Posted by Joe Caruso on Sat, Feb 20, 2010 @ 03:56 PM
Of all the acoustic offerings at the recent NAMM show, perhaps none drew more attention than two stellar Brazilian rosewood models from our friends at Santa Cruz guitars. People talk about the art of guitar building, the implication being that great acoustic guitars are not just musically attractive. In the best instruments, there is a visual component that is both arresting in its beauty and timeless in its successful integration of both old-world and modern design elements. There is no doubt that both of these guitars will stand as a testament to that art.
The first is a masterful interpretation of an OM-45. The Brazilian is of outstanding quality. The top, the highest grade of Adirondack spruce. And the sunburst! For years, I have said that no one does a better burst than Collings, but this guitar definitely raises the bar. The color and shading are perfect.
The second guitar is the one that really stopped folks in their tracks. Richard Hoover calls it the Southern Belle, for its graceful curves and pearly opulence. Based on his H-13 model, it too features superb Brazilian, paired with a luscious Italian spruce top.
The guitar also caught the eye of Greg DiBenedetto from Guitar Aficionado Magazine, who was so impressed, he asked for the guitar to be sent down to their NYC studio for a photo shoot. Look for it in their upcoming June issue. Or better yet, stop by the store and have a gander. You can see more pics here and here Santa Cruz Southern Belle.
Posted by Joe Caruso on Thu, Feb 11, 2010 @ 05:55 PM
I'm sitting here in Boston, thinking about the snowstorm that never came. Hardly more than an inch on the ground instead of the 8"-12" predicted, and I'm slightly depressed. I get a strange rush at the prospect of a big storm. I love the way life seems to come to a crawl; the way a storm brings people out into snow-covered streets to walk and revel in the newly-minted landscape. Grown men feel the sudden urge to make snow balls or grab their kid's sled for a bracing run down the neighbor's hill. A good storm brings the outside world, and the people who inhabit it, to a place and time somewhere decades back. We're all of a sudden 30 years younger, with a spring in our step, and all business commitments on temporary hold.
So, what does this have to do with guitars? Two thoughts come to mind.
Like a snowstorm, buying a great guitar has a timeless, ageless quality to it. There's very little that has changed about the steel-string guitar in the 100 odd years of it's existence. Still the same time-tested body styles, the same materials. Sure, production techniques have changed, but that hasn't altered the overall look or experience of playing a guitar. It's comforting to know, in this age of mind-warping technological advances and built-in product obsolescence, that a guitar is still a guitar: wood, glue and steel. It'll last a lifetime and more without ever going out of style. And if you're lucky enough to have a thriving local music store, you can take that step back in time whenever the urge strikes you. Or you can wait for the next blizzard.
Secondly, there's very little that one can buy which brings such a youthful grin to a person's face than a great guitar. A customer remarked to me the other day, as we were wrapping up his recent Dobro purchase: I just love buying a new guitar! And he gave this broad, child-like smile as if he were eyeing up a toboggan run down a star-lit, snow-covered hillside. It's a real thrill.
Simply put, a guitar purchase, like a good snowfall, makes you feel like a kid again. The added bonus is that this youthful thrill will last right through the spring thaw and, with the proper care and attention to body, mind and instrument, well into the autumn of your life.