I didn’t have a source for bamboo when I made my shamisens, so I used wood for the komas. When we visited the Nitta family, Hiroshi generously gave me a bamboo round. I’m in process of making several new komas using the bamboo. I’m using an old koma as a pattern; the “saddle” is inserted in a slot. My saddles are fossilized mammoth tusk, epoxied into the slots.
“My saddles are fossilized mammoth tusk” - Damn that sounds epic
It is very wonderful!
竹を燻すと音が硬くなるかも？
Haha liam 
it sure does sound epic.
i wonder how bamboo koma sounds like?
care to make a sound test video for bamboo koma Dan?
Yeah I want to hear it too 
Also I like a loot the first picture, good composition
Nice. Is it madake?
Hey,guys!!! Are you aware the virtuoso Masahiro Nitta posted on Bachido above for the first time ever???
ね〜バチ道のみんな、新田さんが初めて登場してくださったの気がついてますか(^O^)／
It is very wonderful!
竹を燻すと音が硬くなるかも？
Masahiro is in bachidooo!!!
holy wow, wonderful things in this thread, outstanding craftwork and a first masahiro-san post!
I had to look up “madake” – I have no idea what kind of bamboo it is. Happy (US) Thanksgiving, everyone!
Woah!! Masahiro’s virgin post on the forum!!! (somehow it completely slipped my eyes)
新田さん！撥道フォーラムによこそう！！！
He said “As the bamboo oxidizes, the tone should get harder”
Dan, he showed this thread to his father. I’m sure he’s very happy to see you starting working on the material already!
Very nice work. Are you going to hollow out the bottom?
We have madake growing in our yard. Papa made shakuhachi with it, and I a few koma. It’s very nice stuff, but you have to insert concrete slabs deep in the ground because it’s very invasive.
Dan- you probably already know all of this if you Google searched madake but… phyllostachys bambusoides (if I remember correctly :p) also known as madake in Japan, is a timber bamboo and is the traditional species prized for making shakuhachi. Judging by how big the sample you have is, I would say it’s madake but can’t be sure.
Kyle- you guys have a madake grove in your backyard? EPIC! I wanted to grow some but Ohio is a zone 5 climate and it would probably get too cold. That is awesome - ya know come to think of it, when I started shakuhachi I used to watch a video on Youtube of an older gentleman kneeling on a beach playing some honkokyu pieces. Sitting here writing this I think it must be none other than Papa Abbot! Small world. Yes Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Madake should grow just fine in Ohio. Cold freezing winters produce the best madake (for construction purposes like shakuhachi). So, get your grove started. By the way, if your in town like we are with houses all around, a 4inx 4ft wall of concrete wall in ground is necessary if you don’t want to be battling it every year.
Yes, that was probably me on the beach playing shakuhachi. Kyle and I are just about ready to begin developing a ‘crash course’ for shakuhachi on Bachido. Shakuhachi and shamisen are a perfect pair.
What??!?!?!? Now Kyle’s Father! This is so amazing!
Dan making koma with bamboo from Hiroshi Nitta, a virgin post from both Nitta san and the author of Blowing Zen himself! The surprises don’t stop at Bachido!
Wow! what a great thread! I can’t wait for the shakuhachi crash course!
Wow! Thanks for the encouraging response. I think I will try to grow some, I had pretty much given up on it. Yes, I’ve heard it spreads like wildfire. And I understand it grows UP at an alarming rate too! I think that is a great idea for some shakuhachi crash courses, the shakuhachi was the instrument that got me interested in Japanese music in general and subsequently the shamisen, and I believe many of the members here on Bachido have a similar interest. Thanks again!
Yes, I’ve heard it spreads like wildfire. And I understand it grows UP at an alarming rate too!
Yes, new shoot grows about a foot a day, but that’s only for a short time once a year (mostly). Like most stories, exaggeration seeps in. It is more like the tortoise in the tortoises and the hare story. It’s spreading creeps up on you and will overtake you eventually, if left alone, uncontained, not eaten or otherwise used.
Eventually is not “wildfire”, so there’s nothing to loose by growing some to see. It just pays to pay attention.
i think mint is just as invasive as bamboo and i keep both of mine in pots, shame the larger species wouldn’t like it!
How was it to work with dan? it looks tough
The komas are waiting while we’re visiting relatives for the weekend. Yes, they’ll be hollowed and shaped quite a bit more. The bamboo is hard, but it cuts easily with a fine saw (Zona or hacksaw). It planes OK along the grain, but the stringy fibers tend to pull up. Sandpaper works well to smooth it out. I’m using a Dremel (drill and sanding drum) for rough shaping, and small files for fine shaping.