Divider Co., Ltd., a musical instrument manufacturer based in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture.
At the heart of the company is the acoustic guitar brand Headway.
The 1970s, when the folk music boom was at its peak.
In 1977, at the height of this boom, the brand was founded under the leadership of master craftsman Yasuo Momose. Through meticulous craftsmanship by skilled artisans and rigorous quality control, it has earned the deep trust of many guitar fans.
In its early days, Headway steadily increased its production volume.
However, as the 1980s began, the computerization of music progressed rapidly worldwide, and keyboards and synthesized sounds became the mainstream of music.
This trend swept through Japan as well, and demand for acoustic guitars gradually declined.
Yasuo Momose
~Tracing the Journey of a Master Craftsman and Headway~
Foreword: To Pass on the Legacy of the Craftsman Yasuo Momose
To make matters worse, two fires broke out at the Headway factory in 1983, and the extensive damage forced the company to suspend production.
Even so, the calls for Headway’s revival never ceased.
In response to the enduring passion of its long-time fans, Headway resumed production in 1999.
From the brand’s launch through its hiatus and eventual revival, the driving force behind its craftsmanship was none other than master builder Yasuo Momose.
And now, Advance Guitars has two special instruments in stock.
One is the “Revival-era Style 45,” crafted by Mr. Momose shortly after Headway began its journey anew.
The other is the “Style 45 of a Lifetime,” into which he poured the skills of his later years.
I suspect that the former embodies the passion to “respond to fans’ voices and rebuild the brand,” while the latter breathes the “maturity he achieved as a craftsman.”
"How could I not put these down in writing?"
On March 19, 2024, Mr. Momose passed away.
What he left behind for us.
As someone who has the privilege of holding these guitars—and feeling their design—in my hands, I want to convey something and leave a legacy.
That desire was the driving force behind the creation of this page.
To those who love Headway.
To those who cherish Japanese-made guitars.
And to everyone who pays tribute to the life’s work of a single craftsman.
I would be delighted if this text helps, even in a small way, to pass on to the future the journey of the craftsman Yasuo Momose and the charm of the guitars created by his hands.
The Craftsman Kyoji Momose—A Master of Shinshu
Kyoji Momose was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1944.
After graduating from junior high school, he enrolled in the woodworking department of a vocational training school and joined Ida Furniture Co., Ltd. in 1962.
It is clear that he had a strong determination and passion to pursue “craftsmanship,” particularly woodworking, from an early stage.
This likely laid the foundation for his later technical excellence.
In 1964, his second year as a furniture craftsman, Mr. Momose received an offer that would change the course of his life.
Approached by a senior colleague, he moved to Fuji Stringed Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (now Fujigen).
From this point on, Mr. Momose’s career as a guitar craftsman truly took off.
At the time, Fujigen primarily manufactured electric guitars, including semi-acoustic models, as well as classical and acoustic guitars.
After working there for about a year, he was approached again by his senior colleague, who was the head of the technical department, and he left Fujigen.
In 1965, relying on connections from his days in the furniture business, he rented a corner of the Hayashi Woodworking Shop and co-founded a company to manufacture baritone ukuleles.
However, business was not good, and the company went bankrupt after about a year, a bitter outcome.
Amidst this, when Hayashi Woodworking decided to enter the guitar manufacturing business, Mr. Momose was welcomed as the leader of the technical department.
Hayashi Woodworking initially manufactured necks and bodies as a subcontractor for Fuji Stringed Instruments, but later began OEM manufacturing for the export brand “KENT,” and eventually expanded into its own brands, “MOUNTAIN” and “PEARL.”
Mid-1970s.
Cross Gakki, a musical instrument wholesaler based in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, commissioned Hayashi Woodworking to manufacture its own brand, “Rider,” on an OEM basis.
The representative of Cross Gakki at the time was Megumi Yatsuka, who later became the chairman of Diviser.
Mr. Yatsuka was impressed by the technical skills of Mr. Momose, who worked at Hayashi Woodworking, and above all, by his sincere personality.
At that time, guitar design and manufacturing methods had not yet been established, and from today’s perspective, some guitars featured designs that seem unnatural.
