Just wondering if the Shamisen is a pricey instrument to maintain. Thanks ^^
well I hear that skin can rupture due to fatigue from hitting it a lot or from repeated exposure of the shamisen to temperature / humidity changes or bad luck . . . I think the “store” got a professional send body to japan and “alternative” cheaper send to usa reskinning option listed as for prices for that and I don’t know what a serious average life expectancy of a skin would be (?) other than that the strings may rupture a bit sooner than guitar strings but they are affordable and a polishing cloth is too I think that’s it usually as for maintenance (costs) . . . of course once you have a shamisen (or even before) you might also want to invest in those shamisen premium courses available on this site and get Kyle’s book with a lot of notation and instructions to do reskinning yourself if you are a craftsmanshipman all of that is worth the extra cash for sure . . .
Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind 
I got most pieces of a nagauta shamisen (I think) recently and am about to restore it including the making of itomakis and koma and fixing a cracked tenjin and whatnot haha since that is already a lot of work for someone without any craftsmanship experience expecially I found an even deeper respect for those crazy (or skilled in woodworking) fellows who create a shamisen from scratch . . . compared to that like if you have the pleasure of being able to buy a complete instrument of your choice any follow up maintenance I think will end up being not even worth mentioning
still I couldn’t be more thrilled about those parts I got and am looking forward to restoring that as best I can . . .
anyway this is my first to be shamisen so don’t take my word for it I am sure once the pros including the webmaster of this site are back home from japan where they are for the taikai performance and extravaganza at this time they could provide serious info and advice as for what you have asked for
BH: how exciting it looks to make your own shamisen!!!
Brandon: I recently learned from my new Shami friend at the Taikai, that once you get a whole completed shamisen, you will not need to buy another. Just add accessories and skin change, or even when you find a crack on Sao, all you need to do is fix it or find a good craftsman.
Maybe it is easier to find a craftsman in Japan, but out of Japan you are going to be the one. Yes, you can be (^_-)
so I don’t think any wood should break under normal circumstances but in that case and outside of japan I would consult a violin maker / repair shop . . . can’t believe we have at least 3 in our little town . . . anyway I took my broken tenjin to one and even though he was not familiar with shamisen and I made it clear I would not afford to let him do the actual repair he was very nice and seemed extremely competent as he took quite some time to explain all potential options of repairing the crack and some general advice . . . since I will include electrics on my shamisen I will surely visit him again and let him drill a professional hole for the plug
As for the skin–If I were not living in Japan, I would definitely consider artificial skin. It basically never breaks. I think it is also less likely to pull away from the body (glue failure). So that would forestall a majority of the potential problems. If you handle the wood a lot, and keep wiping it regularly, the wood is not so likely to crack. Leaving it neglected in conditions where humidity and temperature vary widely is the worst situation for potential wood cracking. With reasonable care, the wood parts could last a decade or more without much maintenance. When it needs maintenance, letting a Japanese pro do the job is the best advice, if you can afford it! However, trying to fix up an old shami would be very interesting and informative, and will probably increase your appreciation of Japanese artisans.
definitely increased my appreciation and being okay with the price tag of a handmade shamisen so to speak although that of course doesn’t change the having to save up for that amount situation . . .
as for the shamisen I am “trying to fix up” (couldn’t say it better) I will happily open a thread about my first shamisen once I am a little further down the road of course . . .