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due to reasons that need not to be discussed here, i had the AI create a list of non-US gear manufacturers. feel free to add to the list. i did not verify any of the links.
GUITARS (Non-US)
MAJOR MANUFACTURERS:
Ibanez (Japan) - Ibanez
Owned by Hoshino Gakki. A global leader in all guitar categories.
Yamaha (Japan) - Yamaha Corporation - Global
World's largest instrument manufacturer (Pacifica, Revstar).
Eastman (China) - Eastman Guitars
Handcrafted archtops and acoustics; began as a violin maker.
Godin (Canada) - Premium Canadian Electric & Acoustic Guitars | Godin Guitars
North American (Quebec) giant. Sub-brands: Seagull, Art & Lutherie.
ESP (Japan) - The ESP Guitar Company
High-gain rock/metal guitars.
Hagstrom (Sweden) - https://www.hagstromguitars.com
Maton (Australia) - https://maton.com.au
Iconic Australian brand used by Tommy Emmanuel.
Cole Clark (Australia) - https://coleclarkguitars.com
Famous for "3-way" pickup systems and sustainable Australian timbers.
EUROPEAN BOUTIQUE & LUTHIER:
Sonntag Guitars (Germany) - https://www.sonntag-guitars.com
Handmade archtop jazz guitars by Stefan Sonntag.
Slaman Guitars (Netherlands) - http://www.newvintageguitars.com
"New Vintage" archtops by Daniel Slaman.
Mayones (Poland) - https://mayones.com
High-end modern metal instruments.
Vigier (France) - http://vigierguitars.com
Pioneers of carbon-fiber reinforced necks.
Ruokangas (Finland) - https://www.ruokangas.com
Lottonen (Finland) - https://www.lottonen.com
AJL Guitars (Finland) - https://www.ajl-guitars.com
Jaén Guitars (Spain) - https://guitarrasjaen.com
Maurice Dupont (France) - https://www.acoustic-guitars.com
Ramirez Guitars (Spain) - https://guitarrasramirez.com
CANADIAN BOUTIQUE & LUTHIER:
Linda Manzer - https://manzer.com
World-renowned archtops; builder of the "Pikasso" guitar.
Michael Greenfield - https://greenfieldguitars.com
Bespoke acoustic guitars.
Brian Monty - http://montyguitars.com
Luthier based in exotic Montreal area.
Doug Harrison - https://harrisonguitars.com
Wyatte Wilkie - https://wilkiestringedinstruments.com
Archtops and mandolins.
Joseph Yaniuziello - https://yaniuziello.com
Guillaume Rancourt - https://www.rancourtguitars.com
Paul Saunders - [No active website]
Based in Welland, Ontario.
William "Grit" Laskin - https://williamlaskin.com
Famous for ground-breaking inlay art and the "Laskin Armrest."
David Wren - https://wrenguitars.com
Marc Beneteau - https://beneteauguitars.com
Boucher Guitars - https://boucherguitars.com
Sergei DeJonge - https://www.sergeidejonge.com
Joshia DeJonge - https://www.joshiadejonge.com
Daryl Perry - https://perryguitars.com
Classical guitars.
Shelley Park - https://parkguitars.com
Gypsy Jazz guitars.
Michael Dunn - https://michaeldunnguitars.com
Gypsy/Maccaferri style expert.
Tony Duggan-Smith - https://tonyduggan-smith.com
Alan Beardsell - https://beardsellguitars.com
UK BOUTIQUE & LUTHIER:
Fibonacci Guitars - https://www.fibonacciguitars.com
Gordon Smith Guitars - https://www.gordonsmithguitars.com
PJD Guitars - https://www.pjdguitars.com
Feline Guitars - https://felineguitars.com
Trent Guitars - https://trentguitars.com
Ivison Guitars - https://www.ivisonguitars.com
Stormshadow Guitars - https://www.stormshadowguitars.com
Ancoats Guitars - https://ancoatsguitars.co.uk
Jaden Rose Guitars - http://www.jadenroseguitars.com
AUSTRALIAN & NZ BOUTIQUE/LUTHIER:
Pratley Guitars (Australia) - https://pratleyguitars.com.au
Fenech Guitars (Australia) - https://fenechguitars.com.au
Greg Smallman (Australia) - [No direct website]
Pioneer of the lattice-braced classical guitar.
