Used Santa Cruz guitars

egldriver · #1 09-10-2012, 07:59 AM

I have been in the search for a used Santa cruz d/pw. I have played 2 new models that were just great. However, the used guitars that I have looked at have had neck issues, IMO needed neck resets in the near future and "humpy" fretboards; the one that I tried at elderly had the look of an imminent neck reset and a delamination of the fret board. It also sounded very dead. Sad because the new ones were so good. Are these guitars a bad long term prospect?

I have two Martins and two Taylor's that are absolutely stable. I understand Santa cruz's are lightly built but the admittedly small sample that I have seen have caused me to take pause.

Am I also correct that the price of new sc's have really increased I the last couple of years? It makes buying a new one prohibitive for me.

SuperB23 · #2 09-10-2012, 08:31 AM

Over the last 15 years I've owned about 16 or 17 Santa Cruz Guitars. The D/PW's are some of the best sounding best bang for the buck dreadnoughts available IMO. I've never had any structural issues with any of the ones I've owned. One of the D/PW I had for about 4 years and I played it so much I had to have a fret job done but thats about it. They build some of the best guitars available right now IMO. I prefer them over all the other Small Shop Boutique Company Guitars I've played Collings, Huss & Dalton, Bourgeois, McPherson, R Taylor, and Froggy Bottom.

I've noticed the SC Used pricing has gone up in the last year I think its a combination of a few different things people are finally realizing how good they are and that IMO they are better sounding guitars than Collings. Also the beat out Collings for the Small Shop Gold award in the acoustic guitar magazine awards last year. Most dealers can't keep them in stock right now. I know Gryphon told me they sell everyone they get in and they can't get them fast enough but yet they have about 40 Collings guitars in stock.

I know this is my opinionated .02 cents but I've played a lot and don't get me wrong the other companies I mentioned all build great sounding guitars, I just think SCGC has a slight edge up on them. A combination of very lightly built guitars and great skilled people voicing them makes for a world class instrument.

kjcole · #3 09-10-2012, 08:46 AM

I can only speak about mine - a 2000 Tony Rice. Light - check; structurally sound - check; good neck/body alignment - check.

wcap · #4 09-10-2012, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperB23

Over the last 15 years I've owned about 16 or 17 Santa Cruz Guitars. The D/PW's are some of the best sounding best bang for the buck dreadnoughts available IMO. I've never had any structural issues with any of the ones I've owned. One of the D/PW I had for about 4 years and I played it so much I had to have a fret job done but thats about it. They build some of the best guitars available right now IMO. I prefer them over all the other Small Shop Boutique Company Guitars I've played Collings, Huss & Dalton, Bourgeois, McPherson, R Taylor, and Froggy Bottom.

I've noticed the SC Used pricing has gone up in the last year I think its a combination of a few different things people are finally realizing how good they are and that IMO they are better sounding guitars than Collings. Also the beat out Collings for the Small Shop Gold award in the acoustic guitar magazine awards last year. Most dealers can't keep them in stock right now. I know Gryphon told me they sell everyone they get in and they can't get them fast enough but yet they have about 40 Collings guitars in stock.

I know this is my opinionated .02 cents but I've played a lot and don't get me wrong the other companies I mentioned all build great sounding guitars, I just think SCGC has a slight edge up on them. A combination of very lightly built guitars and great skilled people voicing them makes for a world class instrument.

A few years back I was trying out LOTS of guitars at The Podium. Other than some of the custom Podium-commissioned Martins, I thought a used Santa Cruz dread they had at the time was one of the best guitars in the shop. Just a wonderful guitar. It had a number of repaired cracks (repaired well) but played well and sounded just fabulous (and the very well-respected and straight talking repair guy inspected it for me and had no misgivings about its structural integrity). Most of the other Santa Cruz guitars I've played have also impressed me a lot, but that dreadnaught was something special (and I'm primarily a fingerstyle player).

And I see you have a Martin Ditson.... nice nice nice guitars too. The used Ditson they had at the time (that I came close to buying) was simply fabulous as well. I still wish I could have bought that Ditson (but I couldn't buy that AND the Goodall I ended up with..... and both the Goodall and Ditson were in competition with the truly wonderful 50th Anniversary Singer-Songwriter D28....).

I also have not been all that impressed when I have played Collings. In fact I really don't like some of them, though I know people who absolutely adore them (and I've heard some fantastic recordings done with Collings guitars). Like you, I think the Santa Cruz guitars beat out all those others you mentioned (based on the examples I have played of the various brands). To me Santa Cruz guitars rival the higher end Martins (which I think are fabulous), and along with these better Martins I think they also rival Goodalls (which I also think are simply fabulous but quite different).

