Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

World Shakuhachi Discussion / Go to Live Shakuhachi Chat

You are not logged in.


Tube of delight!

#1 2010-09-16 21:18:18

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Help with making an old flute work

Hi, I have bound and sealed the cracks in this very old 1.6, but still can't seem to get a strong note out of it. I'm not sure if it's just because of my skill level, or if there's something wrong with the utaguchi or something else. This is the first shakuhachi that I have tried to play and had trouble getting a good sound (or any sound)
Any ideas? http://www.flickr.com/photos/malaan/set … 841197015/
Thanks!
- HH

Offline

 

#2 2010-09-16 21:32:51

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

How does the bore look? Is there no sound from any holes? Try submerging the flute in warm water for 10 seconds then try blowing.


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

Offline

 

#3 2010-09-16 22:00:41

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Yungflutes wrote:

How does the bore look? Is there no sound from any holes? Try submerging the flute in warm water for 10 seconds then try blowing.

Thanks Perry, the bore looks pretty clean (jinashi)
I can get a sound with no holes covered, and also with the thumb hole and first and second holes covered. After that I can't get a sound at all. Will try the warm water and post once I've done it.

Offline

 

#4 2010-09-16 22:06:12

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

I submerged for 10 secs in warm water, and took it out, and it plays beautifully! Wow.. thanks for that tip. Obviously means the cracks are not sealed properly?

(edit) Perry, after having researched here on the boards, I've decided to attempt the binding again, this time I'll do it according to your guide of one binding every inch. (my current bindings are a bit wider, about 1.5 inches between.) I don't want to do anything myself to it that would be irreversible, so I really would like to avoid using super glue.. I'll let you know how it goes. Is there something I can do to help seal it, in addition to the bindings, like rubbing some bees wax into the crack or something, before the bindings are applied?

If it still doesn't seal properly, I'd be grateful if I could send it to you to have it fixed properly. Do you accept repair jobs on old (edo) flutes, and if so, would you recommend having the inlaid rattan bindings done instead of the topical ones? Would that de-value the flute at all? I don't like the way topical bindings look, but I would not want to have anything done that would lessen the integrity of the flute.
- HH

Last edited by HarryHansen (2010-09-16 22:46:12)

Offline

 

#5 2010-09-16 22:48:50

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Help with making an old flute work

HarryHansen wrote:

I submerged for 10 secs in warm water, and took it out, and it plays beautifully! Wow.. thanks for that tip. Obviously means the cracks are not sealed properly?

(edit) Perry, after having researched here on the boards, I've decided to attempt the binding again, this time I'll do it according to your guide of one binding every inch. (my current bindings are a bit wider, about 1.5 inches between.) I want to avoid using any kind of glue, or anything that will be irreversible, because of the age of this flute.. will let you know how it goes. If it still doesn't seal properly, I'd be grateful if I could send it to you to have it fixed properly. Do you accept repair jobs on old (edo) flutes?
- HH

Before you embark on a bunch of binding, you should ascertain if the crack can be closed without doing anything but humidifying it. Have you done that successfully--wrapped it in a damp cloth in a plastic bag for a day or two?

If the crack closes up due to the extra humidity, you should be able to play the flute successfully before binding, while the crack is still shut.

Otherwise, it means the crack either won't close on its own, or there's some detritus in the crack that keeps it from closing. Those pics you posted seem to point to the latter situation. If you can't get the crack closed by humidifying, you'll need to bind it as is, and THEN use some glue to fill/seal the crack.

Tom Deaver even went so far as to say that you should humidify to close the crack, then bind with external binding, then let the flute dry out a bit so that the crack opened a tad in order to put some glue in it. That method doesn't suit me (my 2.4 Ichijo just cracked--first crack EVER, in any flute of mine); I'd rather keep the danged thing closed. Mine closed right up so it could be played before binding, as it was a very fresh crack.


