Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on December 22, 2011 at 1:04am

   Interesting looking canister they give you as a substitute for the traditional

   square banjo-like doohickey.  Funny,  the do-it-yourself kit looks sort of like 

   a Japanese equivalent of the Loog kit...

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Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on December 22, 2011 at 1:33am

I wondered where the traditional tortured cat skin covering was.  Then the guy started singing........

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on December 22, 2011 at 6:29am

Just in case you haven't heard this instrument brought into the modern age...Rock on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERXiliJfdI&feature=results_main...

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 22, 2011 at 4:04pm

Keni,

 

That...was...keeeewwwwwwllllll! Lots of minor pentatonic riffs. May have to check these guys out further. Thanks for finding that.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on December 23, 2011 at 12:49am

Thank you Oily for your reply. Yes, they do rock! That traditional tone is quite unique in a modern setting. Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on December 23, 2011 at 6:22am

Those are neat kits, I wonder how much they cost back in Japan? I bet they are a lot cheaper.   I do dig the tuners.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on December 23, 2011 at 12:08pm

Thank you Michael for your reply. I think the Yen is 70 cents to the $. Enjoy.

 

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on December 24, 2011 at 8:50pm

Dig the kit, good stuff!

The video is a bit overwhelmingly busy, but yet an eye opening cool experience. I very much enjoyed the Shamesin Vs. Shamisen video and a few others that followed in the index.

So this has me intrigued, and curious, I havent found much yet but am interested in how the authentic (or period correct or whatever) Shamisen is built and tuned, and I want to see a better shot and description of that "plectrum" and how it is used!

I'll be looking..........

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on December 24, 2011 at 8:59pm

   DGD is probably the most common traditional tuning, although even the Japanese

   have been known to use DAD. An interesting note about that plectrum is that it

   can be very sharp... in fact, I once saw a movie where the plectrum was used to 

   assassinate someone!

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on December 24, 2011 at 9:07pm

I saw one pic where it looked like an ice scraper with a thin blade.

Looks like a pretty long neck too! 131 or 151, interesting!

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Smith on December 24, 2011 at 9:31pm

Here is another video of Buddy Guy in Tokyo jamming with a Shamisen player.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/buddy-guy-in-tokyo

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Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on December 25, 2011 at 1:27am

The Yoshida bros rock!  I also thought the plectrum looked like an ice scraper.  The shamisen was the inspiration for my Builder's Challenge entry.  Just wish I could catch my neighbor's cat. . .

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