Hi all,
Sorry for the not so pleasant first post but I received a shamisen today and found that the head was snapped in shipping. I’m unsure of what to do next, I am currently awaiting a response from the seller (not Bachido) and have taken pictures.
I had also agreed to play at a uni concert in 2 weeks time but I am now thinking I should cancel that!
Anybody here have similar experiences, tips or advice on how to get this resolved? And how long it will take?
Patrick
Ouhhh ! It quite hurts… Did you buy it in Japan ? Having experienced the legendary Japanese traders consideration towards their customers, I would not be too worried. I think it’s just a question of patience. Ganbatte !
Ouch that sucks! Yeah you need to await a response from the seller.
This is why I pack my shamisen with clothes or towels. If the shamisen case is dropped the neck will be stopped at the middle cushion, but the head piece will still have momentum. In this case I think all that weight went through the tip and caused too much tension.
If there had been something soft like clothes or air filled plastic along the bottom of the head it would have dampened the force.
Hope you get this fixed soon!
Patrick, if you don’t want to wait, you can probably repair that yourself. My shamisen arrived broken as well and my husband fixed it, and I can’t even tell where the break was now. The seller directed me to this site …
and here is the original thread where we talked about it.
It took about ten minutes to glue mine (I was VVVEEEERRRRY careful about lining up the break), ,and then I gave it a really light sand to blend it, and, for safety’s sake, I left it to dry for two days.
Ugh, they always send them assembled! It’s SO MUCH safer to send everything in pieces … sigh
Good Luck whatever you decide to do! XOXO
I considered gluing but it looks a bit too intricate for comfort!
The seller is quite apologetic and we’re well on the way to claiming insurance on the item.
The packing was adequate (though individual pieces may have been better) but the postage and handling was definitely not! Australia post are infamous for poor handling of parcels…
Brutal 
Whoa snap! (No pun intended) That actually happened to the very first shamisen we sent out. Fortunately, the person who bought it lived in California, so after we replaced it, he gave it to me. Fortunately, it was still partially connected, just enough to keep the two pieces in position. Putting wood glue and using a series of weights and counterweights pressed the headpiece together, and is good as new.
I’m relieved you’re able to claim insurance. Will you be able to keep the broken shamisen afterwards? It might be fun to try repairing it. If it’s possible for the two pieces to cleanly fit back in place, you can apply glue and tightly wrap in all together with cord, perhaps. Then, you’ve got another shamisen for a friend to play with!
I think they’ll send it back to Japan unfortunately but I will be able to take the bachi etc. If I can keep it I will definitely give it a shot at repairing. The more shamisen the better. Thanks for the help guys
Whoa snap! (No pun intended) That actually happened to the very first shamisen we sent out. Fortunately, the person who bought it lived in California, so after we replaced it, he gave it to me. Fortunately, it was still partially connected, just enough to keep the two pieces in position. Putting wood glue and using a series of weights and counterweights pressed the headpiece together, and is good as new.
I’m relieved you’re able to claim insurance. Will you be able to keep the broken shamisen afterwards? It might be fun to try repairing it. If it’s possible for the two pieces to cleanly fit back in place, you can apply glue and tightly wrap in all together with cord, perhaps. Then, you’ve got another shamisen for a friend to play with!
Hey all,
Thought I would wrap this up on a positive note. The insurance finally came though (2 months :|) and I’ve got a Tsugaru shamisen!
Unfortunately I can’t keep the broken shamisen… Australia post claims it as their property now.
Patrick
Great! And maybe a new bachido member from australia seeking repair advice soon on this forum …