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The neck, or ''sou'' 棹, of the instrument is normally made from a single solid piece of wood, [[lacquer]]ed black. The wood traditionally used is called ''kuruchi'' in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]], and ''kokutan'' 黒檀 in Japanese; the tree is a sort of ebony or persimmon.<ref>Scientific name ''Diospyros ferrea''.</ref> Another type of wood, from the ''isunoki'' (''Distylium racemosum'') was also traditionally used.<ref name=museum>Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum.</ref> While many sanshin continue to be made of this wood today, cheaper instruments made from other, lighter, woods are now widely available.　The wood is typically selected from pieces laid out to dry for as much as three years. The rough shape of the instrument's neck is drawn on with a stencil, roughly carved out, and then more finely shaped with the use of rulers and gauges. Finally, lacquer is applied.

The neck, or ''sou'' 棹, of the instrument is normally made from a single solid piece of wood, [[lacquer]]ed black. The wood traditionally used is called ''kuruchi'' in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]], and ''kokutan'' 黒檀 in Japanese; the tree is a sort of ebony or persimmon.<ref>Scientific name ''Diospyros ferrea''.</ref> Another type of wood, from the ''isunoki'' (''Distylium racemosum'') was also traditionally used.<ref name=museum>Gallery labels, Okinawa Prefectural Museum.</ref> While many sanshin continue to be made of this wood today, cheaper instruments made from other, lighter, woods are now widely available.　The wood is typically selected from pieces laid out to dry for as much as three years. The rough shape of the instrument's neck is drawn on with a stencil, roughly carved out, and then more finely shaped with the use of rulers and gauges. Finally, lacquer is applied.

The strings are named ''wuujiru'' 男弦 (lit. "male string"), ''nakajiru'' 中弦 (lit. "middle string"), and ''miijiru'' 女弦 (lit. "female string"), with the "male" string playing the lower notes, and the "female" string being the one which plays the highest notes. Three large tuning pegs, called ''karakuri'' 範, are used to tighten or loosen the strings in order to tune the instrument. Though some modern variations on the instrument, known as "peg sanshin," use pegs which can be screwed in along a groove, like guitar pegs, traditionally, the ''karakuri'' are simply carefully carved so as to fit tightly into the holes in the head of the instrument, a section known as the ''tin'' 天, or "heaven".<ref>O: ''tin'' or ''chira'', J: ''ten'', lit. "heaven"</ref> The ''tin'' bends gracefully backward at the top, and is wider than the rest of the neck. The strings, attached to the ''karakuri'', run through a small board called ''chirutamai'' 糸蔵 (J: ''itokura'') which guides them to run straight down the neck of the instrument. The ''tin'' then narrows as it meets the neck, creating a curved bulging section known as the ''miruku mimi'' 乳袋. The strings then run along the flat, front, side of the neck, an area known as ''tuui'' 野, while the back side of the neck is rounded, and is known as ''tii atai'' 野丸. The neck then curves again as it meets the body, creating a broad flat space on the front known as the ''sun'uri'' 野坂, and a thick, bulging part on the back known as ''utuchikara'' 鳩胸. This broad section of the neck, known as the ''utudamai'', contains within it a thinner section, the "heart" or ''chiiga tamuchi'' 心, which pierces through the body of the instrument, and pokes out the bottom end (the "earth" or ''chii'' 地 of the instrument, in contrast to the "heaven" at the top). The strings are secured at their bottom ends to a set of threads known as the ''itokake'' 糸掛, which is in turn secured to this "monkey tail" (''mijiati'', 猿尾), the bottom end of the spike which pierces through the instrument.

The strings are named ''wuujiru'' 男弦 (lit. "male string"), ''nakajiru'' 中弦 (lit. "middle string"), and ''miijiru'' 女弦 (lit. "female string"), with the "male" string playing the lower notes, and the "female" string being the one which plays the highest notes. They are wrapped around a set of tuning pegs (''karakuri'' 範) within an open rectangular area at the top of the instrument known as the ''chirutamai'' 糸蔵 (J: ''itokura''). These three large tuning pegs are used to tighten or loosen the strings in order to tune the instrument. Though some modern variations on the instrument, known as "peg sanshin," use pegs which can be screwed in along a groove, like guitar pegs, traditionally, the ''karakuri'' are simply carefully carved so as to fit tightly into the holes in the head of the instrument, a section known as the ''tin'' 天, or "heaven".<ref>O: ''tin'' or ''chira'', J: ''ten'', lit. "heaven"</ref> The ''tin'' bends gracefully backward at the top, and is wider than the rest of the neck. The strings, attached to the ''karakuri'', run through a small board (called a "nut" in English) which guides them to run straight down the neck of the instrument. The ''tin'' then narrows as it meets the neck, creating a curved bulging section known as the ''miruku mimi'' 乳袋. The strings then run along the flat, front, side of the neck, an area known as ''tuui'' 野, while the back side of the neck is rounded, and is known as ''tii atai'' 野丸. The neck then curves again as it meets the body, creating a broad flat space on the front known as the ''sun'uri'' 野坂, and a thick, bulging part on the back known as ''utuchikara'' 鳩胸. This broad section of the neck, known as the ''utudamai'', contains within it a thinner section, the "heart" or ''chiiga tamuchi'' 心, which pierces through the body of the instrument, and pokes out the bottom end (the "earth" or ''chii'' 地 of the instrument, in contrast to the "heaven" at the top). The strings are secured at their bottom ends to a set of threads known as the ''itokake'' 糸掛, which is in turn secured to this "monkey tail" (''mijiati'', 猿尾), the bottom end of the spike which pierces through the instrument.

