Peghead Nation instructor Bruce Molsky began his musical journey playing fingerpicking guitar, and while he’s more renowned for his fiddle and banjo playing, the guitar continues to be an important part of his musical expression. Bruce owns several vintage guitars that he plays at home and in the studio, but his “road” guitar is a Santa Cruz OM that he purchased new in 1997. “It’s got a nice, even sound,” he says. “It’s a great fingerstyle guitar, it articulates individual notes really well, and it’s also a good chord strummer.”
As a standard Santa Cruz OM, the guitar is built with Indian rosewood back and sides and a spruce top. “It’s a basic, straight, unembellished orchestra model,” Bruce says. The guitar was damaged during air travel and subsequently repaired several times over the years, and eventually Bruce sent the guitar back to Santa Cruz to have the entire neck replaced. Instead of the stylized “SCGC” logo in the peghead that usually comes on OM-style guitars, Bruce asked for the newer, script-style logo that spells out “Santa Cruz” to be used on the new neck. As a performance instrument, the guitar is outfitted with a Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend pickup and mic system, and Bruce uses D’Addario light-gauge EJ-16 strings.
Although Bruce originally got the guitar primarily to use for playing live, he has also used it on several of his recordings, including Poor Man’s Troubles, Contented Must Be, Soon Be Time, and If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back.
In this video, Bruce demonstrates the guitar in his home studio, playing Joseph Spence’s “Bimini Gal,” and Pete Seeger’s “Living in the Country.”
Check out Bruce’s Old-Time Fiddle and Wade Ward-Style Banjo courses on Peghead Nation!
Santa Cruz OO-SkyeEric Skye demonstrates his 00-size Santa Cruz signature model. Read More |
2009 Outlier DreadnoughtPeghead Nation guitar instructor Stash Wyslouch demos his spruce and mahogany flattop. Read More |
Collings C10-35An updated version of Collings’ L-00-inspired classic. Read More |
Martin Authentic-Inspired Custom Shop 000-28 1937A great limited edition 14-fret 000. Read More |
Huss and Dalton TOM-RA great rosewood OM that combines vintage and modern features. Read More |
Collings C100A mid-size flattop with a versatile sound and an original, yet familiar body shape. Read More |
Taylor 412ce-RA high-value rosewood and spruce grand concert guitar. Read More |
Charis SJ PerformancePeghead Nation instructor Doug Young demonstrates the guitar he uses in his Alternate Tunings for Fingerstyle Guitar course. Read More |
Taylor 314ce-NA hybrid nylon-string that’s perfect for steel-string players. Read More |
Martin 00 CustomA 12-fret 00 with custom specs. Read More |