While doing a search for some paintings of Shamisen I came across this random bit of the internet, which I thought might tickle some of your fancies.
Completely impractical but I’m a fan of both steampunk and cyberpunk so I thought it kinda neat.
Ho wow , i want to buy it now 
! I really love the mix between steampunk and the Shamisen , looks awesome!
wow thats awesome, I like the wings on either side of the bridge, that would look pretty kool on a guitar
yeah , some guitar addicts and steampunk addicts do their own and it looks great :
http://thinng.com/system/images/6751/large/steampunk-guitar.png?1328091469
I’ve never heard about a luthier doing that kind of stuff tho , except if we consider James Trussart as a steampunk luthier 
http://guitart.ru/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trussart-guitars.jpg
Now that’s too much guitar for this thread !
well guys i AM a steampunk and have been wracking my brains tring to think of ways to punk a shamisen. I had been thinking about henna-ing the skin like i have done on some bodhran but this gives me another direction to think about.
You should really try Amanda, i would love to see another steampunk Shamisen , especially the first BAchido steampunk Shami!
I’m impressed by what I see, but steampunk is frightening…
Give me a cyberpunk shamisen instead 
Whoa!! That is awesome! Totally didn’t see that one coming. 
I just sent this to Taichi. He and I were skyping yesterday, and he expressed again his desire to have new styles of shamisen made.
Like Liam said, the wings really win me over.
This is great that taichi want so much to make new shamisen style , i will have to show him (when i’ll make it) the fully electric shamisen i’m thinking about these days , yes with electric guitar pickups and steel string , for some awesome MetalShami experience
That’s amazing! I love the guitar in the first pic, it’s almost too pretty to play…almost 
I’m impressed by what I see, but steampunk is frightening…
Give me a cyberpunk shamisen instead
Frightening? HAHAHHAHAA, i find cyber frightening!
I have been toying with SOOOOO many ideas it’s silly, i’d need far more time and better tools to make from scratch! BUT i can modify . . .
I’m impressed by what I see, but steampunk is frightening…
Give me a cyberpunk shamisen instead
Frightening? HAHAHHAHAA, i find cyber frightening!
I have been toying with SOOOOO many ideas it’s silly, i’d need far more time and better tools to make from scratch! BUT i can modify . . .
Just look at that guitar, you know there’s a whole backstory of some weird old lonely mad man who creates clockwork driven steampunk machines, run by the souls of abducted little children. THAT’s what is frightening with steampunk!
at least it’s good old fashioned human souls and not some hideous silicon artificial intelligence . . .
at least it’s good old fashioned human souls and not some hideous silicon artificial intelligence . . .
But Amanda, come hither… The Matrix wants to couple with your neurons…
That’s just . . . creepy… my neurons are my own thank you very much!
(i keep them in a jar by my bed)
Next to your jar of childrens’ souls?
sorry, i keep those in the kitchen.
My neurons are next to my absinthe XD
Makes sense to keep them among the other spirits!
What would make that steampunk shamisen complete would be if those cogs were actually spinning while you were playing. It’s basically like spinning rims, but older.
“makes homer simpson noises”
O yes…moving cogs are just ooooo wonderful!
I was actually thinking as well about some copper or brass tubing somewhere or having the three parts of the neck coated in coppper sheet or something, but i haven’t got my head around that yet.
There are some lovely steampunk usb drives that would translate design wise very well.
BUT i’d have to have better tools as i’d not want to vandalise a decent instrument.
wow, didn’t realise it would be so popular. glad to see other geek fetishists out there.
one thing im bring back with me as im leaving japan is a broken minyoh (i think) shamisen. THe intention is to learn how to fix the skin by my self in case my actual shamisen gets ripped. I really wanted to have a shamisen to have out as display and not in the case all the time, so perhaps it could be used as a mod project and not a playable instrument project.
The reason i mention it, is perhaps other people would be interested to know that there are tons of broken second hand shamisen around in Japan.
If you ever come visit, or you have someone you know come visit, it’s relatively easy to pop into these 2nd hand stores (the ones in Yamaguchi are amusingly called Hard-off…not sure if thats a national chain. also ぼくりや shops have them too) and almost everyone I’ve seen has a couple of broken ones from about 3000yen to 8000yen
I’m not really sure what the prices are like online for broken ones, but perhaps its worth it if you’re in the area.