SUGITA KENJI Acoustic Guitars
FEATURES
Biography
Beginning
I was born in Toyama, Japan in 1965. My family ran a mountain lodge at Northern Alps in Japan, and I was absorbed in skiing in my childhood. Skiing is the sport that is to make good use of tools, so I was very interested in skies as a tool, and the table that is for tuning the skies up not for studying occupied my room. When I was in junior high school, I took a folk guitar that my sister bought and played it. I was also interested in the guitar as a tool.
When I was in high school, I met Author Hideo Kamimoto's "Ultimate Guitar Repair". It seems that there weren't that kind of book in those days. It was the book that led me into the work of guitars.
After high school, I studied making classic guitars and violins under Chai Yukinobu for six years. In 1990, I became independent and started to make instruments specially steel strings acoustic guitars. However, many years had passed until I got along as a luthier. In 1998, my approach to the way of making classic guitars that has the "through neck joints" of the Spanish method of the construction was noted.
My Teachers
In 2002, I took part in the workshop of Ervin Somogyi, as it was the busiest season of my mountain lodge. I didn't understand English but I could do my best to learn mainly about the top plate dynamics in the workshop. Then I could find the way of thinking about each part of the guitar.
Ervin Somogyi and Chai Yukinobu are my teachers who taught a lot about not only making guitars, but also the way of thinking as a luthier. Recently, I note the neck dynamics from the suggestion that Ervin gave me in the workshop. One of the parts I'm trying to use is a beta-titanium truss rod that is light and elastic. It is one of the features of my guitars, as it isn't showed on the surface.
My Style
In 2003, I met Fujio Shinji who is a graphic designer through the make of "Dolphin I" that was the commission of Dolphin Guitars in Osaka, Japan. After then, as I found the great possibilities of the partnership with the different type of business, Mr. Fujio and I worked together again. We had continued to argue about the design of the guitars and try to make some prototypes for one and a half year. We presented "Carrera" in 2005, and "Dolphin II" in 2006. Collaborating with Mr. Fujio produced both of them.
I think it is quite common for Japanese luthiers to think that it is important that they do all the processes of making guitars by themselves, as I don't know about it in other countries. However, I'm sure that we will achieve better results by concentrating people who have great abilities from the different fields on making guitars.
As regards the players, Nakagawa Isato, the authority of Japanese finger style guitar, Gogo Satoshi, the MVP of the Finger Picking Contest 2004 in Japan, Tanimoto Hikaru, and Kamo Fumiyoshi and so on play my guitars.
My Life
I also run a mountain lodge three months every summer at Northern Alps in Japan that I succeeded as a family business. Now I've been spending very busy time working with three staff. As for me, putting myself into great nature is my asset for my mind and body, and it changes into my energy to make guitars.