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Post by wenceslas on May 19, 2012 22:00:09 GMT
Hey guys... Is this acceptable for you all for a flute. Attachments:
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Post by edcat7 on May 19, 2012 22:20:54 GMT
What is that? Is that a crack? Does it affect the sound?
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Post by xindi on May 19, 2012 22:59:24 GMT
Acceptable meaning....errr....?!
It will make a sound - the moisture crack spans two bamboo bindings and seems to have been limited - have you checked the rest of the flute for closed/concealed cracks starting? Looks like someone's tried to use something to treat or seal it, causing the bamboo to shift colour, unless it's been immersed in the washing machine lol.
Best to steer clear of it, unless it's given to you free for basic practice. It'll make an acceptable sound when the crack is bound closed again - there've been some posts on this sub-forum detailing how to close a crack with the proper (Copydex/white glue). Thankfully the crack isn't on the embouchure, which is usually near-fatal. I suppose it won't look pretty, but soundwise...it *might* be acceptable?
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Post by Blue on May 19, 2012 23:37:59 GMT
That's not necessarily a crack. Bitter bamboo also has mottled patterns that remain after the skin is polished off.
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 1:52:59 GMT
It looks more like a burnt mark to me... But surprising, the sound is good.
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 1:57:17 GMT
It's my first bitter bamboo dizi that have this mark on it... And this is a recently bought maestro grade dizi from an online store.
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Post by Flolei on May 20, 2012 5:25:46 GMT
I have few dizis with such a mark on them, but no one is so long ande large. There're not the less good dizis (a very good E one from shoppingchinanow has it, for example) and I think - as wrote Allen - that it is a natural bamboo pattern which doesn't affect the sound or the aulqity of the bamboo. So, for me it is acceptable, but in terms of esthetics it isn't very pleasant (because in this case, the mark is very long and large).
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 9:13:35 GMT
I just cannot not accept paying 144 USD for a dizi with this long long mark, the protection oil not properly done and the fingering holes some have a rough finish... though the dizi sounded loud, clear even without dimo and it sound good too. May be I have too high expectations for my dizi.
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Post by Flolei on May 20, 2012 9:24:45 GMT
144 USD is really too much if the dizi isn't well finished. For me, the other defaults you mentionned are more serious than the long mark. All together is absolutely too many defaults for the price. You said that the sound is loud and good. Is it well tuned too?
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 9:31:16 GMT
I going outdoor to try now, so that I can blow the dizi till its max. Will let you know once I get back.
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Post by xindi on May 20, 2012 10:15:28 GMT
Not easy to see on a 4 inch smartphone, but that big burn mark thing does have a raised weal line running right alone it! Mottled bamboo tends to be variegated, rather than linear, along the phloem axis of the bamboo. To me this looks more like a streak, than a singular mottling, which would be rather unusual. Maybe part of the bamboo was feeling unwell and infected by something which caused the variation. Does the rest of the flute demonstrate a consistency in this kind of marking? If not, then you can be reassured that the bamboo is not very well selected. In that case, I personally wouldn't bother about it (particularly at that price *ouch*). The other variables; tuning; intonation; embouchure cut will follow from the flute maker's care in selecting the grade of bamboo. The streaking is more than cosmetic, if it goes through the other side of the dizi. If you have a flute leak inspection lamp, you can run it through and check to see if this streaking shows up on the inner surface. Unless it possesses a very strong sonic signature and other qualities, beyond the standard accuracy for tuning, to make up for the streaking, for US$144 I'd be very hard pushed to find that acceptable. If it's a burn mark, then the flute maker might have left his hot poker to rest on it! Equally - many of us acquire stained dizi flutes. It's impossible to know what lies behind the stain...!
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 10:34:23 GMT
Ok... the dizi is one without head joint. And the SI is always on the high side even without dimo. Other than that, the dizi is good for a professional dizi; loud, clear, responsive and beautiful for lower octaves.
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Post by Flolei on May 20, 2012 10:47:14 GMT
A good dizi, then, but nothing extraordinary. Mmm... The price seems to me really high. For comparaison, the only dizi I bought for this price was the DXH low G from Eason which is really perfect in all points (bamboo, "cosmetics" aspects, tone, etc..) I don't know what I would do at your place.
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 11:28:17 GMT
Sigh... This dizi definitely cannot be compared with DXH's dizi... I guess I would have to talk to the seller regarding this... sigh...
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Post by phillipr on May 20, 2012 12:58:53 GMT
As far as the discoloration of the bamboo is concerned, so long as there are no cracks it should be fine. Such discolorations are merely an effect of the wind and sun on bamboo as it grows. In some circles it is actually a prized quality of the bamboo. It is considered nature's own decorations. I've heard of bamboo flute makers who actually seek out pieces that have such marks and discolorations on them. Again, in some circles this is a prized quality. Nothing to be concerned about unless it just isn't your aesthetic taste.
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 14:21:37 GMT
Hello phillipr! Erm the only problem is that it only have this big mark on this portion of the dizi and the rest of the body is pretty even. This is my first bitter bamboo dizi with this kind of weird mark. The workmanship isn't very good for a 144 USD dizi though.
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Post by phillipr on May 20, 2012 16:52:16 GMT
Chances are that the dizi was made out of two different pieces of bamboo not taken from the same plant. That would be why the mark is only on one portion of the dizi. But if it's a poor quality dizi to begin with, that's too bad and you have my sympathy. I grew up playing Irish flute, and I can tell you that I owned a number of low quality flutes before I was able to get one that was top-notch. It is frustrating to learn/play on an instrument that doesn't bring out your full potential, especially given the price you've paid. Is there no chance of returning the instrument for a refund?
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Post by wenceslas on May 20, 2012 17:12:55 GMT
I'm waiting for the seller to reply. The bamboo is one piece without head joint hence it won't be from two different bamboo. =(
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Post by edcat7 on May 20, 2012 17:49:25 GMT
wenceslas
If the vendor allow for refunds even if you have to pay postage I would do it. I had a jointless DXH once as the vendor had run out of stock of jointed ones.
Because it was one piece it was untunable. Though not in your case it was too low and worse still riddled with mold. Temperature affects the pitch of the dizi. My teacher performed in the open in Oman where the temperature exceeded 40 C, within minutes the yanqin and erhus went low and the dizis went high.
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