I’m thinking about buying a Tsugaru Shamisen on eBay, But the skin is ripped - how much would it cost to repair the skin? (Can anybody in the United States repair it?)
okay so I just bought the Shamisen (now I definitely need somebody who can repair it)
Bought it for $149.95 + shipping (here some pictures)
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1088429&image=550083831&images=550083807,550083815,550083818,550083825,550083831,550083841,550083847,550083852,550083860,550083866,550083876,550083883,550083890,550083900,550083907,550083913,550083918,550083927,550083934,5
50083955,550083962&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&
Hey Kevin, I don’t know how much skin repair would cost, but just fyi, if you’re looking at one of the six shamisen for about $150, they’re all nagauta even though he’s got them up as Tsugaru lol.
Nevermind, you posted the pics before I posted my response lol. Your shamisen looks good! Haha, it’s not the one I was looking at
the one on eBay - the one with s1-s6
I looked at all the Shamisen. look closely at the Itomaki sizes. The skin and neck length are all different. from 1-4S their all Nagauta. 5-6S are Tsugaru.
Plus 5-6 have sawari (string buzzing)
Here’s the 6S shamisen
I bought the 5th one
I bought it for $149.95 + shipping and the repair for the skin could range.
one side - $175.00
both sides - $300.00
I just need to spend extra on the Bachi and Koma (and maybe new strings)
I don’t know Kevin, the 6S one is definitely a nagauta I’m going to have to say. Looks like a nice shamisen though, (minus the rip). Post some more pics of it when you get it. Having a sawari doesn’t automatically make it a futozao.
(Jonathan T.)
Look at the Itomaki (tuning pegs) Nagauta’s itomaki is smaller
This is the one I bought (from the same eBay seller with the Shamisen(s). http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1088429&image=550083841&images=550083807,550083815,550083818,550083825,550083831,550083841,550083847,550083852,550083860,550083866,550083876,550083883,550083890,550083900,550083907,550083913,550083918,550083927,550083934,550083955,550083962&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0
I believe S6 is a Jiuta (chuuzao) shamisen. Though it’s no tsugaru shamisen, it looks pretty sweet. The rest are indeed nagauta (hosozao) shamisen.
You can send it to Masahiro for his guy to skin, though that would get expensive. 30000 yen + shipping. I can reskin it for $225 per side, using calf skin. Jessica (on Bachido) was also getting into shamisen skinning. Perhaps you can also inquire with her.
That the one I bought.
So Kyle you charge $225.00 for one side?
That’s a Jiuta shamisen with Karin wood. Looks very nice.
Yeah. I used to charge $125 per side when I was just learning (I mean, everyone is still learning in life), but now that I learned the correct way in Japan, and am very busy now, I have to charge more to make it worth my time. (No offense, of course 
)
How can you tell the difference from Jiuta from Tsugaru.
I was looking at the itomaki (it looks big - like a Tsugaru)
and the skin length stretches more on the Duo.
The itomaki are indeed bigger than itomaki for nagauta shamisen… but still not as big as tsugaru. Also, the skin stretches a bit more, but still not as much as tsugaru shamisen are.
It’s still a very fine shamisen though!
Hey Kevin,
hey man I wasn’t trying to get you upset, I had the SAME EXACT THING happen to me, I bought a shamisen off e-bay that was labeled “tsugaru” when in fact it was a jiuta. I was looking at the wrong picture of it anyway, which is why I said it was a nagauta. It still looks like a nice shamisen, hope you enjoy it!
Jonathan T. - actually I decided to not buy it (I feel stupid. . .) you didn’t upset me
- It actually a Jiuta Shamisen (I talked to Kyle A.)
- The Shamisen I’m buying from some person in Maine - the itomaki looks same.
- comparing the pictures from eBay and the one on my email from the guy from Maine. The look the same (Itomaki)
I made a mistake with the itomaki(s) (Tsugaru are much bigger) - I send a message to the buyer on eBay that I can’t buy it. “hasn’t replied yet”
Plus with the seller in Maine is giving a complete set.
After I did the calculation: with fixing the Shamisen’s skin , buying the bachi, and buying the koma it would cost 15 less.
Comparing to the complete set (from Maine) vs eBay from Japan
I would save time and I would get more equipment (aka) I would get a hard case + a better Koma with the complete set (from Maine)