This is the Fujiito brand of ito. They are the most common brand of string for shamisen. It’s considered to be average quality for ‘practice use’, but I use them for performance and nobody notices the difference!

Includes one Ichi no Ito (2X), a pack of two Ni no Ito and a pack of five San no Ito.
String Gauges: 29-1 / 15-2 / 14-3

The Neo is the tailpiece which the strings are tied to. It is fitted on the end of the shamisen.

Leather doukake look very classy, and available in many colors. For Tsugaru shamisen only.

The Dou Gomu Shi-ru is an adhesive rubber pad which is affixed to the lower-right corner of the dou (where the dou rests on your knee). Without it, the shamisen can easily slip off of your leg while you’re playing.

The hardest part of shamisen playing is the lack of frets, or other indicators to where the positions are. The fujaku is an adhesive plastic strip which sticks to the side of the shamisen. When placed correctly, the numbers on the seal line up exactly where you need to press the string to sound the desired position. This seal takes away lots of frustration from your shamisen experience. It can be removed when your fingers attain muscle memory so you don’t need to look at the numbers. Watch how to attach a fujaku.

The Yubikake is a tightly knit sleeve (made by machine) which is fitted over the index finger and thumb. When playing shamisen, the friction of your skin rubs against the neck, making it hard to play. The Yubikake adds a layer between your hand and the neck, reducing friction and making playing much easier.

One size fits all

Introducing the newest technology for shamisen bachi! Made by TOA, the synthetic material of the blade is as close as it gets to natural material. Unlike other Faux Bekko bachi which are made from a material closer to acrylic (I’m not 100% sure, but it’s something like that), the Pantera is made of casein, which is a natural protein, and thus much closer to real shell than any other. 

Until now, I hadn’t felt that any bachi could match the same feeling as real bekko. Faux Bekko and Acrylic bachi are both outstanding, but still the feeling and tone were different (not bad, just not exactly the same). With that in mind, I am very, very impressed with the flex and tone from the Pantera bachi. I can only assume that casein is the key ingredient, because I can’t feel or hear a difference from bekko. 

Flex Options:
Hard: 8 This is very rigid, almost like Plastic Bachi, or cheaper bekko bachi. Only choose this if you are accustomed to hard bachi and especially prefer it.

Medium: 5 This is a similar level to the Faux Bekko Bachi, as well as most bekko bachi available.  

Soft: 3 This is ideal for beginners. (Flex level has no connection to skill level – many professional players use soft bachi) Soft bachi are comparable to high end bekko bachi, as very flexible shell are reserved for expensive bachi. (Hard/Medium bachi can be high end as well, but it’s much harder to find natural soft flex in the lower price ranges) The extra flex makes it very comfortable to get a satisfying percussive snap against the skin, and unlike stiffer bachi, it doesn’t get caught in the strings as much. Masahiro Nitta’s personal bachi has a similar flexibility as this, and it’s my favorite as well. 

Size options: (Length x Width)
Large 167mm×93mm
Medium 164mm×88mm
Small 161mm×83mm

Hardness level: 5.
Made by Tokyo Wagakki, this bachi is great for beginners and advanced players alike. It has a similar feel & flex of a natural bekko bachi, but is stronger and will potentially last many more years of hard tsugaru playing! The tortoise will thank you too. Update: the Pantera bachi (shown above) is made from newer material and in my opinion is even closer to natural bekko than this bachi. This bachi is still awesome so we still offer it, but I do prefer the Pantera. :-)

Note: On very rare occasions, the blades of these bachi sometimes crack or separate from the handle. (It used to be a frequent problem but that issue seems to have been eliminated recently.) That being said, these bachi are covered with one-year insurance. If your bachi cracks or separates from the handle within one year’s time, send it back and it can be replaced!

Hardness level: 7.
The Wooden Bachi can be used for a variety songs and techniques. It’s only weakness is that it can break fairly quickly with hard tsugaru playing. Perfect for wood lovers!
Note: In the video, Nitta san plays an earlier model which we used to sell. The pictures show the current model available.

