Santa Cruz Guitars introduced its series of 1929 models about a decade ago. An homage to the simple all-mahogany guitars built during the Depression, the guitars are available in 0, 00, and 000 sizes. True to the guitars that served as inspiration, standard 1929s feature simple appointments and cosmetically plain woods. I’ve played several Santa Cruz 1929s over the years, in all available sizes, and I’ve always been impressed with the instruments. So, when I found a used 1929 000 hanging on the wall at Schoenberg Guitars in Tiburon, California, I immediately picked it up and discovered that it had some very cool custom upgrades.
Built in 2015, this 1929 000 is a great example of how the standard specs on any Santa Cruz model are often just a starting point. For this instrument Santa Cruz substituted the 1929’s typical plain mahogany with a set of spectacularly flamed old-growth mahogany. Matched with an abalone rosette and sunburst finish, the guitar’s appearance is incredibly sophisticated, while under the hood, it includes Adirondack spruce bracing and hide glue construction. And while 12-fret 000’s traditionally have a long scale, this guitar was ordered with a short 24¾ inch scale.
The guitar’s beautifully dynamic voice and great balance grabbed me immediately. Hardwood-top guitars often have a somewhat compressed tonality, but that isn’t the case with this instrument. With a nut width of 1¾ inches and slimmer neck dimensions, standard Santa Cruz 1929 guitars already have a more contemporary feel than similar vintage guitars, and on this custom version, the instrument’s short scale helped make the guitar a little easier to play than a typical 12-fret 000.
All in all, this custom guitar is another winner from Richard Hoover and his team!
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