【Hozen】｜【MD】｜【Adirondack Spruce / Santos Rosewood】｜【Boutique Handcrafted Acoustic Guitar】

Hozen is a boutique-level handcrafted acoustic guitar built around the Modified Dreadnought concept, inspired by the design language made famous by Ervin Somogyi. Built with an Adirondack Spruce top and Santos Rosewood back and sides, it combines the power and low-end depth of a large body guitar with clearer note separation and a more controlled response than a traditional dreadnought.

Specifications & AppointmentsBasic Information

• Builder / Brand: Hozen
• Associated Brand: Maestro Guitars
• Estimated Production Period: October 2022 batch
• Body Shape: Modified Dreadnought
• Design Direction: Somogyi-inspired modified dreadnought concept
• Type: Boutique handcrafted steel-string acoustic guitar
• Tonal Direction: Powerful, clear, tight, articulate, responsive

Top

• Adirondack Spruce solid top
• Large dynamic range
• Fast attack
• High headroom
• Strong note definition
• Excellent response under both light and heavy touch

Back & Sides

• Santos Rosewood solid back and sides
• Also known as Bolivian Rosewood / Pau Ferro
• Tonally sits between Indian Rosewood and Mahogany
• Deep but controlled low end
• Clear midrange
• Crisp upper frequencies
• Tight, focused response without excessive boominess

Neck

• Carbon-fibre reinforced Mahogany neck
• Increased neck stiffness
• Improved long-term stability
• Better resistance to humidity and temperature changes
• Supports a stable low-action setup

Fingerboard & Bridge

• African Ebony fingerboard
• African Ebony bridge
• Dense hardwood material
• Smooth playing feel
• Clear note response

Nut Width

• 44 mm nut width
• Comfortable spacing for fingerstyle playing
• More room for complex chord voicings
• Better separation for melodic lines and bass movement

Frets

• Sanko HV160 Nickel Silver frets
• 2.4 mm fret width
• Premium Japanese fretwire
• Smooth feel and strong durability

Headplate

• Santos Rosewood headplate
• Custom “H” design

Binding

• Ziricote binding
• Premium exotic hardwood detail
• Strong visual character
• Boutique-grade appointment

Glue

• Japanese Hide Glue
• Traditional high-end lutherie adhesive
• Designed for more direct vibration transfer between wood components

Tuners

• Grover 18:1 GH306 BK Nickel tuners
• High-precision tuning ratio
• Black nickel finish
• Smooth and stable tuning performance

Finish

• Ultra-thin PU gloss finish
• Elegant gloss appearance
• Thin enough to allow better top vibration
• Balances protection, resonance, and visual depth

Materials & Construction NotesTop: Adirondack Spruce Solid Top

Adirondack Spruce is one of the most respected top woods in high-end steel-string guitars, known for its stiffness, dynamic range, and large headroom.
• Fast attack
• Strong projection
• Excellent note separation
• Handles aggressive playing without compressing too quickly
• Still responds well under a lighter touch

On a Modified Dreadnought body, Adirondack Spruce gives the guitar strong power without making the sound feel loose. The body already carries more air and low-end scale than a smaller guitar, while the Adirondack top adds speed, definition, and a wider dynamic ceiling.

Back & Sides: Santos Rosewood Solid Back and Sides

Santos Rosewood, also known as Bolivian Rosewood or Pau Ferro, is not a true Dalbergia rosewood in the traditional sense, but it carries a very useful tonal character for modern acoustic guitars.
• Deep but controlled bass
• Clear mids
• Crisp upper register
• Strong note separation
• Less boomy than many traditional rosewood guitars

The strength of Santos Rosewood is control. It retains some of the depth and richness associated with rosewood-style tonewoods, but the midrange is cleaner and the low end stays tighter. On this Modified Dreadnought, it helps keep the larger body clear, focused, and articulate.

Body: Modified Dreadnought

This guitar is built around a Modified Dreadnought concept inspired by the Somogyi-style MD design approach.
• Larger air volume than an OM
• Stronger bass foundation
• More power and projection
• Better balance and note separation than a traditional dreadnought
• Designed for controlled low end rather than excessive boom

A traditional dreadnought can be powerful, but it can also become heavy or muddy in the bass. The Modified Dreadnought idea keeps the scale and authority of a large body guitar, while refining the waist, balance, and response so that the notes stay clearer. This makes it especially useful for modern fingerstyle playing, where bass lines, melody, and inner voices all need space.