Size Options

9cm x 16.5cm (Regular) – Normal size for Tsugaru style.

7cm x 15cm (Trimmed) – Ideal if you have average size hands but tend to find tsugaru bachi unwieldy.

6cm x 13cm (Small) – Best for kids or small hands.

Hardness level: 8.
Reccomended only for trying shamisen with little investment, or if you need an ice scraper. Unfortunately, it is difficult to use and can make the shamisen experience less enjoyable.

Sound quality:
Soft and warm.

Material:
Madake (bamboo)

Height:
8mm

Sound quality:
Clean and crisp. Bone tip brings a sharper tone, compared to the Bamboo Koma

Material:
Base – Bamboo
Saddle – Bone

Height:
8mm

This bamboo base of this koma is called “Boat Shape”. The base is slightly thicker while the middle is cut away. Personally, I don’t find a huge difference between the Boat Shape base and the standard base. You’ll probably hear a slight difference in tone between the two, but I don’t think one is “better” than the other. Furthermore, when comparing the sound quality of two koma, it’s important to consider the tightness and age of the shamisen skin, as some koma may sound better on fresher or older skins than others.

Sound quality:
Clean and crisp. Bone tip brings a sharper tone, compared to the Bamboo Koma

Material:
Base – Bamboo
Saddle – Bone

Height:
8mm

Sound quality:
Sharper and harder compared to ‘Bamboo Koma (Bone Tip)’

Material:
Base – Bamboo
Saddle – Bone

Height:
8mm

This bamboo base of this koma is called “Boat Shape”. The base is slightly thicker while the middle is cut away. Personally, I don’t find a huge difference between the Boat Shape base and the standard base. You’ll probably hear a slight difference in tone between the two, but I don’t think one is “better” than the other. Furthermore, when comparing the sound quality of two koma, it’s important to consider the tightness and age of the shamisen skin, as some koma may sound better on fresher or older skins than others.

Sound quality:
Sharper and harder compared to ‘Bamboo Koma (Bone Tip)’

Material:
Base – Bamboo
Saddle – Bone

Height:
8mm

Neighbors keeping your sound levels down? Desperately wanting to play shamisen now but still recovering from that hangover? The shinobi koma (Stealth Bridge) is made for you!

Replacing your normal koma with the Shinobi Koma will lower the sound level tremendously.

Sound quality:
Muted (intentionally)

Material:
Plastic

Height:
7mm

Note: Though the sound from striking the string is significantly reduced, the percussive sound from the bachi snapping against the skin isn’t affected by the koma.

Prepare for extra-awesome! This Shinobi Koma is loaded with extra features!

1) Unlike the Shinobi Koma (Standard), the Shinobi Koma (Deluxe) is shaped in such a way that you can freely execute maebachi and ushirobachi techniques without being constrained by the size of the koma.
2) Though the Shinobi Koma (Standard) mutes the sound from the string, the loud percussivness of the bachi striking the skin remains at full volume. The Shibobi Koma (Deluxe) reduces the percussive volume as well as the volume from the strings, providing a satisfying and balanced low-volume experience.
3) The timbre of the (muted) sound quality can be adjusted.

Sound quality:
Muted (intentionally)

Material:
Plastic and Aluminum

Height:
Adjustable

This is a very special set of ito made by Marusan Hishimoto Co. (the most trusted maker of shamisen strings, and the only brand of string I sell in the Bachido Store) All strings are dyed black and look very striking against a white shamisen skin. Just be careful when playing shamisen in the dark!

From what I’ve heard, these strings don’t have the best sound quality (especially compared to the Gokujo string), but they’re still very good and the color balances the rest!

Includes one Ichi no Ito, a pack of two Ni no Ito and a pack of five San no Ito.
String Gauges: 28-1 / 15-2 / 14-3

This is a very special set of ito made by Marusan Hishimoto Co. (the most trusted maker of shamisen strings, and the only brand of string I sell in the Bachido Store) All strings are dyed red and look very striking against a white shamisen skin.

