About Murei 'No Bell' Shakuhachi

Murei 無鈴 translates as 'no bell'; bell being an old allusion to the root end...

My Murei are above root bamboo, Jinashi and Jimori shakuhachi. To craft them, I meticulously select the bamboo and carefully fine tune each piece to the same high standards as my root ends. I fully bind them, making them virtually impervious to cracking and they come with lifetime insurance. My Murei shakuhachi have the advantages of being far more affordable, readily available, and lighter in weight than my root ends.

Murei are available and affordable

Murei are much more readily available and affordable when compared to my root end shakuhachi because it's far easier for me to acquire quality bamboo for them. By contrast, it’s extremely difficult to source fine root end bamboo.

Murei are lighter in weight

Many shakuhachi players know that heavy shakuhachi can cause or exacerbate injuries (RSI injuries). The 'above root' bamboo which I use for my Murei shakuhachi tends to be half the weight, often even lighter than if they were made from carbon fiber.

Murei are bound and insured against cracks

Binding shakuhachi with cord is the single best method of crack prevention. Thus, I bind all of my Murei shakuhachi and insure them for life against cracking that would affect performance. That means free crack repairs, in the unlikely event that they may need them. (Root end bamboo is just as susceptible to cracking and I offer free topical bindings for them as well. See Shakuhachi Care and Cracks to learn more.)

Murei have traditional tapering bamboo bores

Unlike pvc and wooden cylindrical bore shakuhachi, the bamboo I select for my Murei have naturally tapering bores which are traditional and integral for a classical sound and feeling. (To learn more see my essay on the subject).

Murei are finely tuned and the sound of bamboo

To craft my Murei, I adjust each bore by carving away or adding to small areas. This is the older way of crafting shakuhachi known as Jinashi and Jimori. Thus, each of my Murei shakuhachi is a collaboration between me and the bamboo which brings forth entirely unique voices from nature. By working with bamboo in this way, I can provide an endless variety of Murei shakuhachi for us to enjoy...

➤ See Murei shakuhachi for sale.

Listen to a 2.4 Murei shakuhachi in the video below (sold).