Ito (strings)
Stock up on ito (strings) to keep your shamisen producing glorious sounds! Available in Silk, Nylon and Tetron.
Learn about shamisen ito and watch how to string a shamisen.
String gauge (thickness)
Higher-gauge strings are thicker, lower gauge strings are thinner. If you don’t have a preference, go with our recommended defaults.
-
The first string on the shamisen (which is the thickest…The first string on the shamisen (which is the thickest of the three). Fujiito brand, material is silk, and it's available in sizes for both Tsugaru and Nagauta styles. -
The first string on the shamisen (which is the thickest…The first string on the shamisen (which is the thickest of the three). Gintsuki brand, material is silk, and it's available in size for Tsugaru style only. -
The first string on the shamisen (which is the thickest…The first string on the shamisen (which is the thickest of the three). Gokujo brand, material is silk, and it's available in size for Tsugaru style only. Contains one string. -
This is a double-length Ichi no Ito (the first string…This is a double-length Ichi no Ito (the first string on the shamisen, which is the thickest of the three). There is a red mark in the middle of the string length, indicating where the string can be cut in half. -
One set of strings for Nagauta style. Contains one silk…One set of strings for Nagauta style. Contains one silk Ichi no ito, one silk ni no ito, and one nylon san no ito. -
The second string on the shamisen (which is the middle…The second string on the shamisen (which is the middle string). Fujiito brand - Tetron (synthetic). -
The second string on the shamisen (which is the middle…The second string on the shamisen (which is the middle string). Gintsuki brand. Can be used for Tsugaru, Jiuta, and Nagauta style. Sold as a pack of two strings. -
The second string on the shamisen (which is the middle…The second string on the shamisen (which is the middle string). Gokujo brand. Can be used for Tsugaru, Jiuta, and Nagauta style. Sold as a pack of two strings. -
San no Ito (Fujiito) string. The thinnest string. Material –… -
The third string on the shamisen (which is the thinnest…The third string on the shamisen (which is the thinnest string). Gintsuki brand. Can be used for Nagauta style and Jiuta style (and technically Tsugaru style as well, but note that the aggressive style might break the silk strings quickly). Sold as a pack of five silk strings. -
The third string on the shamisen (which is the thinnest…The third string on the shamisen (which is the thinnest string). Gokujo brand. Can be used for Nagauta style and Jiuta style (and technically Tsugaru style as well, but note that the aggressive style might break the silk strings quickly). Sold as a pack of five silk strings. -
This is a very special set of ito made by…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) In the Tsugaru Ito Set - Black all strings are dyed black and look very striking against a white shamisen skin. Just be careful when playing shamisen in the dark! -
This is a very special set of ito made by…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. -
This is the Tsugaru Ito Set (Fujiito). They are the…This is the Tsugaru Ito Set (Fujiito). 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! -
This is the Fujiito brand of ito. They are the…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! -
The Gokujo ito are the considered to be the highest…The Gokujo ito are the considered to be the highest quality string for shamisen, and ideal for stage use. Note: The ichi no ito will not fit in a nagauta/jiuta shamisen, as the diameter of the string holes in the itomaki are smaller. It can be done if you widen the string hole first, but I've tried using such a thick string on a nagauta shamisen as an experiment, and feel that the tone of the thinner string balances much better with the smaller size of the nagauta shamisen.