FRETS.COM New Instruments

FRETS.COM New Instrument Review
September 1, 1999

Their flagship dreadnought
Santa Cruz "Tony Rice"
© Frank Ford, 1999; Photos by FF

Santa Cruz Guitar Company has been making the Tony Rice dreadnought for more than 20 years now, and they really have it down! Innovative, no. Significant, yes. After all, Tony is the owner and player of one of the most famous flat top guitars in the world - Clarence White's 1934 Martin D-28. No question about it, the D-28 is the focal point of the flat top guitar world. It's single most popular professional guitar, and the vintage ones command huge prices.

So the Santa Cruz Tony Rice model is a reenactment of the original Martin dreadnought design, with a few Santa Cruz touches thrown in. The result is one of the best sounding dreadnought guitars on the market. It's a simple as that. As with other Santa Cruz guitars, the fit and finish, the playability, and the materials are first rate.

Please click on the small photos

Back and sides are rosewood, top is spruce. Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard.

Notice that there is no peghead decoration at all. That was Tony's request. The familiar SCGC logo is at the 12 fret. Cool.

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	Back and sides are rosewood, top is spruce. Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard.
	Notice that there is no peghead decoration at all. That was Tony's request. The familiar SCGC logo is at the 12 fret. Cool.