Bamboo needed for Native American Flute

[joebesse]

I have a supply of Phyllostachys edulis bamboo which I cut last week. Does anyone know if this can used to make Native American Flutes or the Japanese type flute? I have a book that says you should use Phyllostachys aurea or "Golden Bamboo", but the stuff I have looks similar. Has anyone tried to make a flute from the Phyllostachys edulis species? It is also called "edible bamboo". Thanks for any help given.


P.S. Can someone give me the contact info for Harsh Wardham of Texas. I would like to see what he is doing with bamboo for flutes too. Thanks.

[Henry Lee]

Phyllostachys edulis is also called Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens, common Name: Moso. I read that the root end stock can be used to make Japanese shak and Chinese flute. As matter of fact I also harvested a few last month and they are being air dried now. But they should be harvested in the winter. In the thread Heat Curing / Tempering Bamboo (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=338) see my post ...
I harvested a few P. pubescens(moso) last week. I heat treated them with a plumber's propane torch till the green turned yellowish brown. I did'nt let the wax bubble nor did I use any beeswax. Then I left them out under the sun for the last 5 days. Tell me if I did it wrong.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/518/thumbs/3-mosos-b.jpg See larger pic (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1292) http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/data/518/thumbs/moso-detail.jpg See larger pic (http://www.bamboocraft.net/workshop/showphoto.php?photo=1293)

However, I do think the walls are a little thin for my liking. I prefer P bambusoides.

[Angel]

As flutemaker, I think that many bamboo species might be used for NAflutes, But remember that in the ABS meeting in 2000, I met William Harkjo, a native american man who make NAF in bamboo, using Arundinaria gigantea -a North american specie as I know.
I tried some similar, Pleioblastus simonii here in Argentina, with good results.