Shakuhachi classification

SIMPLE  classification

• Usable / Usable++ (meditation flutes)
• Fair / Fair++ (can play some honkyoku pieces)
• Good / Good++ (can play most of honkyoku pieces)
• Great / Great++ (can play most of honkyoku pieces with teacher)
• Excellent / Excellent++ (can play most or all of honkyoku pieces, performing balanced flute)

 My opinion: Playing the honkyoku is no need to have the great or excellent balanced flute.  Personaly I like play the honkyoku with unbalanced flutes ( fair or good). It is like play the KOAN

HIBPAT,  more complex classification with rating from
1 to 5  (holding the flute, intonation, balance, playability, aesthetic, tuning)

So there is a Mount Everest Shakuhachi:

• H + + + + +
• I  + + + + +
• B + + + + +
• P + + + + +
• A + + + + +
• T + + + + +