Maintenance of Plucking Instruments

Zhongruan, Pipa, Liuqin, Xiaoruan, Gaoruan
After using...
- Use a clean cloth to wipe the instrument
- Store the instrument in its case or bag and place it in a dry area
- If you need to place the instrument on a table, place it facing upwards. Do not place it standing up against the wall or pillar or chair.
- If need to place it standing up, place it against the corner of a wall

Maintenace...
- The head and neck of plucking instruments usually are two parts joined together which is easily prone to breaking. Hence avoid dropping, impacting or stressing the instrument.
- If it really breaks, keep the broken parts carefully so that it can be attached back. The small accessories like the bridge or frets can be quite easily replaced if lost or damaged though.
- Once the bridge of Liuqin, Zhongruan, Gaoruan is fixed, do not move its position. Use a pencil to mark its position on the instruments. The bridge is calibrated by the luthier so that the interval between each fret is a semitone. Moving the bridge may affect the pitching between frets.

Guzheng
- Place in cool dry place
- Do not expose to direct sunlight or high temperature to prevent cracking, seam splits or warping
- After using, use a dry cloth to wipe the body, bridge and strings of the zheng

Yangqin
- Maintan the cleanliness of the top of Yangqin. Clean regularly with a feather duster
- After playing, cover with a soft cloth to keep away dust
- Do not place any objects on top of the instrument. It may damage the bridges of the Yangqin or affect its pitching
- Place the instrument back into its case if not in use for long periods.
- Rust on strings can be removed using sandpaper followed by applying a layer of Johnson Baby Oil/ WD40 on the strings
- If the nylon wound strings turn black in color, it is time to change the strings to maintain the clarity of the tone
- When placing the Yangqin on the Yangqin stand, maintain a slight incline. Do not place the instrument under direct sunlight or humid areas
- The bamboo beaters should be kept in a case when not in use to avoid breaking it. The rubber on the bamboo beaters can be replaced