Stretching a Skin on a Shamisen

[motimenow]

Awesome,

I need to replace the skins on a shamisen. How and where can I purchase the skins please?

Thanks!

[fiddlefella]

@motimenow You can get thick calf skin at mid-east . com. :-)

[motimenow]

@fiddlefella Thanks for the quick response!

[darthlol2]

@fiddlefella Hey man, I've been looking at your videos about how you make these shamisen and I must say: it looks pretty neat!

Now I've decided to do my school project on making a shamisen, but now I've got a question: I read your answer about where you get those calf skin and I looked on mid-east . com... but I wonder if they also ship to Europe. But I can't find an answer to that. Thought maybe you would know ... ?

Thanks if you have time to answer this question. You rock ^^

[fiddlefella]

@darthlol2 Hi. Thanks! I'm glad you like the videos! :-)

Yes, they ship to Europe, and many other countries. To find out, I just added one to the shopping cart, checked out, and saw there's a wide country selection when filling out the address page. So it should all be fine. :-)

Good luck on making the shamisen! It'll be an impressive school project! :-)

[sekiryu]

I have two 3 questions: first, what size calf skin is needed? Second, what kind of glue do you use? Third, are there any pre-made clamps that I can buy? I'm not a woodworker and don't have any tools to make the clamps anyway.

[fiddlefella]

@sekiryu A 12" Diameter calf skin will cover one side. I make glue from sticky rice flour and water (heated and stirred until it's very gummy). Unfortunately, I don't know any places to buy them.

[sekiryu]

@fiddlefella Is there a method other than using the above shown clamps? Such as standard clamps from a hardware store?

[100FATGORONS]

@fiddlefella

Can you use banjo skin instead? because animal skin seems hard to find. :p

[fiddlefella]

@100FATGORONS

Hmm... Banjo skin (assuming you mean synthetic Remo heads) would be interesting. I have no idea what the results would be like, so it'd be interesting to try once. However, calf skins are easily bought at elderlyinstruments . com, or mid-east . com

[100FATGORONS]

@fiddlefella what type of wood would you recommend for any shamisen? , i already checked online yes, but i would like to hear from your personal view. thank you soo much for the advise, i will try these sites.

[100FATGORONS]

Hi i was wondering if engraving in the wood is needed before assembling. Thank you for these wonderful videos :D

[fiddlefella]

@100FATGORONS

I'm glad you like the videos! :-)

If you mean carving of the wood, yes. The wood has to be carved before assembling.

[Hanyou1993]

I was woundering, thoes clamps... insdeed of making your own...can you use normal ones?:x the metal one..

[GreyDancer42]

Hey man :) Do you ever reskin for other people? I've got one that has a big hole in one side and there's no way I can do it myself.

[fiddlefella]

@GreyDancer42

Hi there! Yes, I do reskin shamisen with calfskin. It texture of the sound is different than dog/cat skin, but sounds good. :-) Send me an email and we'll discuss it! :-)

[ascomate]

congratulations mr.!! i am so grateful for all you teach us...... so, can you answer me some questions: i heard once long ago than in okinawa during second world war the people made their own samiseng with cookies tin, what do you know about this??, can you explain us how to make one????.... place????..... thanks for all :)

[fiddlefella]

@ascomate

Thanks! I'm really glad you find these videos useful. :-)

Ah yes. The tin can sanshin are called Kankara. Much easier to make. ;-)

I've never made one myself, but type "How to make Kankara Sanshin" in google, and you'll find good instructions.

[ascomate]

@fiddlefella thanks man, i'd been searching and i had found some usefull information....

[apteka2]

Many skins can be used. Dog, Cat, Calf, etc

[vagrantaesthetic]

Are your services available? I've seen inexpensive Tsugaru Shamisen on ebay but their skins are damaged. With the money I'd save on buying them, I could pay well to have them repaired. In Japan I'm looking at $600+ to have them done, but live in Orlando, FL where supplies aren't as easy to come by!

[frozenadam69]

is that really skin?

[fiddlefella]

@frozenadam69 Yeah. That's goat skin. (but calf is better)

[StuInTokyo]

@fiddlefella

Is the skin something special, the goat or calf, or is it something that I could buy at a leather shop?

I'm in Tokyo and my daughter wants a Shamisen, but boy they are expensive, so I thought I'd get one with a busted skin, as they sell cheap, and then reskin it myself, I have good woodworking skills and tools, so I know I could make the stretching stand and the "Kisen" clamps.

Could you give me a bit of inot on the Kisen? how wide, thick, & long are they?

Thank you very much!

