Description
The “Brand New Vintage” Tsugaru Shamisen
This instrument represents a unique opportunity to own a piece of shamisen history in the condition that it would have been owned in the era it was made. Based on three bits of evidence, my educated guess is that this shamisen was constructed around the time of the formalization of the Tsugaru style – Early 1970s.
- The quality of kouki is from this era where highly figured wood was abundant. It is bursting with figure from top to bottom!
- The hakamagoshi (angled area to the sides of the sawari yama) is wider than the current aesthetic. I’ve seen such wide hakamagoshi on vintage minyo and gidayu shamisen, so that leads me to believe this shamisen was built before such aesthetic features were finalized for tsugaru shamisen.
- The dou is handmade. Handmade tsugaru dou did exist later, but later most makers used Tokyo Wagakki’s machine-cut dou, as they were renowned for having the best sound quality.
- Despite the sao having pristine kouki and kinbozo (gold fittings in the joints), the dou doesn’t have the ayasugi pattern. I think the notion of ayasugi being an “acoustic upgrade” didn’t occur until tsugaru style became fully established, and further encouraged when they could be cut by machine. Before then, the hand cut ayasugi was strictly considered an extra level of visual luxury, so it’s possible the customer may have declined to have it added.
Expert Restoration by Tokyo Wagakki
We sent this shamisen to be refreshed by Tokyo Wagakki, the most respected shamisen workshop which has been around for 130 years, long before Tsugaru Shamisen was coined as a style. And this wasn’t just cleaned; it was rebuilt. The craftsmen at Tokyo Wagakki spent as much time refreshing this instrument as they would building a new one.
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The Dou (Body): The body was completely dismantled, joints leveled and reglued, and finished with fresh Urushi lacquer.
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The Neck: Masterfully leveled and relacquered for a smooth, brand-new playing experience.
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The Hardware: As well as the standard rindo, zagane, and azuma sawari, this shamisen also features kinbozo (gold-plated fittings) in the joints, traditionally reserved for only the highest-tier instruments.
First taste of Hibiki Sonic Skin
Be among the first in the world to experience Hibiki Sonic! This is a monumental update for both Hibiki and synthetic shamisen skin technology—offering a resonance and surface texture much closer to natural skin than ever before. It is not yet available to the general public, but comes standard with this instrument Currently skinned with White Hibiki Sonic.
Phoenix Elite Itomaki
As the original itomaki wouldn’t fit into the new zagane (which are slightly larger than they used to be), I installed my Phoenix line of Elite Itomaki, the highest tier with incredible dark curly siamese rosewood and amboyna burl caps!
What’s Included:
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Your choice of lacquered Doukake (armrest) – choices shown in photos.
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Your choice of Neo (string tie)
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Your choice of Black or White Hibiki Sonic skin
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