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

Offline

 

#6 2010-09-17 03:00:30

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

edosan wrote:

HarryHansen wrote:

I submerged for 10 secs in warm water, and took it out, and it plays beautifully! Wow.. thanks for that tip. Obviously means the cracks are not sealed properly?

(edit) Perry, after having researched here on the boards, I've decided to attempt the binding again, this time I'll do it according to your guide of one binding every inch. (my current bindings are a bit wider, about 1.5 inches between.) I want to avoid using any kind of glue, or anything that will be irreversible, because of the age of this flute.. will let you know how it goes. If it still doesn't seal properly, I'd be grateful if I could send it to you to have it fixed properly. Do you accept repair jobs on old (edo) flutes?
- HH

Before you embark on a bunch of binding, you should ascertain if the crack can be closed without doing anything but humidifying it. Have you done that successfully--wrapped it in a damp cloth in a plastic bag for a day or two?

If the crack closes up due to the extra humidity, you should be able to play the flute successfully before binding, while the crack is still shut.

Otherwise, it means the crack either won't close on its own, or there's some detritus in the crack that keeps it from closing. Those pics you posted seem to point to the latter situation. If you can't get the crack closed by humidifying, you'll need to bind it as is, and THEN use some glue to fill/seal the crack.

Tom Deaver even went so far as to say that you should humidify to close the crack, then bind with external binding, then let the flute dry out a bit so that the crack opened a tad in order to put some glue in it. That method doesn't suit me (my 2.4 Ichijo just cracked--first crack EVER, in any flute of mine); I'd rather keep the danged thing closed. Mine closed right up so it could be played before binding, as it was a very fresh crack.

Thanks Edo, that makes sense. It's actually wrapped in damp paper towels inside a plastic casing as we speak. I took off the bindings that I had already done, and decided to leave it in the moist bag for at least a day. It actually did close pretty well the first time I humidified it, which was only for a couple of hours. I was too hasty to bind it that time. I reckon this time it will close really well and along with more bindings, less space between it should do the trick. I also had not bound it far down enough. The cracks run about half way along the flute, from the mouthpiece downwards. I had only bound to a bit below the first node.
If the problem still persists after I bind it properly, I guess I'll have to re-evaluate the situation, and either send it to be fixed, or I was thinking, if it absolutely needs to be sealed with glue of some sort, I could run masking tape down the sides of the crack, and do a very fine line of glue. At lease it won't be a mess.

On a separate note, would you consider putting rattan bindings in? It's not like the need for bindings is going to go away, ever.. and rattan bindings look so much nicer to me than the topical ones, which I find pretty ugly. My only concern is that it may devalue the flute, because it's so old and anything like this would be considered a permanent alteration.

Offline

 

#7 2010-09-17 08:13:48

radi0gnome
Member
From: Kingston NY
Registered: 2006-12-29
Posts: 1030
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

HarryHansen wrote:

If the problem still persists after I bind it properly, I guess I'll have to re-evaluate the situation, and either send it to be fixed, or I was thinking, if it absolutely needs to be sealed with glue of some sort, I could run masking tape down the sides of the crack, and do a very fine line of glue. At lease it won't be a mess.

I can only say with confidence that using super-glue gel to seal a crack is a mistake. It's very ugly, and didn't seal until I gooped on several layers. Now onto the part that I'm not totally sure about, I believe the proper for repairing cracks with glue, for those who condone it, is to use a mixture of bamboo dust and the more liquidy kind of super-glue. You put the bamboo dust so it sits on top of the crack and you put drops of super-glue on it. Then you have to sand it down and it can look OK, barely noticeable.


"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

Offline

 

#8 2010-09-17 10:21:08

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Help with making an old flute work

radi0gnome wrote:

HarryHansen wrote:

If the problem still persists after I bind it properly, I guess I'll have to re-evaluate the situation, and either send it to be fixed, or I was thinking, if it absolutely needs to be sealed with glue of some sort, I could run masking tape down the sides of the crack, and do a very fine line of glue. At lease it won't be a mess.

