This shakuhachi is my first 1.8. I got it in 2003. Murai Eigoro made it for me when I began playing contemporary music. At that time I had played shakuhachi for 14 years but never on a 1.8. It is a good 1.8 jinashi (real length 1.7 in order to tune it to D) but has never been able to play daikan, so when daikan was necessary, I changed to my Kinshu flute I got from Brian Ritchie. 3 weeks ago the Murai 1.8 could suddenly play daikan! Not just a little bit of it but like basically…. everything! I had tested it now and then over the years. But I never expected such a radical change after 20 years. What a journey we have been on together – the murai 1.8 and I – and still are on. Love shakuhachi!