Kikuchi Hermes “Passive” Series

The Hermes PASSIVE Series features newly developed single-coil pickups designed to translate the instrument’s natural sound into an electrical signal with minimal interference. Their voicing is the result of careful integration with the body and neck, allowing the acoustic character of the instrument to remain intact.

Combined with a simple control layout, these pickups deliver a distinctly passive tone that is warm, enveloping, and honest. Subtle picking nuances are preserved rather than shaped, allowing the player’s touch to come through clearly: from groove-focused playing to more percussive techniques such as slap.

Neck

Each neck is built with carefully selected tonewood, chosen for its structural integrity and acoustic potential. The necks are crafted from maple. RV models feature rosewood fingerboards, contributing a warmer, more rounded, vintage-leaning response, while MV models use maple fretboards for a brighter, more immediate attack.

The neck is graphite-reinforced for long-term stability and even tones across the entire fingerboard, while a subtly thickened headstock enhances resonance and contributes to a naturally balanced playing feel. A nut width slightly narrower than a standard J-style design is paired with a neck profile that retains the right amount of substance for strength and sustain, while remaining comfortable and secure in the hand. This combination supports smooth movement across the entire fingerboard, from low positions to the upper register, allowing both classic and modern techniques to feel equally at ease, even on a five-string neck.

Extra high-hardness nickel frets are selected for their durability and their ability to minimize unwanted mechanical noise. This results in a clean, focused attack and a clear, punchy response. While the instrument offers 22 frets for extended range, careful control of neck relief and a neck joint positioned slightly closer to the bridge preserve a familiar, traditional playing feel. Because the first position is approximately one inch closer to the player, the left hand doesn’t have to reach as far. Some players describe it as a 34” bass with the feel of a 33” scale.

The action can be set as low as desired. The string height is evenly optimized across all fret positions, ensuring consistency and control regardless of playing style. From a firm pick attack or a slap, to a lighter fingerstyle touch, the instrument responds with clarity, balance, and nuance.

Body

The redesigned body features a more compact, elegant shape that remains comfortable to play both standing and seated. Its balanced proportions support relaxed, stress-free playing, while the solid-body construction, free of a rear cavity, enhances natural resonance and allows the tonal character of the wood to develop fully.

Beyond its modern tonal character and excellent playability, the body supports a wide range of tonal variations. While lightweight instruments are increasingly popular, the primary focus remains on playability, sound, and overall comfort: particularly balance. That said, the instruments are designed to remain relatively light, with typical weights ranging between 3,500 and 4,200 grams.

RV Model
The RV model features an alder body paired with a rosewood fingerboard, delivering a warm, enveloping tonal character with a comfortable, supportive low end.

MV Model
The MV model uses an ash body combined with a maple fingerboard, resulting in a dry, punchy response with a crisp, clean attack and added clarity.

Pickups

Developed exclusively for the passive models, these pickups are voiced with a vintage sensibility at their core, offering clear string separation and natural warmth. Volume and tonal balance are carefully calibrated to ensure a smooth, even response across all strings, including the low B on five-string instruments.

Controls

The classic passive configuration of two volume controls and a single tone control offers straightforward, precise operation. The pickups preserve the nuances of the player’s touch, while subtle adjustments to the volume balance between them allow for a wide and expressive range of tonal variations.

Line up

MV4 PASSIVE (4-string Ash/Maple)
RV4 PASSIVE (4-string Alder/Rosewood)
MV5 PASSIVE (5-string Ash/Maple)
RV5 PASSIVE (5-string Alder/Rosewood)

Specifications (specifications are subject to change without notice)