A new name has entered the international bass guitar scene, though the story behind it reaches back decades. 

Kikuchi Guitars is the work of Japanese master luthier Yoshiyuki “Yoshi” Kikuchi, a respected builder whose career includes work connected to renowned Japanese and American bass brands and artists. During his career, Kikuchi has been associated with Atelier Z, John Suhr and Roger Sadowsky. In the early 1990s, he moved to New York to work alongside Roger Sadowsky and further refine his craft, later contributing to the development of Sadowsky’s Japanese production. 

Today, decades of experience in design, setup and refinement come together in Kikuchi Guitars: instruments built around musicality, balance, smooth playability and immediate response. 

The philosophy behind Kikuchi Guitars is simple: evolve the classic electric bass by improving feel, balance, response, consistency and musicality, without losing the soul players fell in love with in the first place. 

“A legacy, made personal.” 

The basses are manufactured in small batches in Japan and combine inspiration from classic 60’s and 70’s bass designs with carefully considered modern refinements. Features such as graphite-reinforced necks, lightweight hardware, transparent custom electronics, carefully selected woods and exceptionally low, even setups all contribute to instruments known for their comfort, balance and responsiveness. 

The current lineup includes the Hermes Series, featuring models inspired by vintage configurations of Jazz Basses and available in both active and passive versions. Rather than custom shop instruments built to order, these basses are produced in limited batches with fixed specifications, allowing Kikuchi to offer boutique-level craftsmanship at a more accessible price point. 

Tonally, Kikuchi basses are known for articulate lows, textured mids, crisp highs and a highly dynamic response. Whether played fingerstyle, slapped aggressively or used in subtle studio work, the instruments remain musical, balanced and expressive. 

Kikuchi basses are already attracting attention from players looking for a refined boutique instrument that blends vintage familiarity with Japanese precision, detail and feel. 

In addition to the bass lineup, Yoshi Kikuchi is also building a small number of handcrafted archtop guitars. At present, it has not yet been determined whether these instruments will become available outside Japan. 

Kikuchi Guitars Europe, based in Hilversum, The Netherlands, is the official European distributor and showroom location for the brand. In the United States, players can connect through Kikuchi Guitars USA. Players are welcome to book private demo sessions in person or online. 

More information, current stock and media content can be found at: kikuchiguitars.com