-Ascending Dragon- brought to life by Karuizawa carving and Sakura wood

A special model was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sakura Guitar with a motif of “Dragon”, the Chinese zodiac sign for the year 2024. In addition to the gorgeous decorations with a variety of inlays, the guitar is also decorated with traditional Japanese techniques that are the pride of Japan through collaboration with “Karuizawa Carving Shibasaki”. The limited edition of 6 pieces, each with a different body shape and special Japanese-inspired colors, will be produced.

Karuizawa Carving Shibazaki

Karuizawa was first visited by foreign missionaries and diplomats in the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), and villas were built there as summer resorts.
The gorgeous wood carvings of flowers on the Western-style furniture of the villa are called Karuizawa carvings.
In the early days of Karuizawa carving, many of the carving motifs were influenced by Nikko carving motifs such as pine, bamboo, plum, peony, iris, and chrysanthemum but gradually, in response to requests from Westerners, cherry trees in full bloom were incorporated.
These techniques have been passed down through generations, and are still being used by carvers today as a continuation of a legacy of over 100 years.

The -Dragon- that slumbers in the headstock

The headstock is decorated with a powerful Dragon done by skillful inlay work that uses Avalon shells and various pieces of wood.

Fretboard

The tail of the dragon, which goes from the low frets in the fretboard to the headstock was made using avalon shells. The high frets depict the scales of the dragon as they flutter down and finally bloom as petals of cherry blossoms. This design is the result of a longtime effort to weave a story within a single guitar, a method of expression that we have been working on for many years with the Sakura Guitar.

Momose

Colorig

The three colors selected to complement the three-dimensional surface created by the Karuizawa carving are: BLU, YZP（Yozakura Purple）, and SKP（Sakura Pink）

Materials

The Honduran mahogany used for the body is one of the standard woods that have been used for guitar making for many years due to its superior weight and workability. It is the only proper mahogany species available nowadays, and has an excellent sound with a warm mid-range.
This model has what’s called a chambered construction, which reduces the weight of the body by hollowing out the inside of the body. The sound can be enjoyed for long hours of playing with less stress thanks to the reduced weight.

Painting techniques to enhance carving

A finishing process that’s used in the dyeing of fabric is used to further accentuate the contrast of the flowing lines and expressions of the dragon and cherry blossoms. The Aska workshop is proud of its painting craftsmen’s skills, which have created a further three-dimensional effect in these Karuizawa carving models.

Parts

The ’59 Clone Humbucker pickups used in these models are inspired by the original PAF pickups and have a round, natural sound with overtones. GOTOH® “SGV510Z” machineheads are used for tuning accuracy further improving the tuning stability.

Headway

Back

The back & side of the body are made of carefully selected beautifully grained mountain or wild cherry wood, also known as “Yamazakura” from the workshop’s stock. The top wood is the highest grade adirondack spruce, which helps bring out the clear and sweet tone of cherry wood from a sound perspective. The body back is a three-piece construction with rare Madagascar rosewood, and the fretboard inlay reveals the dragon and cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Soundhole Cover

The soundhole cover, which has become synonymous with our limited edition models, is also engraved with a dragon carved in Karuizawa. The coloring was done by the “Kurasawa Studio”, which is also in Karuizawa and helps emphasize the craft of wood carving, and the rich expression of the dragon, which seems to have been brought to life, in short, we’d say it is remarkable.

Pickguard

The pickguard is shaped like a cherry blossom petal, a familiar feature of our Sakura guitars. This model is a special model, and the pickguard also expresses the visual story of the falling scales on the fingerboard that turn into cherry blossoms.