Introduction

Tatsuya Maruyama’s Signature Model the “HOC-NORTHBIRD”

The HOC-NORTHBIRD model was developed by Headway in collaboration with Japanese guitarist Tatsuya Maruyama, who is known for his fingerstyle guitar playing, but also takes a modern approach that makes full use of DAWs and enjoys great popularity among Japanese and overseas music fans alike. In order to achieve the playability that Tatsuya seeks, all of the instruments are set up properly, one-by-one, by a specialized department in Japan at Deviser.

Designs

Striped Enaga Headstock Inlay

The head is decorated with an inlay of a striped enaga, a species of eagle native to Maruya Matsuya’s home region of Hokkaido. Natural white mother of pearl is used as the material for the inlay which change its expression depending on the angle and the reflection of light.

Impacting Rosette

The rosette consists of a thick ring made of Pau Ferro wood and Avalon wood. The area around the sound hole is decorated in a gorgeous way.

Wood binding adorns the sides

Flamed mahogany sides decorated by wood binding.

Limited Design Sound Hole Label

Soundhole label designed by Matsuya Maruyama himself. A serial number is added to each piece by a craftsman.

Features

Engleman Spruce Top / Flame Mahogany Sides & Back

Solid Engelmann Spruce was selected as the top material. Its soft woody texture produces a gently spreading sound. In contrast, flame mahogany is used for the side backs, which produces rich mid-range tones. You can also enjoy the beautiful shimmering grain.

Equipped with Grover®102G Machine Heads

Equipped with Grover®’s classic 102 machine heads, which boast smooth and accurate tuning. It has a solid weight and contributes to a stable sustain length.

Easy-to-hold Body Shape

The relatively small body and 628mm medium scale neck make it easy to hold and press the strings.

String Action

The strings are also set at a lower string height for fingerstyle straight from the factory. This setting is necessary to produce beautiful harmonic tones at higher frets, which is Maruya’s specialty.

Reliable setup by our workshop in Japan

All instruments are inspected and set up in a specialized inspection department at the Deviser headquarters in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, before being shipped. By identifying individual differences in the material wood, we adjust and finish each instrument evenly to provide players with a solid playing experience that feels comfortable in the hand from the first time the instrument is held.

Additional Goods

The special gift package includes the classic Headway logo and a design drawn by Tatsuya Maruyama. In addition, the first lot of postcards will be signed by the artist himself.

In addition to an explanation of the particular points by Matsuya Maruyama himself, information that could not be fully described on the product page is now available on a special page!