I can only say with confidence that using super-glue gel to seal a crack is a mistake. It's very ugly, and didn't seal until I gooped on several layers.

Only because you don't have a clue how to use it.


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

Offline

 

#9 2010-09-17 10:25:35

Derek Van Choice
Member
From: Lake San Marcos, CA
Registered: 2005-10-21
Posts: 99
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

One beautiful thing about CA (good CA, i.e. Zap thin/pink) is the ability to wick long distances, especially in bamboo, given the lengthwise cellular structure.  For inlaid bindings (on most cracks) I will wick CA into the crack from the binding channels; this is best prior to wrapping the binding, but will still get in there some afterward.  This avoids external goo yet seals the crack internally.

External Edo-style bindings might be a little trickier, but I suppose one could make a small (3mmx3mm?) notch right where the crack is, under each binding area, to create a point from which to wick the CA; the bindings would then cover that up.  However, that is still permanently intruding on the exterior of a flute, albeit in a small way, so that is a decision that needs to be weighed.

Offline

 

#10 2010-09-17 10:41:17

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Help with making an old flute work

HarryHansen wrote:

On a separate note, would you consider putting rattan bindings in? It's not like the need for bindings is going to go away, ever.. and rattan bindings look so much nicer to me than the topical ones, which I find pretty ugly. My only concern is that it may devalue the flute, because it's so old and anything like this would be considered a permanent alteration.

Harry, Harry, Harry. I realize that appearance is of prime importance to you in all things, but try to put that aside for a few minutes, OK?

Topical bindings are much stronger than inlaid ones, and you can apply many more. The object here is to get the poor thing working, right? And to screw it up as little as possible...

IF you can get the crack closed, you should bind from just BELOW the end of the crack all the way up to the blowing end. Don't be concerned if you have to leave it heavily humidified for several days, or even more. If it's that old, the crack may never completely close anyway.

I would suggest putting together a way of mounting the flute on a bench so you can apply a lot more force in tensioning the binding as you wrap it. I did that for my 2.4 just now, and it worked much better than doing the bindings 'in my lap'. The bindings are very tight. If you want details on how I did it, you can email me and I can send you some images.

Once you've applied the bindings, you will probably have a conundrum: If the crack doesn't close completely, and leaks after you've bound it (this is why it's a good idea to find out if the crack will close without leaks BEFORE binding, if you can), you're going to have to apply some sealer to the crack, and whatever you use must penetrate under each bound area as well as in between. Fresh, thin CA will work well for this, and I have used tape to dam the edges many times to good effect. I recommend blue painters tape over regular masking tape (the crepe stuff, not the smooth stuff), and burnish the edge down at the crack very well, applying several light coats to the crack, letting it cure each time. It's not even all-important to actually fill the crack up to the surface of the bamboo, just to seal it. If you do happen to fill the crack and want to make it flush with the bamboo, a sharp scraper works much better for this than sandpaper if used carefully.

Question: how do you know this is an Edo-periord flute?

[Edit: what Derek said, too...]

Last edited by edosan (2010-09-17 10:53:28)


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

Offline

 

#11 2010-09-17 13:17:43

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

HarryHansen wrote:

I submerged for 10 secs in warm water, and took it out, and it plays beautifully! Wow.. thanks for that tip. Obviously means the cracks are not sealed properly?

Bingo!

If it still doesn't seal properly, I'd be grateful if I could send it to you to have it fixed properly. Do you accept repair jobs on old (edo) flutes, and if so, would you recommend having the inlaid rattan bindings done instead of the topical ones? Would that de-value the flute at all? I don't like the way topical bindings look, but I would not want to have anything done that would lessen the integrity of the flute.
- HH

I work on Edo flutes.

