Need some input from experienced folks. Have not started the main shamisen yet until Christmas present projects are done. Have started some component items. I made the lower section out of hickory and the upper is made from buffalo bone. (can’t bring myself to buy ivory even if there was a legal source. Our beloved elephants are in too much trouble ) This still need a lot of file work to make them more delicate. Will the buffalo bone sound even remotely similar to ivory?
Regards to all.
Phil
(sorry about the photo quality)
This is something I’m interested in doing, myself. I don’t think the buffalo bone will sound like ivory (they have different densities) but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You could end up with a completely new sound. Probably a warmer tone.
Thanks for the response Laura. I think you are probably correct. I fully expect to end up with several Koma before I’m done and will just experiment a bit. I will also probably install a Sawari at some point, which I believe will harden the sound a bit.
lovely koma! 
I just go for the “stick-look” with my koma, I go more towards the warmer yet… different sound that comes from my shamisen with the koma on it.
Thanks for the reply Cana. I’m sure that I will try several different sounds when I actually get to playing. It costs almost nothing to make a new Koma configuration. I’m also going to try to keep the skin fairly tight when i skin the Dao. Regards.
although I am a true fan of the “stick-look” of Cana’s koma I think yours looks cool too Phil
Thanks B H. I have since shortened the profile and thinned it down. Like it much better. Scared to death I was going to break it while filing it!!