With the surge of interest in the harp guitar over the last 20 years, the market has been flooded with the inevitable stream of collectors, who have driven the prices of that instrument up and out of reach of many players. Eventually, if the demand persists, new makers will emerge, increasing the supply, and driving prices lower...you know, just the way it's supposed to work when markets aren't meddled with.
In the meantime, the gu zheng (the subject of this thread) provides a more exotic and far more versatile alternative to the western harp guitar...albeit more challenging. Sonically, it can do most of what a harp guitar can do, plus a great deal more. The technique is totally different, of course. There are all sorts of things to learn about it, but composing for the instrument is a treat, and it's well worth the effort.
Indeed, I'm finding that to be true of most ethnic instruments. As my skills grow (
along with my "working collection" ...meaning, they're for playing), the payoff is more than just an expanding sonic palette for my own recordings; it's a greatly expanded musical mindset—a vastly larger musical frame of reference—wherein the things I learn from each weird, new instrument enhance my abilities on the familiar old instruments. It's way cool. 8)
