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Hey all!
I first played a Santa Cruz guitar 4 years ago. It was a an Eric Skye 00 used but mint condition. I was absolutely blown away by it but as a singer songwriter, I felt it was overkill for my needs.
I couldn’t get it out of my head and decided I’d go for it but it had sold in the meantime. I had an opportunity to buy another used one but when I went to view it, it had a crack that put me off.
I’m in Ireland and the Skye is a very expensive model here and it doesn’t look like a used one will show up anytime soon. Whilst looking for a Skye, I came across a store that has 2 Don Edwards models on sale for €4650 which seems like a bargain. They’re new but made in 2019. I know it’s a very different guitar to the Skye but it does share a lot of the things I liked about the Skye. As a mediocre guitarist at best and a song writer, maybe the Don Edwards model might suit me even better!
Just wondering if anyone has played one/own one and has any thoughts on it?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as there is no dealer here. It will have to be an online purchase.
I’ll own a Santa Cruz guitar one of these days regardless!
Many thanks
Danny
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Welcome Dannymeeg and Slainte Mhath.
I was torn between buying an FTC and a Don Edwards. I bought the FTC and I’ll never look back. But…..The Don Edwards is (IMHO) the PERFECT guitar for a singer/songwriter.
Santa Cruz Guitar Company Presents: Don Edwards at the 40th Anniverary Celebration – YouTube.
He was the “HIT” of the show (again IMHO ).
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I think he sounds great there – no shade to Don… but for my taste on the singer songwriter bit with the all mahogany OO is that it’s not big enough. Shockingly the Skye model with the short scale, 12 fret, deep body works really really well with a strum or fingers. It’s one of the handful cruz models that really stuck to me. If you were eyeing a Skye I would not suggest stopping with the one you’re looking at. If you did get an all mahogany guitar… I would definitely get a 1929 OOO , very nice and gives some extra stuff that the OO doesn’t have with all mahogany IMO. As a singer songwriter I think that I want a deeper more powerful low end and more air inside the cavity… or at least a more relaxed voice so it’s not a strain to sing over the guitar’s voice punching forward. I had that issue with my OM Grand… so forward and projectile that the upper mids combatted my voice.
FWIW my favorite actual voiced SC guitars although I didn’t like the size, volume, or power necessarily of them unplugged were: Firefly , Skye, and F. The VA and 1929 OOO weren’t too bad but not my thing as much. I feel like if I ever found a good old growth VS or RS out there, that would probably be the best thing I’ve heard from Richard… or a 16/17″ instead of the 15″ F model with adi/african. I quite liked my om grand with advanced x bracing… but if I got italian/cocobolo again I would NOT get advanced bracing… and if I did get advanced x bracing I would get mahogany and adirondack instead. I actually think a 24.9 ” Om grand with a deep body , standard bracing, and adirondack/african would slay for me. The H I had was similar to an H13 but rosewood – very very enchanting – but I’d stick with the standard H13. . . pretty good stuff on that one, but not quite big enough of a sound and a little niche. Again on the F I love the response but it was too diminutive. Sometimes on SC you can put mediums on and you get that more powerful sound but then the sound becomes too compressed. I definitely prefer their tapered braced guitars for strumming and singing and the x braced for finger style in general. . . and advanced x with mahogany and standard brace with rosewood.
If any of that resonates with you take it as you will. I haven’t played everything, but I’ve had a few santa cruz custom builds (at the top tier) really searching, and I’ve poured over all aspects of their guitars in relation to what I’ve been looking for – which is something to sing over that’s like a piano… it just took a long time for me to simplify it down to that idea… I started in my early 20s and now I’m in my early 30s and the best santa cruz I’ve ever played so far is not a santa cruz at all.. it’s my arch top I have now haha. I still want to get Richard to build me a couple more in search of the best guitar they can build from my perspective. I really really would like to see a true jumbo from them. either a larger F or larger FTC
I’d hold out for the Skye unless you just hands down are in love with the DE… but if you were you probably wouldn’t be asking for thoughts – it’d already be in your living room if you liked it that much
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Thank you acoustic soul for that in depth explanation. You raise many good points.
The real issue here is that I live in Ireland and I would say you could count on 2 hands all the Santa Cruz guitars in Ireland. I’ve only ever played the Eric Skye model. I was blown away by it but didn’t buy it straight because I just thought it was too much guitar for my sloppy playing. Since playing it though, I’ve been fascinated by Santa Cruz and Richard Hoover.
At this stage, I think I just want any 12 fret, slotted headstock 00 from Santa Cruz that I can get for under 5k but you’re right, I shouldn’t settle out of impatience.
The worst part is that I’d know within 30 seconds of playing the DE if it’s the one for me. Spending 5k with nothing but YouTube videos to base it on is probably not the smartest move. Ugh… I wish there was a Santa Cruz dealer here!!
Thanks again!
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No guitar is too much for whatever level of playing you’re at – you only have one life enjoy it 🙂
If you have to buy off a video, ask for hi res files and listen to it on headphones. You can loop people in and describe what you like and see if they hear it if you want although that can be dangerous.
