Cigar box shamisen

General
#1

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?

1 Like
#2

Hi and welcome! :smiley:
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.

#3

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.

#4

Oh wow, I look forward to seeing the progress!
I’d love to hear it when it’s done.

#5

Can’t wait to hear what it sounds like!

#6

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!

#7

Ian, taking a look at the store and what i have in mind, it will end up rather like the deluxe Shabo as you noted.

So far the biggest challenge is finding skin for it short of scraping a hide myself.

#8

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.

#9

Thanks! None of my local music stores even had any idea of where to even look for just skins.

#10

You’re welcome! Best of luck.

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