****
Videos by American Songwriter
It wasn’t long after the California-based company’s founding that their ultra high-quality, fine sounding guitars attracted the attention of great players and artists. Many of these players not only turn to Santa Cruz to duplicate or replace their prized vintage instruments, but to improve upon them as well. An early example of such work was a instrument commissioned by virtuoso Tony Rice, which was modeled after his Martin that was once owned by legendary picker Clarence White. That guitar served as the inspiration for the Tony Rice model, which some consider the flagship of the Santa Cruz line.
While the company does have a set line and catalog of instruments, they are small enough to do such custom orders along with their regular production. Hoover estimates that sixty-five percent of the guitars they manufacture are custom order instruments.
Santa Cruz custom guitars are often designed to address problems a musician might have had with other instruments, fulfill a player’s specific needs, or make a visual statement befitting of the artist. In some cases, this collaboration between player and builder leads to a signature instrument.
Renowned cowboy singer and western music historian Don Edwards bought his first Santa Cruz after becoming aware of them through labelmate and prominent flatpicker Norman Blake.
Edwards had garnered attention from a few different circles and was even offered an endorsement from one of the major guitar manufacturers. “There’s lots of great guitars out there, a lot of great builders. But I like the rapport I have with Richard,” says Edwards. “What I like about Santa Cruz is they are a hands-on company.”
When talking about the creation of the signature model, Hoover asked Edwards what he thought was a real cowboy’s guitar. “I said probably an all mahogany guitar. What they might play around a campfire or something,” Edwards recalls telling him. (Martin referred to their original all mahogany guitar as one for “general knock-about use.”)
Santa Cruz had already introduced a series of all mahogany guitars called 1929, a straight-forward line of unadorned instruments, based off the Martin 0 and 00-sized (and 000, to complete Santa Cruz’s series) guitars which were introduced in 1929-30. The lack of ornamentation originally made the guitar more affordable to the cash-strapped masses; however, some believe the tone of the originals was less than inspiring.
“I’ve always wanted to make an all mahogany guitar. The tone of mahogany is exquisite, and most players haven’t had the chance to experience an intelligently made all mahogany guitar,” says Hoover.
The collaboration between Hoover and Edwards yielded The Cowboy Singer, an understated, yet deluxe, model based on the SCGC 1929-00 guitar. It is distinguished by its antique sunburst finish, natural wood binding, slotted headstock, an inlaid ‘lone star’ at the fifth fret, and Edwards’ signature on the fretboard just above the soundhole.
The guitar was very well received upon its introduction at the NAMM trade shows in Nashville and Los Angeles. “I just can’t believe the kinds of accolades the guitar has got,” says Edwards. “My guitar got better reviews than I ever got.”
