Alot more labor intensive than I thought. I wish I built my jig more like kyles…who am I to question the master? Anyway here is what I got so far:
That’s pretty much exactly how I did mine, except that I used a small jack to lift the dou for the stretch (taiko style). The tarp clips work great!
Lorraine, I totally copied your rig. I think I even got the same clips from a previous posting. I was even gonna use the jack but I couldnt find that type. I ended up using wedges which was pretty fun. Getting the ropes taught was the labor intensive part. But by the second side I had it down. Ill post a video tonight. Thanks for your help.
my pleasure - I only wish I had more shamisen to skin, lol. Glad your wife was pleased, what a great husband you are, to give such a thoughtful gift! 
Lorraine…me too(regarding more shamisen to skin) it was actually pretty fun
Hey Lorraine ! I made the same rig with a small jack, even though I had to modifie the jack 
thank you for the idea !! it worked fantastic !
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Wow, Phil, that’s fantastic! And it’s pretty, too, with the red rope and all, lol. Because … You know … It has to be pretty before it’s functional, hahahaha.
You got an even better pitch than I did, congrats! I’m trying to convince my friend to finally buy a junk shamisen, so I can refurbish hers, too. I really enjoy refurbishing them, but I have three shamisen now, so I don’t need any more for myself.
I’m totally saving your photo, it really is a great rig!
My wife wont play on camera yet…but my youngest daughter…is game
I still need to get her/ make a decent bachi…the lexan one I made is too wide and I havent had a chance to fix it.
Thank you Lorraine ! Yeah I was lucky to get this rope because its very durable, but I didn’t knew that the jack will come in red too !
Btw these metal clamps worked well too ! Nothing slipped or popped off
Thanks again for sharing your rig !!!
Aww, Robert - video is private. 
But, yey for your brave youngest daughter! Tell your wife there is no judgement here - we are all levels! I play pretty terribly, but I post videos here and everyone has always been very nice.
Phil, thank YOU for sharing yours! We all learn from each other, that’s why this “place” is so nice.
By the way, I forgot to mention that I like those clamps that you did. They look as if they are easier to remove than the tarp clips - those clips can be pretty stubborn during the removal portion. Did you fabricate those yourself?
Should work now.
What a cute video Robert !!
Yeah those clips are easy to work with, just screw or unscrew them. It’s just a flat steel jointer from the local construction market, screwed together.
I believe, because it’s a steel - screw - connection, it clamps very securely !
Hey, wow, very nice! Phil, she was pretty good! Had she ever played before??
Ooh! Just finally got around to watching these videos!
Hahaha!! Lorraine, loved that you used the Sabre Dance as the soundtrack for your video! It really feels that way as the skin gets tighter and tighter!
I’m impressed with your clamps, Phil! So simple, yet looks potentially stronger than the traditional kisen. Recently, I’ve been having an annoying problem of the clamp slipping off the skin as I tighten it. Perhaps the nuts and bolts would fix that problem. I’ll give it a try next time!
Robert, really cool to see your daughter picking it up and rocking out! That’s exactly how I want adults to play music - No fear of making mistakes (which really holds adults back), just picking it up and going for it. It sounds good too.
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Kyle do you like Phil’s metal clamps better than the traditional wood Kisen clamps?
I’d have to side with the wood clamps because I haven’t used his metal clamps in person. 
If I had hands on experience, that might change.
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