Tsugaru Bachi | Bekko | S/M

Traditional bekko bachi for Tsugaru playing style. Bekko bachi are the standard for Tsugaru playing style. The flexibility of the blade and the distinct snapping sound when striking the strings is an important nuance of the authentic sound of Tsugaru Shamisen. Playing with a bekko bachi feels entirely different from playing with a standard student plastic bachi. And it transforms the sound of your shamisen immensely, too.

The blade of this particular bachi is very thick and will withstand hard playing styles. Due to its thickness, the corners aren’t as flexible. Wether you prefer one or the other is personal preference. The coloring of the blade is rather dark, which makes the lighter brown streaks that you can see when holding it against the light even more interesting. The corners show slight signs of use but are still super fantastic to play. The surface is in fantastic condition – no scratches or spots.

The handle is short to medium and should be comfortable for players with medium sized or smaller hands. As its base is not too bulky either, I think it’s a great choice for female players and male players with slender hands.

With its weight of 149,7 grams, this bachi has a solid weight that can provide you with some extra momentum when you swing at the strings. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to weight and it has nothing to do with your body size or playing style. It really is personal preference.

If you’re just starting out with playing the shamisen: It’s pretty common that the bachi feels a bit weird at the beginning. But it should not cause any pain – neither in wrist nor in any of the fingers of your bachi hand. Please make sure not to grip the bachi handle when playing but to have the bachi wedged in your hand in a relaxed way (I know, it’s hard! But that really is the key to a healthy swing, painless play and a great tone).

measurements:

• blade: 9,3 cm
• length: 17,3 cm
• hilt width (bottom end): 26 mm
• hilt height (bottom end): 22 mm
• weight: 149,7 g