How Minamo Takes Form
The ideas behind Minamo Guitars do not end with words.
Some take shape through dialogue with players.
Others emerge from looking inward and exploring my own instincts, interests, and passions.
Here are two ways in which the philosophy of Minamo Guitars becomes an instrument.
Shaped Through Dialogue with Players
01 An Idea Worth Trying
An owner once suggested adding
a bridge cover to their instrument.
I found the idea interesting, so rather than
dismissing it or deciding from words alone,
I placed the part on the body to see how it might work.
Turning an idea born through conversation into part of an instrument—and enjoying that process together—is one of the unique possibilities of a direct custom order.
02 Finding the Right Form Together
Some qualities, such as colour and texture, cannot be fully communicated through words alone.
By preparing samples, exchanging impressions, and making adjustments together, an image that initially existed only in the player’s mind gradually begins to take shape as an instrument.
03 The Relationship Continues
I do not believe the relationship ends when an instrument is completed and delivered.
New ideas and needs often emerge only after spending time playing the instrument.
Through additional parts, adjustments, and continued support, I hope to remain involved in the journey that follows between each player and their instrument.
Shaped Through Dialogue with Myself
01 The Birth of the Blueprint Series
t was not created for a commission, nor was it intended as an answer to the market.
The Blueprint Series emerged from facing what I genuinely find beautiful, what truly interests me,
and what I can approach with passion.
It does not refer to one particular model
or a single finished instrument.
It is a series through which ideas born from dialogue with myself are given form as instruments.
02 The Expression Behind Blueprint
Countless eyes have become one of the defining visual elements of the Blueprint Series.
Using my own eyes as the motif,
I incorporated them into the instrument
through a transparent pickguard.
They are not simply decorative.
They are an important part of expressing the world and perspective behind the series.