The Origins of ESP (Electric Sound Products)

Founded in 1975 by Hidetoshi Shiino, along with Naotake Shibuya (former Executive Director of Fernandes) and Katsumi Omote (founder of Moon Guitars), ESP was Japan’s first true garage factory and professional guitar workshop.

Before establishing ESP, Shiino had designed and produced guitars and related equipment for many leading brands, including Greco, Aria, and Fernandes.
Unlike the traditional distribution system — which separated manufacturing, wholesaling, and retail — ESP pioneered a revolutionary model: directly communicating with players, designing, building, selling, customizing, and repairing guitars all under one roof.

The first shop was located in Shibuya, Tokyo, inside a former medical clinic. The space cleverly reused the layout of the doctor’s consultation room and waiting area, giving the store an unusual yet intimate atmosphere.

In 1977, Shiino left the company due to differing opinions with other executives who favored a rapid expansion strategy. He went on to open Guitar Salon PACO, also in Shibuya. Around the same time, Katsumi Omote and master builder Kazuhiko Chichii (now president of PGM – Professional Guitar Manufacture) also departed to found Moon Corporation and PGM in 1978.

ESP continued on its path of international expansion, opening a U.S. branch in 1981, and steadily grew into one of Japan’s most globally recognized guitar companies.
Today, it stands among the nation’s most internationally successful musical instrument manufacturers — both in brand prestige and global reach.

Would you like me to format this series (like your earlier Greco and Fernandes histories) as a “Japanese Guitar Makers Encyclopedia” in consistent style — i.e., one section per maker (ESP, Moon, PGM, Tokai, etc.) with unified tone and layout? It would make an excellent cohesive reference text.