Masamune Shamisen Build - Pushing the Boundaries of Shamisen Design

[Michael_Bretti]

I finally got around to upgrading my old ebay neo for a brand new one! Tying the neo was not as hard as I was expecting. I did it years ago for my first shamisen, but the proportions were horribly off and it was way stretched out. I followed Kyle’s original video he posted, which despite being old, is very clear and really great for following along. It took a couple of tries (mainly due to the thickness of the cord) but I am really happy with how it came out. Once you get it down, it’s actually a simple knot, but very clever in how it holds everything together while allowing for full adjustment on all the loops.

The original 4mm paracord I got for the neo ended up being way too thin and soft. I got the knot tied nicely, but because the core wasn’t solid enough it kind of crushed down and ended up much smaller than it should have. So, I opted for some thicker and heavier duty 5mm polyester braided cord. This was much better, giving a larger, more sturdy and full knot. I went with a bright royal blue to compliment the darker red tones of the wood and the black skin. I have always liked this particular contrast, and have used a bright turquoise thread for the tassels on my guqin build, which also follows the same theme of deep red figured woods and black accents.

Here is the new neo on Masamune. I have been playing for a few days now with it, and really like both the look and how it is holding up. There is no stretch in the cord, and it holds tuning without issue. Since I got a bunch of this blue cord leftover, I will probably make myself several additional neo for backup (doesn’t hurt to have extra accessories lying around!)

I also finalized the itomaki design, so I will be getting the final version made, which will take a few weeks, but at least the test itomaki I am using work as a perfect backup. Playing Masamune more now, I definitely know that this is the only shamisen for me, and will really be able to grow with it over the years to come.

[Michael_Bretti]

It’s been a while since I lasted posted on the build, but things have been starting to move again on the final accessories!

Last week I got the final versions of the 3D printed carbon fiber reinforced nylon itomaki from my friend. He printed 4 so I would have an extra one (never hurts to have some spares!) The length was adjusted to where I wanted, and the itomaki were printed to a more full density, making them heavier and more rigid than the first prototypes.

I am absolutely blown away by the quality. I thought the first prototypes he made (which I am currently using now) were amazing, but he really upped the quality even more on these ones!

Here is a bit of a close up of the print detail on the itomaki. The layering was further tuned down to 0.1mm height, but he got the process so dialed in with the layer fusion, coupled with the spiral of the design that the layers are so fine you can’t even tell the layers apart! I have honestly never seen or held such fine standard FDM printed parts before. The first prototypes were already really good, but he took these ones to a whole new level of print quality.

At the back of each itomaki is also an indexed hole for the decorative brass end cap. The design was adjusted to have the tapered spiral seamlessly continue through the brass cap. I am actually expecting the brass pieces to arrive in the next day or two, and should have the itomaki assembled, drilled, and installed on Masamune very soon.

So far I have been using the prototype itomaki for the past couple of weeks, and they have held up amazingly. In fact, between the etched surface of the zagane, textured surface of the itomaki, and tight tapered fit, despite the fact that the zagane are lightly oiled to prevent rusting, the itomaki do not slip or detune one bit. I actually really don’t ever have to retune, it is quite shocking how stable tuning is. I play one night, take the koma out, put the shamisen in the case, then the next night I take it out to play and it is at the same exact tuning, no adjustments needed. I have never had a shamisen with this level of tuning stability. I have been playing with standard C-G-C tuning, and it is really nice to just pick up and play whenever without the need to adjust or worry about itomaki slipping.

In addition to the itomaki, I have started to plan and experiment with making the doukake and tenjin cover. I’m still playing around with how I’d like to do it, but I think I have an idea, and have some interesting materials on the way that I would like to explore using. I will post more about the doukake and tenjin cover builds once I have made more progress on them.

I also have material coming in for my own custom bachi. I will be using a matching wood from the actual build itself, and will be shaping the tips from color-streaked buffalo horn. It will probably take a while to fully finish it, but I will post updates as I go on that too. I will at least be starting the koma build, which I have been putting off for a while. I’ve been enjoying playing so much lately that I have slacked on starting it since I already have a standard bamboo koma, but I’d really like to get this special koma finished for this build.

