Santa Cruz

“Doc Watson, who owned the prototype of the Vintage Artist, said, "This is the Dreadnought I've been looking for all my life." In 1991, Richard Hoover collaborated with vintage experts to identify the most desirable qualities of the iconic Pre-War D-18.

Maestro Watson's contributions to the concept were born of an appreciation of the clarity of Mahogany's tone and his requirements for playability. After Doc's test pilot duties on the prototype, he offered this thoughtful testimonial: "Son, what do I have to do to keep this guitar?"

We present this instrument as the tonal equal and technical superior to the most respected Pre-War guitars. This instrument features an advanced, scalloped X-bracing for powerful bass, complemented by the clear tone and definition of master grade Mahogany.” – From the Santa Cruz Website

Having sold and played examples of the other guitars associated with the legendary Doc Watson (pre-WWII Martin D-18s and Gibson J-35s, and, later, Gallagher G-50s), Doc’s enthusiasm for the Vintage Artist, as reported in Santa Cruz’s account above, is quite understandable. The Vintage Artist is clearly drawing heavily from all the best design elements of a pre-WWII Martin D-18, while also tastefully sporting 28-Style trim.  The lightweight build, the scalloped advanced X-bracing, and the classic spruce/mahogany produce the power, crisp attack, and dynamic range that is certainly competitive with some of the best old D-18s. And, in this respect, old Doc most certainly encountered many sonic qualities that were very familiar when he picked his first notes on a Vintage Artist.

Yet, it is no secret that Richard Hoover and the good folks at Santa Cruz have a general aim to build guitars that offer a truly refined vintage experience, be it a Martin or Gibson benchmark that guides them. With the benefit of hindsight, modern tooling, and, most importantly, years of hard-won craft, Santa Cruz consistently achieves a voice that exhibits the best dry, open, and spacious vintage qualities, while also being very articulate.  To that end, this Adirondack-topped Vintage Artist is endowed with a great degree of clarity, balance, and definition that translates to a much more nuanced response.  Yes, it has explosive capabilities in terms of projection to call upon as needed; but, the player with a more restrained attack is rewarded with a very malleable evenness, against which notes blossom rather than simply project.  As a result of such sophistication, the Vintage Artist is as much at home in fingerstyle applications as it is in flat-picked settings—no wonder a multi-faceted player like Doc Watson was so impressed!

On a final note of gentle warning, guitars like the Vintage Artist present a very real conundrum for serious guitarists who are also attracted to vintage instruments:  On the one hand, a great vintage guitar is incomparable. In terms of its voice and its feel, it has a unique personality that has been shaped by decades of use and the general passage of time. Yet, with this age also comes the structural issues and sonic peculiarities or short-comings that we must simply accept as part of the deal. Meanwhile, on the other hand, a highly-refined, modern guitar, like a Santa Cruz, is a fundamentally more versatile, dare we say, “complete” instrument, where any sonic peccadillos and structural considerations really aren’t in the equation.  Such a guitar is manifestly wonderful and competitive from day one; but, it also dangles a very real and tantalizing promise of being even better as it matures.  Indeed, we’ve seen this conundrum play out in our store on many occasions. And, as evidenced by legends like Doc Watson or Tony Rice, who both vacillated between golden-era vintage instruments and new guitars made by the likes of Santa Cruz during their careers, even the best players have trouble deciding which way to go.  In the end, and as we’ve learned, the answer is simple: you need both!  Yet, if only one could be had, the Vintage Artist is most definitely one of the best modern mahogany dreadnoughts one could hope to find.

Condition

This Vintage Artist has been very well maintained and has no structural or cosmetic issues to note. EXCEPTIONALLY FINE Condition

• 14-Fret Dreadnought Body
• Adirondack Spruce Top
• Scalloped Advanced X-Bracing
• Mahogany Back and Sides
• Ivoroid Body Binding
• Wooden Herringbone Top Purfling
• Single-Ply Side Purfling, 3-Ply Back Purfling
• Zipper Backstrip and Endpiece
• Nitrocellulose Body Finish
• Mahogany Neck
• Modified V Neck Contour with Volute
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Ivoroid Fingerboard and Headstock Binding
• Mother of Pearl SCGC Logo
• Mother of Pearl Dot Long Pattern 2mm Fingerboard Inlays
• Square Peghead Profile
• Brazilian Rosewood Headstock Veneer
• Satin Nitrocellulose Neck Finish
• Ebony Belly Bridge
• Bone Nut and Saddle
• Beveled Tortoiseshell Pickguard
• Nickel Waverly Tuners with Butterbean Buttons
• 25.375” Scale Length
• 1 11/16” Nut Width
• 2 3/16” String Spacing at the Bridge
• Ameritage Hardshell Case