[ramonthe3rd]

which skin you use??? is animal skin or somekind of wool??? what should i get??? thank you for your guide, im making some kind of experimental instrument and maybe i'll try a shamisen if i succeed

[jewbybrother579]

@ramonthe3rd shamisen skin is made out of dog skin.

[jackietremaine]

@jewbybrother579 i thought it was made of foreskin

I loled!

[jewbybrother579]

@jackietremaine either one i suppose

[XxNINJIZxX]

monkey toes lol j/k

[fiddlefella]

@XxNINJIZxX That's what not wearing shoes all your life will do to your feet.! ;-)

Of course, my brother (who's also been barefoot) doesn't have toes like that, so go figure. ;-)

[gazastrook]

hey dude i also am trying to put a skin on a shamisen.

but do you first trech it wet and than clue it on dry.

and what kind of clue are you using.

is normal woodclue anough.

by the way im dutch explains the bad writing.

[fiddlefella]

Great!

You stretch it and glue it on wet, and it will dr.

I'm using rice glue. It's a combination of rice powder and water. 1:3 ratio. It's heated and stirred until it's doughy, but still wet.

I would advise against wood glue, as it's not thick enough. I tried it once, and the skin popped off.

No worries about your writing. I could fully understand you. :-)

[greatarachnid]

200 hundred dollars is alot per side! How much would you charge?

[fiddlefella]

I charge $120 per side.

[fiddlefella]

Well, they don't reskin shamisens, though they have a list of skinners for recommendations . . . which one of them is me. ;-)

Ah, not yet but very soon. I am "proofreading" the book instructions by making another shamisen, following the instructions I wrote. Man, you'll be glad I'm doing that. Soooo many embarrassing errors! But in any case, it's almost done. I'm getting ready to make the azuma sawari. After that and the tuning pegs, it'll be done and the book will be ready in Nov.-ish

[GrandTeutonica]

Do you know if Chordscanada will reskin shamisens?

Did you ever release your shamisen book?

Because I wanted to know if you included the instructions for the reskinning pieces and parts....

[Yunibrow]

why did you put in water?

what are the name of the clips could you get it from your local hardaware store???

[fiddlefella]

To limber up the skin so it will stretch (the skin doesn't stretch much when it's dry)

The clips are called Kisen. Unfortunately, they can't be found at local hardware stores, so you have to make them yourself. They are very easy to make, it just takes a bit of time.

[usagiicecream]

The skin on my shamisen was recently destroyed in a house fire. It was originally a synthetic skin because I am a vegetarian. I would like to replace it, but I have no idea how to get a synthetic skin. Any ideas?

[fiddlefella]

Ooh. Sorry to hear that. :-(

Yeah, boy synthetic skin is hard to find. I've never been able to find it.

I guess the easiest solution would be to use our clever human brain and find a way to rationalize using calf/dog skin on the shamisen, while keeping your vegetarian standards intact. ;-)

[Hikikomori013]

Check a music supply for drum skins. Synthetic drum heads should be suitable for stretching over a shamisen.

You'll need to roughen the back well to give the glue a good grip on it.

[afroniner11dy12]

what kind of skin should i use

assuming i'm on a budget : )

and what is the deal with thickness?

[fiddlefella]

Well, I would say thick calf skin. (since dog skin is so hard to find, calf is the best alternative) I used to use thin goat on one of my shamisens, but I found thick calf sounds sharper and more "authentic."

The deal with thickness: I had always thought that a thinner skin made a better tone, but it turns out thicker is better! (to a point of course) For shamisen, I'd say to use skin that's about 5 paper sheets thick

[GrandTeutonica]

I very much so look forward to purchasing your upcoming book :D

but, is it going to be available on Amazon?

and do you have an estimated release date?

sorry, I don't mean to be persistent ; )

[rimascarenhas]

what is the liquid that you use on 1:03mm to put the skin ?

[fiddlefella]

Just water.

[rimascarenhas]

Thanks a lot, i have one shamisen to fix here and its one problem, replace the skin, but now i think itll be right...thannks man and good regards......

[tomfum]

Rubbish

[fiddlefella]

So you say...

[cheshirether]

But how do you make the clamps?

[fiddlefella]

*magic*

No, seriously. With wood, a bolt/washer and a dowel. How they go together exactly is described in my new upcoming book, Shamisen of Japan (working title).

[cheshirether]

Great, I'm looking forward to it

[soubilovesritsuka]

WOW

last year i sold my shamisen as i couldn't find anyone in the uk to replace the skin for me. Even as a girlie i reckon with patience that i could do this myself. i am now looking at replacing my shamisen and learning to play. I look forward to your book eagerly.

[fiddlefella]

Great! Yeah, being a girlie (;-)) is no problem, as skinning doesn't really take much strength.

when the book is done, I'll be putting out a shamisen video on youtube saying that it's done. (should be in about a month or so)

[7610111610510010597]

did you make the tools yourself?

