Page "Shamisen" Paragraph 31

Tsugaru Koma are very easily identifiable due to their unique structure and use of two different materials.

Tsugaru Koma are very thin in width, and arent very high.

The base is usually made of either bamboo, smoked bamboo, or a wood of some kind, while the top half in which the strings pass through can be made of ivory, bone, or tortoiseshell.

Because of the thickness of both the strings and neck of the Futozao shamisen, the Tsugaru bridge in general tends to be longer than the others.

One should note not to confuse a Gidayu ( Highest Koma made, fashioned out of black buffalo horn ) or Kiyomoto koma ( looks exactly like Nagauta koma but is much wider at the base ) with Tsugaru.