Jim Redgate (Australia) - https://redgateguitars.com.au
Gilet Guitars (Australia) - https://giletguitars.com.au
Angus Guitars (NZ) - https://www.angusguitars.co.nz
Burgin Guitars (NZ) - https://www.burginguitars.co.nz
Binford Luthiery (NZ) - https://binfordluthiery.com
Goldbeard Guitars (NZ) - https://www.goldbeard.co.nz
Laurie Williams (NZ) - https://www.lauriewilliams.co.nz
Davy Stuart (NZ) - https://www.stuart.co.nz
Peter Stephen (NZ) - http://www.peterstephen.co.nz
Joaquin Rodriguez (NZ) - https://www.rodriguezguitars.co.nz
Benavides Guitars (NZ) - https://www.benavidesguitars.com
Hamurana Guitar Works (NZ) - https://www.hamuranaguitarworks.co.nz
Monster Guitars (NZ) - https://monsterguitars.org
Singing Wood (NZ) - https://www.singingwood.co.nz
Rodney Steadall (NZ) - https://steadallguitars.co.nz
Industrial Radio (AUS) https://industrialradio.com.au/
Harvester Guitars (NZ) http://www.harvesterguitars.com/
JAPAN & OTHER INTERNATIONAL:
Seventy Seven (Japan) - https://www.deviser.co.jp/en/seventyseven
Westville (Japan) - https://www.westvilleguitars.com
ATC / Archtop Tribute (Japan) - http://www.walkin.co.jp
Emerald Guitars (Ireland) - https://emeraldguitars.com
Rob O'Reilly Guitars (Ireland) - https://rorguitars.com
Lado Musical Inc. (Canada) - https://jklado.com
Industrial Radio (Australia) - http://industrialradio.com.au
BASSES (Non-US)
Warwick (Germany) - https://warwick.de
Famous for the "Thumb" bass and exotic woods.
Höfner (Germany) - https://www.hofner.com
Creators of the "Violin Bass" (Paul McCartney).
Sandberg (Germany) - https://sandbergguitars.de
Configurable, high-quality basses from Braunschweig.
Dingwall (Canada) - https://dingwallguitars.com
Famous for "Fanned-Fret" (multi-scale) designs.
F Bass (Canada) - https://fbass.com
High-end handmade electric basses.
Sire (Korea/Indonesia) - https://sire-usa.com
Though URL says USA, company is Asian-owned (Marcus Miller partnership).
Wal Basses (UK) - https://walbasses.co.uk
Shuker (UK) - https://shukerguitars.co.uk
Jones Basses (UK) - https://www.jonesbasses.com
Human Base (Germany) - https://humanbase.de
BassLab (Germany) - http://www.basslab.de
AMPLIFIERS (Non-US)
BRITISH (UK):
Marshall - https://marshall.com
Orange - https://orangeamps.com
Vox - https://voxamps.com (Owned by Korg Japan, UK heritage)
Blackstar - https://blackstaramps.com
Hiwatt - https://www.hiwatt.co.uk
Laney - https://www.laney.co.uk
Victory Amps - https://www.victoryamps.com
Hamstead Soundworks - https://www.hamsteadsoundworks.com
Audio Kitchen - https://www.audiokitchen.co.uk
Stoneham Amplification - https://www.stonehamamps.co.uk
Woodfield Amplifiers - https://www.woodfieldamplifiers.com
Mambo Amp - https://www.mambo-amp.co.uk
GERMAN:
Hughes & Kettner - http://hughes-and-kettner.com
ENGL - https://www.engl-amps.com
AER - https://aer-music.de (Acoustic Amps)
Kemper - https://www.kemper-amps.com (Digital Profiling)
Diezel - https://www.diezelamplification.com
BluGuitar - https://www.bluguitar.com
AUSTRALIAN:
Sherlock Amplifiers - https://sherlockamps.com
Hand-built high-end tube amplifiers.
Redback Audio - https://redbackaudio.com.au
Weston Acoustics - http://westonacoustics.com
Boutique valve/tube amplifiers.