Finally, I am finishing up my case build. I cut out the foam in the pelican case for the shamisen, and have been already storing it there with a temporary cloth to protect it. I want to get a couple of decorative boxes to house all the accessories so I can cut out all the slots in the case foam before layering it with silk. There should be more than enough room inside to store every accessory and spare I would possibly need for this shamisen, and I will share further details of the case when then fabrics and accessory boxes arrive.

[Brian]

Those itomaki are slick! I can’t wait to see it all put together. Would you consider making a new post specifically for your bachi build? I’ve been think about trying to make my own bachi using wood and a box turtle shell I found a long time ago but could use some inspiration/knolwedge. Anyways I’m looking forward to seeing the finished Masamune–and hearing it played!

[Michael_Bretti]

Thanks! And sure, I’d be happy to make a separate post for the bachi build! Actually what I will probably do is post everything here as well as a separate post for each new accessory build (that ways everything is both together with the Masamune build as well as separately searchable to make it easier for just specific accessories.) I still haven’t decided how I’d like to join the bachi together, but ideally I’d like to do it in a way that is somewhat reversible so I can replace the tips should they get damaged without making a whole new bachi (probably with hide glue or something along those lines.) I got 4 pieces of horn knife scales coming in to make the tips, so I should have enough to make a few bachi (or in the event I really mess up.) I just got the notification that the horn pieces have shipped today, so hopefully I can start on it in the next week!

I have only ever used the hard plastic bachi, but playing more now I definitely see that the stiffness can make certain techniques more of a challenge, and having some flex in the tips would really help. If this bachi build doesn’t work out, I’ll probably order one of the nice faux-bekkou bachi eventually, but it would be much more preferable to have my own custom bachi that doesn’t cost so much (the horn was only like $20 for 2 slabs, and the bachi itself is so small that even fancy wood is pretty negligible in price.)

There will definitely be a chance to hear Masamune in action. I decided to give it a shot and enter the Bachido Cup to really try and push to get better now that I have a serious instrument to learn on. Granted I only just started playing again literally like a couple weeks before the tournament announcement, after having not touched the shamisen in years (which I was ok at but never really great to begin with), but Kyle has made this event such an amazing opportunity for learning and feedback I think it is absolutely worth giving it a try. I thought 3 months would be enough time to cobble together my own jongara but it is definitely a challenge to piece something together that is coherent and I’m happy with. I expect to get thoroughly thrashed by the judges and competition, but what better way to improve quickly and debut a new shamisen build! If only winning pieces are shown on the Bachido Cup YouTube, then I will still share my entry to let others hear how Masamune sounds.

[Michael_Bretti]

The decorative brass caps for the itomaki arrived last night! They came out absolutely flawless, and I am super happy with them. They are pretty beefy and have some good heft to them, which adds some nice weight to the 3D printed itomaki themselves.

For anyone who is curious, and has experience designing parts via cad, I got these pieces, as well as the brass pieces for the sawari housing machined through Xometry. I use them for everything from 3D printing to CNC, and have gotten parts made for everything from ion thrusters for satellites to custom parts for the Masamune build. They have been absolutely incredible, with a wide range of processes and materials, and are quite reasonably priced with quick turnaround times. All you need is to upload your cad file and select the options for material and process for real-time quoting, then just submit the order and are good to go! Their technical support staff is also amazing, and do design reviews and work with you to correct any manufacturing issues prior to starting the process.

I actually already fitted the caps to the itomaki, installed them to the shamisen, and drilled out the holes for the strings last night, but the final itomaki pictures will have to wait for another day! I can say for now though that wow, they really came together amazing, and are definitely a one of a kind set of itomaki! It’s been a challenging process to get these special itomaki made, but they are finally done! I will post pictures of the full set tomorrow!

[MeanOwl]

I’ve used Xometry as well (for work stuff), I’ll second the recommendation.

[Michael_Bretti]

As promised, here is a look at the finished itomaki for Masamune! The brass insert pieces are exactly matched for an interference fit with the keyed bore, and using a soldering pre-heating station to warm up the brass, they fit right in by hand with a good amount of strong, careful, even force, locking them in place, with the spiral seamlessly continuing from the 3D printed section to the brass.

