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July 22, 2007
Basement Bamboo
Here is a photo of my recently delivered stock of bamboo harvested specially for me in Guangzhou, China. It is Madake bamboo. Madake is the traditional species of bamboo used to make quality shakuhachi in Japan. The best quality Madake for shakuhachi making is difficult to obtain. It is up to the skill and ability of the harvester. Picking quality pieces of bamboo according to the proper age, density and dimensions comes with experience. That's why Japanese harvested bamboo costs about $100 each (starting). This stash is a cumulation of seven years of working with my harvesters to locate the best root end pieces in a grove for shakuhachi making.
It would be difficult for an average shakuhachi person to be able to distinguish between my highest quality Chinese Madake and high quality Japanese Madake.
After the harvest, the bamboo needs to yellow in the sun for a week or two and then stored in a cool dry place to dry slowly to prevent cracking. This piece came from a shipment five years ago. It had a crack so I let it go at a very friendly price. Cracks flutes can play as well as non cracked ones. Some professional believe that a repaired bound flute can play better because the tension in the bamboo has been released and the bindings add to vibrations. This theory is obviously very difficult to prove since a shakuhachi feels different every time you pick it up!
This stash will dry for at least three years in my basement before I use it to craft a flute. Some may crack within that time, the ones that don't will usually resist cracking, but one never knows where a finished flutes ends up. A dry climate would not be the best place for a shakuhachi to go.
Namaste, Perry
Posted by Perry Yung at July 22, 2007 01:13 PM