Handcrafted in the Philippines. Built to Japanese Precision.
RJ Guitars’ Filipino luthiers carry the legacy of a decades-long partnership with Japan’s Deviser / Aska Factory (STR, Momose, Bacchus guitars),
producing instruments that reflect both heritage and innovation. Featuring RJ Custom hand-wound pickups, refined over 25 years using USA-imported components, these guitars deliver world-class tone - made in the Philippines and built to Japanese precision.
PRE-CONFIGURED MODELS
Custom Shop
PICKUPS
Before founding RJ Guitars, RJ Jacinto was hunting for the perfect tone. On stage, his Strat lacked the punch to cut through the mix—despite its studio brilliance. Convinced the issue was the pickup, not the amp, he teamed up with Filipino luthier Rudy Discipulo.
They reverse-engineered classic Fender and Gibson pickups, searching for a way to boost output without killing the Strat’s vintage sparkle. The answer became a custom single coil with more bite and sustain—without losing its soul. That breakthrough became the RJ Custom Shop pickups—and sparked the birth of RJ Guitars.
The
RJ Guitars
Story
With over 35 years of experience, RJ Guitars’ current Philippine facility was set-up and its craftsmen were trained by Japan’s Deviser / Aska — the team behind top-tier Japanese brands like Momose, Headway, and Bacchus guitars. The Aska factory is also famous for manufacturing James Tyler Japan. Though no longer formal partners, Deviser remains a trusted advisor and our luthiers were trained to their exacting standards.
As Deviser / Aska founder Kei Yatsuzaka put it: “The RJ Guitars luthiers we trained can rival the best in Japan.”
Every RJ Custom Shop guitar reflects this legacy—built with Japanese-level precision, Filipino soul, and specs that rival anything in its price range.