Checking fujaku size & position

[hexasketch]

Hi all, I bought a used tsugaru shamisen which didn’t come with a fujaku, so I ordered one separately. The fujaku I have is not the one sold on Bachido, it doesn’t have the dotted line that Kyle talks about it in his fujaku-installation video. So I’m a little nervous that I’m going to get the placement wrong, but I think the previous owner may have done me a favor by penciling the #4 and #6 positions on the sao. I’m going to try to attach some pictures to this post.

It’s a little difficult to see the pencil marks, but I’ve tried to line up the fujaku with those marks. The pencil marks are slightly closer to eachother than the #4 and #6 on the fujaku, so I asssume I should just try to center it as much as possible? Does the position of the fujaku look relatively correct as far as how much space is left between the bottom of the fujaku and the dou?

[hexasketch]

In this photo, my fingers are touching the #4 & #6 positions on the fujaku:

[Eidolon]

You could check the position marks by pitch. If the icho-no-ito is tuned to C, then position 4 should be F and 6 should be G. Bear in mind that the scale length will vary depending where you put the koma, so the positions will move if you move the koma closer or further from the end of the dou.

Once you have settled on where to put the koma, and checked where on the neck the positions are, you could line the fujaku up as best you can.

You’ll get used to finely adjusting your finger position based on the pitch you hear. As long as the fujaku is close enough that the fujaku position numbers are not off by more than half a position, it should still be useful. If it’s wildly off, you could forgo the fujaku and mark the position numbers with white electrical tape.

[Eidolon]

The distance of the end of your fujaku from the base of the sao looks roughly correct.

[Eidolon]

Your fujaku looks identical to mine. I got it from Bachido recently, and it may be that Bachido sold a different one in the past. I don’t recall a dotted line on mine.

Based on the process I described above, I found that my fujaku was a little off (remember it will vary by koma position). I just trimmed a couple millimeters off the tenjin end of the fujaku.

[hexasketch]

Thanks for the info!

Regarding koma position, I’ve been using the three finger rule, but I realize that it’s probably slightly different every time I put it back on. So I guess I should probably pick a location and put some very light pencil marks so that the koma’s position is consistent?

[Eidolon]

I find so far that the 3-finger rule is precise enough. Tiny changes will move the neck positions by distances smaller than the contact point of your finger.