Sugi Guitars
Sugi Guitars
Also known as: Sugi, スギギター, Sugi Musical Instruments, Sugi Guitars and Basses
UnclaimedSugi Guitars is a Japanese custom shop founded in 2002 by Makoto "Nick" Sugimoto and his uncle Mitsuo Tsukada, with instruments handcrafted in Matsumoto, Nagano. Before starting the company, Sugimoto studied guitar repair in the United States in 1976 and spent more than two decades at Fujigen and Fujigen Hirooka, where he built instruments for some of Japan's largest OEM clients. That backgroun...
Sugi Guitars is a Japanese custom shop founded in 2002 by Makoto "Nick" Sugimoto and his uncle Mitsuo Tsukada, with instruments handcrafted in Matsumoto, Nagano. Before starting the company, Sugimoto studied guitar repair in the United States in 1976 and spent more than two decades at Fujigen and Fujigen Hirooka, where he built instruments for some of Japan's largest OEM clients. That background informs Sugi's approach: small-batch construction, uncompromising fit and finish, and a focus on instruments intended to age into vintage-quality pieces.
The lineup spans electric guitars and basses, organized into series including Sugi Japan, Luthier's Collection, and a Made in the USA line produced through a U.S. workshop. Models often feature exotic and figured tonewoods — walnut, myrtle, bubinga, and heavily-flamed maple among them — and the company is known for meticulous neck work and high-gloss finishes. Sugi also has a long history of OEM and collaborative work with other builders, including production of select high-end Ibanez J Custom guitars.
The brand is distributed internationally through specialty dealers and maintains separate Japanese, global, and U.S. storefronts. Its reputation among collectors and session players centers on consistency, quiet engineering, and the use of uncommon materials rather than flashy marketing.
Sugi Guitars has 2 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Solid Body Electric Guitars and Hollowbody Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 4 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Stage & Screen. Notable users include Yojiro Noda, Tom-H@ck, and Yumi Nakashima.
Artists Who Use Sugi Guitars
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