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| Title: | GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion |
| Notice: | Discussion of the finer stringed instruments |
| Moderator: | KDX200::COOPER |
|
| Created: | Thu Aug 14 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 3280 |
| Total number of notes: | 61432 |
2329.0. "More on Santa Cruz guitars" by DENVER::MALKOSKI () Thu Sep 19 1991 10:39
There is an earlier note that started off about Ovation/Applause
guitars, but evolved to include Martin and Santa Cruz comments. I
thought I'd add a story of my experience with both.
I was in the NYC area visiting another musician friend after a weeks
training in the greater Boston area. We decided we'd cruise over to see
our long time (>20years) friend Stan Jay, owner and proprietor of
Mandolin Bros Ltd. The store is a blast for anyone interested in
acoustic guitars. More goodies hanging on the walls - all waiting to be
played.
Me - I went to the small room in the rear where the Bros. keep the
vintage Martins, Gibsons, DeAngelicos, etc. I'm not in the market for
another guitar (I've got three already) mind you, just interested. On
the wall is a 1988 Santa Cruz Tony Rice Brazilian. Nice. I've always
admired these instruments but had never played one that really knocked
me out. But this one was nice. Beautiful Brazilian with a Sitka spruce
top. Used, but in excellent condition. I spied a small crack on the
back that had been closed, but otherwise, pretty nice. I touched up the
tuning and started playing a few flatpick pieces. Wow! Great tone!
Warm, round and loud but balanced. Nice neck.
I'm foolin' around and talking to Stan and Larry Wexler and I commented
on what a nice box this is. Larry disappears. He returns two minutes
later with a case. "We got this in 3 days ago. Try it." It's a brand
new Santa Cruz Tony Rice. Brazilian like I haven't seen in way too
long. The best matched piece for back and sides in both color and
grain. And beautiful. The top? German spruce! (An expensive option
these days. Not as much as the premium for the Brazilian, but still, en
extra.) This top is unblievable. The grain is very nice and tight
toward the bridge and widens toward the sides. Typical TR appointments
like ebony bridge and fingerboard and headstock overlay, large sound
hole, herringbone top trim, almost no inlay. OK. So I tune it up. It
explodes! Same as the used one - but more of everything. I've never
played a new guitar with this tonal quality!
I own a 1970 D-28, a 1985 OM-45 Custom, and a custom Taylor Black
Mariah. I have owned over the years more than a dozen Martins,
including a 1920 00-28, and a 1939 D-28. I say to Larry, "Nice guitar
but how does it stack up to the best that Martin can do?" He brings in
a D-40BLE. Very similar to the Santa Cruz, just a bit fancier with more
pearl inlay plus gold tuners. The Santa Cruz eats it for lunch. The
D-40BLE sounds like it has a veil around it. Too reserved. Nice guitar
with good balance and (oh, my) a very playable neck. But it just isn't
close to the SC. BTW, the quality of the Brazilian in this and the
other Martins I played in the shop isn't as high as the pieces in the
comperable SC's.
I say my good byes and head out. I return to Colorado on Sunday. I'm
haunted. I call Stan on Monday. "Give me a price on the SC." He calls
back an hour later. I say, "Done".
I've had it for four weeks. I've gone through 3 sets of strings. Am I
in love or what?
Paul
| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 2329.1 | It's a great feeling | JENEVR::SAKELARIS | | Thu Sep 19 1991 11:30 | 14 |
| Well dude, tell us how much buckage you threw for it?
One other question - I'm just an ignorant electronical guitar dude - is
it a steel string or classical? If steel, I'm sure you don't need/want my
recommendation, but you ought to try these John Pearse strings. These
strings are a cut above, and I'm not very sensitive to that kind of
stuff (a string is a string...). There's a topic in here if you haven't
seen it already.
Good luck, and happy times with your new quitar. I know exactly how you
feel. I just bought a synthesizer and I have the same feelings about
it as I wonder why in the hell I didn't do this a long time ago!
