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November 21, 2006
Old/New shakuhachi Cap design
Hi all, I had an order this week for an EARTH Model shakuhachi from a nice woman who wanted to get her son a shakuhachi. Turns out he is a vegan so I couldn't offer my normal leather Chikusing design utaguchi cap. I was trying to think of a good replacement but didn't want to use pleather. Then, I remembered this design based on an old cap I once saw on an antique flute in Kyoto. I call this one the Chikucapu (Chiku is bamboo in old Japanese and Capu is Cap in contemporary Japanese language).
I cut the top from an off-cut of the same piece of bamboo. In this case, it was Chinese Madake I personally sourced and had harvested in 2002 in Zhejiang, China.
I eyed the angles and was lucky it came out close. I then just file a bit to fit it better.
Purple velvet seemed like a good color to wrap around the cork (1996 Sonoma Zinfadel)
I hope this will become a vintage year for Yung Flutes.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2006
Old Hocchiku Style Shakuhachi Flutes
I have been focusing on Hocchiku style flutes for many years. It seems they are entering the mainstream due to ebay. Today, I would like to share my thoughts on these special flutes.
Here is a 1.65 Hocchiku wide bore shakuhachi made from Chinese Madake harvested specially for me in Zhejiang China. This means it is a Fair Trade piece of bamboo. I found the bamboo researcher about 6 years ago and through many emails and long distant conversations by telephone (in Mandarin and English) we developed a relationship. The bamboo was harvested by his friends and family with a wage that allowed them more than a decent living for the time of the harvest. Many of you know that bamboo harvestors in Asia are like diamond miners in South Africa, They make pennies a day while the importer lives off the sweat and blood of the worker. I have a stash of aged bamboo that I will finished. After that, I will only make shakuhachi from bamboo I personally sourced from the ground. It is important for me to be involved in every aspect of my shakuhachi flutes and know that the energy that goes into this process is positive in every way. Even my EARTH model flutes are now being made by suppliers of poles grown in America. Sorry for the excursion - back to the Hocchiku. This flute can play in D when blown Kari. A 1.8 length shakuhachi normally plays in D so this means that this bore is extremaly wide and the result is a lower pitch.
The flute measures 19 and is 1 3/8 in diameter. Normally, modern makers would fill the bore with Ji paste to shrink it so that the aspect ratio would be more proper allowing for a more even balance between the registers.
As you can see, its a short, fat flute.
Because of the interior wall angle, I cut the utaguchi facet more perpendicular to maintain a proper relationship between both interior and extrior angles to allow for proper response in embroucher techniques.
It so happens that it ended up resembling the older Komuso style utaguchi angle.
I like to fashion my root ends closer these days as I repair a lot of damaged roots from shakuhachi flutes with the tiny roots that were left longer. It's no surprise that the older Komuso roots were completely shaved.
Hear a Hocchiku.
I am improvising in the way of Watazumido, the Komuso monk responsible for coining the term Hocchiku. He was also the founder of Dokyoku style Zen Honkyoku muisc. I learned this style from Kinya Sogawa, who learned under Katsyua Yokoyama, who learned under Watazumi himself. These large bore flutes work very well in the lower octave but less flexible for beginners on the second. Experienced players of this type of flute will be able to squeeze some erie sounds out of Kan. Non experienced players will have difficulty maintaining a clean tone and pitch. This is true for any shakuhachi but more so for Hocchiku since the bore are not treated and tuned only by removal. These flutes are not meant for Sankyoku or Gaikyoku as they do not project above a Koto or Shamisen. However, when played solo or with a human voice, they are, IMHO, out of this world.
Enjoy the unearthly sounds. Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2006
Yokoyama Rampo Repair
Hi all. I had another major repair ecently. This old 1.6 was made by Yokoyama Rampo, Katsuya Yokoyama's father.
The owner had these original inlaid rattan bindings done in the 1970's by someone in Colorado. He couldn't remember who it was.
They help up pretty well but did open up a bit. However, major work is need at the Nakatsuki. It will need a complete overhaul
The original cotton thread crack right along with the bamboo. It was similar to the Inoue Shigemi I repaired a while back. Some of you may recalled the flute that exploded on me.
I love repairing these old flutes because I can see exactly how the old master did it back then. Just Ji paste over the thread and then urushi over the ji. Simple and elegant. It probably would've lasted many many more years of the flute had proper care.
Getting down to the bamboo.
I was almost ready for binding with the 20 lbs monofilament and then I saw this after more careful cleaning:
a small 1 cm piece grafted on to the bottom to the top section. As a maker, there's always a little story behind every flute. Maybe he made a mistake in measuring, or maybe goofed on the nakatsuki and had to redo it. Only Rampo San knows.
After the binding, I found that the male part of the joint was to big. This is a common occurance after rebinding a nakatsuki. This means resizing both sides. I imgine that the previous repair man must've painted lacquer to tighten it.
Gentle, methodic and slow sanding is required.
A perfect fit.
The epoxy applied. I have a feeling that the 2-ton epoxy over the 20lbs monofilament line will last longer than Ji paste over cotton cord. Maybe in 30 years, the owner will contact me and let me know how it held up.
Filing before the sanding.
I went with wide rattan in the Komuso style in accordance with the aesthetic.
Some of you may have noticed that the Nakatsuki wrap I am doing is thicker, or, wider than the original wrap. I combined the two bindings normally done outside the nakatsuki into one. This way, I save the owner money.
Authentic urushi is the only lacquer I know of that wil hold up well over time without cracking or peeling. However, it wears down normally.
This first coat ( and only one I hope).
This will turn dark after a day in the humid box.
The cracks are sealed with CA glue and bamboo dust. I uses the bamboo saw dust off the work bench so that the additive comes from the same flute.
Come back soon for the finished result! Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2006
Shakuhachi Commissions
Hi all,
Here is a 2.9 I just finished for my brother.
It is made from Madake I harvested in Kyushu, Japan in 2002.
I put his name on it about three years ago and began crafting about two years ago.
I just shipped it out.
Many of you have been incredibly gracious in waiting for your commisions. Some have gone over the one year mark and you haven't pressured me to finish. For this, I thank you. Even if I only made flutes full time, things can not move any faster I assure you. Since I am a one man operation (how else can this be done) things have to move at this pace. That being said, fine tuning can not be rushed. The actual fabrication of a shakuhachi can take place rather quickly. The joint, utaguchi inlay, ji in the bore etc... can all be done in a matter of hours. It's the fine tuning, playing the music over and over again...feeling out the bore that takes months. Even years. This is how fine shakuhachi are made.
My brother is student of Masayuki Koga. He has been waiting for his 2.9 for three years. I assure you, yours will not take as long.
Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at 10:54 PM | Comments (1)