【Deviser Special Showcase Event – 2022】Using the absolute best materials! The latest Headway HOFC models are coming!
It’s that time of year again! It’s that time of year again! The event has been announced, and sneak peeks are starting to be shared on Deviser’s official social media accounts!
Have you checked them out yet? If you haven’t seen it yet, please follow our official social media accounts to get a glimpse of what’s coming up!
There are a lot of exciting models coming, but today we want to talk about the following:
Models utilizing Headway’s newest cutaway shape, the『HOFC』!
And since this year marks the 45th anniversary of Headway, we have selected some crazy wood materials for you on these models!
But first! What is the HOFC model? For those of you who have never heard of it, here’s an introduction!
The “HOFC” model is a modern cutaway style introduced by Headway a year ago at the 2021 Deviser Special Showcase Event. What features does it have? Let’s take a look!
■Aesthetic feature! Florentine cutaway!
The most eye-catching feature is the sharp and stylish cutaway called “Florentine Cutaway”.
The Florentine cutaway has a wide cutaway opening and is highly sought after by players for its excellent playability in the higher positions. However, it is very difficult to make a sharp cutaway look beautiful, and it requires a lot of time and skill from the craftsman.
The craftsman who actually handles the ATB series bends and fits each unit by hand. The amount of force and time required varies according to the characteristics of the wood and grain, a technique that is only possible with the experience and high skill of the craftsman, and is thus beautifully finished.
■Body thickness optimized from the HC-shape
The body shape of the HOFC model is approximately 11mm thicker than the conventional HC model.
This contributes to the dynamic feel of strokes as well as long tones in fingerstyle playing.
■Modern “Y500” head & quill motif
The headstock is a stylish “Y500” headstock that matches the body shape. This headstock is a special headstock used by Masato Yasui, Headway’s custom store builder and technical director, in his own customshop models. The head is decorated with a simple quill motif inlay.
This is one of the appealing points of this model, from Florence in Italy, from the Florentine School, a medieval European art style, we incorporate its image in our own “Headway” way. The quill represents a remnant of Headway’s long used eagle inlay.
■Extra slim U-neck” that provides high playability
The neck grip, which is crucial for playability, is utilizes the “Extra Slim U-Neck” design, Headway’s thinnest neck.
This neck is not only easy to grip, but also provides stability when playing technical phrases with the thumb on the back of the neck.
The neck is not only thin but also has two carbon support bars to ensure high neck rigidity, which is important to Headway to make it a “long-lasting, reliable instrument. The increased rigidity of the neck also has a positive effect on the sound, with the sound coming out more smoothly.
First wood material！『Akagus』
『Akagus』, or Camphorwood is a type of “camphor tree” familiar in Japan, written in Chinese characters as “akagusu” or “akajo” (red camphor tree).
Camphor trees have been used for furniture and Buddhist statues since ancient times, thanks to their high insect repelling effect, an ingredient extracted from camphor trees, have also been used for medicines.
The wood used for this project is selected to have a powerful grain with a mixture of burl-like grain and a unique vertical pattern. It is a rare wood that Aska factory does not have much stock of.
It is also a wood with moderate weight, has a sound that is powerful in the bass range, and the feeling that is transmitted to the body at the moment of playing is very pleasant.
Second Wood Material『Aged Maple』
Maple” is a standard wood in the guitar industry.
However, the maple used in this project is “aged maple. As the name suggests, it has aged naturally for more than 10 years and is in excellent condition for immediate use.
In addition to the fine flame grain, the new material is characterized by the black vertical lines that can be seen on the spotted maple.
The sound has a well-balanced bass to treble sound with tightness and brilliance, which is typical of maple wood, and the dry and vintage-like sound of the aging process is exquisite.
Third Wood Material!『Flame Mahogany』
Mahogany is considered one of the best of all acoustic guitar sideback materials.
However, this time, we are going to utilize “Flame Mahogany,” a special, high-end kind of mahogany with a characteristic grain pattern. Flamed mahogany is a rare material among the many types of mahogany.
This time, the wood is colored a deep red, bringing out a sense of luxury and individuality while maintaining the feel of the wood grain.
Flame mahogany is a slightly tighter material, and its effect is reflected in the sound, which has a sweet and mild mahogany mid-bass sound as it is, with the treble added as the essence of the sound. The sound is attractive and can be played in a relaxed piece or in more aggressive ones as well.
Fourth Material! Utilized in all 3 of the abovementioned medles『Bearclaw Stika Spruce』
Bear claw spruce was selected for the top material, named for its bear claw-like grain pattern.
The Bear Claw spruce is a rare and valuable material with a large, bear claw pattern, and its characteristics are evident in both the look and sound.
The bear claw grain pattern makes the wood stiffer and tighter than normal Sitka spruce.
As a result, the sound has more tension in the bass and sparkle in the treble, while utilizing the unique sound of the sideback wood!
That’s all for today folks! Keep an eye out for more updates to come!!