Tsugaru Shamisen build

Building/Repair
#1

Hello All!

As my first post, I shall start with a short story. For my music appreciation class in college, my teacher assigned for us to each make a musical instrument. I felt like this was a good excuse to build my first shamisen :slight_smile:

Between Kyle’s videos and a few essays in my college libraries about the instrument, I have all the measurements I need, and a few good tips to boot.
I am, however, aiming for a very tight budget ($200 or less, $150 or less if I can manage). I am also on a slight time budget, since most of the hard labor with the lager tools will have to be done within about 10 dedicated days (I will have a couple less-dedicated helpers).

Now to the actual questions:
As far as functionality goes, how well will Basswood work as the wood of choice? Also any general cost-saving advice for the bachi, koma, etc., or any warnings as to which parts of the construction process will take the most time will be greatly appreciated!

#2

Also, if all goes well, look forward to at least some photos =D

#3

Hello Bryan,

Welcome to the Bachido forum! :slight_smile:

Great! Indeed, that is a good excuse to start making shamisen. :slight_smile: You can definitely make a decent shamisen well under $150.

Making it in 10 days will be the very impressive part, but if you’ve got some helpers and using a relatively soft wood, I think it could be done. I think making tight joints is what takes the most time, but again, soft wood could make that easier.

Basswood is very soft (a janka hardness of 410, whereas the softest wood used for shamisen is around 1700, I think), but given the circumstances, should be just fine as a school project. :slight_smile:

Ideally, more time will yield a better instrument, as you can afford the time to use harder wood without the rush of a time attack. But for a project like this, I think you can make something playable, and it’ll be exciting to observe!

Looking forward to pictures! :smiley: Ganbarou!!

#4

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I do hope on making one with better materials some time, and having my first try only use cheaper, softer wood should help me gain a better understanding before using the more valuable products.

In other news, the friend of mine who will be doing most of the helping has purchased a shakuhachi! Hopefully this will be the start of something grand!

#5

Best of luck Bryan! I agree that it will be money well spent for the experience and fun you’ll get!

I don’t know if you will have problems with neck warping with that wood, but if it may be an issue you could always decide on playing with the strings tuned low. The shamisen still sounds awesome then, like you can hear in this vid:

#6

That does sound really nice! What tuning is that?

#7

Oh man, Asano Sho is such a great singer. I can only guess that he’s not the only recognized shamisen player who happens to have great voices too. Nitta san can sing minyou pieces with all the aesthetic inflections 'n such. From what I’ve been hearing, Kevin might be able to as well.

I think the tuning is sansagari.

Excellent about using soft wood for the test, and double excellent that your friend got a shakuhachi! Let’s get some duets happening! (Hopefully, that whole “artistic differences” thing won’t rear it’s head. :wink: )

#8

Alright, I have had no trouble in locally finding basswood in the sizes I need, save the long piece for the sao. Getting a stronger wood for the sao would help keep the condition of the instrument as a whole better correct? Also, I would probably use some of that same block for the itomaki.

#9

Cherry. The janka hardness is only around 995, so its still soft enough to work at a decent pace, but will be quite a bit stronger. The dou will still probably be basswood, but overall it will be an improvement without being too much more expensive. I’ve seen a few warnings concerning cherry’s tendency to “burn” when using power tools. Since I will only be using power tools for the initial cuts, there shouldn’t be much trouble there, and there may be a more proficient woodworker around when I am working anyway.

#10

That sounds good! Any burning will add to the color texture as well. :slight_smile:

#11

I’ve looked on the forums and have not yet found a clear answer to this question so I shall ask: what is the best glue to use as a substitute nori that I could buy at a store?

#12

Just go to an Asian grocery store and ask for mochiko. It’s just like noriko except its not quite as sticky or strong. It’s usually less than 5 bucks. If you really want nori then you could put in a request with the Bachido store and Kyle may be able to order it for you.

Before I bought “Shamisen of Japan” I made a practice shamisen and skinned it with vellum paper and white Elmer’s school glue (the washable kind, of course.)

I’ve seen a few warnings concerning cherry’s tendency to “burn” when using power tools.

I heard that during the revolutionary war days they would hold the wood over a lit candle to burn designs into it. Maybe you use that to your advantage and decorate your shamisen :wink:

#13

Alright, thanks! I wasn’t entirely sure if the mochiko would be strong enough for tsugaru, but then again, I won’t have it quite as tight as a professional job anyway.
As far as design burning, I have very little artistic ability, but I’m sure i could make some pseudo stencil to make up for it =D. Thanks for the great idea!

#14

Well i’ve gotten started, at least…

The end of the first day, starting on the dou

It fits! (more or less)

made cuts for the sao and tenjin

started on the inside of the dou pieces. got about this far today before I lost the feeling in my feet and hands, so that will do it for today I guess XD

#15

Woot!~ Great start Bryan!! :smiley:

You may already know this, but may want to remove more wood from the inside the dou boards.

The 10 day shamisen! There’s a blogcast right there! :smiley:

#16

yeah, I have a habit of going for the general shape and nibbling away once I see that everything lines up.

Well, it’s too late to start making a blogcast, and when I make another, I want to take my sweet time.

Also, I’ve taken some more wood from the inside today, as well as some shaping of the sao and cutting a piece for the nakago.

#17

Inspiring work, Bryan. Can’t wait to see how it turns out - I’m not much of a builder anyway, but the thought of making this is 10 days is impressive!

#18

Hahaha I’m glad you all have so much faith in me. Just to let you know, it’s not going to be done in 10 days. I have another week to work on it when I’m not busy with school, so I should at least be able to make a working instrument in time for my class, and then perfect it afterwards.

#19

Update! (Note that it is not complete. For now, I aim for a functioning instrument by tomorrow morning)

did some gluing finally, and it fits!

The pegs didn’t angle quite as much as I wanted, but it is a tight fit. Only one peg to go! Then to get the sao and tenjin connected…

#20

Woot!! Congratulations on getting the dou to fit together correctly!! That was always the most frustrating part of the project for me.

Looking good, Bryan! Excellent work for your first shamisen! :slight_smile:

You probably already know this, but it might be beneficial to slim the itomaki a little bit. When fitting the last peg in, there’d be little room to grip the itomaki with your hand, despite the angle.

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