Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

black tea · 2009-03-10 02:57:25

Dear users--

I have been slowly working my way through playing the basic scale and
the embouchure with a new Shakuhachi Yuu. Unfortunately in a moment
of haste I allowed the flute to take a small drop. Aside from my regret
and shame at a moment of carelessness I am concerned that it now seems harder
to play the holes below the joint. Is air escaping from a loose joint?
Is there a remedy? Thanks in advance. Perhaps it is just the variation
that is normal within a beginner practice?

pps I really feel my error was human, but still showed a lack of appropriate respect
for the instrument.

black tea · 2009-03-10 03:07:54

I did a bit of searching--is plumber's tape an appropriate fix for a shakuhachi yuu joint?

Tairaku 太楽 · 2009-03-10 05:31:43

Hi Black Tea,

Sometimes if you take some cello tape and wrap it around the male part of the joint and then put the flute back together it creates a better seal. Try that. One way to tell whether you have a leak is to run water through the bore and play the flute. If there's a small crack, the water will temporarily fill it and you will get a better sound. That is a way to diagnose a crack.

Regards,

BR

Josh · 2009-03-10 06:11:07

I think this was discussed at length before but many people recommended just glueing it together to make it a solid nobe kan. Disadvantage possibly being portability, but they're not really that big. Carrying around my 3.2 nobe kan is a bit more of hassle. I have a student who also dropped his Yuu a few times.. take the time to learn to care for your pet/shakuhachi before you get into bamboo. Dropping and damaging bamboo has taught many people a very hard lesson. Don't feel that bad though, I'm sure it happens regularly. Tairaku's cello tape is also a great idea also because you can adjust the thickness for a perfect fit. If your joint is loose that is. Is there a teacher nearby that can check it for you to clarify if it is the flute or the player?

Bruce Hunter · 2009-03-10 08:51:47

Had me going for a minute there guys, trying to figure out where the tape goes on that stringed instrument. 8^)

Seriously, in another world, teflon (plumber's) tape is used all the time for temporary "fixes" for clarinet tenon joints when the cork gets thin, bassoon and english horn bocals when the cork gets worn, and sax neck corks when the cork gets compressed. Also used by us instrument repair types on their own instruments when business is so good we don't have time to work on our own instruments. 8^)

later...

Yungflutes · 2009-03-10 23:00:22

Hi Black Tea, Last week I taught a lesson to someone who used a YUU that was dropped. It was taped up around the exterior of the joint with electrical tape but there was still a leak., The Ro could not take much air. In his case, I think the best thing would be to glue it together with a bit of 5 minute epoxy.

Good luck with it.
Best, Perry

black tea · 2009-03-11 00:49:13

Thanks Perry. I put one wrap of clear tape inside--seems to seal well.

heyjude · 2009-03-15 08:25:21

I bought a used YUU and noticed a slight wobble in the joint and upon examination noticed that the male portion was of two diameters. Overall length of the section is 5/8" but only half of the length, 5/16" was making contact with the female portion of the joint. Measuring with a dial caliper I came up with measurements of .968 and .959, the smaller being closer to the end. I used a piece of clear packaging cello tape which measured .008 and covered only the smaller part of the section, put some cork grease on the tape and rejoined the two sections. Perfect fit, very snug with no wobble. I'm using Chap-Stick 100% Natural for cork grease. It's mostly beeswax and natural oils, works good for chapped lips too. :-)
Jude

black tea · 2009-03-31 15:30:21

I finally decided that I didn't want to mess with taping the joint so I carefully joined the
two halves with JB Weld--making sure to put on only a slight amount so the glue
wouldn't seep into the bore and change the playing quality. I am happy with it so
far.

Chuck · 2009-03-31 21:25:09

Cello tape for the win! My Yuu also had a wobble and I didn't want to make any irreversible changes. One layer of clear tape around the end of the inner joint bit and it is as good as new. Thanks, heyjude!
-edit- I see that it was Tairaku's suggestion further up, thanks Tairaku and... well, everyone! This message board is superlatively awesome. -edit-

Last edited by Chuck (2009-03-31 22:23:48)

Jason Castner · 2009-06-27 23:51:19

I bought a new Yuu and this one I dont back pack with. I think if I could I would make the Yuu a one piece flute. Not by glueing it though that is what we must do to make it solid. Right from the factory it should be one piece seeing that begginers, backpackers, and travelers enjoy the Yuu. Flutes were originally made into 2 sections in fuedal Japan so that they couldnt be used as weapons/clubs as easily? Well, time to start making them all one piece I think, at least for the plastic Yuu. Its just common sense that the joint will wear and tear eventually which is good for the maker but not for the common player

Kiku Day · 2009-06-28 02:14:36

Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:
Flutes were originally made into 2 sections in fuedal Japan so that they couldnt be used as weapons/clubs as easily?

That's an alternative rendition of history! I like it!

Jason Castner · 2009-06-29 04:44:59

Kiku Day wrote:
Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:
Flutes were originally made into 2 sections in fuedal Japan so that they couldnt be used as weapons/clubs as easily?
That's an alternative rendition of history! I like it!

Opps, I guess I meant they were made with 2 sections so that they couldnt be used as flutes as easily...lol just kidding.

originally one piece, changed into 2 sections as not to be weapons as easily, now we should change them back to just one section unless sombody specifically orders them in 2 sections? I just dont see the point of the extra work involved in making them have joints that fit perfect when they will break at that point easier if dropped and over time as well if transported alot.

Thanks for noticing my mistake kiku ;-)

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2009-03-10 02:57:25

joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#2 2009-03-10 03:07:54

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#3 2009-03-10 05:31:43

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#4 2009-03-10 06:11:07

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#5 2009-03-10 08:51:47

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#6 2009-03-10 23:00:22

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#7 2009-03-11 00:49:13

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#8 2009-03-15 08:25:21

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#9 2009-03-31 15:30:21

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#10 2009-03-31 21:25:09

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#11 2009-06-27 23:51:19

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

#12 2009-06-28 02:14:36

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:

#13 2009-06-29 04:44:59

Re: joint loose on shakuhachi yuu?

Kiku Day wrote:

Jason Castner aka Komuso wrote:

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