What was it that you liked about the Skye so much, what are you wanting out of the cruz? What’s your style and number one thing a guitar has to do for you
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I’ll try be a little more articulate now!
This first thing I loved about the Skye was the quality. From the moment the beautiful ameritage case came out (the DE comes with a tooled leather case, not my style but hey, it’s a case), I knew the guitar was going to be quality. The woodwork on the guitar blew me away. The classic look executed so we’ll. Then I strummed it and heard how complex the tone was, a beautiful sparkly top end. The neck felt great and the entire guitar felt lighter than air. I loved how responsive the guitar was.
I know the DE won’t sound as complex and I’m ok with that. I’ve a Lowden for that. I also know the Adi top added a lot of sparkle to the Skye but as long as the DE has some bit of nice airy high end, that would be okay.
I have a Lowden for complex open tuning stuff, a lovely atkin J45 for strumming so I want a nice finger picking guitar. It has to be responsive to a lighish touch.
Cost is a factor unfortunately. The DE is almost half the cost of the Skye. I could however hold out and wait for a used Skye to come up which does happen from time to time. Patience isn’t my strong suit but I’ve waited a year and a half already, I can go a bit longer.
So hard to know!
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Danny,
Does the store have a tryout/return policy ?
And always remember The Santa Cruz Sound is very personal. We who haunt this Forum are very subjective in our tonal evaluations and trying to describe all the aspects of a particular model , built from a particular tone wood , with a particular top wood is just “Chasing the wind”.
I remember visiting a guitar store in Galway and in Athlone. Also a shop in Dublin, although that shop was right after a visit to the Guiness factory……
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I’m not sure but I doubt they have a try out policy. It’s not a shop I’ve ever dealt with but I might shoot off an email to start a conversation!
Yes indeed. It’s all very subjective. I’m trying to distinguish if I fell in love with the Skye model or Santa Cruz guitars in general. A lot of what I loved about the Skye can be found in the DE. I’m just worried the all hog body won’t have enough sparkle. Reading the description of the Skye, it’s the completely wrong guitar for me but it’s still haunts me!
Ah, you must have been in Moloneys in Galway. Great little shop. One of the very few good music shops we have in Ireland.
Don’t mention Guinness to me, I haven’t had a pint of the black stuff in so long with the lockdowns 🙁
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Well the skye is one of those that goes outside it’s description really really well in my opinion. Not too many of them do. The marketing on Santa Cruz is really thick to wade through to be honest, I don’t think the pep talk of all the models helps anyone decide.
Like others have said, return policy is your best bet. It’s fine to pay 80-140 bucks for a trial of an incredible guitar. My main gripe is that most santa cruz guitars out there are mostly stock ones… even the custom ones are not fully done to their highest level… but until you KNOW what you want from them you wouldn’t want to do that… unless you’re like me and you just trust them to interpret your stuff. I actually think they do a really good job of interpreting, but what I failed to see in my 10 years is that they have a very very very different idea of acoustic guitar than I do, so I have to interpret their response through their ethos. In technical terms though, I can compare models and they can really nail stuff. There is no replacement for what an adirondack top from santa cruz does to an attack with a blue chip pick though compared to italian or sitka and that’s something I have to have. It’s held true on every single one I’ve played and no other wood has accomplished that for me. I think it’s a great strummer wood unless you want to play a bluegrass or dreadnought guitar and go for a jangley martin type sound
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To be clear, I’m in no way challenging your opinions. But will offer this – I currently own 12 guitars. Six have Adi tops. The three SCGC models I currently own have Italian, German and Mahogany tops. The 2 SCGC guitars I’ve sold had Adi tops. I find the Euro tops cut and attack as good as can be (I use a blue chip pick). There are different experiences on this point I believe, and outcomes are probably not uniform.
– Paul –
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Yep it was Moloney’s .
We have several great friends who are “marquee” musicians in Ireland. Joe Flynn and Frankie McDonald and Frankie’s Daughter Lorainne and Son Keith.
We have known them for years and they open up their homes and hearts when we visited “The Olde Sod”.
We do the same when they come to Florida. They set up several gigs for my wife Dee with Midlands Radio and allowed Her to guest appear with them.
Me, they gave me an old guitar , a shot of Dullimore Dew and a pint of the black stuff and set me in the corner at Sean’s Bar and at Mick Kaleen’s on the river.
Remember also that your choice of strings greatly affect the voice of an instrument.
Do you play in DADGAD ? Hog is a great wood for that Celtic sound.
Slainte and Fair Winds.
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I’ll suggest looking for a 00-29. It seems as if there are (relatively) a lot of them y comparison with other models, and they show up regularly on various sites.
I’ve got one and it’s a good companion to my OM, very rich & warm; I spend a fair amount of time on it these days.
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>Interesting! I guess the big difference is the slotted headstock but I note from an interview with Richard Hoover that the slotted headstock has less of an impact on his high quality guitars!</p>
I know some DE guitars have hot hide adi braces but I don’t believe the one I’m looking at has!Thanks Hank!
