Brazilian guitar virtuoso Mateus Asato has announced he’s ending his decade-long professional relationship with Suhr.
The quintessential social media guitar star, Asato has been with Suhr since 2013, launching a number of signature models with the brand since.
“After 12 years of a very successful partnership, I’ve decided to part ways [with] my professional relationship with Suhr Guitars,” Asato writes in a new Instagram post. “My deepest gratitude to Mr. John, Kevin, Aura and Katelyn Suhr for everything you’ve done to me as a musician and person…
“Thank you so much Felipe Raposo [Brazilian Suhr Guitars representative] for being the bridge that started all of this,” he goes on (translated from Portuguese).
“And the biggest thanks to all Suhr employees who made this company so special and one of the greatest brands [in the] history of this instrument I passionately love. History was made. I will never forget this journey we built.”
At the time of writing, it’s unclear where the 31-year-old will go next, but the move coincides with the imminent release of his debut album, which is expected some time in early 2026. So might we see a new partnership announcement with another guitar maker some time in the coming days or weeks?
Despite cultivating a million-strong following on Instagram – and a vibrant, decade-plus career working with A-list musicians including Bruno Mars, Jessie J, John Petrucci and Joe Satriani – Asato is still yet to release an album. But one is on the way, and soon.
Asato – the guitarist’s debut full-length outing – features singles Cryin’ and The Breakup Song, which can be heard below:
The road hasn’t always been plain sailing for Mateus Asato, who famously announced a hiatus from social media back in 2021 citing burnout, saying he had felt like a “rat in a maze”.
“It’s been 10 years of a lot of doubts and questions… and some identity crises about who I am in terms of music,” Asato told Guitar.com last year.
“The album is definitely a journey through all the sides of Mateus. The Mateus who’s a sideman, Mateus as the Instagram boy, and then the Mateus that got more mature over the years. Who developed a different vision regarding music, regarding how I see guitar.”
Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of Guitar World, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and MusicRadar.