Hey,
I’m relatively new to the whole shamisen experience. I also haven’t purchased anything even remotely like it yet. However, I do want to. Since I’m on a tight budget and I don’t know how far I’m going to take playing shamisen, I would like to try out something like it. The kankara seems ideal. It’s cheap and i guess it’s playable.
So my question: is it worth buying if i want to try out the whole shamisen thing?
I thank you in advance.
Hi Axel,
Ah yes. If you have a tight budget, the kankara would be the way to go. In my opinion, though it is different from the shamisen, it’s the cheapest way to get something close enough to try out.
Sorry for my later answer.
Thank you Kyle.
This is really helpful. But now I have another question:
What is everything you need for playing kankara? As in, what does it include? I’m sorry for bugging you but I’m on a quest to play instruments and this one seems really cool.
Again, I thank you in advance.
I bought a kankara sanshin (I guess, that’s what you meant?) in Okinawa, because i’m fascinated about this instrument’s history after WW2. That’s why kankara is made usually of “junk” materials as cheap wood and empty cans.
However, some of them are rather like toys and not really recommended for serious playing, for example some “make your own kankara”-kits…
As far as i know, kankara sanshin is played with a normal western guitar pick instead of the traditional okinawa-style bachi.
If your budget allows you to spend a little more, maybe you could try a “normal” sanshin for your first experience. Those with fake snake skin bodies you can get in Japan (esp. Okinawa) for reasonable prices.
Oh, and you might need some kunkunshi-sheets, too…
Good luck! :o)
Thank you for your reply.
I expect it not to be of any quality at all. I just want to know what it would be like to play anything like shamisen. Also, most of my instruments are more toys than actual instruments: 30 euro ukelele, 35 euro mandoline. So quality really doesn’t matter.
I also know there are “build your own” kits, and I’ll probably try that once. However, it states on the site that everything needed to play is included. Since I live in the wonderful but extremely small Netherlands, I don’t think I could get anything like it here. It just seemed as something fun to try out!
My actual question was: What comes with the kankara? Does it come with a guitar pick or just nothing at all? What strings does it come with. That is what I’d like to know.
Thanks for your reply anyway.
So i guess, you think about a kit like here?
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/Okinawa-Japanese-Shamisen-Kankara-SANSHIN-standard-/130618724884?pt=LH
Strings are included, but i don’t know about the pick. Well, this should be the easiest and cheapest part to get… ^^
But, to be honest, in my opinion this offers at ebay are much, much to expensive, just compare the prices here:
http://machidaya.shop-pro.jp/?pid=5973127
If you know somebody in Japan, maybe you can ask him for sending one for a much lower price.
Or you try to create your own kankara:
http://okinawatime.com/2009/01/28/how-to-make-hand-made-kankara-sanshin/
and:
Have fun! :o)
Unfortunately, my tinkering skills and Japanese are quite rusty. As in, non-existent. The obvious choice for me would be to buy it, well, here. In the web-shop. It might be a little expansive for a tin can with a neck, but when I purchase it here I will at least think it’s an instrument.
Back to my real question, I wanted to know what Bachido offers with the kankara. I do appreciate everything you have said, Andreas, but I don’t think you have the answer I want.
Thank you.
Ahhh, now I got it! Sorry, I just did not realize, that Bachido offers kankara, too! 
Well, my fault, I should try to scroll down the shop a little more, next time… :o)
However, you’re welcome!
Hi Axel,
Ah snap. The picture which shows kankara’s accesories isn’t loading up. I’ll have to fix it.
Anyway, it comes with strings, the koma… and some other things. It’s kinda hard to see by the picture. I’ll send it to you, so you can see.
Hi Axel,
I just wanted to say that the kankara is a fine starter instrument. Of course it can’t do everything a shamisen can do, but as an instrument to start on to see if shamisen is something you want to persue, it’s a pretty good compromise between playability and price. I bought one probably six years ago, and still play it all the time. When I don’t have time to get out and set up a real shamisen I just grab the kankara off my wall. No need to worry about the skin breaking either.
Kyle’s kankara will save you the trouble of dealing with a Japanese site, and it’s already built for you, but the kit sold at machidaya’s site is a great cheap alternative. It’s called a kit, but building it is hardly more work than taking a regular shamisen out of its traveling case and putting it together – as the website says, it should take 30 minutes, or at most an hour if you are slow and careful.
Whichever way you go, it is certainly an instrument you can learn basic shamisen on, so go for it.