of you help me grown up. I am your hands here.

Thanks for the guys who ordered guitar from me and I will keep my jobs for all of you and won't let you down.

Here I want to specially thanks to Bigmike, who ordered one guitar from me years before. and he helped me a lot in my past jobs. Mike , thank you,My "long-distance" friend. Keep in touch.

If you have doubts or questions, please email me or call me at 0086+15033557760. I am always here for all of you.

Yours Sincerely
Lora

[xuoham]

Yeeeehaaahh !!! Welcome !!!

Ms Lora, from the bottom of my heart i thank you for your kindness and patience during the ordering process.
I just took of my hand from my Yunzhi guitar to write this and i spend hours with it everyday. Just love this instrument.

So you were reading the forum ! Hahaha ! Awesome !

Best Wishes for your future,

Paul

[BigMikeinNJ]

Ms Lora,

Glad to see you post what you are doing here, as I am sure many of your loyal customers are also. It is good you moved on into your own business. I know I would have no problem buying direct from you. I KNOW YOU and I know Yunzhi and between you and them anyone who ordered before you left Yunzhi will get just what they asked for with no problems.

I remember so many years ago being nervous about buying from China direct, it only took one or two emails to make me forget my concerns and be really excited about what I was collaborating on with you. And thru my order and watching all the other people who have ordered (here and on the Ibanez Collectors World forum) I have absolute trust and confidence in you. As I also do in Yunzhi. Mr. Li seems very committed to making Yunzhi very strong and profitable.

All The Best

BigMike

[yolandateam]

Hi, Paul,

How are you? Thanks for you like my services.

Yes, I just got at home . Hope you are keep supporting my jobs in the future.

Yours
Lora

[yolandateam]

Hi, Mike,

Thanks for your reply. I will keep my steps in jazz guitar business .

Yours
Lora

[gcb]

Hi Lora.

Glad to hear you are making good. Wish you all the best in your new undertaking.

Says Robert Benedetto in his book Making an Archtop Guitar (page 75): "The re-curve will increase the resiliency/flexibility of both plates, vital to the the development of the instruments voice." A plausible inference from this would be that an archtop guitar with stiff top and back plates will tend to sound more like a flat top acoustic, and that's what I found in the case of my new Yunzhi 18" archtop equipped with two p 90s that you might remember I received last December. So my user suggestion to you would be to give attention to this issue.

I don´t care too much about the electronics and harware insofar the measures are standard and therefore replaceable to the extent possible without major modifications to the instrument's structure. In my case I only had to re drill the 4 pot holes to 10 mm and the switch hole to 12 mm.

A second area of attention, in my limited user experience (Again, I only can talk about my first and only Yunzhi guitar) would be the neck angle. A slightly more would give more amplitude o maneouver with string height at the bridge.


As to the fingerboard, a slight downward slope from fret 14 to the end might also be considered, so as to avoid some buzzing problems I encountered in that area, if it turns to be a recurrent problem.


I also would try to improve the fretting and nut cutting, be it by plekking or manual labour.


All these being said, I am quite happy with the guitar.


All the best,


Guillermo.

[Duniku]

Hi Xuoham,


Hey, I really appreciate your quick and thorough feedback. For me it is very useful to know what challenges you and and reasons for choices.

I heard from Jennifer that the strings on my guitar are:

0.012 ,0.016, 0.025, 0.034, 0.044,0.054

No brand name and she doesn't know the model/type of the puck up. I think she got confused as she referred to Wilkinson Tuners.

I have now asked Lora - I contacted her today and I believe she will post a clarification about her status very soon! (I thought it might help stop all the speculation).

I am now going to look into your comments. Pleased to hear you use a lighter gauge.
Thanks again,

[Duniku]

Oh dear Randy C,

DuNiKu is my Chinese name - I am British and live in Beijing - so I guess I have the additional insight to actually being IN CHINA.

Couple of short comments: I have never seen so many luxury cars in my life in one city - not sure how 'still a socialist country' works here. Lots of exploitation as in other countries - I am not kidding, Bentleys, Maserati's, Porche Ceyennes, Range Rover LSE - still trying to figure this one out. I would say however, China is rather more complex than your statements.

In the final analyses though, isn't the question "how does it sound?". Isn't that what we are all here for?

Take it from me - it sounds bloody brilliant! If you read the posts (which I guess you haven't)- there are many good guitarists and musicians who rate Yunzhi.

If you are looking for collectors items for resell in your great market place, agreed - don't buy a Yunzhi - as a previous writer said - you are on the wrong forum. Yunzhi's are for life for a reason.

I am happy to make a day trip to the factory but I think we all know that isn't necessary.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Duniku

i would not be too concerned with the brand of strings Yunzhi uses, I made a quick change to what I like, TI Benson 12 flat wounds. And I believe Yunzhi uses a Wilkinson pickup still. Soon as I could I had my techs setup the guitar, they could not stop talking about what an amazing guitar I had brought in.

so I would just relax and let them build it, when you get it take it to your tech for a restring and proper setup. It is money very well spent.

