More Shamisen

This Minyo Shamisen is built by a close friend of Hiroshi Nitta (Masahiro Nitta’s father) in Kanagawa.

Shamisen Specs
Karin, Synthetic Fibersen, Mitsuori sao, Azuma Sawari/

INCLUDES: Minyo Shamisen, Soft Shamisen Case, Naga Fukuro (not shown) Doukake, Neo, Plastic Bachi, Koma, Yubikake, Saofuki, Ito Set, Bachigawa

This high quality shamisen is crafted with the perks of an expensive kouki shamisen, but at a lower price because it’s made with Karin wood (which is more widely available than Kouki). It includes a natural head for superior sound quality, an azuma sawari to adjust the amount of vibration to the first string, and a mitsuori neck (which means it can be separated in three pieces).

Please specify your choice of Fibersen or Natural Skin

Note: Being a natural material, natural skin always has a risk of rupture due to environment and integrity of the skin. Because there is no way of knowing the long term strength of the skin, we can only offer warranty if the skin ruptures during shipping. Warranty is void if a skin ruptures after delivery, even 10 minutes later.
Thus, choosing synthetic Fibersen is recommended.

Kyle’s Recommendation

This set is assembled to give the most enjoyable shamisen experience for the Mid-Range buyer.

Includes: (TSY-1) Tsugaru Shamisen fitted with Fibersen, Pack Case, Faux-Bekkou Bachi (shown as Plastic Bachi in picture), Bamboo Koma, Leather Doukake, Yubikake, Bachido Saofuki, Washi Bag, Dou Gomu Shi-ru, Pitch Pipe, Ito Set.

(though shown in picture, Shamisen of Japan is not included)

Let’s say you’re ripping away on an original Avant Garde piece, taking the melody to new highs. Life is great at this point. Every note you strike is precise and nothing can stop you, so you decide to kick it up a notch! Higher and higher you climb the fingerboard. You’re just so hot right now, the shamisen strings are starting to smoke and faces are melting!
Oh no! But what’s this? You want to play even higher but you’ve reached the end of the sao! For this, Masahiro Nitta has designed the No Limits Shamisen. The neck extends all the way to the dou, giving the clearest tone and allowing you complete freedom to unleash your creativity.

Don’t be held back by anything. When you’re playing shamisen, there are/is No Limits.

Shamisen Specs Karin wood, Natural skin, Mitsuori (extended), Azuma Sawari installed

Note: Accessories not included.

The shamisen is a loud instrument, but did you know it can get even LOUDER? It’s true!

The size of “Size 5” dou (5分大) is considered standard for tsugaru style, and is used for a large majority of tsugaru style shamisen, but the larger sizes Size 6 and Size 7 dou are also made. These sizes are rare and only used by a small handful of players in Japan. Why? Unlike the standard Size 5 dou, there isn’t a standardized doukake shell made for Size 6 & 7, and so it’s almost impossible to get doukake for those dou unless it is special ordered. Masahiro Nitta and his father both use Size 7 dou, and the larger size can cause some wrist pain for some players.

What’s the advantage of the Size 7 dou? It projects like a cannon! The surprising thing is a Size 7 is only 4mm larger than Size 5 (and Size 6 is only 2mm larger), and yet is considerably louder. Great for playing outdoors and dominating your friends in the shamisen group! :-P

Kyle’s Opinion: I built a Size 7 dou for one of my shamisen and it’s my favorite. Granted, I don’t play as frequently as Nitta san and so haven’t experienced the wrist pain he described (performing with it daily might cause the pain). And yes, I do have to be more mindful of my volume when I’m playing with others. But otherwise, I really enjoy the larger size and the beefy tone!

Note: The photos are of Nitta san’s personal Size 7 Tsugaru Shamisen which has rare extra heavy kouki, which has aged to almost black after decades of use. Unfortunately we can’t afford to special order a brand new shamisen just to take pictures of it, so please note that a brand new Nitta Model will have newer kouki wood (and look shinier). To be clear, what makes the Nitta Model special is the larger size of the dou. The build quality and wood quality are the same as any high quality shamisen in Japan.

Extra Note: This shamisen does NOT include Ayasugi nor Kinbozo.

Same details as the Kouki model above. Note: Unfortunately we can’t afford to order a Karin Nitta Model just to take pictures of it, and so while this listing is for a Karin shamisen, the photos are of Nitta san’s personal Size 7 Tsugaru Shamisen which is made from Kouki. Please expect that the only real difference between a standard karin shamisen and the Nitta Model is a larger dou. The build quality and wood quality are the same as any high quality shamisen in Japan.

This shamisen is made from Shitan wood, which is higher quality and heavier than Karin wood.

Shamisen Specs Shitan wood, Natural/Fibersen skin, Mitsuori Sao, Azuma Sawari installed

Includes: Dou Gomu Shi-ru, Neo

Please specify your choice of Fibersen or Natural Skin

Note: Being a natural material, natural skin always has a risk of rupture due to environment and integrity of the skin. Because there is no way of knowing the long term strength of the skin, we can only offer warranty if the skin ruptures during shipping. Warranty is void if a skin ruptures after delivery, even 10 minutes later.
Thus, choosing synthetic Fibersen is recommended.

This tsugaru shamisen is made from high quality kouki wood, considered superior to both Shitan and Karin wood. The high cost is due to the extremely limited availability of new kouki wood.

Shamisen Specs Kouki wood, Natural skin, Mitsuori, Azuma Sawari installed, Kinbozo (gold fittings) installed in Mitsuori joints.

Meet the KoShamisen. Designed with a perfect half-size sao and a natural skin, you can get an authentic shamisen sound with a size convenient enough to take hiking or on the road.
Note: This is not meant to be a kid size shamisen, but it is a perfect way for kids to get started playing, or for arthritic people who have pain when lifting their arm up that much.

Note: Accessories not included.

The regular KoShamisen is still too big for your tote bag? No problem! The KoShamisen Mini measures 25" in length and can easily be taken on any adventures you set forth on! The KoShamisen Mini also makes a lovely decorative and playable display piece. I keep this on my desk to admire and remind me why I love shamisen so much.

Note: Accessories not included.