After accompanying their three older brothers to choose hats at the hat shop, Ou Yangguang and Zhang Yixing parted ways with Lu Han and Kim Minseok.
They walked in a familiar direction with a clear goal in mind.
After walking through several relatively quiet streets, the two stopped in front of an inconspicuous but quaint shop, a handmade guitar workshop.
It was the handmade guitar workshop they used to frequent, where they were familiar with the owner.
This place holds many of their musical memories, and it's the perfect gift they would choose for Chanyeol.
Pushing open that familiar wooden door, bearing the marks of time, the crisp sound of the doorbell rang out.
The shop is still filled with the comforting aroma of wood and varnish, and the various handmade guitars hanging on the walls and placed on the workbenches gleam with a warm luster under the soft lighting.
The master craftsman, who was carefully polishing the neck of a violin behind his workbench, looked up and saw the two people who had entered through his reading glasses. His face immediately lit up with a familiar and friendly smile: "Oh, it's Xiaoguang and Yixing. What brings you here today?" His voice was gentle, with the kindness of an elder meeting a younger generation.
"Hello, Master!" Ou Yangguang and Zhang Yixing quickly bowed and greeted him.
Ou Yangguang explained with a smile, "We came today to pick out a birthday gift for our member brother. He especially loves musical instruments, particularly guitars. We think the items here are the best and most meaningful."
"Really? Is that the tall kid who always has a cheerful smile?" The old craftsman had a good memory and still remembered Chanyeol. "Come, come, take a look at the new ones we've made recently. We've also brought in quite a few good materials."
The master craftsman enthusiastically brought out several guitars he had recently crafted, including a solid rosewood guitar with a deep, resonant tone, a mahogany guitar with a bright, lively spruce top, and several other guitars with different body shapes and unique characteristics.
As always, Zhang Yixing and Ou Yangguang earnestly tried out the piece, listened attentively, and felt its essence.
Zhang Yixing is particularly sensitive to tone. He carefully tried out each instrument, from the low register to the high register, carefully distinguishing their resonance, sustain and overall balance.
Ou Yangguang, on the other hand, paid more attention to the feel and appearance. He carefully took each guitar, feeling whether the neck was comfortable to hold and whether the weight of the body was appropriate, imagining how Chanyeol would play it.
"The soundbox design of this guitar makes the low frequencies sound very solid." Zhang Yixing closed his eyes and carefully savored the sound of a D-shaped barrel guitar.
"Master, isn't this OM barrel-shaped guitar more suitable for fingerstyle? Chanyeol sometimes likes to play melodic pieces." Ou Yangguang picked up another guitar and asked the master.
"That's right, the OM's barrel shape has a balanced tone, making it suitable for both strumming and fingerstyle playing. Plus, it's relatively compact and comfortable to hold," the experienced instructor explained patiently.
The master craftsman watched quietly from the side, only occasionally explaining the characteristics of the wood and the craftsmanship in concise and professional language when they asked questions.
"This one with the rosewood back and sides has a warmer, fuller tone," Zhang Yixing commented after playing a dark-colored guitar.
“But this spruce top paired with mahogany sounds clearer and feels more suitable for Chanyeol,” Ou Yangguang said, taking another one to try it out.
"Hmm...that makes sense. And the neck curve of this one seems a bit more comfortable too."
Ultimately, their eyes fell on a newly completed, natural wood-colored folk guitar.
Its top panel is made of carefully selected spruce, and the back and side panels are made of warm mahogany, with beautiful and smooth wood grain and meticulous workmanship.
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