HF-SAKURA’25/ATB

Introduction

Video

Sakura Guitar takes a new step forward with the 2025 limited edition model

The Aska Team Build series has completed a limited edition cherry blossom guitar for the spring of 2025, boasting meticulous attention to detail that only Headway could achieve after 10 years of working with Sakura (Japanese cherry) wood and pursuing its beauty and sound. The coloring is a gradation of light cherry blossom colors, reminiscent of “hatsuzakura,” a term used in haiku to describe cherry blossoms at the beginning of their blooming season. Pink turquoise is also used for the purfling that adorns the outer circumference of the body, creating a finish that is overflowing with a spring-like quality.

Design of swallows heralding spring

The swallows, a familiar migratory bird of spring to the Japanese, were chosen as the motif for the design, as they are associated with Headway, and the late master builder Yasuo Momose looked forward to seeing them come to his workshop every spring. The design focuses on the memory of his mentor and the deep Japanese landscape, creating a story that runs throughout the guitar.

Soundhole Cover

The sound hole cover features two swallows perched on a cherry tree in full bloom, the starting point of the story. The fluttering petals of the cherry blossoms remind us of the arrival of spring.

Fretboard Inlay Work

The ebony fingerboard is decorated with colorful inlays in the shape of cherry blossoms. The swallows’ flight paths are beautifully expressed as they connect the petals.

Headstock Top

The inlay depicts a swallow taking flight from a cherry blossom branch and soaring into the sky.

Yamazakura (wild cherry) & Indian rosewood

The sides and back are made of yamazakura (mountain cherry) wood, which has a sweet tone and flame grain. The back is made of Indian rosewood for the centerpiece, for an even more gorgeous finish. On the top of the body, an inlay depicts a family of swallows and a woman with a Japanese umbrella looking up at them, a beautiful scene that seems to have been captured on a spring day.

The latest designs of the ATB series are used

Headway thinnest ever ”Extra Slim U Neck”

The extra-slim U-neck is the thinnest in Headway’s history and is very easy to grip and handle. The carbon rod reinforcement inside the neck maintains Headway’s traditional characteristics of robustness and stability. This is a neck grip that we are confident players with small hands will enjoy. The semi-glossy finish gives the neck the look of a neck that has been used for a good while; so that the hand can tightly hold the neck for a good grip.

34 semi-forward shifting bracing

The bracing we went for on this model is the newly adopted -34 Bracing- developed by Headway master-builder Momose last year. This layout is similar to the “semi-forward shift” layout, in which the X-bracing crosses about 4.6mm closer to the bridge than the forward shift, and it retains the softness and overtones of the forward shift bracing, while also providing stability in terms of strength.

A feature website for the spring 2025 Sakura Guitars is now available!