Hulusi, a native instrument of Yunnan, China, can arguably be the simplest instrument to play, though playing it well demands much breathe control and practise.

The instrument works on basic principles of air, forced into the Gourd, compressed and thus vibrates the metal vibrating tongue or “reed” that buzzes in the pipe, making the sound, controlled by the pipe. Usually made of natural gourd and black bamboo, recent demands for louder volume, greater dynamic range better control of the tone have caused luthiers to make it out of hardwoods.

The Hulusi we select are only of performance quality and above, leaving out the toys we often see. Most Hulusis are not costly to make, and hence, more effort can be spent making better selections based on the features on the Hulusi.

Firstly, for the drone pipes on either size, we choose to use the mechanical stoppers of either a pull-plug or a clip valve, making the starting of stopping of drone sounds as easy as a flick of the finger. Traditionally, stoppers with strings at the ends were used, but they have proven to be too cumbersome.

It is also important to be able to service the Hulusi, and keeping it clean and the tongue free from moisture is important for the longevity of the instrument. Thus, all our Hulusis are detachable and additional reeds and mouthpieces can be ordered as accessories.

Finally, much effort is spent tuning the instrument. Our 2 Luthiers, Gu Yue and San Mao, are musicians of hulusi, native of Yun Nan, and have at least 30 years between them of making the instruments. All their instruments are made to be easy to service, and easy to clean.