Skin repair / What type of Shamisen is this?

Building/Repair
#1

Greetings, this is my first time posting here.

Well, I got this when I was a kid since I’ve always loved the Shamisen, but after the strong broke and we couldn’t replace it, it got shelved for years.
Well, recently I took it out from storage since I can easily and cheaply get replacement strings, but the skin hasn’t haired well at all :frowning:

Is it possible to fix this, or does it have to be replaced? If it has to be replaced, what is the cheapest way to do so?
Also, if I remember right, one side is dog skin while the other side is synthetic. I don’t remember which side is which.


Also, Can anyone identify what type of Shamisen it is? I’m guessing that it’s a Nagauta? Any idea about the wood used?

Thank you~

#2

Looks like Nagauta but check this link out to see if you can check it yourself.

http://bachido.com/overview/shamisen-styles

That looks pretty gnarly. I would think you’d need to re-skin it. Ask Kyle about the fibersen!

#3

Welcome, Charlie.
The skin in the picture is synthetic - they tend to peel away in layers, while a real skin splits. If you try and play the instrument the way it is now it will make a really dull, dead sound.
If you are just getting in to the shamisen and don’t want to put any money in to it, you could carefully rip off the rest of that layer that is peeling away, leaving the one that is still attached to the body. It will make a very thin, kind of annoying sound, but it will be playable.
For the price of some new strings you can at least get started playing to see how you like it, but, in the end, a new skin will make the shamisen sound MUCH better, which will make you want to play it more.
It looks like a nagauta shamisen to me too, and the neck seems like it could be koki, since it looks darker than karin.

#4

Welcome to Batman, Charlie!

Yes, that looks like synthetic skin on a nagauta shamisen. I agree with Gerry. With some new strings, you can start playing it now. If you like the experience, you might want to invest in a reskinning for a richer tone.

I would recommend using Jessica’s skinning service with calf skin. It sounds great on nagauta shamisen! :slight_smile:
http://bachido.com/products/repair-skin-calf

Cheers!
Kyle

#5

Ohhh, a reply from Kyle Abbot himself :smiley:
Thank you Mr. Pants and Mr. McGoldrick for your informative replies as well :slight_smile:

For the strings, should I get the replacement Nagauta strings? or would it be better to replace all of the strings with Tsugaru ones?

Well, I’ll probably get some new strings next month. Also, how hard is it to put on a skin myself? I remember watching you do it in one of your YouTube videos.
I’m very interested in building one someday, but I’m maybe too timid to begin (too scared of screwing up since I’ve never really done woodworking before).
I’ve also been wondering if it would be easier to build a minstrel banjo, Tsugaru Shamisen or kokle.

I’m unemployed so it means that I have little money for stuff… but it also means I have a lot of time on my hands.
(I also kind of hope that if I learn how to build instruments, it may be possible to find a job at a music store… I already know a bit about accordion repair…)

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