Ito (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) All strings are dyed red and look very striking against a white shamisen skin.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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!
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