Received Used Minyo Shamisen- Questions

[pboman]

I just received a used Minyo Shamisen in great condition with new synthetic skins. I was lucky the seller offered the reskin free after I had purchased the item with torn skins, but he had already sent it for repair…
Very nice seller in Japan. This is my second purchase from him who will remain nameless on this forum…

I have a few general questions about the shamisen I purchased.

1. How far in should the Itomaki fit inside the brass rings in the Tenjuh?

2. How do I tell which Itomaki is for each string? Where should the hole for the string be for each one?

I noticed that the end of the Itomakis have these dot marks. Which strings are they for?

3. If the skin tears in the future should I add a brass fitting onto the tail piece and dau? If I did that I would probably have to reduce the size of the part that fits through the hole in the dau so the size will still match the hole.
   
   

Question about the shape of the Chibukura and neck- Kyle mentions a V neck chibukura for the Akatsuki shamisen being in improvement. Could I modify the neck and chibukura on my shamisen to match that style? Has anyone made that modification to their Shamisen to make it easier to play after the fact? Any recommendations in doing that? https://bachido.com/store/akatsuki-shamisen

Kyle’s Akatsuki shamisen neck:

My neck:

[Brown]

Hello.

The itomaki should fit snuggly into the tenjin and go completely across to the opposite side. They should not be loose, but they shouldn’t be impossible to turn either.

Your itomaki are marked with dots. The single dotted itomaki should go in the first string position (upper), the two dotted itomaki should go in the second string position (middle), and the unmarked is likely meant for the third string position (lower). This is the standard.

It is possible that a different arrangement is intended.

Some tsugaru players put the second string on the lower position and the third string in the middle position. One can determine this by the position of the thread-hole on the itomaki itself as that influences where the thread will land most comfortably on the sao.

As for applying a rindo (brass fittings) to the dou and nakago… I do not believe I’ve ever seen that on a min’yo. Some older hosozaos sport decorative ones though! While it’s common on tsugaru instruments, I am not sure it actually has a point beyond ornamentation. You do you.

As for modifying the tenjin to make hitting the 1 position easier, I’d be hesitant to do any major modifications. But I’m no luthier~ So perhaps someone else can tag in here.

[pboman]

Thanks Christopher Brown, I put them in the order you mentioned (1 on top, 2 in middle and blank on bottom) and added the strings… The smallest string was the hardest to put on and make it overlap without slipping, I watched Kyles video:

How to String a Tsugaru Shamisen - Bachido

[pboman]

Is this bachigawa installed correctly? I ordered it for the Tsugaru, but installed it on this Minyo.

[pboman]

I would like to change the itomaki on this shamisen to make them bigger like Tsugaru Shamisen. the narrow 1.7 cm width itomaki that came with the Minyou seems harder to grip (being too small). I would like the handles to be thicker. I previously bought 1.25 inch white plastic rod that I can cut to shape.

Here is a photo of the 1 1/4 inch plastic rod with the 1.7 cm Minyo Itomaki and with the1.8 cm Itomaki that came with my Tsugaru. I would like to make 2.5 cm width Itomaki so they are easier to grip. Any problem with using larger Itomaki on a Minyo? I will need to custom make them to fit.

Does the overall length of Itomaki vary or are they all the same? The two I have are about 127mm long. Is that a standard length or are some Itomaki longer?

I have been looking on the forum for the length of Itomaki but did not find that dimension. Page 57 of Kyle’s books says the end is 2.5 cm. It tapers from 2.5 to 1.9 cm in the middle and then from the middle it tapers down to a 12mm circle at the tip. The length from the middle where it changes from Hex to circle is 56 mm to the tip.

What is the best way to check the taper of my Maruana holes for the Itomaki? Is that best done with a caliper gauge?

What are some recommended reamers for making the holes on a new Shamisen both for the Itomaki and for the Dou?

Thanks in advance for answering my questions. Happy Thanksgiving.

[Brown]

I am unsure if a bachigawa is actually necessary with hibiki and similar, durable artificial skinnings. However! Your placement is generally correct.

Tsugaru style bachigawa are long in order to protect the skin from ushiro position stikes so your margin of error in applying it is pretty big anyway :p.

As for your itomaki question:

There is definitely variance in itomaki size between sets but not between pegs intended for first, second, and third strings (to the best of my knowledge).

My (junky) nagauta has short, thin pegs.

My min’yo has thickish pegs of middling length. My tanzao are thinner and perhaps very slightly shorter. My chuuzao aren’t as thick as my min’yo, but they’re just as long. My tsugaru itomaki have some definite length and heft over all the others (as typical for the style).

I’ve seen custom pegs of all manner of length and shape.

Your goal should be to get something you can grip and turn with enough length to cross the width of the tenjin.

[pboman]

Thanks Christopher for your comments. I will probably try to saw them out with a band saw and further shape them with a 1 inch wide desktop belt sander that is on backorder.