Left: Shinji Hamanaga Above: Sanin Chuo Shimbun article (March 13, 1981)

Shinji Hamanaga was born in Hiroshima in 1956. Captivated by the trumpet from an early age, he went on to university with the aim of becoming a professional trumpet player. While honing his performance skills, he also learned many traditional metalworking techniques from renowned metalworker Masanori Takahashi. While still a student, he conceived the dream concept of "playing an instrument he had made himself," and over the course of more than three years, he completed a handmade piccolo trumpet, making this a reality. The thrill he felt when he first blew into the finished instrument and heard the sound it produced awakened his interest in instrument making and led him to develop his talent.

Hamanaga joined Yamaha Corporation in 1982 as a brass instrument designer. He completed his training in just six months, originally scheduled for one year, and developed the YBL-8XK2 trombone, which was later used by the Vienna Philharmonic. In 1984, two trumpets he designed were recognized by two masters of the Canadian Brass, and his achievements led to him being appointed designer of the horn, considered the most difficult brass instrument to design. Since then, he has continued to release numerous patents for new ideas, including the dual plane valve, the world's first full quattro horn, and the Silent Brass System, ushering in a golden age for Yamaha brass instruments.

At the Bayreuth Festival.
On the right is the Berlin Philharmonic
Gerd Seifert.

The Silent Brass System was released in 1995 and became a huge hit.
As a developer, Hamanaga was praised by performers around the world and was awarded a commendation by the Minister of State for his contributions to brass instruments.

In 1999, Hamanaga founded Best Brass to realize his dream of "creating the world's best trumpet," a dream he had always had since his days as a trumpet player.
With the philosophy of "inheriting the passion of our great pioneers and doing our best to contribute to the development of brass instruments and their music," we have embarked on a new path, hoping to help as many brass instrument enthusiasts as possible enrich their musical lives.

Left: The office at the time of the company's founding. Various musical instruments and accessories have been produced here. For more details, please see our company history .

In 2004, we developed the HAMANAGA Valve System, which features a revolutionary structure for the valve system, which is the engine of the trumpet.
→ Click here for details
The trumpets AIOLIA , ARTEMIS , and APHRODITE equipped with this feature are filled with the joy of playing the instruments freely.

Today, Best Brass is made up of talented people who share Hamanaga's passion, and they continue to develop innovative trumpets and high-quality instrument accessories, bringing great vitality to the brand. For over 30 years, Shinji Hamanaga's art has always sought to challenge and break the limits of brass instrument manufacturing technology. Best Brass will continue to make ceaseless efforts to reach the pinnacle of this art and make it a lasting legacy.