Bachi (plectrum)
Commonly mistaken for a putty knife, the bachi is the plectrum for the shamisen. Choosing the right bachi for you is just as important as the shamisen, as it greatly affects your playing experience. What’s the most important factor in choosing a bachi? Flexibility.
Flexibility changes your playing experience the most. When you hold the bachi, you strike the strings with the tip. When there is flexibility, the tip will bend, which makes striking the string feel smoother. If it is really hard, it will feel like the tip is getting caught in the strings. A good rule of thumb is that more flexibility is better. However, higher flexibility means that it may break more easily. Knowing that, please consider your budget as well as your desired experience.
~$204 USD
Faux-Bekkou Bachi 鼈甲調撥
Hardness level: 5.
Highly Reccomended! Perfect for beginners and advanced players alike. It has the same feel & flex of a natural bekkou bachi, but is stronger and will potentially last many more years of hard tsugaru playing! The tortoise will thank you too.
~$29 USD
Plastic Bachi プラスチック撥
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.
~$116 USD
Wooden Bachi 木撥
Hardness level: 7.
Breaks fairly quickly with hard tsugaru playing. We only carry it because some people think it’s badass.
~$184 USD
Acrylic Bachi - Clear アクリル撥－透明
Hardness level: 9.
Made out of clear acrylic and looks very stylish.
~$243 USD
Acrylic Bachi - Tinted アクリル撥－色
Hardness level: 9.
Made out of clear acrylic with a colored tint.
About Bekkou (tortoise shell)
Unlike stiff plastic or acrylic bachi, bekkou is vastly superior due to it’s flexibility. Bekkou comes in a variety of flexibility, depending on the quality of shell. A nice bekkou bachi with flex makes playing shamisen a very enjoyable experience. Note: The bachi tip will chip and wear down with prolonged or hard use. It’s perfectly natural and happens to everyone, but please be aware when spending large money on a bachi.
~$486 USD
Bekkou Bachi - Level 1 鼈甲撥-1段
Hardness level: 7.
A high quality bekkou bachi is recommended for the shamisen player wanting to upgrade their experience. Just remember that harder bachi (higher number) is strong and stiff, whereas the soft bachi (lower number) is flexible but weaker.
~$681 USD
Bekkou Bachi - Level 2 鼈甲撥-2段
Hardness level: 6.
A high quality bekkou bachi is recommended for the shamisen player wanting to upgrade their experience. Just remember that harder bachi (higher number) is strong and stiff, whereas the soft bachi (lower number) is flexible but weaker.
~$875 USD
Bekkou Bachi - Level 3 鼈甲撥-3段
Hardness level: 5.
A high quality bekkou bachi is recommended for the shamisen player wanting to upgrade their experience. Just remember that harder bachi (higher number) is strong and stiff, whereas the soft bachi (lower number) is flexible but weaker.
Masahiro’s Reccomendation
Brand new bekkou bachi are very expensive. You can get a great bachi at a far lower price if it is pre-owned. Pre-owned bachi on Bachido are as good as new, but can have a much lower price because it has been played with. Please check out Chuko (Pre-owned) Items on Forum & Community.