MI Audio - https://miaudio.com
Known for high-gain tube amps (Megalith).
OTHER:
Markbass (Italy) - http://www.markbass.it
DV Mark (Italy) - http://www.dvmark.it
Roland / Boss (Japan) - https://www.boss.info
Bluetone (Finland) - https://www.bluetone.fi
Traynor (Canada) - https://traynoramps.com
Toob (Finland) - https://www.toob.fi
EFFECTS & PEDALS (Non-US)
Boss (Japan) - https://www.boss.info
The standard for compact pedals (DS-1, CE-2).
TC Electronic (Denmark) - https://www.tcelectronic.com
Digital delays and reverbs (Hall of Fame, Flashback).
Darkglass Electronics (Finland) - https://www.darkglass.com
Bass distortions and preamps.
Jam Pedals (Greece) - https://www.jampedals.com
Boutique analog pedals, hand-painted.
Mad Professor (Finland) - https://www.mpamp.com
Carl Martin (Denmark) - https://www.carlmartin.com
Origin Effects (UK) - https://www.origineffects.com
AUSTRALIAN PEDALS:
Dazatronyx - https://dazatronyx.com
Kink Guitar Pedals - https://kinkguitarpedals.com
Mozztronics - https://mozztronics.wordpress.com
Peterman Pickups - https://peterman.com.au
Acoustic pickups and stomp boxes.
Wild Dog Stomp - https://wilddogstomp.com
Professional wooden percussion stomp boxes.
STRINGS (Non-US)
Thomastik-Infeld (Austria) - https://www.thomastik-infeld.com
Premium flatwounds and orchestral strings.
Savarez (France) - https://www.savarez.com
Classical and Gypsy Jazz (Argentine) strings.
Hannabach (Germany) - https://www.hannabach.com
High-end classical strings.
Rotosound (UK) - https://www.rotosound.com
Famous for "Swing Bass 66" roundwounds.
Optima (Germany) - https://optima-strings.com
Gold-plated strings.
Galli Strings (Italy) - https://www.gallistrings.com
Pyramid (Germany) - https://www.pyramid-saiten.de
Newtone Strings (UK) - https://newtonestrings.com
PIANOS & PERCUSSION (Non-US)
Stuart & Sons (Australia) - https://stuartandsons.com
World-class handcrafted grand pianos (known for 102 and 108 key models).
Brady Drum Company (Australia) - https://bradydrums.com.au
Legendary drums made from Australian hardwoods (Jarrah).
Evetts Drums (Australia) - https://evettsdrums.com.au
Custom drums using Australian tonewoods.
Red Rock Drums (Australia) - https://redrockdrums.com.au
Specializes in stave shell construction.
WIND & TRADITIONAL (Non-US)
Burton Didj (Australia) - [Available via dealers]
Authentic Aboriginal Didgeridoos.
AW Oboes (Australia) - https://aw-oboe.com.au
Armstrong & Werth; specialist woodwind maker.
KEY RETAILERS (To buy Non-US gear)
Thomann (Germany) - https://www.thomann.de
Europe's largest music retailer; ships globally.
Andertons (UK) - https://www.andertons.co.uk
Ishibashi Music (Japan) - https://www.ishibashi.co.jp/ec/global/
For direct imports from Japan.Last edited by djg; 01-27-2026 at 06:32 AM.
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01-22-2026 10:40 AM
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There are many more non-US makers and dealers than this list includes. And it can get confusing as US makers make instruments outside the US and Japanese makers make instruments outside of Japan.
There is good quality musical gear made both in and outside of the US. Where we live can influence costs as things like VAT taxes or import taxes can drive up costs. Labor costs in the country of manufacture can also drive-up costs.
Iconic instruments often hold value better than other instruments and buyers of gear should always consider that when making an expensive purchase.
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Tokai warrant mention on the strength of their MIJ 335 style guitars
For Fender style instruments Hansen or Rahbek (both DK) are very good.
Yotam Silberstein make those headless Zaletelj (Slovenia) sound good
Koch and Engl both make nice tube amps in the EU.Last edited by Average Joe; 01-22-2026 at 12:54 PM.