The body of the instrument, the ''chiiga'' 胴, is a rounded square wooden box, made of four sections of wood, and pierced through by the ''sou'', which extends a half-inch or so beyond the bottom of the instrument. A decorative cloth known as ''tiigaa'' 手掛 is wrapped around the body and secured with a number of tightly-knotted ropes. There are a number of different woods which are typically used for the body of the instrument, including ''inumaki'' (''Podocarpus macrophyllus''), mulberry, camphor (''kusunoki''), and ''iju'' (''Schima wallichii'').<ref name=museum/>

The body of the instrument, the ''chiiga'' 胴, is a rounded square wooden box, made of four sections of wood, and pierced through by the ''sou'', which extends a half-inch or so beyond the bottom of the instrument. A decorative cloth known as ''tiigaa'' 手掛 is wrapped around the body and secured with a number of tightly-knotted ropes. There are a number of different woods which are typically used for the body of the instrument, including ''inumaki'' (''Podocarpus macrophyllus''), mulberry, camphor (''kusunoki''), and ''iju'' (''Schima wallichii'').<ref name=museum/>

While the sanshin overall has a distinctive look and sound differentiating it from the Chinese ''[[sanxian]]'' or the Japanese shamisen, and while all sanshin are recognizable as Ryukyuan sanshin, there are a number of types with slight variations in size and shape.

While the sanshin overall has a distinctive look and sound differentiating it from the Chinese ''[[sanxian]]'' or the Japanese shamisen, and while all sanshin are recognizable as Ryukyuan sanshin, there are a number of types with slight variations in size and shape.

The ''yuuna'' 与那 or ''yuuna gushiku'' 与那城 style of sanshin is one of the most common. Said to originate from the [[Yonagusuku]] area, it has a thick neck

The ''yuuna'' 与那 or ''yuuna gushiku'' 与那城 style of sanshin is one of the most common. Said to originate from the [[Yonagusuku]] area, it has a thick and very straight neck. The ''chirutamai'' (the rectangular area within which the strings are wrapped around the tuning pegs) is longer than in many other styles, and the bulge at the back of the neck where it meets the body (the ''utuchikara'') is larger. The ''yuuna'' style is further subdivided into the ''Edo yuuna'', ''ko yuuna gushiku'', ''Sakugawa no yuuna'', and ''kamoguchi yuuna'' styles.

The ''Kuba sundun'' 久場春殿 type, after a design by [[Kuba Sundun]], has the thickest neck of any sanshin style, and a less curved head than most other styles. The neck grows gradually thicker along nearly its entire length, in contrast to many styles of sanshin which have a more noticeable point at which the neck begins to curve out. Kuba Sundun is also credited with inspiring the ''Kuba nu funi'' 久葉ぬ骨 style of sanshin, which has the narrowest neck of any sanshin type - a stark contrast to the ''Kuba sundun'' style. The slim neck is said to resemble a palm leaf, or ''kuba'', giving it a name coincidentally homophonous with that of its designer.

The ''Kuba sundun'' 久場春殿 type, after a design by [[Kuba Sundun]], has the thickest neck of any sanshin style, and a less curved head than most other styles. The neck grows gradually thicker along nearly its entire length, in contrast to many styles of sanshin which have a more noticeable point at which the neck begins to curve out. Kuba Sundun is also credited with inspiring the ''Kuba nu funi'' 久葉ぬ骨 style of sanshin, which has the narrowest neck of any sanshin type - a stark contrast to the ''Kuba sundun'' style. The slim neck is said to resemble a palm leaf, or ''kuba'', giving it a name coincidentally homophonous with that of its designer.