Description
Special Edition Upgrades:
For this celebration of our beloved Raven, the makers at Tokyo Wagakki have brought the following elements to this model.
Sakura-Shape Itomaki: This is a very unique itomaki made in the shape of a sakura petal. It is made only by Tokyo Wagakki, and looks absolutely stunning in the light!
V-Neck/Ogi Cut Chibukuro: Inspired by the Akatsuki, this Special Edition sports the Akatsuki’s iconic Ogi Cut Chibukuro. Such a cutout design makes position ‘1’ easier to press, but it also looks very stylish! The sao also is shaped to the slender V shape, which is more ergonomic than the standard U shape (which can be unwieldly in the Futozao size.)
Ayasugi: Ayasugi (綾杉彫りto be specific) is an ornate herring bone pattern carved into the dou’s inner cavity. Traditionally, Ayasugi was added to shamisen made with high figured woods. Not because the herring bone pattern benefits sound quality (which some believe it to be), but rather to enhance the visual beauty. Shamisen made with high figured woods is already a visual work of art, and so if a customer was requesting such high quality woods, the craftsmen would carve the pattern to turn their shamisen into a full masterpiece.
Custom Options: Would you like the itomaki in a different color, shape, or material? Or perhaps a different wood or size? Each shamisen is made to order direct from Tokyo Wagakki, so we can easily accept custom requests! Please send your Custom Raven requests to me via the Contact Us page and let’s have a fun chat about the options available!
Specifications
- Size: Your Choice of Chuzao (Mid-Size) or Futozao (Large Size)
- Sao: Shitan (Rosewood) – 28mm wide x 33mm thick (Chuzao) or 30mm wide x 35mm thick (Futozao) – Mitsuori (three-piece neck)
- Itomaki: Red Sakura (cherry blossom-shaped) Acrylic (with metal core)
- Skin: or
- Dou: Karin – Size 5 (Tsugaru) Ayasugi carving
- Hardware: Azuma Sawari, Rindo, Zagane, and Kamigoma
- Accessories not included
Color Burst Within Darkness
The Raven is made with high quality Shitan (rosewood). Shitan shamisen are pretty common, so to add our unique flavor, we’ve asked the makers at Tokyo Wagakki to expertly darken the shitan with urushi (non-allergenic). This brings an incredible new visual element to the shitan. When the background is lighter/whiter, the Raven looks black as midnight. However, carry the Raven to a darker background and suddenly the natural brown color of the rosewood pops out! I (Kyle Abbott) have never seen a shamisen like this. The visual element is just as captivating as the tone! Admiring it’s shining curves, I can proudly say this is a beautiful shamisen. While we’re listing this as a ‘mid-range’ shamisen, the quality is nothing short of top grade.
The dou is standard Size 5 for tsugaru style. Combined with the Shitan sao, I enjoyed wonderful clarity with warm resonance of the sawari. The sao is incredibly smooth with low action, which meant it’s very easy to play and yield high sustain with suri (slide), uchi (hammer-on) and such techniques.
Order the Raven: Special Edition!
(Note: Each shamisen is built per order. Please allow six to eight weeks for construction)
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