Santa Cruz OO (1997)

Description

Excellence is par for the course at Santa Cruz guitars - and judging by this early example, a 1997 OO with a serial number of just 48 - it's always been that way for Richard Hoover and his team. This remarkable little 12-fret guitar combines a Sitka spruce top with an Indian rosewood back and sides for a classic tone nicely suited to parlor-esque guitars like this one, filling out some of the typical boxiness of a small-bodied instrument with the naturally lush timbre of the woods utilized. This instrument has opened up nicely over nearly 30 years of playing time, and now boasts a forward and warm sound that excels both when fingerpicked, as well as when strummed with a flatpick. Premium appointments include abalone inlay work, herringbone purfling, and a double-bound ivoroid body and fingerboard.

This instrument arrived in our store in very good condition, with a below-average amount of cosmetic wear relative to the average for a guitar of its age. Most of the dents and divots center on the headstock, including small holes where the screws of the tuners have broken through the wood of the slotted headstock, most likely as a result of being removed and then reinstalled at an unknown point in the past. There is a relatively large (15mm diameter) dent in the finish on the top, visible under oblique lighting but which does not significantly compromise the visual beauty of the instrument. The nut and saddle are also both non-original and have been replaced with delrin ones. It has recently seen a full professional set up including an extensive fret dress and re-crowning, and plays very well in all positions. This guitar parted ways with its case at some point in the past, and now comes with a non-original Crossrock tweed hard-shell case, which fits it very well.

*Please note, per our return policy, all sales on used and consignment instruments are final.*