Playing the sounds of our hearts together

Through a chance encounter, we were given machinery to manufacture pickups, which are the heart of electric guitars and basses, and so we began our challenge in manufacturing and developing them.
The sound that a player produces is the life of that person. There is a sound that only that person can express, a backstory for that person. We regard that invisible sound as the sound of the heart, and we create pickups with the feeling of playing together, so that they can support harmony not only in the moment of performance, but in every moment of everyday life.
The essential element in the items produced by Nekodamari Kobo is a warm and gentle connection with people.
Please talk with your loved ones about what purpose and thoughts it was made with, and what thoughts and feelings you have about why you need this pickup. Hoping to foster an even more wonderful daily life, we have established the concept of "playing the sound of the heart together."

The past 50 years and the next 50 years

The machines we inherited are very historic machines from the 1970s.
They were the unsung heroes who supported the Japanese music scene during the Beatles' visit to Japan and the height of the band boom, and can be considered a part of Japan's heritage.
The company had been producing the heart of domestically made electric guitars for over 50 years, but due to the aging and health of the craftsmen, the business went out of business and the instruments were on the verge of being discarded when we were fortunate enough to receive them.

I struggled at first with the unfamiliar words and new ways of thinking, but with the pride of Japanese vintage and guidance from veteran craftsmen, I began my first challenge in making handmade pickups, so that I could maintain them and make them useful for the next 50 years.

Beeswax-based potting treatment

We searched for a pickup that could only be manufactured by Nekodamari Kobo.
Making pickups simply for our own satisfaction is not enough to get people to choose us.
When we wanted to give individuality to the "heart of the sound," we turned our attention to potting.

Potting is a wax-soldering process that prevents feedback.
We thought that by using a special material based on Nekodamari Kobo's beeswax, we might be able to control the sound, so we made prototype after prototype.

As a result, Nekodamari Kobo's original pickup was born, which allows you to control the sound not only by the material, but also by changing the materials and methods of the potting process.

Adding romance and fun to performance

Nekodamari Kobo pickups may often have a different appearance and specifications than traditional pickups.

For the player, ease of use is the top priority, and we aim to create pickups that are fun to use, that evoke a sense of romance and playfulness.

In keeping with his typical cat-like inquisitiveness, he tries out various pick-ups, which will be posted in the reading section each time, so we hope you will take a look if you have time.

Production Examples

  • Pure silver lead wire ST pickup

    This is the first pickup I've made, and I've tried using pure silver lead wires. It seems that I've been trying this since the very first pickup.

  • Stealth Pickup JMHB

    This is a stealth pickup that can be embedded under the pickguard. It is made with a JB size humbucker.

  • 3-layer coil pickup

    It has a three-layer structure. I tried making a prototype with three variable output levels from 7.3k to 15k, which I don't really understand. It can be used as a slight booster when playing.
For other production examples, please see the reading material.

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