Hi everybody!
Here are some pictures of my first nagauta shamisen (Burma padauk = karin in Japanese) which I made about 25 years ago. Feedback would be appreciated.
Woow amazing work! you did it 25 years ago! Surely you now make perfect shamisens! 
Paco, thanks for the feedback!!!
:-O!!! When I first saw the pictures (before reading), I thought, “Looks like a nice shamisen, I wonder where he bought it.”
May I say, that is legit! I’m most impressed with the mitsuori joints, which really look, well… legit!
Did you learn the proper dimensions yourself through reverse engineering a nagauta shamisen?
I’m curious, where did you get the hardware (like the zagane)?
Respect, Nick. I’d almost say, “it’s too good to be true”, but many have said that for my tsugaru shamisen, so anything is possible! 
Kyle:
Thank you for the feedback!
I’ve got photos of the making process of this more than 25 years old shamisen, but I’ve to scan them. Will send the pictures in the near future.
The proper dimensios are based on the nagauta shamisen I borrowed (3 months!) from the neighbor of my place where I lived in Tokyo. For compensation I had the skins replaced to new ones.
As I went often to Shamisen-ya (shamisen shop) for buying strings and other accessories for shamisen and koto I became almost a friend with “Mr and Mrs Shamisen-ya-san”. (I could speak Japanese quite fluently. ) Then I bought hard ware (koma, zagane, kamigoma etc) for the koto and shamisen.
Mr Shamisen-ya introduced me a wood supplier of tone wood for shamisen. Then I bought the pre-sawn lumber.
After Burma padauk shamisen I made wenge wood (Millettia laurentii) shamisen. I sold it many years ago. Next monday I’ll buy African padauk. I would be interested in making tsugaru shami, too.
Please, wait for the photos. Sorry for mistakes in my English.
BR! Nick Kari (= DIYman or joiner in English)
Looks really nice! And welcome Nick! Or is it Kari? Kari sounds more like your name seeing where you come from
I guess shamisen in Finland was pretty dead 25 years ago huh? You should get together with the Finish players here on Bachido!
Nick,
Awesome work! It looks great and thank you again for joining us here on Bachido! Seems that this website was just waiting for you to join in and share some of your tales of Shamisen construction, s this is indeed very cool!
Wow Nick… just incredible. I’ve tried making a mitsuori sao in the past. It was more of a learning experience than an attempt at an actual final product. It did however give me the ability to appreciate just how much skill and precision it takes to get the joints perfect. So I’d just like to say… YOU ROCK! Can’t wait to see more contributions for you in the future.
Karl, Kevin and Gwyn,
Thank you for the feedback.
Karl, you are right. There were very few shamisen/koto concerts 20-25 years ago. There was one lady playing the shamisen in our Japan Society and another who could play the koto. Sometimes koto/shamisen groups visited here. Nowadays there is a koto group of 3 members playing the kotos of Sibelius (music) Academy.
Kevin, I’m happy to be a member of Bachido. I have learnt a lot already. I have been a member just for one week.
Gwyn, when making shamisen, I always aim to make a mitsuori. It’s difficult and takes a long time, but it is worth it.
I will send 2 pictures of my present shamisen project very soon.
I will start a new forum topic of my present nagauta shamisen project. That is why I erased two posts here. (Above)
Hi!
Here are scanned pictures of my nagauta shamisen which I made more than 25 years ago. The colours have vanished a bit.
holy wow, i just might have to commission you to make me some pegs! XD
Thats beautiful work
Amanda, thank you!
Yes, I need some pegs for mine also.
Wow, this is some really great woodworker’s skill!
yeah, it looks very well made! I like the picture of you skinning the dou. What kind of glue you used?
wow thats awesome, it looks 100% legit! 
Scott M: Welcome to Bachido!
Wow. That’s impressive work. I had the same reaction as Kyle before I read the text. Thought you’d bought it. If I needed another nagauta shami I’d want to buy it.
Chet,
Thank you! Nice to hear your opinion. Just now I have padauk and rosewood for 3 shamisens. I’d like to make tsugaru shami, too, when I’ve leisure.