OK, all you guys, I've already answered Monty, and I guess I should
explain why I tell all my students to use "Dampits"...
Monty's answer makes sense...
Monty's answer is logical..
Monty has certainly handled enough flutes to know what he is talking
about, and is unquestionably, a qualified expert in this area...
The thing is, and I can't give as good of a scientific answer, the flutes
that my students have that don't use "Dampits" crack often, and those who
use Dampits, almost never develop cracks...Now this is true for the flutes
from Japan (root-end), or for the wonderful TAIHEI flutes from Monty
(which I use exclusively for all beginning students)..although the cracks
develop more from the Root-end ones from Japan that don't use Dampits...
Personally , I use a custom made, poly-urethene, large case with 4
quadrants..There is a large bowl of water in each quadrant...The top has
foam-rubber "gasgets"...There is a hygrometer in the case , which I keep
over 95 Degress..IN ADDITION, I use Dampits in ALL of my personal flutes,
and a lot of the others (there are ususally over 50 root-end flutes, of
different lengths, at any given time)...The only time I ever develop
cracks on these flutes, are on the ones that Don't have Dampits..
Of course, I realize that I am keeping the humidity "unnaturally"
high..But, by being very vigilant, and consitant in this way, I NEVER get
cracks in my personal Flutes...
I never oil my flutes...For many reasons...Never have...
So, in closing, again I must say that I can't give a logical argument for
Dampits (outside of 25 years of success with them!), and everyone will
have to make their own decisions (again Monty's argumnets make sense, and
are very well explained)..But I do know one thing:
My teacher told me , 24 years ago,"Take wa waremono desu"...Which means,
"Bamboo is something that breaks (cracks)"..So, very often , we can be
thankful for the time that we have with our flutes UNTIL they crack, not
IF they crack...This is the reason that we hardly ever see a Shakuhachi
over 100 years old, although we do see many other musical instruments of
old age..
Fortunately, here in the USA, we have many excellent repair people who can
do excellent "inlaid-bindings' repair jobs on Shakuhachi, which in some
ways give the Shakuhachi a kind of "soulfulness", when done well..And
people like Monty and Peter Ross on the west -coast, as well as David
Duncavage, and David Press on the East coast, can all do as good a repair
job as top Japanese makers, and neither the sound nor the value of your
Shakuhachi will suffer if you need to make use of any of their services
(and they are all much less expensive than the repair-people from Japan!!)
Sorry for being so long-winded (and repetitve), but for those of you who
know me, all know that I tend to be a bit loquatious!!
Good Luck to all of you, and may your flutes be strong and true, and never
crack!!!
Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin
On Sat, 14 Mar 1998, Peter Ross wrote:
> Hi to everyone,
> I agree with what Monty said about putting a cello humidifier inside
> a flute. It adds too much moisture. I just wanted to put up for
> discussion the subject of oiling shakuhachi.
> Everyone I know used to oil there flutes. But lately many have
> stopped. When I was in Japan last December several makers said not to
> use oil because it makes it harder to repair the flute if it cracks.
> Some say it doesn't help prevent cracking at all. One book even says
> oiling can ruin the sound of a flute. They suggest keeping it wrapped
> in deerskin. I asked Riley Lee and he no longer applies oil. And of
> course many religiously oil there flutes.
>
> I lightly oil my flutes and keep them in plastic bags. I don't' know if
> the oil helps, but I guess I just like the way it makes the bamboo
> darken, and after so many years it's become a habit. I feel that if
> there's a chance it helps, why not do it?
>
> So, what do you think? Peter...
>
>
>
>
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