Headway: The Dawn of a New Chapter

Founded in 1977, Headway, which has been in business for over 45 years, has released a “completely new Headway” in 2023 with the intention of moving into a new era.
While retaining the style of Headway’s flagship HD-115 model, the specs and design were completely revised, and the craftsmen of the Aska Team Build team collaborated with Yasuo Momose, founder of Headway, to develop this model from scratch. It is called “The Eagle”.
The concept of “The Eagle”, which has been a symbol of previous Headway models, was used to brush up the design. Inspired by the eagle, the king of the skies, the Headway logo on the headstock has been redesigned to resemble a crown. Momose himself has special feelings for “The Eagle”, which was reconstructed by his apprentices, whom he has nurtured over the course of his craftsmanship career.

Lineup

~We strive for true character~

目指したのは本物の「個性」

~A burning passion~

突き動かす「情熱」

~A silent challenge~

静かなる「挑戦」

Main characteristics

Crown Logo

The brand logo is inspired by the Eagle, the king of the sky, and the “Headway Crown Logo” is fit for a king.

Eagle Inlay

The inlay is a re-building of the “Eagle” that Headway has used as a symbolic motif since the company’s founding. The image of an eagle spreading its wings and soaring through the sky is cut out to symbolize a flight into a new era.

Feather Inlay

The fingerboard depicts an eagle feather fluttering in the air. The eagle feather is said to have the role of showing the way forward and making a leap forward into the future.

Frets

The “HHF-AG2S” is made of relatively soft stainless steel and has a sound that is not too harsh while having the durability of stainless steel, and was developed specifically for Headway. The width of the crest is narrower and the height is about 0.2 to 3 mm lower. The 0.2mm reduction allows for less force to be needed when pressing the strings, so the tension is less, and smooth and stress-free fingering is possible.

Bracing

The “Mid Point Shifted X Bracing”, which is based on the normal bracing used by Momose at the time of Headway’s inception and redesigned by custom builders Yasui and Furihata with a modern twist, is used for the first time. The “Shallow Scalloped” design, which is a shallower scalloping than usual, was previously used only on Momose’s CustomShop models, but has now been incorporated into a -The Eagle- model for the first time. The tone of each note has very good articulation, and at the same time, it has a bass resonance and a round sound, all of which are enveloped by overtones.

Soundhole cover

The soundhole cover keeps the inside of the body moist and reduces feedback. The design is also exclusive to “The Eagle” models and is worthy of a limited edition model.

High Density Oiled Bone

The nut and saddle are made of high-density water buffalo bone, which has a specific gravity similar to that of ivory.
※The Standard Series models use nuts made of cow bone.