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#1 2010-10-07 15:22:04

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Sanshin & Shamisen specs

A little impatient with filtering through google results right now, so I thought I'd ask here;

Anyone have at their fingertips links to standard specs for Sanshin and Shamisen?

I'm ASSUMING they have standard specs.

More concerned with dimensions than materials although the more complete the info the better.

I think I have the basic info on tunings and basic scales for both, but anything in depth along these lines is of interest also.

Thanks!


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

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#2 2010-10-07 16:33:44

Moran from Planet X
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From: Here to There
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 1524
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Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

Kyle Abbot, the son of early shakuhachi mentor-author Carl Abbot (Blowing Zen), is  a prodigy shamisen player and maker:

http://www.abbottfamilyblog.com/2009/02 … nza-part-1

That family is a downright hoot.


"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum." —Rowdy Piper, They Live!

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#3 2010-10-07 17:05:09

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

That was interesting stuff!

I'm particularly interested in how long Shamisen and Sanshin are supposed to be - from bridge to nut - if there is a "standard". The only specifics I've come across so far are different traditional thickness for the necks.

I read about people making home-made shamisen out of found materials right after WWII, kind of similar to how Americans made cigar box guitars and "canjos" - I'm curious how strict the specs are for jerry-rigging home made Sanshin and Shamisen, "just for jollies" as Jack would say.


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

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#4 2010-10-07 18:45:21

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

ABRAXAS wrote:

A little impatient with filtering through google results right now, so I thought I'd ask here;

Anyone have at their fingertips links to standard specs for Sanshin and Shamisen?

I'm ASSUMING they have standard specs.

More concerned with dimensions than materials although the more complete the info the better.

I think I have the basic info on tunings and basic scales for both, but anything in depth along these lines is of interest also.

Thanks!

Set of shamisen plans from Guild of American Luthiers (GAL): http://www.luth.org/plans/ethnic.htm#plan16

USD 18 or 25, depending on whether you're a member.

[FYI: got it by entering "Shamisen Plans", and it was the fourth item down.]

Last edited by edosan (2010-10-07 18:48:15)


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

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#5 2010-10-07 20:31:03

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

Thanks Edosan!


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

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#6 2010-10-07 23:15:50

Moran from Planet X
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From: Here to There
Registered: 2005-10-11
Posts: 1524
Website

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

ABRAXAS wrote:

I read about people making home-made shamisen out of found materials right after WWII, kind of similar to how Americans made cigar box guitars and "canjos" - I'm curious how strict the specs are for jerry-rigging home made Sanshin and Shamisen, "just for jollies" as Jack would say.

I've seen these on eBay from time to time.

The Okinowan Kankara Sanshin:

http://www.japantrendshop.com/kankara-s … lebase_USD

Last edited by Moran from Planet X (2010-10-07 23:16:37)


"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I am all out of bubblegum." —Rowdy Piper, They Live!

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#7 2010-10-08 00:46:34

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

Excellent!

I just came into possession of a 3 string fretless cigar box guitar (w/pickups) that is a blast to play around with. Most of the background material in the CBG scene is heavily blues-fixated, but my first thought at seeing 3 strings was shamisen/sanshin music. I just got it so I haven't tinkered around with the tunings too much, but having heard people tinker with Japanese music on western string instruments (Ken on Banjo) I don't think it should be too different. I've never handled a sanshin or shamisen so I don't have a feel for the size, but I don't know to what degree that effects the intervals when playing. Playing fretless is mostly by ear for me anyway, so I suspect it is a matter of getting accustomed to the tunings, scales, listening to a lot of sanshin music and playing. I love Okinawan Sanshin music. Shamisen too, but that seems more complex.

If the differences are significant I'd be interested in making one closer to the traditional specifications. They are very easy to make.

Fun stuff!

Last edited by ABRAXAS (2010-10-08 00:48:23)


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

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#8 2010-10-13 00:53:03

sokyoku
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From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: 2010-10-13
Posts: 21
Website

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

See if you can lay your hands on "The Shamisen: Tradition And Diversity" by Henry Johnson.  The book is a fairly new release but should be in public or university libraries.  Comprehensive organology info on the shamisen, also some info on sanshin.  It should have what you're looking for.


Without music, life would be a mistake.

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#9 2010-10-13 11:29:23

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

sokyoku wrote:

See if you can lay your hands on "The Shamisen: Tradition And Diversity" by Henry Johnson.  The book is a fairly new release but should be in public or university libraries.  Comprehensive organology info on the shamisen, also some info on sanshin.  It should have what you're looking for.

Excellent. Thank You. I'll track it down.


