At Bachido, we constantly strive to make shamisen accessible and friendly so everyone can join in the fun! The accessibility we bring is not only learning materials and knowledge, but taking efforts to reduce prices of shamisen or find shamisen-like instruments so everyone can afford to start playing. Thus, it is with great pleasure that we’re introducing you to a fun and very friendly instrument made in Japan!

Think of the classic warm sound of a simple cigar-box guitar combined with the percussive & sliding qualities we love about the shamisen and combine them. The Shabo is the perfect way to start enjoying shamisen and getting a taste of what a standard shamisen is like. The Shabo is such a friendly instrument, it invites you to pick it up and play, no matter what the situation. Bring two Shabo to the coffee shop and jam with a friend!

What’s more, the Shabo is tons of fun for shamisen players as well! Maybe playing shamisen loud with the bachi isn’t appealing after a long day at work? The Shabo’s small frame allows you to recline on the couch, strike with a thumb-pick and practice your favorite songs or compose new ones!

Shabo (Deluxe)

The Shabo (Original) is very friendly and fun, but those wanting a shamisen-like tone might feel the sound of the Shabo’s cardboard box is a little too warm and soft. The Shabo Deluxe features an upgraded wooden body with a synthetic skin stretched on! This synthetic skin is called “riaru” (which is the romaji-ized word for “real”) and is a simpler version of Fibersen. The stretched synthetic skin gives a tone that is more similar to a real shamisen. Listen to it’s crisper tone in the video below!

Sporting the lowest price of any shamisen or shamisen-like instrument from Japan, the Shabo is the perfect instrument to start playing today!

Shabo (Original) – Choose a Paper Style

Choose the paper style for the Shabo’s box!

Plum, Navy Blue, Nippon Komon, Nippon Fan, Wakakusa, Sakura