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Hiwatt make amplifiers in Britain, as do Audio Kitchen, Laney, Victory, Hamstead, Stoneham and Woodfield.
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ESP was mentioned already but Edwards is an ESP owned brand and make worthwhile quality 335/345/355 and Les Paul copies. I own and have played examples of each and would vouch for them. The "bones" of the instruments i.e wood & construction are of high enough quality to make upgrades very much worth it to me.
Originally Posted by Average Joe
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GameChangerAudio (Latvia) and T-Rex (Denmark) for effectors.
From GCA I regularly use the Plus sustainer, the Bigsby twang bar foot pedal and the Light spring reverb, and from T-Rex the Binson Echorec drum delay and the Replicator tape delay.
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updated
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Could you add Fibonacci guitars for UK?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Ruokangas, Lottonen, AJL guitars, Bluetone amps and Mad Professor effects from Finland. Several fine individual luthiers trained at Ikata institute. Previously Landola guitars, Hellas and Fazer pianos.
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Effects & Pedals: Carl Martin, Denmark - carlmartin guitar effect's and amps
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I didn’t see Traynor Amps - Canada.
Thanks for the list. To the best of our ability we’re avoiding all products from A Certain Country.
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Don't forget Hagstrom guitars...originally made in Sweden (since 1958), not sure where their instruments are currently manufactured but the company HQ is still in Sweden.
More non-US bass manufacturers, some of whom also make guitars: Originally Posted by djg
- Human Base (Germany)
- Rob O'Reilly (Ireland)
- Emerald Guitars (Ireland)
- BassLab (Germany)
- Wal Basses (UK)
- Shuker (UK)
- Jones Basses (UK)
- Lado (Canada)
- Leduc (France ...may no longer be in business?)
- Vigier Guitars (France)
- Industrial Radio (Australia)
...I'll probably think of a few more as soon as I post this!
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A few notable omissions:
Maurice Dupont and many other European makers of guitars in the Selmer tradition.
Jose Ramirez and many other Spanish classical and flamenco guitar builders.
Actually, when I think about it, this is a monumental task. There are so many small, medium and large businesses making instruments outside of the USA that the list will never be complete.
Keith
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So we beat on, boats against the current; here are some British guitar manufacturers.
Gordon Smith
PJD
Feline
Trent
Ancoats
Jaden Rose
Ivison
Stormshadow
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Some luthiers in New Zealand:
Angus
Burgin
Binford
Goldbeard
Laurie Williams
Davy Stuart
Peter Stephen
Joaquin Rodriguez
Benavides
Hamurana
Glenn Peoples
Singing Wood
Rodney Steadall
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I did a similar search for strings. I have settled on Newtone Strings in uk.
Welcome To Newtone Strings
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Japan has practically more builders than what’s on this entire list.
77
Westville
ATC
countless more independent luthiers.
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Jaen – Archtop Guitars Since 1992
I've only bought the one guitar from this guy, but it was delivered promptly, with plenty of communication during the build, and it looks and plays beautifully.
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pics? I almost bought a used Jaen 18” about 10 years ago Originally Posted by CliffR
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I still kick myself for not just throwing the extra hundred bucks down that the seller wanted for a Seventy-Seven Exrubato Jazz but I was already kinda at the top of my spending limit and wasn't in the mood to get the "every red cent" treatment. Full Japan made model, sunburst with rope binding, ebony board, gold hardware. Would've made a great axe for low volume gigs getting easy feedback and would be worth more now smh. My instrument purchase decisions are generally not thought out very well, lol. Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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isnt that a good thing? Originally Posted by floatingpickup
updated.
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Here's a video of mine: Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
And there's a pic on his website with the same model.
Berlin II – Jaen
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For any Canadians: L&M sell their own branded strings that are made in Mexico and quite reasonably priced. I can’t comment on their quality, but I’ll be checking them out.
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Jaen has been in the archtop business since 1992. The only sample I've tried, back in 2018, was an exquisite build marred with aged, corroded strings. That one had F-holes and thumbwheel volume and tone controls under the pickguard. I feel this maker has remained under the radar, due to not investing into a higher profile.
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Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
Today, 05:20 AM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos