Limited Edition Model Featuring French “Platanus” Wood [Deviser Special Showcase]
The “Deviser Special Showcase 2026”, taking place on Friday, May 22, will feature limited-edition models and new releases crafted with great care by artisans from each of Deviser’s brands.
This is the first installment of a series of teaser articles introducing upcoming new models, featuring images from the production process.
Today, we’re introducing a limited-edition model from the Headway and Momose brands, crafted using platanus wood, a first in Deviser’s history.
The platanus wood used for this model is sourced from France. We’ll share details from our reporting trip to France, along with glimpses of the actual manufacturing process.
About Platanus
Wood that is an integral part of people’s lives
The platanus tree has a long history of being planted as a street tree and in parks around the world, and as a long-lived tree capable of living for thousands of years, it has been a constant presence in people’s lives.
In France, the origin of this wood, it is said to have been used as street trees since around the 17th and 18th centuries. It has become deeply rooted in the culture as a symbol of local landscapes, as evidenced by its use in the tree-lined avenues of the Palace of Versailles near Paris.
The towering platanus tree not only provides pleasant shade but is also recognized for its role in supporting biodiversity. Its green space also serves as an “oasis” where diverse living creatures coexist.
The Background to the selection process
As readers of this article may already know, at Deviser, we have long been crafting guitars using a wide variety of tonewoods, including Japanese woods.
We take pride in being the industry leader when it comes to incorporating the variety and quantity of wood, as well as its origin and characteristics, into our designs.
As we gain more experience in this field, we naturally begin to receive information from our suppliers about the arrival of a wide variety of materials. From among these, we select the wood that meets the necessary criteria, such as its grain, suitability for instrument making, and the story behind it, for use in guitar construction.
Development began on this platanus project after we received word from a long-standing timber supplier that “some excellent material had arrived,” and we were further drawn to the story behind the wood.
On a reporting trip to France
“Incorporating the story of the wood into the guitar’s design”
This is one of the guiding principles that Deviser holds dear in guitar making.
The development of this platanus model was no exception. In 2025, we traveled all the way to France on a business trip to visit local suppliers and music stores and finalize the design of the platanus model.
The beautiful streets of Paris, lined with historic stone buildings. As we walked along the Seine, Notre-Dame Cathedral, famous for its stained-glass windows, came into view.
We also visited places that symbolize French history, such as the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre Museum.
While visiting famous sites in the Paris area to learn about French culture, we also drew on feedback from our local French business partners to further develop ideas for the guitar’s specifications and design.
To the place where the platanus tree grew
During this business trip, thanks to information provided by the lumber supplier who sold us this platanus wood, we were able to visit the actual location where the platanus tree used in this model once grew.
Due to certain circumstances, we are unable to disclose the exact location where the trees were cut down, so we have taken care to ensure that nearby buildings and other landmarks are not visible in the photos. However, we would like to mention that it was a truly lovely spot on the outskirts of Paris.
Although we’ve worked with all kinds of wood, we rarely get the chance to visit the actual places where the wood used to make guitars grows.
We returned to Japan feeling grateful for this precious opportunity and with a renewed determination to make the most of the wood we were able to purchase this time to craft guitars.
Production of the Headway Platanus Model Begins
Inspired by a business trip to France, we immediately set to work on the design upon our return.
For the top of the head, we conceived a sun motif inspired by Louis XIV, known as the Sun King.
The fingerboard features the “Fleur-de-lis” motif. Meaning “lily flower” in French, this heraldic symbol depicts an iris. Historically, it has been widely used by the French royal family and is featured on various structures, such as the gates surrounding the Palace of Versailles in Paris, making it a motif that symbolizes France in many ways.
The vibrant blue, white, and red flowers, cut from acrylic sheets, represent the cornflower, daisy, and poppy, respectively. These three flowers are used to depict the French tricolor flag.
We are hand-inlaying the center piece of the acoustic guitar’s back.
The wood of the platanus tree
Platanus wood is both soft and resilient; even the artisans at Headway, who have worked with a wide variety of woods, say there are few other woods quite like it, thanks to its unique texture and grain.
To make the most of these characteristics of the platanus tree, we carefully considered the positioning of the bracing and the combination of materials.
And so, the platanus wood model’s body eventually took the shape of a box.
We will continue to pour our heart and soul into this project until it is complete.
The Momose brand is also releasing a Platanus model
Platanus wood isn’t used only in Headway acoustic guitars.
Even the Momose brand, which specializes in electric guitars, is currently hard at work manufacturing a limited-edition model for the Special Showcase event featuring a platanus wood top.
On Momose’s electric guitar models, three flowers representing the tricolor are inlaid around the 12th fret on the fingerboard.
While using new tonewoods can be time-consuming and challenging in terms of selecting materials and developing designs, it also serves as an opportunity to expand the range of designs and sounds, making it a worthwhile challenge that helps the brand grow. For this model, we have incorporated various innovative ideas to create a design that captures the essence of France, the source of the wood.
We hope you’ll look forward to the finished product!
Preview at Sound Messe
It has been announced that the Headway and Momose Platanus models featured in this article will make their debut at “Sound Messe in Osaka 2026”, taking place in Osaka on May 16 and 17!
Following the preview at Sound Messe, detailed specifications and pricing for each model will be made available to the public on the special website for the “Deviser Special Showcase”, scheduled to launch on May 22 at 6:00 PM.
Please look forward to it!
The special website for the “Deviser Special Showcase 2026”, launching at 6:00 PM on Friday, May 22, will feature over 200 limited-edition models and new products. Until the event begins, we are releasing teaser information about the products on the preview page below.
