Im looking at getting a Tsugaru Shamisen and i have 0 clue where to start. i want to get a larger sized shamisen that it loud/bold but idk which ones i should look into. Please help
The Raven, Akatsuki, Rose, and most of the other shamisen (not the Starling) on Bachido are Tsugaru-style. In the product pages, you can see the dou (body) size in the instrument specifications.
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do the neck sizes matter at all or is it just for comfort reason?
I’m sure someone more knowledgeable could say more about sao (neck) width, but I know that futozao (thick) is the usual size for Tsugaru.
Hullo, Andrew. Welcome.
If they are in your budget, the shamisen offered by Bachido can get you going. Most are tsugaru sized.
Caveats:
1 - The Beginner’s Shamisen is a nagauta, the smallest standard subtype.
2 - The Starling is being classified as a min’yo, but the resonator (body) is somewhat larger than standard. Regular min’yo are usually go-rin-dai (which is just a small fraction larger than a nagauta body). The Starling has a ni-bu-dai body which is more of an interim size between the standard min’yo and tsugaru. You can take a gander at the link in my profile for more data on dimensions.
If you happen to have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out here or on Discord.