Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ
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Tube of delight!
#1 2008-01-13 19:30:49
- jamesnyman
- Member
- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2005-10-23
- Posts: 162
Bauhaus Shakuhachi (PVC Plastic) by Ken LaCosse
I cannot think of enough kind things to say about Ken's PVC shakuhachi. I currently own a standard 1.8 and a special order 2.4. They live in my car where I can play them at a moment's notice when I have time to kill while waiting for my wife to get off work, etc... They are, of course, not a replacement for good quality bamboo shakuhachi, but rather an adjunct and a very viable alternative to the Yuu for those just starting out on the path.
I have given away half a dozen of Ken's PVC 1.8s to budding shakuhachi players in the Austin area. They, and the 2.4 and 2.1 (which I also gave away) Ken has made me, are ALWAYS crafted with the utmost care. He deftly undercuts the finger holes to make access to Kan very easy indeed, unlike some PVC 1.8s that I have ordered from other sources.
Again, thank you Ken!
"The means are the ends in the making." Mohandas K. Ghandi
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#2 2008-01-13 20:11:32
- radi0gnome
- Member
- From: Kingston NY
- Registered: 2006-12-29
- Posts: 1030
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Re: Bauhaus Shakuhachi (PVC Plastic) by Ken LaCosse
How are they compared to a Yuu? I realize they don't have nearly the looks in that from a distance some might not realize a Yuu is plastic while the PVC's are obviously plastic tubes, but as far as playability is concerned how do they stack up to the Yuu? I checked Ken's website and see that they are half the price. If the playbility is about as good as a Yuu, the dilemma of not having 2.4 Yuu's is no longer an issue. Unless, of course, looks factor that much into the equation.
"Now birds record new harmonie, And trees do whistle melodies;
Now everything that nature breeds, Doth clad itself in pleasant weeds."
~ Thomas Watson - England's Helicon ca 1580
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#3 2008-01-13 20:32:32
- jamesnyman
- Member
- From: Austin, Texas
- Registered: 2005-10-23
- Posts: 162
Re: Bauhaus Shakuhachi (PVC Plastic) by Ken LaCosse
They play well in Otsu and Kan for me. Beyond that, I cannot say, as I cannot play in the third octave on any shakuhachi I own, even the expensive ones. They are probably not the equal of the Yuu in the 1.8 category. The again, they cost less than half as much. I am only saying that they are a great place to start for those new to the shakuhachi with limited funds and a great shakuhachi to carry around in places/circumstances where you would not want to take expensive bamboo.
"The means are the ends in the making." Mohandas K. Ghandi
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#4 2008-01-14 03:15:16
- Tairaku 太楽
- Administrator/Performer
- From: Tasmania
- Registered: 2005-10-07
- Posts: 3226
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Re: Bauhaus Shakuhachi (PVC Plastic) by Ken LaCosse
I have some and I like them. I use them in the sauna.
'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari
http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie
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