I’ve got to say, it has been absolutely worth the effort getting this design made. It took a year of bouncing around countless ideas while sculpting the shape as I figured out the best way to get it manufactured, but the results speak for themselves. I also think it is a great example of engineering and art coming together to create both a highly aesthetic and functional design, leveraging alternative materials and modern manufacturing techniques to create something new.

The itomaki are already fitted to Masamune and hold tuning as tight as the prototypes. I really think this final unique touch pulls the whole look together, complimenting both the Hibiki skin and unique brass and ebony sawari design. Now that this is done, I can work on getting some actual high quality shots of the whole build for the final reveal!

[Pol]

no.words… wow? Can’t wait for the high quality shots… Bravo Michael. Congratulations. What an instrument you built. Insane.

[Pol]

I will say that I have a folder with a bunch of pictures of your instrument. It is that inspiring and beautiful to me.

[Brian]

Those look absolutely stunning. I cannot wait to see the shots of the final build. I have a serious case of jealousy.

[Michael_Bretti]

Pablo and Brian, as always thank you for your kind words and support! I’m really hoping to get the final pictures done soon and wrap this up! It’s been a heck of a journey, and I’m glad I could share it with the Bachido community!

Now that Masamune is finished, I will be focusing on some high end accessories for it (in addition to prepping for the Bachido Cup!) Since they are accessories but not really the shamisen build itself, I will post different threads for each category. I plan on doing similar (albeit much shorter posts) on the koma, bachi, doukake and tenjin cover, and the pelican case mod. So far I have 6 koma in the works from various matching materials and themes to the shamisen itself, and have also started work on 2 matching bachi. Since they are fairly small they should be relatively quick builds, and will be fun to try out a number of materials and styles for them.

[Stefanie]

This is insane! (in a good way ) Congrats on the finished build!!! Can´t wait to hear the sound! AND see the matching accessories

[Michael_Bretti]

Thanks Stefanie! I’m actually just about finished with the first koma and have already started refining the shape of the second one, so I will be posting about the koma builds pretty soon. It is the first koma I have ever made, and I am super happy with how it came out. I think it ended up really nice and is exactly what I was aiming for. I also have not seen the material selection for the body and saddle before for a koma, so it should be interesting to see the final results! Having a standard koma for reference is a big help, and I have been looking back at your koma build specifically a bunch for reference as well! I’m also really looking forward to trying out all of these koma and seeing how they change the tone, especially using such a diverse array of woods and saddle materials for them.

[Michael_Bretti]

This past weekend I had a chance to get some real shots of Masamune for the final build reveal! My younger brother who does some amazing amateur photography on the side, along with my incredible wife, and I spent many hours getting the shots in late at night in my parent’s computer room, playing around with a super pop-up and makeshift studio. Because of the odd curves and super high gloss finish, it ended up being a massive challenge to keep the glare, reflections, and lighting under control, however we pulled it off, and I think we got some really nice shots in. Before I do the final reveal however, I want to share where this journey all started, with my very first shamisen build.

I made this first shamisen over a decade ago back in high school, before Kyle’s Shamisen of Japan was published (though I actually reached out to him then, which I was just blown away by what he did as someone the same age as me with it, and watched some of his first build videos on YouTube for reference.) This shamisen was very crude, made from whatever red oak I could get from Home Depot, using very few hand tools, almost no woodworking experience, and paid for through my very first job working part time at McDonald’s. Overall, for the entire shamisen, tools, and accessories, the whole thing cost less than $150.

The body ended up being quite larger than typical, but overall the sao and tenjin were fairly close given I was making some best educated guesses looking at proportions from videos online. For skins I used calfskins for banjos, stretched using some crude wooden clamps, rope, and a base similar to a traditional stretching base, glued on with Elmer’s white glue. These are still the original skins, which have not been changed, and though rather loose, worked well enough to start learning on. Because the joints were pretty crude, you can see a lot of filler, made from wood glue and wood dust, to close the gaps between the boards making up the dou at the corners.

Looking at features like the saruo, you can see it was a simple beginner build, with a block glued to the sao and shaped to a very simple squarish taper.