I'm pretty much in agreement with Edosan and Derek. I prefer to work in a low-impact approach with all repairs and restorations. I've learned a lot from a good friend who is works in art conservation and restoration.
Here's some Edo flutes I've had in the shop:
http://www.yungflutes.com/logphotos/komuso20b2.jpg
This one came into the US via John Singer. The bindings were done in Japan with topical cord layered with Honshu red urushi. I think new bindings can look nice.

http://www.yungflutes.com/logphotos/edobindings.jpg
This one had cracks between the old Mentori bindings. As mentioned, rattan alone is not strong enough to hold a crack closed. On this particular flute, we agreed that it would be best to maintain the old aesthetic. So, I did some antiquing. I bound with heavy tan colored nylon cord and hand rubbed layers of urushi until I achieved the desired look.

Many people have still not forgiven the caretakers of the Sistine Chapel for allowing a Japanese company to "clean" the ceiling. In the end it was quite clean and colorful, but many felt something important was lost.

I personally probably wouldn't "scrub" the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but I would use a feather duster now and then smile


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

Offline

 

#12 2010-09-17 14:03:14

Derek Van Choice
Member
From: Lake San Marcos, CA
Registered: 2005-10-21
Posts: 99
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

BEAUTIFUL job on those Edo bindings, Perry!!

Offline

 

#13 2010-09-17 14:22:28

Lorka
Member
Registered: 2007-02-27
Posts: 303

Re: Help with making an old flute work

If it were me, or my prized flute cracked, I would first let out a godless wail/shriek, panic a bit, then ship it to Monty that same day.  That lad knows a thing or two about correct flute repair.


Then again, if you are just mucking around, which I take this to be, then I guess anything goes.  Stick it in the bathtub, or a wet sock, then lash it up with urushi dipped shoe-laces. 

If you actually care about the flute though, then send it to a proper flute doctor, i.e. those folks who do this sort of thing for a living.

I have two 1.8's, both with cracks that were fixed by the crack maestro.  He does a kick ass job, is professional, and guarantees his work, so if anything should ever malfunction, then he is there for ya.


Gravity is the root of grace

~ Lao Tzu~

Offline

 

#14 2010-09-17 15:55:37

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

fouw wrote:

Maybe your flute is a little bit too thin-walled to cut the channels required for inlayed rattan bindings too.....

That's a very good point. I had thought of that... and I think you're right. A very shallow monofilament inlay could work well though because less depth would be required?

Derek Van Choice wrote:

One beautiful thing about CA (good CA, i.e. Zap thin/pink) is the ability to wick long distances, especially in bamboo, given the lengthwise cellular structure.  For inlaid bindings (on most cracks) I will wick CA into the crack from the binding channels; this is best prior to wrapping the binding, but will still get in there some afterward.  This avoids external goo yet seals the crack internally.

External Edo-style bindings might be a little trickier, but I suppose one could make a small (3mmx3mm?) notch right where the crack is, under each binding area, to create a point from which to wick the CA; the bindings would then cover that up.  However, that is still permanently intruding on the exterior of a flute, albeit in a small way, so that is a decision that needs to be weighed.

Thanks Derek, I would never have thought of that. Awesome advice!

edosan wrote:

Harry, Harry, Harry. I realize that appearance is of prime importance to you in all things, but try to put that aside for a few minutes, OK?

okay.. I put it aside. (It's right next to me though, in case I need to grab it quickly again)

edosan wrote:

Topical bindings are much stronger than inlaid ones, and you can apply many more. The object here is to get the poor thing working, right? And to screw it up as little as possible...

Yes, but for this particular flute, aesthetics is almost as important as functionality.. almost. I have other flutes that sound/play beautifully.. the reason I bought this one was because of what it is, it's age, and historic value.

edosan wrote:

IF you can get the crack closed, you should bind from just BELOW the end of the crack all the way up to the blowing end. Don't be concerned if you have to leave it heavily humidified for several days, or even more. If it's that old, the crack may never completely close anyway.

