Custom guitar builder Jay Lichty of Lichty Guitars recently designed and crafted a custom Cuban mahogany OM guitar for professional Japanese guitarist Shohei Toyoda, who won one of his country’s premier guitar competitions, Japan’s 2012 National Finger-Picking Competition.
Shohei was born in Japan, was raised in Ohio and now resides back in Japan. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. In 2010 he was chosen as one of the top 16 guitarists to compete in Japan’s National Finger Picking Competition and he followed this with a two-month, 30-show tour in Japan. In 2011, he landed two prestigious awards: placement in the top five at the 2011 International Finger-Style Championship in Kansas and Grand Champion at the International Thumb Picking Contest in Central City, Ky.
Shohei, a professional guitarist and a guitar instructor, worked closely during the design process with Lichty to ensure the finished instrument would be the perfect fit for his style of playing.
“Jay’s guitars are so special because they add richness to the ‘soundscape’ that the player is trying to create and communicate to the audience,” Shohei said.
Lichty specializes in building one-of-a-kind acoustic guitar and ukuleles in Tryon. Other professionals who play custom Lichty guitars include: brothers Tom and Mike Gossin of the top country band Gloriana; Australian blues/roots artist Geoff Achison; Doug Lancio, Nashville producer and lead guitarist for John Hiatt and Patty Griffin; Jody Porter of Fountains of Wayne and Haley Dreis, singer/songwriter.
– article submitted by Corrie Woods