[Duniku]

Hi BigMikeinNJ,

Thanks for the advice. I am curious about the pickup because I made a recording that sounded pretty good but that might be just more credit to the guitar. (Not the recording I posted - that is fuzzy like levels are distorting) Did you mean leave the pickup? Kind of take it or leave it or as some suggest, change asap?

My problem is ironically, I am in Beijing and I am not sure where I am going to find a tech to set up the guitar. Maybe with some research I can find a specialist but the language barrier makes this harder.

Still, I appreciate the advice.

[BigMikeinNJ]

From what I have heard many that buy Yunzhi tend to practice and play unplugged so what brand the pickup is is sort of moot. I also remember many saying they replaced the poor quality tone and volume pots with better quality and left the pickup on and were fairly pleased with the plugged in sound. I know when I got my Yunzhi I needed my tech to do a little resoldering . After some 3 years I still have the Wilkinson on mine. I DO want to install a larger pick guard and replace the pickup probably with a Benedetto floater like the one I have on my really old Eastman Prototype - back when Kent Armstrong made them by hand in that wood grained epoxy enclosure. I would think a good guitar repair guy would be very busy in Bejing. You see for many of us the guitars have to be shipped across the globe and do need a little adjustment and "love" as I call it. I cannot complain about any aspect of the frets or fretwork like someone did a little earlier.

If you already have the guitar in hand I would contact Ms. Lora and talk to her, I know she still is in contact with many of the original Eastman artisans who now are on their own, she collaborates with them, perhaps they could help you adjust or fine tune anything you need done. To me it is SUCH a great deal buying direct from Yunzhi or Team Yolanda I don't mind spending a little money getting the guitar "set up" as we call it in the States. I do that with any guitar I buy, be it a used Gibson, a new Ibanez thin line, or an Eastman. I get the tech to install the gauge of string I like, file the nut and bridge so the strings sit just right and do any other little tuning to get the action nice and low and make the guitar feel perfect. I even bake for those guys because they take a nice guitar and make it a GREAT guitar to play. To me that is priceless. And they remember my baking next time I come in.




Me with one of specialty desserts: a cinnamon apple coffee cake.

Big's Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

[TonyB56]

Is that why you're called big Mike?

[BigMikeinNJ]

How I really got the name BigMike...


I was working in a Southern Italian/Sicilian place on Fillmore in San Francisco in '94. We had a nice trattoria in back and in front was a VERY lucrative specialty foods counter, books, imported olive oils, rare OLD balsamic vinegars, and lots of unusual stuff. IT kept the restaurant in the black, even when things were very slow. I worked the counter, with my chef training I could explain to an affluent customer why that 100 year old bottle of true artisan balsamic vinegar was worth $400.00 to them and I made the boss a lot of money with my age and experience, worth more to him there than working the line.

One day a customer from the dining area approached me, she said she was watching a man with his Sunday paper in the book section stuff books in his newspaper. I called downstairs for backup but he ran out the door. I went after him: flying down Fillmore St. as fast as I could, around the corner on California St. I caught up with the guy and in my most intimidating Dirty Harryesqe manner convinced him to come clean. Sure enough he had over $100.00 in books inside the paper. He offered to pay for them, I told him no, but to never set foot in the place again or I'd have him arrested (we had him dead to rights on surveillance video). I went back to the store and the owner was ashen... He was so worried this jerk would have shot me and he'd have gotten sued. He told me next time let the perp go. The line cooks came around later, bought me a vin santo to calm my nerves and we had a little laugh. One guy, Tony, called me Bad Ass BigMike... I liked the Big Mike part: I'm more gentle hearted and kind than the big scary guy I can look like if I'm pissed off. The internet was sorta taking off and I've used BigMike as my handle online ever since.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Spook410]

We should have a Yunzhi owners group meeting at Mike's place. I'll buy the wine.. he can do the cooking.

[Duniku]

Thanks BigMikeinNJ for the advice. Contacting Lora for contact is actually a great idea. Sometimes you ned a lot of energy over here to tackle the smallest things but Lora has offered (here on the site) to assist. Even when I was at the Yunzhi office, I had to call lora to find out what they were communicating. Maybe she is willing to help out in the same way as providing a good tech. Specially in exchange for my speciality crunchy non-bake chocolate bars!

Your comments are very interesting in particular about the pick up.

I have kind of done things backwards. I chose the Yunzhi because it looks great and plays well (prior to set up). I am expecting to use it for electric Jazz and beyond but I was really surprised at the acoustic properties, now I want to explore just what can be done with it. That was the initial reason for my focus on the PU but I am not rushing on that.

First, set up, and I will look at trying strings that suit me. Then I will explore the electric sound. What I find even with the current PU is that the guitar has a character in its tone. I love the quality of Ibanez and Epiphone but when it comes to plugging in, although a good sound, they seem to sound much the same. No offence to players of those guitars. I may be wrong and maybe if I owned one I might see that differently.

I love researching in any case and am enjoying the journey.

[jlmorgan84]

Here are a few more photos of a Yunzhi archtop in progress. Finished but not buffed, with a fair bit more finishing work to do. Per Lora the color of the finish is a bit lighter in person than in the photos.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Back to what progress photos look like. Great stuff...