Neck: Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Mahogany Neck

The neck is built from Mahogany and reinforced with carbon fibre for added structural stability.
• Stronger neck rigidity
• Better long-term reliability
• More resistant to climate movement
• Helps maintain consistent action over time

Neck stability matters a lot on a high-end acoustic guitar, especially in changing humidity conditions. The carbon-fibre reinforcement helps the instrument remain more predictable and stable, especially for players who prefer a refined setup and lower action.

Fingerboard & Bridge: African Ebony

African Ebony is used for both the fingerboard and bridge. It is dense, stable, and commonly found on high-end acoustic guitars.
• Dense and durable
• Smooth playing surface
• Clear note response
• Strong tactile feel under the fingers

Using Ebony for both the fingerboard and bridge supports the guitar’s overall clarity and precision. For a guitar built around detail, separation, and touch response, Ebony helps keep the sound direct and focused.

Binding: Ziricote

Ziricote is a highly distinctive exotic hardwood, often recognised by its dark colour and dramatic natural figuring.
• Strong visual character
• Premium decorative hardwood
• Adds a boutique-level visual detail
• Complements the Santos Rosewood body beautifully

The Ziricote binding gives this guitar a more refined, custom-built appearance. It frames the body visually and reinforces the boutique character of the instrument.

Glue: Japanese Hide Glue

Japanese Hide Glue is a traditional adhesive often used in high-end handcrafted guitars and vintage-inspired custom builds. Once cured, it forms a hard, direct connection between wooden parts.
• More direct vibration transfer
• Traditional high-end construction method
• Commonly found in boutique and custom shop instruments
• Supports a more responsive and lively acoustic structure

Hide glue requires more care and control during the building process compared with modern synthetic glues. Its value lies in the way it allows energy to move more directly through the instrument, especially between the top, braces, and body structure.

Finish: Ultra-Thin PU Gloss Finish

This guitar uses an ultra-thin PU gloss finish.
• Gloss visual depth
• Good surface protection
• Reduced damping compared with thicker finishes
• Allows the top to breathe more naturally

A gloss finish can look beautiful, but if applied too thickly, it can restrict vibration. The ultra-thin approach keeps the refined gloss appearance while allowing the top to remain more responsive and open.

Why This Hozen Modified Dreadnought Was Built

This Hozen was not built as a standard production dreadnought. Its design follows the Modified Dreadnought idea: keep the power, air, and low-end scale of a large body guitar, but refine the response so the sound stays clear and controlled.

The Adirondack Spruce top gives the guitar a wide dynamic ceiling and a fast, direct attack. The Santos Rosewood back and sides keep the bass deep but tight, with clear mids and crisp upper frequencies. Together, the combination creates a guitar that feels powerful without becoming muddy.

The 44 mm nut width also points clearly toward serious fingerstyle use. It gives the player more room for multi-voice arrangements, moving bass lines, chord extensions, and melodic detail.

Japanese hide glue, carbon-fibre neck reinforcement, Sanko frets, Grover 18:1 tuners, and the ultra-thin gloss finish all serve the same direction: a guitar that reacts quickly, stays stable, and gives the player a high level of control.

This is a boutique Modified Dreadnought built for power, clarity, separation, and touch-sensitive response.

Hozen / Maestro Guitars Background

Hozen is the founder and master luthier behind Maestro Guitars, a respected Singapore-based boutique guitar brand known for refined craftsmanship and modern acoustic design.

A guitar carrying the Hozen name generally represents a higher-level build, with more direct attention to voicing, material selection, and construction details. Rather than following a purely vintage American formula, Hozen’s work often leans toward a modern acoustic voice: clear, balanced, responsive, and highly playable.

It brings together Adirondack Spruce for dynamic power, Santos Rosewood for clarity and controlled depth, African Ebony for precision, carbon-fibre reinforcement for stability, and Japanese hide glue for more direct acoustic transfer.

The result is a boutique handmade Modified Dreadnought designed to give the player strong note definition, reliable playability, and a refined large-body acoustic response.