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

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#10 2010-10-13 13:48:34

Gerry
Member
From: Toronto
Registered: 2007-04-08
Posts: 13

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

Kyle Abbott’s book is without question the best how-to out there in any language. I was with him this summer in Japan when he showed it to some Japanese shamisen makers, who couldn’t believe he’d managed to do it all on his own. If there are still copies left from the most recent edition, I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of building a shamisen. It costs a just bit more than those blueprints at the luthier website, but has all kinds of tips, and includes plans for making a plectrum (essential, but missing from the blueprints), and some easy to follow tablature to get you started playing.
As his book shows, it is possible to make a shamisen, but making a kankara sanshin is far easier. I bought a kankara a few years ago in Japan, then made several copies using that one as a blueprint. Shamisen tend to run about 31 ½ inches from nut to bridge, but kankara are shorter, at about 22 ¼ inches. Since the bridge isn’t fixed, there is some variation there. For the body, I suggest using a big 1 kg coffee can (about 15 inches across) cut to a depth of 3 ½ inches.

Here is a sort of photo-essay of an old guy making one from scratch:
http://www6.atwiki.jp/yae/pages/9.html

Here he is tuning it and playing a nice understated version of Asadoya Yunta, the most famous traditional Okinawan song (in mainland Japan anyway):
http://www6.atwiki.jp/yae/pages/16.html

There was another website that has since disappeared or relocated that has some really detailed shots of the process. Fortunately, I saved it to my computer, and could email you the pictures if you are interested.

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#11 2010-10-13 20:16:17

ABRAXAS
Member
Registered: 2009-01-17
Posts: 353

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

Gerry wrote:

Kyle Abbott’s book is without question the best how-to out there in any language. I was with him this summer in Japan when he showed it to some Japanese shamisen makers, who couldn’t believe he’d managed to do it all on his own. If there are still copies left from the most recent edition, I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of building a shamisen. It costs a just bit more than those blueprints at the luthier website, but has all kinds of tips, and includes plans for making a plectrum (essential, but missing from the blueprints), and some easy to follow tablature to get you started playing.
As his book shows, it is possible to make a shamisen, but making a kankara sanshin is far easier. I bought a kankara a few years ago in Japan, then made several copies using that one as a blueprint. Shamisen tend to run about 31 ½ inches from nut to bridge, but kankara are shorter, at about 22 ¼ inches. Since the bridge isn’t fixed, there is some variation there. For the body, I suggest using a big 1 kg coffee can (about 15 inches across) cut to a depth of 3 ½ inches.

Here is a sort of photo-essay of an old guy making one from scratch:
http://www6.atwiki.jp/yae/pages/9.html

Here he is tuning it and playing a nice understated version of Asadoya Yunta, the most famous traditional Okinawan song (in mainland Japan anyway):
http://www6.atwiki.jp/yae/pages/16.html

There was another website that has since disappeared or relocated that has some really detailed shots of the process. Fortunately, I saved it to my computer, and could email you the pictures if you are interested.

This is exactly the kind of reply I was shooting for when posting the original questions.

Thanks Again!


"Shakuhachi music stirs up both gods and demons." -- Ikkyu.

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#12 2010-10-13 21:42:36

sokyoku
Member
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: 2010-10-13
Posts: 21
Website

Re: Sanshin & Shamisen specs

Hi again ABRAXAS:

Gerry wrote:

Kyle Abbott’s book is without question the best how-to out there in any language.

For building your own Tsugaru shamisen, I'd agree with that.  And it's certainly the most entertaining book you're going to find, bar none! :-)
(As Moran from Planet X said, the whole family's a hoot...!)


Gerry wrote:

If there are still copies left from the most recent edition, I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of building a shamisen.

When I spoke with friend Kyle a few weeks ago, he still had stock of the current edition, which is version 2.  However, he told me he is planning to put out version 3, which will include some updated info based on his dealings and conversations with those shamisen makers that Gerry mentioned Kyle met in Japan.  So you might want to hold off getting a copy for another couple of months or so(?) and get the version that includes the Japan trip tips... (I think a couple of months was Kyle's estimate on when it might be ready, but don't quote me - you could email him and ask.)


Gerry wrote:

it has all kinds of tips, and includes plans for making a plectrum (essential, but missing from the blueprints), and some easy to follow tablature to get you started playing.

Kyle's tips are great (and some are as kooky as he is! <g>)  However, since it's specifically a book about building a Tsugaru shamisen, all his measurements for shamisen, bachi, etc.,  pertain to Tsugaru shamisen.  In Prof. Johnson's book (he is the head of the Music Dept. at University of Otalo, New Zealand, btw), there are lots of comparative measurements given for many styles of shamisen(Tsugaru, jiuta, nagauta, Yanagawa, Gidayu, sanshin, etc.) as well as for the related bachi and koma for the different shamisen genres. Johnson's book also gives details about materials, grades of shamisen, shamisen genres, and it has about a 20-page section on techniques and notation for a number of the shamisen styles/genres, as well as information about tunings. Kyle's book has tuning info, although a little less than what's in Johnson's book, and Kyle's has schematics and templates, which Johnson's book does not have.  Kyle's book is also much more affordable than Johnson's (which is why I suggested you try a library for the latter. :-) )

Anyway, for any serious shamisen aficionado, they'd probably want to have both these books in their collection.  Both are full of informative and interesting information that has been extremely hard to come by till now (unless one could read Japanese). 

So, good luck with your project!


Without music, life would be a mistake.

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