However, it was the dawn of the industry, when information and knowledge about guitars were scarce but the market was booming, and any affordable folk guitar would sell.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Yatsuka, who was in charge of guitar wholesale at Cross Musical Instruments, felt that the quality level of consignment products had reached its limit.
The rigorous quality standards he demanded were simply too strict for consignment's customers.
As a result, he was unable to produce products that met his standards.
“To make better guitars, we have no choice but to bring Momose into our own factory.”
Convinced of this, Mr. Yatsuka spent about a month tirelessly trying to recruit him.
There is even a story that the cost of long-distance calls between Tokyo and Matsumoto amounted to a staggering 500,000 yen per month.
That is just how much they needed Mr. Momose’s skills.
So, Mr. Yatsuka made a major decision.
“Let’s establish our own factory and pursue the ideal guitar to our heart’s content,” he resolved.
And as a result of his search for someone who shared that vision, the choice fell on a man named Yasuo Momose.
Then, in June 1977.
Mr. Yatsuka’s passion and Mr. Momose’s desire to “make great guitars” came together, and Headway Co., Ltd. was established.
There were only five employees in the early days. It was a small start, with only three of them involved in manufacturing.
When the brand was founded, Mr. Yatsuka wanted to “do something unique that other companies weren’t doing.”
In response to that spirit of challenge, Mr. Momose proposed two groundbreaking ideas.
These were the “dovetail joint” for the neck and the “post-assembly” method, in which the body and neck were painted separately before being joined.
In fact, the first project they undertook after the company’s founding was not guitar production, but rather the disassembly and study of the Martin HD-28, one of the top-of-the-line models at the time.
This work gave birth to the structural concepts that would later become symbols of Headway: the “dovetail neck joint” and the “post-assembly” method, in which the body and neck are painted separately and then assembled later.
Rather than simply imitating the exterior, this approach conveys a desire to understand the structural essence of why a legendary instrument is truly legendary.
Research and equipment preparation took time, and by the end of 1977, only three guitars had been completed.
They first appeared on the market shortly after the New Year in 1978; the first guitar made sold immediately, and this marked the beginning of Headway’s official history.
However, five years later, in 1983, the Headway factory was completely destroyed by two fires.
The Headway factory was completely destroyed by two fires.
It is said that everything from production machinery to jigs was reduced to ashes.
Compounding this was the fact that the popularity of acoustic guitars was already waning at the time, so production was inevitably shifted to electric guitars, and for the next 16 years, the production of acoustic guitars came to a halt.
Even during that time, calls for the revival of Headyway never ceased.
In response to that fervent demand, acoustic guitar production resumed in 1999.
Of course, he was at the center of this revival.
From the brand’s launch, through a desperate hiatus, and on to its rebirth.
At the heart of Headway has always been the craftsman, "Kyoji Momose."
He has always faced sound head-on.
He has also continued to explore guitar making, never content with the status quo.
The life’s work of Kyoji Momose continues to breathe life into the hands of many musicians even today.
We would like to offer our heartfelt respect and gratitude for his great legacy.
In the next section, we will take a closer look at two guitars crafted by Mr. Momose.
Early 2000s: The Style-45, a Symbol of Revival
Made in 2001 / Headway HD-250
This is a Style-45-spec Dreadnought crafted by Mr. Yasuo Momose himself shortly after the Headway workshop resumed operations.
It is a guitar into which his technical skills, honed over many years, and his pure passion for acoustic guitars have been poured into every detail.
The Mexican mother-of-pearl inlays encircling the body are the result of meticulous handwork, with each piece carefully selected for its texture, light reflection, and color before being carved and fitted.
Unlike the silvery sheen commonly seen, the shell used on this instrument emits a deep jade-like glow.
Considering that the inlays were selected specifically for this hue, one can imagine that the maker was truly committed to creating a special instrument—namely, “the world’s finest.”
The headstock features the vertical “Headway” logo, which was introduced with this model.
Needless to say, this vertical logo is a symbol of Martin’s high-end models and serves as a visual sign to us guitar fans that this is a “special instrument.”
The fingerboard is ebony with hexagonal inlays.
This is a traditional motif that appeared around 1939 and is a luxurious design that symbolizes Martin’s high-end models.
The deep, rich texture of the ebony seems to visually convey the depth of the tone.
Furthermore, the bridge features a long saddle Recruit.
