Greetings all! I am new here and am looking to start my journey into this world in an unorthodox way. I have been making cigar box guitars and ukuleles for a while now and the question was asked if anyone had made a cigar box shamisen. As far as I can tell, nobody has taken that (possibly heretical) leap, so I figure I may as well venture that path. I have always been enchanted by the shamisen whenever I have seen and heard it, but resources for it are rather lacking here in North Dakota.
My starting point on this journey is a square cigar box built with thick walls that appears to be about the right proportions. Working with available materials, I am looking at making the futozau tsugaru style shamisen neck from hard maple
Am I crazy? Is it considered disrespectful (due to adherence to traditions) to make a cigar box bodied shamisen?
Hi and welcome!
I’ve never made one myself, but there’s a couple things out there very similar to that.
There’s an instrument from I wanna say Kyushu (or somewhere in southwestern Japan at least) called a Kankara which is like a shamisen made from a tin can, and here on bachido they sell a similar to a cigar box made box shamisen thing called a shabo.
And I’m not sure where so I don’t know if I’d be able to find info on it but I remember seeing a do it yourself box shamisen made from some kind of cardboard box somewhere too.
So, no, you’re not crazy at all! Haha. It’s not a disrespectful thing either, no reason you can’t have fun with it.
It can be done and similar things have been done before, though generally it’s much smaller than a full size shamisen, and naturally the tone differs from a normal shamisen, but it certainly can sound good.
Good to hear, I will certainly post as I make progress. I will also be getting the book regarding the construction of shamisen and may be making some more traditional style ones eventually.
The box i am starting with is 194mm square by 97mm tall with 10mm thick sides. Not as thick as what it looks like for a traditional shamisen, but about twice as thick as typical cigar boxes. The corners are finger jointed, so it is a fairly stout box that should be able to hold up.
Very cool ! The most interesting variation i have ever seen was a shamisen-ukelele hybrid, but if you can get your idea to work it could turn out awesome!
Kyle’s (Founder of Bachido and resident expert on pretty much anything people here need to know :p) book recommends mid-east.com for getting calf skin, if it helps. Not sure about other kinds, but maybe he could put you in touch with some suppliers if you ask.