Got it.. it's been in the plastic overnight now, and looks like the crack is closed really well.

edosan wrote:

I would suggest putting together a way of mounting the flute on a bench so you can apply a lot more force in tensioning the binding as you wrap it. I did that for my 2.4 just now, and it worked much better than doing the bindings 'in my lap'. The bindings are very tight. If you want details on how I did it, you can email me and I can send you some images.

Email sent smile thanks.

edosan wrote:

Once you've applied the bindings, you will probably have a conundrum: If the crack doesn't close completely, and leaks after you've bound it (this is why it's a good idea to find out if the crack will close without leaks BEFORE binding, if you can), you're going to have to apply some sealer to the crack, and whatever you use must penetrate under each bound area as well as in between. Fresh, thin CA will work well for this, and I have used tape to dam the edges many times to good effect. I recommend blue painters tape over regular masking tape (the crepe stuff, not the smooth stuff), and burnish the edge down at the crack very well, applying several light coats to the crack, letting it cure each time. It's not even all-important to actually fill the crack up to the surface of the bamboo, just to seal it. If you do happen to fill the crack and want to make it flush with the bamboo, a sharp scraper works much better for this than sandpaper if used carefully.

Thanks, this is really helpful.

edosan wrote:

Question: how do you know this is an Edo-periord flute?

I trusted the guy I bought it from, who specified that it was an authentic edo period flute. He is a known collector of such flutes, I don't really have a reason to doubt him. Derek has dealt with the same guy and knows some background on him as well. Is there a way to authenticate it?



Yungflutes wrote:

This one had cracks between the old Mentori bindings. As mentioned, rattan alone is not strong enough to hold a crack closed. On this particular flute, we agreed that it would be best to maintain the old aesthetic. So, I did some antiquing. I bound with heavy tan colored nylon cord and hand rubbed layers of urushi until I achieved the desired look.

This looks amazing! Very very nice.. probably the best option for my flute.

Yungflutes wrote:

Many people have still not forgiven the caretakers of the Sistine Chapel for allowing a Japanese company to "clean" the ceiling. In the end it was quite clean and colorful, but many felt something important was lost. I personally probably wouldn't "scrub" the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but I would use a feather duster now and then

Good point.

Offline

 

#15 2010-09-17 15:59:09

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Lorka wrote:

If it were me, or my prized flute cracked, I would first let out a godless wail/shriek, panic a bit, then ship it to Monty that same day.  That lad knows a thing or two about correct flute repair.


Then again, if you are just mucking around, which I take this to be, then I guess anything goes.  Stick it in the bathtub, or a wet sock, then lash it up with urushi dipped shoe-laces. 

If you actually care about the flute though, then send it to a proper flute doctor, i.e. those folks who do this sort of thing for a living.

I have two 1.8's, both with cracks that were fixed by the crack maestro.  He does a kick ass job, is professional, and guarantees his work, so if anything should ever malfunction, then he is there for ya.

If I decide to send it away to be fixed, I'll be sending it to Perry. I love his work, and would trust him with any of my flutes. (I'm sure Monty is great too, no disrespect intended)

Offline

 

#16 2010-09-17 16:15:57

Lorka
Member
Registered: 2007-02-27
Posts: 303

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Sure thing, any of the pro makers (and fixers) would be good.  Some, of course, are a little more vocal here on the forum, so chances are people might go to them, rather than someone they don't yet know too well.  Makes sense.


Gravity is the root of grace

~ Lao Tzu~

Offline

 

#17 2010-09-17 18:33:29

Jam
Member
From: Oxford, England
Registered: 2009-10-02
Posts: 257

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Where did you find the flute Harry? When I was living in Japan I kept dreaming that someone I knew would find one in their house somewhere, or I'd stumble across one in an antique shop. Old flutes seem hard to come by, except on fleabay. How do you know it's from that period?

