Tsugaru Shamisen Case and Tenjin

General
#1

Greetings all!

I just got a high end tsugaru shamisen and it came with a case. The Tenjin was chipped in transit most likely due to something done by customs I think.
Either way, I believe a contributing factor may also be down to how the shamisen sits in the case.

Inside the case, there is an indent designed for the tenjin to rest inside, but none of the sao rests on the neck rests in the case. I cannot imagine this being good for the shamisen, if it is being suspending inside solely from the bottom of the dou and the tenjin edge. On top of that, the case seems to push down on the instrument when closing it.

This is a case that seems like everyone uses too.

Is this normal for this gap to exist and for the case to seemingly press down on the instrument when closing it? Just seems like it puts too much pressure on the tenjin.

Here are pics of what I’m talking about:

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#2

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This was my case for 15 years. Does yours have ties to hold in place? And no there is much space for storage so it does not press down when closed
I wrap a pillowcase or shawl around when travelling

1 Like
#3

Yepp! Mine has ties to hold it in place like yours.
The gap underneath the sao freaks me out because I play violin professionally and none of my cases have ever had a gap underneath the neck lol

I also worry the case is pressing against the itomaki. Do you itomaki stick above the bottom lip of the case about an inch?

If it shouldnt be pressing down at all, maybe I should be looking at a large case because this case’s lid is pressed against the dou alll the way to the tenjin. Not hard, but still makes solid contact.

#4

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#5

I am new. But I suspect the gap underneath the sao is so you can wrap the shamisen up with the full size fukuro. I do put a towel like you there.

#6

Everything is level to the red lining and there is a very nice airy spacing between the Shamisen and inch or so of the cover. I notice your lining looks like plushy velvet.and there’s an inserted pillow in the middle. My Shamisen is flat in the case. Its a hard case.

Would it be possible to cut down that inserts in the case you have and stitching the loose ends of the material together? Its easy for me to suggest cutting the material and seeing if you could take out some insert material… but you might feel it ruins the case? Your thought to find a better case probably would work out better after you measure your instrument.

Sometimes Guitar Center has nice cases for different instruments on sale and you might find something?

Hope it works out for you and congrats on nice Shami…

#7

Ah my itomaki are huge and what I had to do was gently stretch the case in order for it not to push down on them.
As for the gap, I would just wrap the sao with the microfiber that you wipe it with after playing.

3 Likes
#8

I like the “Pack Case” that I bought from the Bachido store. It is very nice.

1 Like
#9

How did you go about stretching the case?

Fill it with books enough that it presses upwards on the lid when closed?

#10

Ah no, I stretched it sideways so that my itomaki don’t get pushed down while closing the bag. I just did it by hand.

#11

Congrats on your Shamisen (!) and sorry for the chipped Tenjin. Hopefully you still have the chip? Might be fixable if you do… So, it’s clear that this case is not ideal. The Sao should be supported and Tenjin clear on the bottom. Itomaki should not be pushed down and ideally have a bit of room on the sides (the least of my worries compared to the other issues). The top lid putting a bit of pressure on the instrument would be fine if it has at least 1/2 an inch of cushion I would say. I guess my first question would be if you are planning on flying with this instrument and checking it. I definitely would not recommend that. As a carry on perhaps but even then, you never know if they try to make you check it… But for you to store it and carry it with you, it might be fine.

© 2020 Kyle Abbott