1.8 Jinashi two piece shakuhachi made by Seikado

Never buy a flute without auditing it. You can waste a lot money this way. It might be a good flute but it might not fit your needs or your expectations soundwise or in handling.

Hi,
Thanks I agree totally with your advice the problem I have here in the UK is that there are never any shakuhachi for sale.
They are always in the USA or Australia and other far off lands!
When I bought my Zenmura 1.8 I had the luxury of trying out many flutes at the late Dan Mayers house in the UK before selecting the one that suited me.
Now I'm at a loss as to how to buy one apart from spending a huge amount of money in travel expenses not to mention the time to get the right flute!

Help!
Wildhenry.

This is a common problem. I bought my flutes from my teacher or fellow Shakuhachi players. All sellers agreed to an audition before the final payment. In this case it is a matter of trust. The only expense was for the shipping. Look for a teacher in UK who can sell you a flute. Or for sellers which allows for audition or with payback guarantee. A good bet is the ESS in 2017. There will be sellers with flutes to try. Maybe in London at SOAS. The place is no fixed for now. It might be elsewhere. It is always a good visit for Shakuhachi players to meet up.

There aren't too many of us here in the U.K.! I'd suggest if you want something to practice with in the meantime then a Yuu might be worth getting, I'm sure it'll feel like a step backwards particularly after playing bamboo but may be a sensible stopgap