Okinawan 3-String Sanshin w/ Hardshell Case & Xtras

Okinawan 3-String Sanshin w/ Hardshell Case & Xtras The sanshin (三線; lit. 'three strings', Okinawan: sanshin)is a Ryukyuan musical instrument and precursor of Japanese shamisen (三味線). Often likened to a banjo, it consists of a snakeskin-covered body, neck and three strings. Sheet music for the sanshin is written in a unique transcription system called kunkunshi (Okinawan: 工工四, pronounced [kuŋkunshiː]). It is named for the first three notes of Chinese melody that was widely known during its development. Its creator is believed to be Mongaku Terukina or his student Choki Yakabi (屋嘉比 朝寄, Yakabi Chōki) in the early to mid-1700s. A set of kanji are used to represent specific finger positions. Unlike European musical notation, kunkunshi can only be interpreted specifically through the sanshin. WHY SYNTHETIC SKIN? Nothing to break — and nothing to repair. A python-skin sanshin is a beautiful thing, right up until it splits. When it does, you need a craftsman in Okinawa: re-skinning runs ¥20,000–40,000 plus round-trip international shipping, and outside Japan there is almost nobody who can do the work. Synthetic skin takes that risk off the table permanently. Built for your climate, not just Okinawa's. Dry winter heating and sudden humidity swings are what kill sanshin overseas. Synthetic skin is far more stable than natural hide — it holds its tension, and its voice, through seasons that would ruin a skin-headed instrument. A bright, forward voice. Synthetic skin isn't an imitation of hide. It has its own character: brighter, harder-edged, more attack, more cut. It carries across a room and it records cleanly — which is why plenty of players choose it on purpose, not as a compromise. SKIN TENSION — THE PART NOBODY TELLS YOU ABOUT Synthetic skin holds its tension far longer than python skin, which slackens with age until the instrument turns dull and muted. But here is what most listings won't tell you: a great many synthetic-skin sanshin were never stretched tight in the first place. A slack skin gets marketed as a "soft, gentle tone" — and some players genuinely want that. But it is not what this instrument is for. This sanshin is stretched TIGHT, and it shows: crisp, bright, ringing, with real projection. Shipping available (B00)

Condition

Used (normal wear)