"sakman"
|
| 2329.2 | I know what you mean .... | E::EVANS | | Thu Sep 19 1991 14:07 | 20 |
|
I would guess the quote was about three big ones. Stan sells SC's for a bit
over $2K. Brazillian and German spruce options add another grand. Due to the
long friendship here, I suspect Paul got a very good deal from Stan Jay. I
spent one of the most enjoyable afternoons of my life in that small room in
the back with the vintage Martins, Santa Cruzs and other rare goodies. Unlike
most stores that have expensive goods, Mandolin Brothers encourages you to
play the instruments. I can highly recommend these folks. The selection can't
be beat and the prices are not that bad.
Like you, I was never impressed with the SCs - I don't like the V-necks.
I ended up with a D-40BLE. I have found much more variation in flattops
than in electric guitars. It all depends on how things came out with that
particular instrument. It is fun to compare insturments. Unfortunately,
it can also get expensive.
Glad you found a winner.
Jim
|
| 2329.3 | Strings, etc | DENVER::MALKOSKI | | Fri Sep 20 1991 10:51 | 27 |
| Jim -
Hey! Glad to hear of you again! That D-40BLE of yours sounds like a
keeper. I agree on the necks. I've found that the SC's neck fits my
hand and is very comfortable. But I must admit that the D-40 I tried
that day had a nice neck.
As for the note on John Pearse, et al. The Santa Cruz is a dreadnaught
steel string. And I have a box of John Pearse. I had played Martin
Marquis for years until a friend gave me a set of the John Pearse for
Xmas a few years ago. They are good. I just ordered a box and I haven't
tried them on the Santa Cruz yet. Tonight a set goes on.
Back to one of Jim's points. I believe you are right about the
variation in acoustics. IN all the years I've been around Martins it
always amazes me that most a good, some are very good and some are
outrageous. Santa Cruz too. And Taylor. And I suspect any respected
maker. Thier are just so many factors that contribute to the final
product - the type, combination and quality of woods, the construction,
etc, etc. If I had a roomful of money I'd convert to guitars (and other
stringed instruments) just as works of art. BTW, I've always wanted a
Gibson F-5 mandolin just to admire the beautiful curves of the body and
headstock. Or a Gibson Les Paul with a tiger strip maple top. I'm a
sucker for nice instrument woods.
Paul
|
| 2329.4 | Santa Cruz OM-2 ? | FLYWAY::CHAOT::WIEDLER | they could never be blue | Thu Jul 23 1992 11:01 | 13 |
| My local guitar shop (Switzerland) has a new guitar in the window which I
will try out next Saturday (when I find some time...). It is a "Martin OM"
style guitar by the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, I think it is called "OM-2":
It looks very nicely made, perfect top, hardly any decoration (only SCGC logo
on fingerboard and heringbone style decoration around the soundhole). I
wonder how it compares to the Martin OM-45 I currently play.
Anybody who played a Santa Cruz "OM" ? And any idea about current US prices
for these instruments?
Thanks,
FeliX.
|
| 2329.5 | Santa Cruz price info ? | FLYWAY::CHAOT::WIEDLER | they could never be blue | Wed Aug 05 1992 09:08 | 14 |
| Re: .-1
As nobody seems to know about the Santa Cruz OM-2 (?)- has somebody over
there got a Mandolin Bros. or similar catalogue which lists such an
instrument? Would be nice to get an idea about the US prices - the price tag
on tha Santa Cruz in the Swiss shop was - as usual - SHOCKING: something
around 5000 Swiss Francs (US$ 3500) ... but I know that you can get quite a
discount on the tag price. I wonder how they make prices for US guitars here
and if anybody pays them...
Haven played the Santa Cruz yet, I hope I find time next Saturday.
Thanks,
FeliX.
|
| 2329.6 | | E::EVANS | | Wed Aug 05 1992 09:33 | 5 |
|
I have a '91 Mandolin Bros. catalog that lists a Santa Cruz OM for $2025 cash.
Jim
|
| 2329.7 | Thanks! | FLYWAY::CHAOT::WIEDLER | they could never be blue | Thu Aug 06 1992 03:32 | 3 |
| Jim, thank you very much for your info!
FeliX.
|