Arundo donax for making flutes?

[Paleoaleo]

Are any of you using Arundo donax for flutes? It is an introduced pest here in S. California, and it is very abundant. I find that it makes excellent flutes, but hear from others that they do not like it very much. So I'm on a mission to find other Arundo flute makers so I can compare notes!

Tom
California, USA

[KODOAN]

Arundo donax (California great reed) is wonderful!

I started using Arundo donax over twenty years ago and it is by far the easiest to work and is quite resonant.

I believe this species was introduced to California about 150 years ago for use in roof thatching and as reeds in musical instruments. I think there is at least two different companies in Los Angeles that still use Arundo donax for clarinet reeds. Arundo was supposedly used for the original Greek pan pipe and has enjoyed a long association in the western world with woodwind instruments.

I personally like using Arundo for both Shakuhachi and Bansuri flutes. It is very resonant yet not terribly dense so cracking from humidity changes is all but impossible.

The groves near the ocean (San Onofre state beach and Malibu) create an intense mottling on the skin from the constant exposure of the salty air.

[Paleoaleo]

Thanks! I'm really only a beginner flute maker, so it's fantastic to have this material so readily available. Next time I'm in this area around the beaches (I know just where you're talking about)...I'm going to look for some of this mottled material.

I appreciate your reply.

Tom

[Mark Meckes]

I dug a Phyllosyachys viridis 'Robert Young' that was growing on a property next to a patch of Arundo donax and ended up with a patch of both in my garden:

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/572/thumbs/Adonax050810ATX-903.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1295)
I removed this donax last year by cutting back all new culms.
I'll be visiting some wild stands soon and will bring back some sample to dissect.
I also grew this plant in Pennsylvania and it was a striking plant in the landscape. However the canes died back annually and were pithy.

An interesting tid-bit of history is that there were no bamboo species native to Europe - an underlying reason for the void in bamboo culture of our 'Western' heritage ... I'm unsure how far beyond the Mediterranean region the bambooless landscape extended, but Arundo donax was plentiful in this region, and it must have played a big part as a material for wind instruments.

I don't think A. donax is native to Central America and wonder if any had been inadvertently introduced by the Spanish culmquistadors?
It has certainly managed to become dispersed throughout a very large region.

It is very resonant yet not terribly dense so cracking from humidity changes is all but impossible.

The inner woody material does not appear as thick as many bamboos (excluding thin-walled bamboos) and it's strength/crack resistance might also rely on the outer casing ... similar to the 'eggshell effect' .

Mark

[holyman96]

paleoleo im a younger bamboo crafter im in the 7th grade and like to thank you beacause i watch alot of your youtube videos and im in the proccess of making one of your primitive bows and ive made an atlatl and it works great so im just giving u a ty



Ben, (holyman96)

[nzbamboo]

Hi
Is everyone in this thread aware of the Ney flute tradition in the Middle East using Arundo Donax?
If not you should Google Ney or Turkish Ney or Persian Ney or Arabic Ney for lots of info.

Regards
Greg
New Zealand