Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

jumbuk · 2006-07-19 00:00:43

I am not a maker, but as a player and buyer of instruments, I am curious - why do the most expensive shakuhachi come in two pieces? Surely the construction of the joint, aside from adding to the expense, must inevitably weaken the bamboo or interfere with the interior airflow? I can understand why a longer flute might be more conveniently carried if it is in two pieces, but a 1.8 is not really a big piece of bamboo? And most of the 2.25+ shakuhachi I have seen have been one piece anyway!

This is not entirely academic, as I have a custom-made 1.8 on order, and my inclination would be to have it made in a single piece unless there are good enough reasons for the two-piece design.

jumbuk · 2006-07-19 02:56:03

sigwada wrote:
I guess it's easier for the maker to fix the inside bore

Is that why most long flutes are Jinashi?

Larry · 2006-07-19 07:07:24

Maybe it has something to do with the quality of the bamboo also? When Perry Yung made my 1.8, out of the 3 peices of stock I could choose from, he said only one was good enough to have no joint. I went with no joint. While pretty, the joint can wear out and may have to be fixed or replaced. Also, the joint takes many hours to make, so the flute ended up being slightly cheaper by not having one.

http://www.yungflutes.com/log/archives/ … del_f.html

edosan · 2006-07-19 09:00:56

There are two important reasons for the joint:

• Better access to the bore for making jiari shakuhachi

• More importantly, the joint allows for adjustment for the overall length of the flute to tune its overall pitch. There are also jinashi shakuhaci with center joints (nakatsuge).

It's likely that the reason Perry chose the culm he did was that it was the right length AND that the nodes were spaced properly for hole placement for that length flute.

Tom Deaver · 2006-07-24 03:50:10

For the answer to your question, have a read from http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~shaku100/bam.html and you will know the details.

Tairaku 太楽 · 2006-07-24 07:25:55

Thanks Tom,

It's great to get your input!

BR

edosan · 2006-07-24 09:31:21

I love that page from Tom's website: It has several hundred years of traditional knowledge packed into it...

jumbuk · 2006-07-24 20:10:37

Tom Deaver wrote:
For the answer to your question, have a read from http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~shaku100/bam.html and you will know the details.

Thanks Tom, gave me the answer plus the answers to all the questions I didn't ask (and didn't even know were questions!).

Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

#1 2006-07-19 00:00:43

Why two pieces?

#2 2006-07-19 02:56:03

Re: Why two pieces?

sigwada wrote:

#3 2006-07-19 07:07:24

Re: Why two pieces?

#4 2006-07-19 09:00:56

Re: Why two pieces?

#5 2006-07-24 03:50:10

Re: Why two pieces?

#6 2006-07-24 07:25:55

Re: Why two pieces?

#7 2006-07-24 09:31:21

Re: Why two pieces?

#8 2006-07-24 20:10:37

Re: Why two pieces?

Tom Deaver wrote:

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