My name is Phil and I am new to the forum and new to shamisen!
I will soon be in the market for a new instrument and considering skin material.
How long has the ripple material been around? Has is been in use on other types of instruments? From looking at the Eclipse photos it has an interesting fabric look to it. And from what I see in the videos tsugaru style is played rather aggressively with the bachi. How durable is ripple - will it outlast a fibersen head? Is ripple only available in black or is there a white option?
I believe Ripple (which is also available in white, but that’s a bit transparent) has been in development for over five (or more) years, and was released around last year. So far it’s only been used for shamisen. In my opinion, Ripple feels thicker and even more durable than Fibersen (which is strong, but heat sensitive). They say Fibersen will last about 10 years if taken care of properly. Judging by the feel, I can assume Ripple will last just as long, if not more.
The only thing is it is much more expensive. The person who skins Eclipse with Ripple regularly charges around $500 for skinning both sides. I do find the tone slightly richer than Fibersen, but deciding if it’s worth the extra cash depends on how much of a shami-snob (like me) you are.
