Shamisen Restauration Project .-)

Building/Repair
#1

Hallo

My name is Sascha Boy from Germany andddddd here i am boys and girls .-)
I play bass guitar or a few years but for 7 or 8 years ist a wihs to possessed my own shamisen buttttt a new is to expenisve for my.And now i bought this beauty on ebay …i call her… forgott this hehehehe.

My plan is to restore this shamisen .

-refresh and polish the wooden paarts
-repolish the metal parts
-reskinning the kawa
-build my own bachi

Kyle told me that i can use calf skin insteed of cat or dog skin . I have here an shop witch sell cow skin for an goog price . is it posible to use cow skin for the kawa of the shamisen?

Its not an tsuragu shamisen … can you tell me witch thickness are the right for these one ? Iw would be great if you can help me .-)And at last …i hope you understand my foooolish english

#2

Yay!! Glad you made it here Sascha! At last, welcome to the Bachido Forum! :slight_smile:

We gotta get BH to this thread. He just fixed up and polished a shamisen just like this (different kind of wood, but same style) He learned a lot of things from the experience and I’m sure has good advice! BH!!

I think cow would be fine. The 0,8 – 1,2 mm is the most preferable. Thicker than that will sound a little ‘thunky’, if you know what I mean.

#3

I think you have a nagauta shamisen, as I do. Very good one to start with. I am really sure than you will made a very good work. Keep us in advice! :slight_smile:

#4

The dealer told me that the shamisen is shipped since friday .If i have luck i have the Shamisen next week and i post some detail and step by step pictures.

#5

sooooooo my shamisen arrived today.And iam soooo happyyyyy with it.After work i remove the old skin and the patches on the bottom side of the do ( the glue of the patches are sooooo bad).

The do is clean now and i sanded the do with 120 grade sandpaper .Now i have a question.What did you think ist better?

-to use sandpaper from 120 tu 1200 than oiling and polishing
-to use sandaper from 120 to 1200 than to lacquer and polishing the do

#6

Congratulations Sascha!!! Glad you are rocking your new axe!

I would use the second option. Especially for the top of the fingerboard. The lacquer wears away, so oil is a better option (so I’ve been told). For the sides of the sao, dou and tenjin, it’s up to you. :slight_smile: If you want a shiny surface, lacquer it. If you want a more natural look, oil it. (If you’re oiling it, I’d go up to 2000g sandpaper)

#7

Ok i try a gloss finish for the do and a satain finish with oil for the komplete sao.Here a few pictures from the Shamise (before)

I think the tip of the nakago was broken .-)

This was the biggest problem this stuff is so resistent againts alll and averything. I need ohne hour to remove this stuff.

glue glue everywere

#8

After a few hours the shrabbisen looks so. The wood is clean and the finish is a bit better but not at the end.

#9

glue glue everywere

one hour? oh my this looks quite good actually (:slight_smile: as an alternative to 2000 grid sandpaper which I couldn’t find I used 000 or was it 0000 (anyway finest grade) steel wool and a wood furniture finish (oil or so) I got recomended by a guitar repair shop no less I don’t know if the actual woodworkers would agree but that seemed to work out at least okay . . .

http://www.studio-magellan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LCA_5213.jpg

yeah that would be the dark one I used for dark wood :slight_smile: . . . and that one is real cheap available for I don’t remember but no more than a very few bucks at local drugstores as a wood cleaning and polishing thingy . . .

#10

i need one hour to remove that rubber patches. the do neet a second layer of vanish and after that polishing . and the sao need a polishing with steel wool ( i know this trick i doo that very often at work but not for oak )

what you see is only basic work . cleaning ,sanding and base coat usw .

#11

soooo new tuner.

#12

Wow you are doing a wonderfull work!

#13

Hooo!!! Dude, those have personality!!
Very impressed with those! Excellent!!

#14

Crazy good man! I bet the texture will give a nice grip too.

If I were to give an opinion on improvement, I would take away a bit of the end from the lowest one as it seem to be sticking out more than the top one.

#15

Yeah, I bet that would actually feel pretty good to grip! I just showed Taichi san this picture, he was pleasantly surprised! :slight_smile:

#16

can anyone tell my how long did the skin need to dry. i put the new skin on the frontside of the do today.

#17

If you let it air dry, overnight is plenty good enough. :slight_smile:

#18

ok the first skin is done.

#19

Nice, Sascha!! :smiley: That definitely sounds playable!

#20

first sound test with one Skin. At monday i add the second one. Its the first time for my to play shamisen…its a little bit freesytle schredding.

© 2020 Kyle Abbott