Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

dreamofnobody wrote:

Hi everybody.

Is it appropriate sort of wood for the utaguchi inlaid? And another question: does different materials(used for utaguchi inlaid) have different influence on the sound and another parameters? Or may be it’s very small differences.

Thank’s.

Most hardwoods will work if they are hard and dense. Horn, bone, ivory, hardwoods and acrylic are all used for utaguchi inlay material. They all have their individual working characteristics.

I find that it is the shape of the utaguchi material or non-inlayed bamboo blowing edge rather than the particular material which is responsible for the sound.

Toby wrote:

You want a material that does not warp, and will take and retain a sharp edge in the presence of moisture and saliva. Actually plastic is perfect for that in most respects.

Toby

I've experienced that as well Toby. Although plastic can still chip, in a functional sense, I've found it to be less problematic than the other inlay materials. Wood can split and chip, bone can crack and horn can warp or soften.

(I'll beat Tairaku to this can of worms!) My favorite functional solution: No inlay at all!

dreamofnobody wrote:

Great thank’s guys, all your words and advices are very useful and valuable.

It’s good idea to make shakuhachi without inlaid as more natural, but from my first expierience it seemed to me that inlad influence the sound very much. The sound became more ‘clear’, ‘distinct’, ‘loud’(that I can say with confidence about otsu notes) and it seems second octave changed some tone colour(it hard to describe how), and it became some easily to play second octave notes; it seems the flute became more responsive. And there is no one thing in my flutemaking expierience before, that was making so big and evident changes in the sound.

There is no physical way that the material of the utaguchi can influence the sound: the blowing edge exists only to create the correct conditions for the oscillation of the air jet in such a manner that it couples with and excites the resonance of the air column. If and when you notice a difference, it is always because the physical dimensions of the utaguchi area have changed somehow: either the geometry has changed or the smoothness has changed. Changes in geometry can include a different sharpness of the blowing edge and/or different dimensions. The sharpness of the edge in particular has a great effect on the sound color, as it changes the proportion of the partials.

Toby

I also used bone, hardwood and horn, all of many kinds...


I do not have any problem with the wood utaguchi such as lose of sharpness, SINCE I keep the utaguchi protected...of course the protection of the utaguchi is importantant whatever the material it's made or the ausence of a inlay...but with wood and natural utaguchi need even more atention than other materials, both in making (you can dive the wood on superglue, take it off and let it dry...after you can sand it normally and it will have a most durable shape...I do prefer do not do that since superglue can cause irritation on some people) as said before and care...but again the utaguchi should have a special care in any case...

Last edited by Musgo da Pedra (2008-12-02 14:41:18)

Hi again everybody!

Toby wrote:

There is no physical way that the material of the utaguchi can influence the sound: the blowing edge exists only to create the correct conditions for the oscillation of the air jet in such a manner that it couples with and excites the resonance of the air column. If and when you notice a difference, it is always because the physical dimensions of the utaguchi area have changed somehow: either the geometry has changed or the smoothness has changed. Changes in geometry can include a different sharpness of the blowing edge and/or different dimensions. The sharpness of the edge in particular has a great effect on the sound color, as it changes the proportion of the partials.

Toby

Yes, that is truth that I've changed some the shape of utaguchi, in addition I've made utaguchi some sharpen. So it seems that is the reason of sound and another changes in the flute.

Here just one more question.

Ken wrote "I find that it is the shape of the utaguchi material or non-inlayed bamboo blowing edge rather than the particular material which is responsible for the sound."

Toby wrote "And I second the notion that the material itself has no effect on the sound. You want a material that does not warp, and will take and retain a sharp edge in the presence of moisture and saliva."

So my question is what is the unbiassed reason to make the inlaids in the utaguchi? Is the sharpness of the edge in the presence of moisture is the only reason?

I've heard some folks say that flutes gain character and a richness of tone as they age specifically because the utaguchi loses some of its edge from the air being blown over it.  Perhaps there is a point of diminishing return involved.

Thanks guys for your answers.

So I really do not understand... If I understood in right way then Ken says that it is not matter much if there is the inlaid in the utaguchi. At the same time Toby says that "bamboo rather quickly disintegrates in the repeated presence of moisture and especially the chemicals in saliva, which is, after all, designed to break down organic matter", so if we will follow this then as I understand the inlaid is desirable.

My own thougts about the question that long time ago makers started to make inlaids in their flutes, and this thing remained and became a tradition. So there should be some reasons for this. So my question is what are these reasons. I was thinking before that is not so indistinct question.

If you use a sealer on a natural utaguchi, moisture and saliva are not an issue.

I have used raw tung oil which produce a matte finish, and tung oil wiping varnish that produce a harder shinier waterproof surface. I have also used CA glue which when cured is even harder.

I do not see a reason to inlay a weak link in the thinnest part of your shakuhachi for purely esthetic purposes that can be knocked out by a light impact when there are sealers that can preserve and protect the natural beauty of the bamboo blade of a natural utaguchi.

Taldaran wrote:

If you use a sealer on a natural utaguchi, moisture and saliva are not an issue.

I have used raw tung oil which produce a matte finish, and tung oil wiping varnish that produce a harder shinier waterproof surface. I have also used CA glue which when cured is even harder.

I do not see a reason to inlay a weak link in the thinnest part of your shakuhachi for purely esthetic purposes that can be knocked out by a light impact when there are sealers that can preserve and protect the natural beauty of the bamboo blade of a natural utaguchi.

If you're knocking out utaguchi inlays, you're hangin' out with the wrong crowd, or imbibing the wrong spirits. [FWIW: I also like the CA treatment;
quick, bombproof, almost permanent, and mostly, it doesn't smell like tung oil..]