Guqin, as the treasure of traditional Chinese Musical Instruments, in its production process, the use and treatment of paint and ash is particularly important, not only related to the appearance of the guqin beauty, but also determines its sound quality. The application of paint and ash not only reflects the excellent skills of ancient craftsmen, but also carries profound cultural heritage and a long history.

The role of lacquer in guqin production is mainly manifested in two aspects: one is to protect and beautify the body of the instrument. Guqin selection of high-quality lacquer (also known as raw paint or Chinese paint), after dozens of times of painting, grinding, the formation of smooth and delicate paint film, not only can prevent wood due to moisture, temperature changes and deformation and cracking, but also give Guqin solemn and elegant color and luster. Second, it affects the timbre. The appropriate thickness and texture of the paint layer can affect the vibration performance of the guqin body to a certain extent, and then optimize the timbre performance of the guqin.

Ash, here specifically refers to the guqin production of "antler cream" or "big paint gray tire." Guqin grey tyre is a mixture of antler cream, tile ash and lacquer. It is applied to the surface and bottom of the instrument and forms a solid and elastic grey tyre structure after drying. The quality of gray tire directly affects the resonance effect of Guqin, good gray tire can make the sound more full and round, and spread more far-reaching.

During the production process, the craftsmen need to carefully adjust the proportion of paint ash, strictly control the frequency of painting and the time between each time, to ensure the uniform and moderate hardness of the gray tire, and then need to go through a long time of drying and careful polishing, so that the surface of the piano body shows both soft and transparent texture. This series of complicated and fine processes all highlight the profound artisan spirit and artistic pursuit contained in the production of guqin.

It can be said that the process of Guqin paint and ash is not only a specific application of practical technology, but also a vivid embodiment of artistic aesthetics, and a living fossil of traditional Chinese culture and manual skills. Each excellent guqin, its perfect combination of paint and ash, tells an ancient and fresh story, inheriting a ingenuity and wisdom through thousands of years.