From what I’ve heard, these strings don’t have the best sound quality (especially compared to the Gokujo string), but they’re still very good and the color balances the rest!

Includes one Ichi no Ito, a pack of two Ni no Ito and a pack of five San no Ito.
String Gauges: 28-1 / 15-2 / 14-3

This is the Fujiito brand of ito. They are the most common brand of string for shamisen. It’s considered to be average quality for ‘practice use’, but I use them for performance and nobody notices the difference!

Includes one Ichi no Ito (2X), a pack of two Ni no Ito and a pack of five San no Ito.
String Gauges: 29-1 / 15-2 / 14-3

This is the Gokujo ito. They are the considered to be the highest quality string for shamisen, and ideal for stage use.

Includes one Ichi no Ito, a pack of two Ni no Ito and a pack of five San no Ito.
String Gauges: 30-1 / 15-2 / 14-3

Why is this set cheaper than the “Tsugaru Ito Set Pack (Fujiito)”? It’s because the Fujiito set includes a double length (2X) ichi no ito. The double length ichi no ito is higher quality than the single length of the Fujiito. The Gokujo string is single length, and so the price comes out relatively cheaper. Personally, while I am perfectly happy using the average quality Fujiito, I do notice a difference in sound quality. The Gokujo ito has a more delicate and richer tone than the Fujiito ito.

This is the Fujiito ito. They are the most common string used for shamisen. It’s considered to be average quality for ‘practice use’, but I use them for performance and nobody notices the difference!

Includes one Ichi no Ito, one Ni no Ito and one San no Ito.
String Gauges: 29-1 / 15-2 / 14-3

Inludes one Ichi no Ito, one Ni no Ito and one San no Ito.

Fujiito – Regular Grade

The thickest string. Material – Silk.
Available in sizes for both Tsugaru and Nagauta styles.

Special Note for Tsugaru

The feel of this string is harder.
This string is recommended if a hard bass and overall forceful tone is desired.

Fujiito brand – Regular Grade

This Ichi no Ito is double length, so you have enough string for two shamisen.

You might be wondering why this double-length string costs over three times as much as a single-length “Ichi no Ito (Silk)” string above. Excellent question! Compared to the single-length, the feel of this silk string is softer and higher quality. It is recommended if you want the bass tone to have more delicate resonance with richer harmonics.

For Tsugaru style.
Gauge: 30.

Fujiito – Regular Grade

The middle string.
Material for Tsugaru style – Tetoron
Material for Nagauta style – Silk
Sold as a pack of two strings. (Note: The outdated picture was taken when three strings used to be included)

Fujiito – Regular Grade

The thinnest string. Material – Nylon.
Sold as a pack of five strings.

Gintsuki – High Grade

The thickest string. Material – Silk.

For Tsugaru style.
Gauge: 30

Gintsuki – High Grade

The middle string.
Material – Silk
Gauge – 15
For Nagauta, Jiuta, and Tsugaru styles.

Sold as a pack of two strings.

Gintsuki – High Grade

The thinnest string.
Material – Silk
Gauge – 14
For Nagauta, Jiuta, and Tsugaru styles. (Note: Silk San no Ito generally aren’t preferred for aggressive tsugaru style, as the thin silk breaks faster than nylon)

Sold as a pack of five strings.

Gokujo – Best Grade

The thickest string. Material – Silk.

For Tsugaru style.
Gauge: 30

Special Note for Tsugaru

The feel of this string is supple.
This string is recommended if a delicate tone is desired. (A delicate tone can be a great balance for aggressive tsugaru style)

Gokujo – Best Grade

The middle string.
Material – Silk
Gauge – 15
For Nagauta, Jiuta, and Tsugaru styles.

Sold as a pack of two strings.

Gokujo – Best Grade

The thinnest string.
Material – Silk
Gauge – 14
For Nagauta, Jiuta, and Tsugaru styles. (Note: Silk San no Ito generally aren’t preferred for aggressive tsugaru style, as the thin silk breaks faster than nylon)

Sold as a pack of five strings.