Product Description
Dating from the mid 70s onwards, these were designed as a practical alternative to the six foot long traditional Koto - this is a more manageable apartment (and tabletop) friendly three feet long.
Mic it up or use a contact mic and pedals for wild and unusual sounds (see demo below).
This can be tuned using a combination of the tuning pegs on the side and by moving the 'bridges' on each string: very effective and can be set up for the scale of your choice. Complete with original accessories.
Translated from an earlier manual from Japanese using Google Translate (so forgive the 'unique' language):
The story of the koto:
Invented in China during the Warring States period about 2,000 years ago. For this reason, it is also called the one Hata Koto. Originally there were 5 strings, but in the Han dynasty 12 strings were followed, followed by 13 strings, and it seems that these 13 strings were already popular in the Tang dynasty. At the beginning of the Nara period, it was used as an ensemble instrument in Gagaku in Japan, which inherited it. Tsukushi (Tsukushi-ryu Sokyoku) originated in Kitakyushu during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, and became the source of Koto music in the Edo period. A short koto for high notes and a 17 (shinkoto) for low notes were released, but they were largely the same, with minor differences, and did not lead to decisive improvements in the main parts. As you can imagine from its old-fashioned styling, this instrument was originally raised in a rather authoritarian closed society that avoided the common people, unlike the shamisen. , there is a tendency to see the peculiarity of this instrument as an expression of its superiority. This trend has permeated other Japanese musical instruments, and until recently it has created a ``special society'', so in a sense it has actually hindered its spread. Since ancient times, it has been considered ideal to learn Japanese musical instruments by ear and play them all in memory. Literally, sedokuden was respected, but such customs are far from being practiced today. That's unthinkable. Originally, it has the characteristic of being able to freely change the tuning of the string according to the piece, making it easy for you to play. Considering that conventional conventions have greatly hindered the sound development of this instrument, we have continued to desire to somehow make Etto more familiar and accessible. Despite its compact size and advanced playing technique (improvements in functionality, materials, and timbre that can respond well, cost reduction through rationalization, unique self-study methods, etc.) Now that we have achieved a new result, it would be our greatest pleasure if you could draw out the fresh charm of this new product, which has a vision of the future, to your heart's content.