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April 26, 2007
Moving Finger Holes on a Shakuhachi
Hi All,
Another fun repair recently. Well, all repairs are fun. some are just funner than others.
Sometimes a shakuhachi may not fit the owner. In this case, the flute was originally too long for a previous owner so he had Hole #1 moved up. The new owner wanted me to restore to the original position.
After the plug was inserted.
Next, I opened up the original hole, which was plugged by the previous owner with bamboo dust and CA glue. He did a fine, clean job.
A safety precaution so as not to disturb the bore with a rude drill mark.
Choosing the right bit.
Careful work must be done so that the original finger hole is not compromised in any way. Every little thing affects tone.
So far, so good.
A bare hole can collect dust and finger oils easier.
I coated the edge with non allergenic lacquer as the new owner is sensitive to Japanese Urushi lacquer. This way, the walls would be are easier to clean
Can you guess who makes finger holes this large?
The new owner discovered a bigger Dai Tsu no Meri.
Fun times indeed!
Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at April 26, 2007 12:20 PM
Comments
The root end opening is huge on that flute, is that to deal with a very wide bore? What are the dimensions of the flute?
Posted by: Kabato at April 26, 2007 09:43 PM
It's a 2.7. Not really a wide bore flute but slightly wider than normal. The flare at the root is for tuning and projection. Old flutes have smaller openings because the meditative player likes the sound in the flute. New shakuhachi are made to projetc in performances. The opening at the bottom needs to be larger to release the sound, like the flare of a trumpet. Namaste, Perry
Posted by: Perry at April 27, 2007 08:39 PM
I've played this flute, it belongs to my teacher. It has an incredible buzzy strong ro. I can't wait to try it after the adjustment, although I probably won't be able to close the hole now! I know he was really happy with the work you did! It's the first Neptune I've had the chance to play. Wish I could afford one!
Posted by: Larry at May 9, 2007 03:44 PM