A portion of the proceeds from the sale of models using Sakura and horse chestnut wood produced in Ishikawa Prefecture was donated to Ishikawa Prefecture
At the One Day Guitar Show held in November 2024, Deviser presented a model made of cherry and horse chestnut wood from Ishikawa Prefecture.
Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake of 2024, which occurred on New Year’s Day, we started guitar production mainly using Sakura wood from Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, in an attempt to give the people of Ishikawa some much needed stimuli to the local economy.
These models took more than half a year to plan, design, and produce, and as time went by, the number of news reports about the disaster gradually decreased. However, through our connection with a company in Ishikawa Prefecture, where we purchase lumber, we have heard that there are still some areas that are not making progress in the recovery process. We proceeded to make guitars with the hope that as many people as possible would take an interest in the current situation in the disaster-stricken areas.
On the day of the One Day Guitar Show in November, the models made with Sakura and Tochi wood from Ishikawa Prefecture received a great response from the public, and all of the models we made were delivered to music stores nationwide. We visited the Ishikawa prefectural government office on a certain date in December to donate a part of the sales proceeds as a relief fund.
At the Ishikawa Prefectural Office, we met with Mr. Nakamura, head of the Ishikawa Treasurer’s Office, who gave us a detailed account of the current situation in the Noto Peninsula.
In the affected areas, water supply lifelines have been restored, but we heard that water trucks are still being dispatched to the heavily damaged areas. We also heard that the uplifting of the coastline had even changed the topography of the peninsula’s coastline, reminding us once again of the power of nature.
While reconstruction efforts were progressing with the passing of time, torrential rains hit the Noto Peninsula in September, not only halting the progress of reconstruction efforts but also causing further damage. The torrential rain disaster has left some 300 people still living in shelters, and temporary housing built for the earthquake flooded. They are forced to work to remove the mud that has accumulated, and there are few places to build new temporary housing, and the same places may be flooded again, so the temporary housing itself is facing a difficult situation that requires ingenuity. Some of the famous ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) have not yet been rebuilt, and this has had a major impact on local industry.
We heard various stories about the current situation in the Noto Peninsula, and it was an experience for us to experience firsthand the importance of disseminating information. Above all, I was deeply impressed by the current situation of the Noto region, including the damage caused by the subsequent torrential rain disaster and the fact that there are still areas where reconstruction has not yet progressed.
Through this experience of making guitars with wood from Ishikawa Prefecture, we have had the opportunity to experience firsthand the importance of first taking an interest and then communicating that interest, although there are differences in what we can do as a manufacturer and what we can do as individuals. We hope that as many people as possible will become interested in the Noto region through our guitars.
Model produced using cherry and horse chestnut wood from Ishikawa Prefecture
The “NOTOZAKURA” Headway model uses cherry wood from Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, for the body side backs.
The design depicts a golden eagle, the bird of Ishikawa Prefecture, in flight through the Hakusan mountains.
The soundhole cover and soundhole label are made of gold leaf in collaboration with Kanazawa’s premier gold leaf craftsman group, “Hakuichi”.
The Momose “FUYUZAKURA ’24” model uses Someiyoshino Sakura trees grown in Ishikawa Prefecture for the body top.
Like the Headway model, it incorporates a golden eagle design, while the dainty hues of pale cherry blossoms and snow white give it a distinctly Japanese feel.
The head top features a special ornament decorated with cherry blossoms in gold leaf, also made in collaboration with hakuichi.
石川県産の栃材をボディトップに使用した「TOCHI WSE’24」モデル。
木地の白さが際立つ良質な石川県産の栃材を生かす為、鮮やかなブルーを貴重とし、和のイメージで紫陽花の様な色合いを表現。
ピックガードには特徴的な石川県の形をデザインし、石川県産の木材を使用していることの証となります。
The “TOCHI WSE’24” model uses Ishikawa-made horse chestnut for the body top.
In order to take advantage of the high-quality Ishikawa-grown horse chestnut wood, which has a remarkable whiteness to it’s grain, a vivid blue color is used as a precious color, expressing a hydrangea-like hue with a Japanese feel to it.
The characteristic Ishikawa shape design on the pickguard sits there as a reminder that the wood used for this model was from Ishikawa Prefecture.