On the tenjin, I glued two blocks together for the full thickness. The joint was also a simple square joint, and the tenjin followed a very basic curve. The itomaki pegs were massive on the handle, and way too small on the taper for the holes in the tenjin, and as a result I had to resort to heat shrink tubing to get the itomaki to stay in tune. Even with this, it slipped often, and was kind of a pain to tune.

On the sao, you can still see the original position markers, made from masking tape and colored with red and black permanent marker, which has faded over the years. The entire shamisen was finished with a simple coat of Watco Danish Oil.

Despite how crude this first shamisen was, it was the beginning of my journey into the world of tsugaru shamisen, and allowed me to start getting into it, especially at a time before resources like Bachido made access to low cost beginner’s shamisen widely available. Somehow, I even managed to get the sao dead-on straight, with very low action and no string buzzing, even without the lengthwise taper. It didn’t sound all that great, but it was built solid and heavy like a tank. I learned a lot building and playing it, and it played a significant role in my life in the following years. It got me through some difficult times in college, allowed me to make some awesome friends, helped me get out of my comfort zone a bit, and is the reason why I met my amazing wife. A big reason why I put so much into Masamune is because of how much this first shamisen has impacted me. After college, I stopped playing, but always wanted to make a really high end one to get back into shamisen. Now, years later, things have come full circle again with Masamune.

I will be sharing the final reveal pictures of Masamune at the end of the week, so stay tuned for the conclusion of this build!

[katanasama]

Holy monkey, beautiful style… my brain thinks of dragons also viking when seeing your artwork. My shamisen is basic.

[Michael_Bretti]

It has been five years in the making. Five long years of carefully designing and selecting materials that not only reflect my aesthetics, but have personal significance as well, painstakingly crafting each and every feature, and waiting to begin learning tsugaru shamisen again after years of hiatus. Tsugaru shamisen has had a significant impact on my life, and from my very first humble shamisen made over a decade ago in high school, I wanted to create a custom high-end one that I could enjoy and grow with for years to come.

When I first started the conceptual design of this shamisen, I not only wanted to create my ultimate dream shamisen, but a shamisen of legendary status, pushing the boundaries of modern shamisen design with unique features and a style not previously done before in shamisen making. This build has pushed me to my limits of crafting skill, incorporating both art and engineering to create a one-of-a-kind tsugaru shamisen that I have put every bit of myself into.

I have been sharing progress of the shamisen over the past several months as it neared completion, and have been slowly building up to it. Now, for the first time, I am pleased to officially reveal the completed shamisen – Masamune.

Many thanks to my awesome younger brother Christopher who does amateur photography on the side, and spent many hours helping set up the photoshoot for the official reveal and for taking some really incredible shots. Also big thanks to my friend Chris who did a phenomenal job on the 3D printed itomaki, who originally suggested the idea of pushing the limits with 3D printing these parts and working with me to fine tune a number of prototypes on his home-built 3D printer and providing insight for the heat-fit brass end caps, and to Mark from Machine Technology Inc, who expertly hand-turned the Damascus hardware, and was the only machinist I could find out of dozens in multiple states both able and willing to machine the Damascus parts.

I also wanted to thank my amazing wife Yu-li, who I met years ago because of shamisen, and who has inspired so much of this build and everything else that I do. Also a big shout out to Kyle, whose pioneering work through Bachido and providing detailed resources on shamisen making for the rest of the world has made this build possible.

And finally, a big thanks to the Bachido community for all of your kind words and support. I hope you have enjoyed following along this journey as much as I have sharing it and connecting with others here, and hope you enjoy these final shots of Masamune.

Woods: figured bubinga, curly maple, Australian red mallee burl, curly mahogany, camatillo, gabon ebony

Metals: acid etched damascus style pattern welded carbon steel, 14k rose gold, brass

Other: black Hibiki (skins), 3D printed carbon fiber reinforced nylon (itomaki), hand polished Tru Oil (finish)

[pboman]

It is absolutely gorgeous.

[Matsubusa]

Uwaaa! It’s amazing!

[Stefanie]

Stunning!
And thank you so much for sharing your journey!

[MeanOwl]

One strains to describe the sheer magnificence of what you have made. Congratulations, and very well done. (I’d give you a standing ovation but you wouldn’t see it!)