I just got my shamisen today and in tuning it I have already snapped the middle string. Thankfully, it came with a spare one so I’ve managed to re-string it. When I first tried tuning it I noticed the middle string’s itomaki would not tighten the string, as it would rotate backwards itself as if it could not handle the string. Essentially the itomaki doesn’t stick and I cannot tune my shamisen and the string is loose and doesn’t make sound. Does anyone know how I can make my itomaki stop doing this? Thanks
You need to make sure the itomaki is properly driven into the zagane.
Make sure the string is not blocking it from going in deep enough.
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I moved the string thats wrapped around a bit to the left and held on tightly to the itomaki as I tuned it, and really pushed it into the zagane just after I tuned it, and it seems to be holding. I just need to make sure I keep pushing it in after tuning it.
Thank you for your help, much appreciated !
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I used the same compound that they use on violin pegs, sorry but the name escapes me right now. It worked like a charm. It was not sticky or gooey, it just added a little more grip to the Itomaki. Go to your local music shop and ask around.
Do you know what is in the paste you use?
It seems like an interesting solution to slipping itomaki but when I looked up W.E. Hill & Sons Peg Paste (one of the most recommended brands) the petroleum jelly in the ingredients gave me pause. (Full ingredients: Graphite Powder, Petroleum Jelly, China Clay, Talc and Red Iron Oxide)
The thing about peg dope is that it should stop the rotation when the string is tensioned normally (hence the clay, talc, and red iron oxide), but rotate without difficulty when higher force is applied, so you can tune it without too much effort (hence the petroleum jelly and graphite).
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