Beginner Chuuzao Shamisen Set “Natsuki”

I named this shamisen “Natsuki” (夏希) because its warm orange color reminds me of summer — full of light, hope, and joy. The name means “summer” and “hope”, a perfect match for an instrument that radiates brightness and positive energy.

This shamisen feels like sunshine in musical form: uplifting, cheerful, and always ready to brighten your day with its sound. It once had a crack in the tenjin (head), which has been professionally repaired. I took a closeup shot for you to check out in the image gallery. The instrument is now structurally sound and plays beautifully. However, due to this previous damage, the price has been adjusted accordingly.

This kind of shamisen with a medium-sized neck (chuuzao) is typically used for Jiuta playing style, but of course you can play anything you want on it! The most obvious difference to a Minyo style shamisen (also a chuuzao) is the lack of an azuma sawari, a mechanism to easily adjust the instrument’s buzz on the big string.

Wood:

The instrument is made from karin wood – an established choice for beginner instruments. The wood has been stained to achieve a deeper shade of brown.

Accessories and Skins:

The instrument comes with a orange doukake with small butterfly elements and a nice red neo. Also included in the package are a set of fresh strings, an attached position marker (fujaku strip), a tenjin cap, and a dougomu – a full set indeed!

The dou is skinned with natural skins. You will get the most authentic shamisen sound and playing feel with this kind of skin.

Neck:

This neck is 28,5 mm wide and 29,5 mm high at the top and widens slightly towards the dou. The fingerboard is 27,75 mm wide at the narrow end. Its hatomune – the part where the neck enters the sound box – ends in a sharp edge that makes it possible to play up to position 20 and slightly beyond on this instrument.

Itomaki:

The itomaki (tuning pegs) are made from ebony wood and have a very balanced size that makes tuning comfortable and easy.

More:

The tsukigata (the curved end of the tenjin) is in perfect condition, and the instrument’s wood has the typical reddish shade of karin wood. The neck is crafted in mitsuori style: It can be separated into three parts. This makes travelling with the shamisen very easy – even if you have to get by with light and small luggage.

All you need to add to your set to start playing are a koma, a bachi and a yubisuri. Depending on the style you intend to play and your personal preferences, you want to pick a certain kind of koma and bachi. Yubisuri come in different sizes, and I didn’t want to deprive you of the difficult yet fun choice between all the wonderful colors. You might also consider getting a  fujaku strip (position marker) to orient yourself along the neck. It’s also possible to mark individual positions, though. I recommend not marking all positions at once but picking out those you need for the song at hand and then gradually extending the amount of markings (and maybe taking off old ones because your hands and ears learned their location already). I made a detailed video about marking positions, if you want to know more about that. Check it out here.

If you need help with picking the right additions to this set, don’t hesitate to send a message and we will find the perfect match for you together.

If you have any further questions, reach out and send me a message and I’ll be happy to help.