Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

I was going to place this reply in the Jinashi section under "Hocchiku quality", but decided to do it in this  section instead...save Ken the hassle of having to move it where it belongs, though it is relevant.


The concept of "making a hundred shakuhachi" fits (when it comes to getting a handle on making them).

On my last flute, I drilled out the nodes, cut the utaguchi, blew RO to get an idea of how much the fundamental pitch was lower because the bore was quite wide (I'm trying to figure out a percentage of northern drift for holes in relation to fundamental note deviation from where the tone would be for a usual size bore), moved the spots for the holes toward the utaguchi to compensate, drilled the holes, and test blew and realized that I was WAAYY off. I am beginning to realize that there is no certainty in regards to shakuhachi building. From what I have read, others here would agree.

Perhaps if I enlarged the holes toward the utaguchi enough to compensate, I could get it in tune, but then my fingertips would have to be as wide as my thumbs.

I had to put it down and just walk away and read some Bankei.

Sigh...

Now I get the chance to learn how to plug and move holes.

Ken, you SO have my respect... You must have amazing patience and tenacity to keep making wide bore shakuhachi. I have one of your unsigned chinese madake I bought secondhand, and it's a great flute.

Funny thing, I did a test piece a few weeks back with a very funky section of "almost" root end that was cut right at ground level by a local bamboo builder (garden furniture etc) that I got it from, with only one root ring but had a big bore, and nice bore taper. That one I really expected to be a very dodgy flute...

It’s wonderful…and I'm not sure exactly why.

Perhaps I should ponder this over a Sapphire Martini?

Last edited by Taldaran (2009-03-19 18:14:38)