Offline

 

#18 2010-09-17 21:24:10

Toby
Shakuhachi Scientist
From: out somewhere circling the sun
Registered: 2008-03-15
Posts: 405

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Jam wrote:

Where did you find the flute Harry? When I was living in Japan I kept dreaming that someone I knew would find one in their house somewhere, or I'd stumble across one in an antique shop. Old flutes seem hard to come by, except on fleabay. How do you know it's from that period?

I see them all the time on Yahoo auction in Japan, and usually very, very cheap, sometimes under $50. I also used to see them quite often in antique markets, also usually pretty cheap.

Toby

Last edited by Toby (2010-09-17 21:26:07)

Offline

 

#19 2010-09-17 22:29:40

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Jam wrote:

Where did you find the flute Harry? When I was living in Japan I kept dreaming that someone I knew would find one in their house somewhere, or I'd stumble across one in an antique shop. Old flutes seem hard to come by, except on fleabay. How do you know it's from that period?

I got it from a collector, who had put this and another on ebay.. I only know what he told me about it, which is that it's a mid-edo period flute. I have no reason to doubt him, and I got it for a very good price so I'm pretty happy with it!

Offline

 

#20 2010-09-17 23:52:04

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Derek Van Choice wrote:

BEAUTIFUL job on those Edo bindings, Perry!!

Thanks Derek. I enjoy your work too!


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

Offline

 

#21 2010-09-17 23:54:40

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Help with making an old flute work

HarryHansen wrote:

Jam wrote:

Where did you find the flute Harry? When I was living in Japan I kept dreaming that someone I knew would find one in their house somewhere, or I'd stumble across one in an antique shop. Old flutes seem hard to come by, except on fleabay. How do you know it's from that period?

I got it from a collector, who had put this and another on ebay.. I only know what he told me about it, which is that it's a mid-edo period flute. I have no reason to doubt him, and I got it for a very good price so I'm pretty happy with it!

"Mid-Edo" would put it somewhere between 1700 and 1750. How does he know that? You've no reason to believe him, either, if he can't provide a bit more provenance.


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

Offline

 

#22 2010-09-18 00:04:11

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

I bought an "Edo" shakuhachi from Ebay and it was a counterfeit. I have also bought several that were simply "crap". Just being "Edo" doesn't mean much.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

Offline

 

#23 2010-09-18 00:47:15

HarryHansen
Member
From: Hawaii
Registered: 2010-04-12
Posts: 245
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

I know who the collector is I bought it from. He came highly recommended as being a trustworthy dealer that sells authentic, quality flutes.. That's all I need.. smile

Offline

 

#24 2010-09-18 10:21:41

radi0gnome
Member
From: Kingston NY
Registered: 2006-12-29
Posts: 1030
Website

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Tairaku 太楽 wrote:

I bought an "Edo" shakuhachi from Ebay and it was a counterfeit. I have also bought several that were simply "crap". Just being "Edo" doesn't mean much.

Were the simply "crap" ones still 250 years old?

Brian, I remember you sold a shakuahchi a few years ago that you called an "el cheapo Edo". What amazed me about it was that it had no cracks. Even if it wasn't the best player (I think you said it was good, not great), I sort of think bamboo that lasts that long deserves some study. You can hardly find any Western wood flutes that old without cracks. 

Also, I find it intriguing that a lot of the instruments that end up in our hands now may outlive us by a couple years... or more.


"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

Offline

 

#25 2010-09-22 04:00:18

Toby
Shakuhachi Scientist
From: out somewhere circling the sun
Registered: 2008-03-15
Posts: 405

Re: Help with making an old flute work

Depends on the wood. Boxwood flutes warp but hardly ever crack. Anyway, what can you study about a piece of bamboo, cracked or not? Madake has not evolved or significantly changed in the past 100,000 years or so...

Offline

 

Board footer

Powered by PunBB
© Copyright 2002–2005 Rickard Andersson

Google