As the guitar industry strives to keep up its post-pandemic momentum, manufacturers are making inroads with women, who make up an increasing percentage of new players.
"These increasingly slim volumes demonstrate our almost heroic efforts to persist in an era where advertisers find greater opportunities online," said the 58-year-old magazine's editor.
As chosen by a panel of ace guitarists across a variety of genres, as well as experts and journalists.
The guitar maker's revenue in Japan has seen double-digit growth each year since 2015.