{"product_id":"864107","title":"Kikuchi Guitars Hermes RV5 (Dark Lake Placid Blue) [Lightweight 3.75kg]","description":"The RV5 is a high-quality 5-string model with alder\/rosewood construction that can be used anywhere!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Hermes is crafted to fully showcase Kikuchi's masterful skills, making it accessible to a wider range of players.\u003cbr\u003e Kikuchi Guitars was born to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Yoshiyuki Kikuchi, one of Japan's leading luthiers, visiting the world-renowned contemporary master craftsman Roger Sadowsky. You can fully experience the depth of Kikuchi's understanding of instruments, which he has deepened while faithfully inheriting the Sadowsky spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This \"Hermes\" series is the brand's standard line. While the basic specifications and manufacturing quality are almost the same as the custom models, the regular model lineup with fixed specifications achieves high cost performance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Although it's part of the Standard series, the ability to set it to a low action, just like a Custom model, is only possible thanks to the high-precision machined neck, straight fingerboard, and accurate fretting. The well-balanced body and various other elements are beautifully brought together into the shape of the instrument, resulting in not only high playability but also a light weight of under 4 kg, a tight and powerful bass string sound, and a sharp, crisp slap sound—a model that can be called the culmination of Mr. Kikuchi's work, packed with unique charms that cannot be found anywhere else.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Experience the world-class sound and playability of \"Kikuchi Guitars,\" a brand that can be considered the culmination of Mr. Kikuchi's knowledge and experience gained at Sadowsky and Three Dots Guitars!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e [Kikuchi Yoshiyuki]\u003cbr\u003e In 1993, he traveled to the United States alone and studied techniques at the Sadowsky Guitars NYC workshop. After returning to Japan, he started Sadowsky Tokyo.\u003cbr\u003e Maintaining a close relationship with Roger Sadowsky, he released the JT series, Metroline series, and Sadowsky TYO, among others.\u003cbr\u003e Three Dots Guitars was founded in 2019.\u003cbr\u003e In 2023, I launched Kikuchi Guitars as the culmination of my work, and I continue to do so to this day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003caccessories\u003e Semi-hard case, etc.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ------\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cproduct features\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Neck -\u003cbr\u003e The neck has been strengthened and the headstock thickened to create the optimal resonance and weight balance for playing. The nut width is narrower than that of a typical J-style guitar, and the neck grip has been made easy to hold while retaining a moderate thickness for durability and playability, allowing for smooth playing from the low to high positions, and even muting the wide 5th string.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Furthermore, by using nickel frets with a higher hardness, the noise generated when pressing down on the frets is reduced, producing a punchy sound despite being made of nickel. The number of frets is 22F to accommodate a wide range of musical genres. By avoiding excessive fret overhang and designing the neck joint position deeper towards the bridge, it can be played with a feel similar to a 21-fret bass.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To accommodate various playing techniques and musical genres, the string height is set uniformly at every fret position, resulting in a powerful tone for forceful picking and a warm, enveloping tone for gentle fingering.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Body -\u003cbr\u003e The Dinky shape, redesigned to allow for comfortable playing even for those with a Japanese physique, is adopted for this guitar. Not only does it offer easy handling and a modern tone, but the solid body with its appropriate weight produces a clear, articulate tone, creating a wide range of tonal variations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The RV model features alder wood. In addition to the warm, enveloping tone of the rosewood fingerboard, it is characterized by a pleasant bass response.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Hardware -\u003cbr\u003e The lightweight and highly maneuverable Hipshot parts, also used in the Custom Series, are strategically placed throughout the instrument to directly transmit the characteristics of the wood, resulting in a more natural sound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Pickups -\u003cbr\u003e It features a custom model pickup made by DiMarzio, also used in the Custom Series. This pickup delivers a sharp, crisp sound with plenty of power and hum-canceling noise reduction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - Preamp -\u003cbr\u003e To achieve the ultimate tone that Kikuchi envisions, this guitar features an original preamp developed in collaboration with a world-class design manufacturer, and also used in the Custom Series. When boosted, it delivers a clear and natural tone in the low and high frequencies, and scoops the midrange, while the passive\/active switching is designed to minimize the perceived difference in volume and tone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspecifications\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ■Body: Alder 2-Piece (Solid)\u003cbr\u003e ■Neck: Maple, Thin Matte Nitro\u003cbr\u003e ■Fingerboard: Rosewood\u003cbr\u003e ■Fingerboard Radius: 12″ (305R)\u003cbr\u003e ■Nut Material: Tusq\u003cbr\u003e ■Nut Width: 46mm\u003cbr\u003e ■Fret: DHP24H, 22F\u003cbr\u003e ■Scale: 864mm (34″)\u003cbr\u003e ■Bridge: Hipshot 19mm Spacing\u003cbr\u003e ■Tuner: Hipshot License Ultra-Light\u003cbr\u003e ■Pickups: DiMarzio 5HC in 60's Locations\u003cbr\u003e ■Preamp: Kikuchi Guitars Original Preamp\u003cbr\u003e ■Controls: Master Volume, Pickup Balancer, Passive Roll Off Tone (w\/Pull Switch for Preamp Bypass), Treble\/Bass Boost\u003cbr\u003e ■Weight: ≈3.75kg\u003c\/specifications\u003e\u003c\/product\u003e\u003c\/accessories\u003e","brand":"Kikuchi Guitars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43743654707313,"sku":"864107","price":2795.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0638\/4173\/0673\/files\/864107_01.jpg?v=1785322010","url":"https:\/\/global.ikebe-gakki.com\/products\/864107","provider":"Ikebe Musical Instruments Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}