This was a standard specification at Martin until 1965, and today it is a feature carried on only by a very limited number of high-end lines, such as the Authentic Series.
If one were to consider only these external features, it would be natural to think, “Is this modeled after the D-45 from 1939–42?”
However, upon closer inspection of the details, it becomes clear that this is not a reissue or imitation, but rather a guitar that Mr. Momose has crafted to embody “his own vision of the ultimate Style-45.”
Next, let’s examine the internal structure.
The truss rod features Headway’s proprietary mechanism known as the “aluminum channel truss rod.”
Later, a truss rod known as a “solid steel rod”—which has virtually no effect on the natural tone of the wood—was adopted, but I feel that the aluminum channel truss rod also produced a sound unique to itself.
Furthermore, the number of crack-prevention strips affixed inside the body and the intersection points of the X-bracing differ from the Martin D-45s from the 1980s and 1990s in our inventory.
Looking at these details, I come to the conclusion that this is not a reissue or imitation, but rather a guitar that Mr. Momose created to embody his own vision of the ultimate Style-45.
So, what about the all-important sound?
To be honest, I had a preconception that Japanese-made acoustic guitars had a somewhat hard, sometimes unruly tone.
However, standing before this guitar, that impression seemed out of place.
With that thought in mind, the moment I played a chord, that preconception was completely blown away.
The deep depth of the rosewood and the transparent overtones that seem to illuminate the ceiling.
A brilliant, dense tone that is quintessentially Style-45.
That sound possesses a “class” of the exact same quality as the elegance of its appearance.
The appearance, the construction, and the sound.
No matter which aspect you consider, it cannot be explained simply as an imitation of a D-45 from a specific era.
I strongly feel that this is “a single guitar packed with the ‘special’ elements that Yasuo Momose was able to create at Headway after its relaunch.”
The Late-Period Style 45—A Crystalization of Craftsmanship
Made in 2018 / Headway HD-450 Custom
This instrument is one of Kyoji Momose’s masterpieces from his later years, crafted using Brazilian rosewood that he had carefully preserved for many years and meticulously selected German spruce.
The design concept was clearly the 1968 Martin D-45.
It marks the monumental year when the D-45—a “legend brought back to life” through a reproduction project led by Mike Longworth—made its post-war comeback. Only 67 were produced that year.
The sides and back were made of Brazilian rosewood, which is now difficult to obtain, and although the bracing structure and fine details differed from the pre-war model, it was enthusiastically welcomed as the “flagship of a new era.”
Note that the use of Brazilian rosewood ended in 1969 (due to material supply issues, among other factors), so the D-45 with Brazilian rosewood sides and back was effectively produced for only two years: 1968 and 1969. A total of 229 were made.
Its rarity goes without saying.
This instrument is a model that deeply understands the philosophy of the “’68 D-45” and reconstructs it using modern technology.
The pickguard features a thick black finish Recruit, and by applying multiple layers of paint after chamfering the edges, it skillfully recreates the texture of the “filled-in guard” from that era.
The headstock shape features the rounded “round head” characteristic of the 1960s, and when combined with gold Grover milk bottle tuners, it exudes the distinctive elegance of 1968.
The headplate features a beautifully gleaming torch inlay, symbolizing its special status.
The construction is also meticulously crafted.
A small-sized Brazilian rosewood bridge plate is used.
This specification aligns with Martin’s historical shift from maple to rosewood in 1968.
Furthermore, it is clear that the intersection of the X-bracing follows the design of that era.
And then there is the sound.
A majestic, resplendent tone that is somehow reminiscent of church bells.
This is a guitar imbued with elegance and depth, born from Mr. Momose’s deep understanding of the significance of the “’68 D-45” and his reconstruction of it using his own technical skills and sensibilities.
A 2001 HD-250 and a 2018 HD-450 Custom.
Although both are “Style-45” models, I’d like to jot down my impressions after actually comparing these two.
First, what I feel about the HD-250 is the energy and sincerity of the restart period.
At that time, Headway’s workshop was just getting back up and running after a long hiatus.
You can sense that they were crafting these guitars with a sense of mission to “realize the ideal guitar in its finest form.”
It feels as though the fighting spirit of that era is embodied in the HD-250.
