Santa Cruz 1929 00 50th Anniversary

A fabulous all-mahogany 12-fret celebrates five decades of Santa Cruz guitars.

October 8, 2025

Founded in 1976, the Santa Cruz Guitar Co. is approaching its 50th anniversary. With an extensive history of guitar models to look back on, the trailblazing maker has no shortage of styles to inspire a special anniversary array, and Santa Cruz is offering special editions of several of its most defining models. We recently had a chance to review the OMPW 50th Anniversary, and in this video, I demo the 1929 00 50th Anniversary.

Originally introduced in the late 2000’s, the 1929 line is Santa Cruz’s tribute to stripped-down, depression-era all-mahogany guitars, such as Martin’s Style-17 models. Available in 0, 00, and 000 sizes, the 1929s also offered a somewhat more affordable entry into the Santa Cruz line. Their heritage is obvious, but they are not straight copies of particular vintage examples. The 1929 00 sticks to the basic 12-fret 00 template, but it features a solid rather than slotted peghead, a much more contemporary-feeling neck than most vintage 00s, and details such as wooden body binding that set the guitar apart from its humble antecedents.

The 1929 line pays homage to simple guitars, but Santa Cruz didn’t skimp on the woods used for this 00. Once considered a lesser and cheaper choice, genuine high-quality mahogany—valued for its tonal clarity and balanced sound—has now become relatively scarce. The mahogany used on our demo guitar is gorgeous. On the lighter side of the mahogany color spectrum, the wood has a bit of figure, and the guitar’s gloss finish gives the grain an almost three-dimensional appearance. An understated black-and-white rosette and subtle “50” inlaid on the heel cap are the only obvious appointments, and with a plain, inlay-free black fingerboard, the 1929 00 has the stripped-down aesthetic of a fine classical guitar.

The company’s various 12-fret 00’s have been among the most popular models in the Santa Cruz catalog, and this 1929 version lives up to my high expectations. I’ve been impressed with the light weight of all-mahogany Santa Cruz guitars before, and this one was a reminder that Santa Cruz knows how to build for maximum resonance. The 1929 00 is light as a feather and ultra-responsive, with a bigger dynamic range than the somewhat compressed quality of some mahogany-topped guitars. The short scale makes the 1929 00 easy to play, and it is a superb instrument for traditional fingerpicking music. Its assertive voice has great balance and definition, which makes it a wonderful choice for accompaniment using a pick or played fingerstyle.

Based on this guitar and the OMPW we checked out, the Santa Cruz 50th Anniversary models are going to be a smash success, and I predict that dealers won’t have them for very long. Final pricing hasn’t been announced, but in line with the original concept of the 1929 series, it is said to be on the lower end of the Santa Cruz scale.