JoeCharter · #5 09-10-2012, 08:53 AM

Check out the Santa Cruz website and see for how long they've been around.

No company can thrive for such a long period by delivering unreliable instruments.

They build great sounding, beautiful guitars.

Transylvania · #6 09-10-2012, 08:57 AM

I recently purchased a 1998 Tony Rice model. Aside from some normal playing wear (which was pretty minimal for a 15 year old guitar) the instrument was perfect. I agree with an earlier post. Thay haven't been around this long with the reputation they enjoy by making guitars that don't endure. They are in direct competition with Collings, Martin, Bourgeois, etc.

Dwight · #7 09-10-2012, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egldriver

I have been in the search for a used Santa cruz. However, the used guitars that I have looked at have had neck issues, IMO needed neck resets in the near future and "humpy" fretboards

I played a used Santa Cruz that someone had traded to GC. It had a wavy neck and fretboard also. I agree they make great guitars, but that one experience has me owning Collings and Bourgeois instead.

brencat · #8 09-10-2012, 09:33 AM

I still think about the SCGC OM/PW I played at Rudy's in NYC 2 months ago. Just an incredible guitar... unbelievably loud, notes just explode off that thing with the lightest touch.

The one thing I personally notice on occassion with used SCGC is finish checking.

drbluegrass · #9 09-10-2012, 09:49 AM

I owned a SC, hog, hide glue, D/PW and it was indeed one of the best sounding dreads I've owned or played. I've also owned 5 Collings guitars and a Collings mandolin and I wouldn't say the SC sounded any "better" than any of the Collings guitars I owned. It did sound different in a very good way. I wish I still owned it. Collings, IMHO, makes superb sounding guitars and they're second to none in fit and finish. But...different strokes.
After playing and currently owning a Bourgeois Vintage D Brazilian and a Martin D-18 Authentic my dread guitar search is over...that is (perhaps) except for a really nice slope dread like the Collings CJ I used to have. We'll see.
But, yes, a SC D/PW in my experience is a very good investment. Someone on this forum bought mine from the store I traded it to but needed some money and was wanting to sell it a few months ago. Can't remember his username though.

Tom

zmf · #10 09-10-2012, 09:58 AM

I've had an SC for 5 years that lives with me above 7000 ft in the Rockies, where humidity stays low. I was a little worried that these lightly built guitars might have issues under such conditions, but keeping it humidified when in the case was all it needed.

No problems at all with this SC.

K.E.P. · #11 09-10-2012, 11:01 AM

I have a vintage southerner and it's one of the best guitars I have ever played.

I have some other guitars, and the SC is more reactive to temperature and humidity, but nothing out of the ordinary. Tone is just crazy good. They take a little bit more of a hit in my experience on the used market, but as one person earlier said, they are some of the best values on the market.

Larpy · #12 09-10-2012, 11:39 AM

Until I sold it last year, I had a Santa Cruz D that I bought new in 1998. I always strung it with medium gauge strings but even so, over the 13 years I had it, the neck stayed perfectly stable. I never had to shave the saddle height, and the action was the same when I sold it as when I bought it.

But as others have noted, the light build Santa Cruz favors requires diligent attention to humidity levels. I can imagine that a SC that gets too dry for too long or gets too hot in the summer could develop neck issues.

akafloyd · #13 09-10-2012, 11:40 AM

The big question of any used guitar is its history. How often was it left in the back seat in the sun? Where did it live and under what conditions? How much has it been played?

fishstick_kitty · #14 09-10-2012, 12:19 PM

1997 SCGC OM owner here...no neck reset in sight (plenty of saddle showing). The instrument is a thrill to play every time I pick it up. I once owned a 2003 OM/PW and that was incredible too...no neck reset in sight. Owned a 1929 00 too...that was a 2008 or 9...no issues (I hope not

).

I'm a Santa Cruz fanboy...I'll admit it...love'em

egldriver · #15 09-10-2012, 01:44 PM

Thanks to all..pretty resounding endorsements. Believe me I want a Santa Cruz d/pw or om/pw. The new ones were great. I guess I will keep looking to find one that has been taken care of.

This experience so far has re-enforced the idea of seeing a guitar before buying. The d/pw at elderly was described as ec-...I cannot agree with that assessment.