I did all that stuff last night, got 15 things ready to list but then I was running up against bed-time so I put the things aside. I got some good practice in, although at the price of being up until 2AM. But I really, really need to work on the longest of the 4 songs we're playing, "Always With Me" from the movie "Spirited Away" which I've not seen yet but really want to see.
I got out the ol' faithful "enhanced" Shakuhachi Yuu and started in with some Ro notes to warm up, and felt that either it, or I, or something, was dull and sluggish. Really, I should not have this problem by now. This flute has had months on end of my practicing, doing things like 150 Ro long tones a night, etc. I felt what I could reach inside and looked also, and it seemed like there was ... stuff ... nothing obvious but something in there making the surface inside feel weird.
So I pushed a wadded-up paper towel soaked in Windex through there a few times and wow, did that ever make a difference.
I posted that wall of verbiage from Monty Levinson yesterday just to show how willing he is to take the time to type out something that long for a beginner like me. It does not necessarily mean I agree with it all 100%. I've looked inside a clarinet and inside concert flutes and they're very smooth inside. Likewise a trumpet. One of the plastic shakuhachi out there, the "Hoshi Arashi" which I'd really like to have one of, is noted for having a very smooth bore and to be able to be played loudly.
In other words I think there's woo-woo and then there's acoustics. Let's say some "Old Master" has been playing a shakuhachi for years on end. In the process of cleaning it, the bore's going to get smoother. I don't think there's a lot of mysticism required here.
Before my PVC shakuhachi chose to hide in the one area of the shop I'm least likely to retrieve it from, I noted that the basic dimensions such as the distance from mouthpiece to first hole, and the spacing of the holes, was dead-on the same between it and the Shakuhachi Yuu. That's interesting given that of course the PVC one has a smooth cylindrical bore and the Yuu has a curved, conical bore.
If I'm going to make double-thickness PVC shakuhachi, I need to find a way to consistently sand the inner one down since the two sizes don't fit inside each other as they come. I've even looked into what it might cost to obtain a 12-inch lathe, which would be large enough to work on each half. But to start it will be sandpaper and everything done by hand with no power tools.
At least in theory, I'll get the package with the other Hall flute, Christmas song book, and cleaning rod tonight when/if Ken comes over. And my pay check. And my ballot. If I don't get my ballot, I'll have to make my way to Ohlone College in Fremont on election day. I figure if I get to the Milpitas transit center, there should be a local bus route that goes from there to the college. The main thing is to get there and vote. Getting back can be more leisurely. The last time I didn't get a ballot and went to my local polling station, it was around the corner from Ken's house and it took me hours to get there and back, but I did it.
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