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March 04, 2006
Antique 1.8 Shakuhachi Refurbished
When I went to Kyoto in 2002 for the Komuso gathering at Myoanji. I had the opportunity to locate some great old flutes at affordable prices. Unfortunately, many excellent ones were beyond my financial grasp at the time. But, I did manage to find some gems that just needed little adjustments to play well. This one in particular needed some removal since the bore was too small at a few resonance spots. It's a full jiari so I removed some Ji at the smallest part of the bore, at the Ro octave and at Hi Go. When it felt like some of the best old flutes I've ever had the pleasure to examine and play, I stopped.
I often wrestle with rattan inlays. On one hand, they look great. But on the other, they are considered invasive to the bamboo by many. To keep the cost of well made flutes low, I've decided to let the owner make the choice. This flute is priced at $700 but can bring in much more than twice the price as it's a great player. I can guaranty that it plays as well as old flutes that are going for twice the price from legitimate shakuhachi sellers. If I had done the inlays, it would sell for at least $1000 directly from me but for much more from a dealer.This flute is available for auditioning.
If you have a flute that needs tweaking, please feel free to give me a ring (during regular hours) or shoot me an email. My approach for bore reconstruction is to not change what the original maker intended but to let the flute sing with it's natural and unique voice in accordance with the style of music the flute was meant to play. It is not in my interest to make an old flute sound like a new one. Old flutes sound old for a reason.
Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at March 4, 2006 02:14 PM