Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

A few months ago I got a Myoan nobe ji mori 1.8 by Suikyo from David Sawyer at www.japanshakuhachi.com.

I realize that many times I state that vintage 1.8's are superior (which is usually true) and that modern 1.8 flutes lack character. This flute is an exception. It doesn't display the "compromise" tendencies of most modern 1.8's.

I use nobe Myoan shakuhachi for everything including jazz but I have never found a Myoan 1.8 or 1.6 that could cope with modern music. When I saw this one on David's site I had a feeling it might cut the mustard. I wasn't disappointed.

The large bore and big holes mean it's good for training. It can handle gaikyoku, Kinko honkyoku, Myoan honkyoku, jazz, rock, shinkyoku, anything. It's a rare flute that covers all those bases well.

There are a bunch more Suikyo shakuhachi on David's site. I have not played them but if they're anything like this one, I can highly recommend them. Price was reasonable too. I would like to see Suikyo and other makers produce more flutes along these lines.

I am going to experiment with this flute and see what happens to the tone when a brand new tube gets a lot of action.