[fiddlefella]

The clamps and stretching platform? Yes. It was pretty monotonous work, that's for sure. (is there anything more dull than making 18 identical clamps?)

[7610111610510010597]

where the hell did you get all these materials??

I cant even find the wood lol

[fiddlefella]

Well, you can get the skin from an online drum supply store.

The wood can be gotten either from a local or online lumber company.

[wannabeageishagirl]

yikes, looks tedious, what happens if you don't get those wooden clamps tight enough and they slip?

[fiddlefella]

Well, first you cry for 20 minutes, and then you start over. ;-)

[crisjanamisola]

oh yea two more things: metal clamps don't really work. and how did you make your clamps

[fiddlefella]

All out of wood (and a screw to hold them together). It got pretty dull making 18 of them, that's for sure.

The designs for them are gonna be included in my new book I'm making on How to Make and Play Tsugaru Shamisen.

[crisjanamisola]

how are catskin prices now a days

[fiddlefella]

Ridiculously expensive. One place in Japan sold it for $700 (no, not in yen) for 2 sheets. Why? Well, animal rights people have limited the cat skin supply. Apparently years ago, there used to be 200 dead cat catchers out there, now there are only 2. Imagine how cheap cat skin was in those days!

Not to sound. . . weird or anything, but it'd be much more affordable (and educational) to buy dead cats (from a biology supply company)and skin/tan them yourself.

[crisjanamisola]

can you reapply the original skin

[fiddlefella]

Hmm. . . you know, that's a good question.

If you have to get a new skin anyway, it would be definitely worth a shot.

However, two things I see going wrong is. . .

First, if the skin has been trimmed after stretching, it'll be too small when it returns to original size (when soaked again in water)

Another potential problem is the skin's integrity has been weakened after being stretched for so long. The skin will probably rupture during the stretching process.

[fiddlefella]

One story about reusing the same skin:

I was trying to stretch a skin on a shamisen a few months ago. Things had kept going wrong. After I stretched it, I found that I didn't scrape the old glue off, so it didn't stick.

After 4 unsuccessful stretchings (using the same skin), when I finally got it perfect, the skin ruptured. Oy. . .

[yatudlabiereicit]

what kind of skin is that ???

[fiddlefella]

That is goat skin.

[teamshintaichi]

Also is stretching all in one day or do you tighten it over a period of weeks or somrthing?

[fiddlefella]

Oh, it only takes about 50 minutes to stretch the skin. (you need to stretch it before the skin dries) Of course, it's best to wait a while when drying. Very depressing to take off the clamps and find the rice glue hasn't fully hardened

[teamshintaichi]

when will your book be out? I will deffinately buy one or even just a collection of notes and measurements. By the way, do you sell shamisen? I'm trying to start asian orchestra 4 my school but tsugaru shamisen is $2000 and we don't have THAT much $... we're only teens!

[cadarndragon84]

rice glue? how do you make that?

[fiddlefella]

3 parts water to one part rice flour. (3:1 ratio)

You mix it together and heat it over the stove until it is thick and pasty.

[teamshintaichi]

how long should the skin soak?

[fiddlefella]

About 10 minutes or until it's very limber)

[Wolfytrot]

You gotta' make it flow like wata', whoo hoo!

[rat8bug]

What type of solution was used for the skin dunk? What type of glue is used on the drum to hold skin? I have some really strong small spring clamps; can I use those? Nice rig.

[fiddlefella]

Oh, just water. I usually put it in the bathtub to soak it but I thought a chrome pan would look cooler. ;-)

Rice glue. Easy to make in a pan over heat. Very sticky and holds very well. (I assume elmer's glue would work fine too)

Spring clamps. Assuming they are strong enough to where they don't slip off the skin when you tighten them down with ropes (as you have to get the skin very tight), I think your clamps would work fine. You'd have to try it to really know for certain.

Thanks! :-)

[porkdemon]

can i ask where you got the equipment to stretch the skin? did you have to make it yourself or can you buy it somewhere?

also what type of skin did you use, im thinking of using goat skin myself.

[fiddlefella]

I had to make the equipment myself. I bet if you found some shamisen supplier, you might be able to get the whole stretching kit. I bet it'd be expensive though, considering how low demand for it is.

Goat skin is a great idea. I used goat skin (that's not what makes it a great idea of course ;-) ). Cheap, nice and thin.

[porkdemon]

yeah, im sort of weighing the idea of goat skin or kangaroo skin, because im using australian hardwood, i think if i use roo skin, it will tie the whole thing together nicely, a japanese instrument with an australian twist.