The atmosphere that emanates from the guitar’s appearance, the sound it produces—
You can really feel the strong determination behind the statement, “This is the kind of guitar I want to make.”
It was not an imitation, but rather a presentation of “Kyoji Momose’s vision of the 45—the ultimate guitar.”
While drawing inspiration from pre-war 45s and vintage models, this instrument exudes a sense of pride and challenge—a declaration of “this is what I can achieve with my own experience and skill.”
On the other hand, the 2018 HD-450 Custom stands in a completely different dimension.
Here, respect and technical skill coexist masterfully.
With the 1968 D-45 as its clear inspiration, respect for Martin and the technical skills honed over a career are meticulously reflected in every detail—from the choice of wood and bracing positions to the bridge plate material, headstock shape, and reproduction of the inlaid guard.
But that is not the most surprising part.
No matter how closely it adheres to the original’s structure and specifications, I feel that Mr. Momose’s unique touch is unmistakably present in the sound.
If I had to describe it in a single phrase, I would say that both the sound and the craftsmanship are beautifully refined and harmonious.
It is as if the image of a craftsman approaching his work with meticulous care has been transformed into sound.
The HD-450 Custom is a guitar that “balances respect and individuality,” while the HD-250 is a guitar that condenses “ideal and intention.”
After nearly twenty years, the same maker has chosen completely different approaches under the same “Style-45” theme.
This contrast even gives me the feeling that I am peering into the life journey of a single craftsman.
And as I play it, I realize:
"Neither is an imitation; the maker’s very soul flows through them."
I feel that his philosophy—that “an instrument only has value if it resonates for a long time”—lives within them.
The more I compare the two,
“I want to experience more of his work”—
“I want to know how they evolved from his early years to his later years, and what he continued to preserve.”
grows stronger.
Afterword
"Yasuo Momose"
Having devoted himself to guitar making and walked the long path alongside Fuji Stringed Instruments, Hayashi Guitars, and Headway, he is one of the figures who has shaped the very history of Japanese acoustic guitars.
When you pick up one of the guitars he left behind, you are immediately captivated by the orderly beauty of the sound.
Not limited to the two acoustic guitars introduced here, a single conviction runs through all of them.
The more you engage with the guitars crafted by Mr. Momose, the more you will likely come to appreciate the consistency of that conviction.
The 2001 HD-250 and the 2018 HD-450 Custom, crafted in his later years.
When you listen to these two side by side, you can hear the “sound of Momose” that deepened with the passage of time.
The HD-250 embodied a powerful energy driven by experience and passion reaching their peak.
The HD-450 Custom, on the other hand, possessed a mature resonance born of years of exploration and quiet confidence.
Neither is an imitation; both are pulsing with his own blood.
As someone who works with guitars, I consider it the greatest joy to be able to sense this evolution.
And Momose’s legacy lives on today, as his disciples—Masato Yasui, Arata Furihata, and others who honed their skills at his side—have faithfully inherited his philosophy and techniques, breathing new life into them while adding their own artistic expressions.
When I touch their guitars, I can clearly see that, upon the foundation built by Momose, each maker’s story continues.
The guitar is a mysterious entity.
While it is an instrument, it is also history, a work of art, and a “medium” that houses the maker’s thoughts and soul.
The guitars crafted by Mr. Momose serve as a reminder of this truth, and they will undoubtedly be passed down to future generations.
And we at Advance Guitars wish to continue playing a part in that legacy.
We aim to pay tribute to the passion and craftsmanship of these artisans while faithfully passing on their legacy to the next generation.
We believe this is our modest way of giving back to the master craftsman Momose and the art of guitar-making to which he has dedicated his life.
Advance Guitars
Yasuo Momose ~Tracing the Journey of a Master Craftsman and Headway~
Author: Inoue, Store Manager at Advance Guitars – Vintage Guitar Researcher
An expert who has been involved with musical instruments since childhood and has appraised and sold over several thousand vintage guitars. He maintains strong connections with collectors and dealers overseas. Guided by the belief that “the history of a guitar can change with a single color or stamp,” he strives to provide detailed and passionate commentary.
Qualifications and Experience: 8 years as a musical instrument appraiser; contributor and supervisor for publications such as Guitar Magazine
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