New flutes headed to Belgium!

Well, I just finished a flute order and will soon ship them off to Belgium. This was an order for both a 'bansuri' and a 'ney' and will also include a few surprises...but I won't give that away just yet - someone in particular might be reading this! :) I'm always excited doing flute orders, and, I must confess, a little nervous. No matter how well I make an instrument, I end up making them to my technique. There are so many variables in people's physiology, etc., that I simply have to wait until they are received, played and evaluated according to the customer....

Tick, tock, tick, tock....

But, I'm always happy to make flutes. It keep me sane in an increasingly mad world. And, I have recently started focussing on a variation of the 'ney' found in Algeria and the neighboring countries of North Africa: the 'gasba'. I've long been tinkering with hybrids of all sorts, but this flute has been calling out to me recently. I had assumed it was basically a 'kawala' but apparently I need to do more research! Gee, twist my arm....




It's a never-ending quest. I will soon be getting more bamboo from Hawaii. That will hold me down until I get to the Philippines later this year (I LOVE Philippine bamboo for 'bansuris') and, until I harvest more 'ney' reed, all I have is stock for very large flutes. Bigger than 'Sah' neys, even. Then again, I now have 'gasba' on my mind.....

I hope all is well...

Peace,
J