Ryosuke Kobayashi

Sagamiko, Kanagawa, Japan

Ryosuke Kobayashi is one of Japan's most compelling young guitar makers, working from his atelier in the Sagamiko area of Kanagawa Prefecture, west of Tokyo. He builds both nylon and steel string instruments and documents his work in a long running construction diary that has made his process unusually transparent, post by post and guitar by guitar. His instruments have been featured in major Japanese publications, including Gendai Guitar, Jazz Life, and Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and his work is steadily gaining attention from players outside Japan.

Kobayashi builds traditionally fan braced guitars with a set of thoughtful modern features: raised fingerboards with a noticeable radius, elegantly carved soundports, and slim, comfortable neck profiles. His range spans classical concert models, seven string guitars, and crossover designs, typically in German spruce or cedar over rosewood. The details reveal a highly refined eye, from intricate chandelier-like rosettes to a distinctive tapering headstock profile, and his voicing aims for balance, natural bloom, and a lyrical, Spanish leaning character across the whole register.

We are proud to be the exclusive United States dealer for Ryosuke Kobayashi. The first fruit of that collaboration, a 2026 RF model built exclusively for us, sounded remarkably mature for a brand new spruce guitar: open, overtone rich, and even from top to bottom, with bell-like trebles and rounded, supportive basses. The low, fast setup and radiused fingerboard make it exceptionally easy to play. His guitars arrive in small numbers, so if one has already found a home, our expert team is glad to reserve the next to arrive.