Hey there! I’m looking at buying one of the beginner shamisens, however I’m not really sure why the price is so different between natural skin and synthetic? Can anyone explain to me what the differences are between the two and the pros/cons of each? Thanks 
Hi there! I have the fibersen. It is, in my not so humble opinion, infinitely better than the natural skin. It’s waterproof, a friend accidentally punched a small hole in it and it’s still sounds great, and no dogs have to die for you to play some sweet licks!
My poor quality reviews are below.
There’s also the new synthetic skin called Ripple, but from what I understand, it’s not widely available yet.