The Sanshin, like a guitar, requires different finger positions for different notes. However, unlike a guitar, there are no frets to indicate these positions. Asoviva provides labels for the neck(sou) of your sanshin indicating correct finger positions and making life easier for the beginner. No frets. No problem.

We think it would be disappointing if the first sound you heard from your new sanshin is out of tune! Asoviva make sure your sanshin is correctly tuned and ready to play out of the box.

The bridge(uma) of the sanshin can be difficult for beginners to correctly position. In addition to the note position labels, we provide another to indicate the correct position for the uma, ensuring correct pitch.

The available cases for sanshin, produced by various manufacturers, are normally 20cm wide. We ensure the width of the tuning pegs(karakui) when in place, will still allow your sanshin to fit inside any case.

New strings fitted to a sanshin, even when correctly tuned, will normally fall out of tune as they are first stretched and played. To solve this problem we pre-stretch our strings five times when we receive them, and five times again before fitting them to your sanshin. This ensures your tone will remain stable longer.

Asoviva only use handcrafted wooden tuning pegs(karakui). Premade plastic pegs are often problematic when fitting to a sanshin, as the sizes of the tuning holes may vary slightly. By using handcrafted pegs made specifically for your sanshin, we can ensure a perfect fit.

Asoviva have taken great care to make sure each part of your sanshin meets a high standard, regardless of cost. Whether your sanshin is made from ebony, rosewood or any other wood, it has been handcrafted with the utmost care. To ensure this quality standard, each sanshin is checked for both quality of tone, and for quality of craftsmanship prior to delivery.