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Thanks for the kind words, Hank.
My 00-29 has been used for live play for about eight years now and it is quite loud enough to stand up acoustically in a jam. It amplifies nicely as well using a high-quality stereo SBT and outboard preamp.
All in all it’s a treasure.
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Well I for one have not had great luck trying, buying and owning 00 models. I had to think about this, but 8 or 9 — 00-style guitars have come and gone including (but not limited to): Martin, Collings, Bourgeois, H&D, SCGC H-13, and one private luthier. The first 00 that I truly loved is my Froggy Bottom C, which does it all in spades. Until….I purchased a SCGC 1929/00. I am smitten! This guitar has a personality, tone and play, that inspires me to pick it up and not put it down. It plays and sounds like no other I’ve tried. I clearly understand how another player might not appreciate what it brings to the table, and that’s why we need to search for ourselves. I’m actually pretty amazed how much this 1929/00 means to me. Keep looking and enjoy the hunt.
– Paul –
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Thanks for all the help everyone!
I’m pulling the trigger on the Cowboy Singer today. It’s seems to be an acquired taste so I really hope I like it! The shop does have a return policy so worst case scenario, I’ll be out a few euro on shipping it back if needs be.
The price on the guitar was really good as it’s new old stock. Almost half of what I would pay for a new Skye model. I also think it looks beautiful which I know shouldn’t matter, but it so does (to me).
I really hope I like it! Nervous and excited in equal measure!
Thanks again!!
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Let us know how it turns out. Are the strings new ? Make sure you have fresh strings other wise you won’t really “hear” the guitar………Welcome to the SCGC Clan !
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That’s a good call. I’ll buy in a few sets of strings in advance of it’s arrival just in case.
Thanks so much Hank! It’s certainly a get clan to be in!
I was emailing Carolyn from Santa Cruz yesterday to check the specs (standard specs as I suspected) and she couldn’t have been more helpful!
All you Santa Cruz folk are so nice a great community. I’ve started listening to the podcast which is great too!
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The guitar is scheduled for delivery tomorrow all going well! Beyond excited!
It’s coming from the Netherlands, roughly the same climate as Ireland. It’ll be cold tonight so how long should I allow the parcel to acclimatise before opening it? It’s NOS so I wouldn’t expect any finish issues from opening too soon but better safe than sorry!
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Cheap but accurate shot Bert! Except if it’s anything like the USPS, it will get to Scotland, then go back to Germany, then Scotland, then Germany, then they will figure it out.
Danny I bought a 1952 Gibson Cf-100 in July and USPS (Priority $140.00) let it sit in a warehouse in Lexington Ky (8 days over 100) for 2 weeks. My guitar is fine now…take heart
Hey…think of it this way, if you got it it would have to sit in the box for 48 hours to adjust, it would be way worse looking at the box with the guitar inside, ask Lisa Liu, she wrote a song about it…….you and you’re guitar will be fine
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Wow! This is one fine little guitar!
I’m blown away by the build quality. The mahogany is absolutely stunning and the burst is executed to perfection. I keep giggling like an idiot everytime I open the case!
This guitar has a lot of what I loved about the Skye. It’s light as a feather, super resonant and so responsive to even the lightest touch. Not like any other all hog Guitar I’ve ever played. I was worried it might be lacking in high end sparkle, it’s does not. I really love this little guitar.
It’s a while since I’ve owned a little guitar so it’s gonna take a bit of getting use to. The neck is also really wide and I’m use to a 45mm neck. Great for finger picking!
Ok, I still think I’ll end up getting a Skye but for the price I paid, I’m delighted with this guitar and I don’t think it will be going anywhere anytime soon!
My God! The good folk at Santa Cruz know how to build a fine guitar!
Thanks for all the help and input during this transaction! This is a great forum!
Danny
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Yay!! The photo uploaded! Thanks indexless!
The mics are an Aston Spirit on the bottom and a 3u Audio Warbler II on the bottom. Both inexpensive but sound great. I have them set up for mid/side recording and it really sounds glorious! The amp is a Princeton indeed but it’s a reissue! -
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I’m very new to home recording. I just started to put the home studio together in the summer, a lockdown project. The Aston Spirit is an amazing mic for the money… less than $400. I’d like to buy more mics but I keep buying guitars! Haha
Just uploaded a quick snippet that you can check out below. I don’t have any proper recordings yet as I’m still learning proper mic placement! The below recording has a touch of compression, the low rumbly stuff taken out and a bit of verb for good measure!
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Danny…..nice sound brother, I’m sure the guitar had nothing to do with it (my attempt at humor)…….I looked into those mic’s, nice….check out Lewitt mic’s, my hot fav right now on a budget, otherwise, bring in the fleet of U-47’s
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Many thanks for the feedback folks! Much appreciated!
When I get a proper recording done, I’ll share it with you all so you can get a good idea of what this little guitar can do! I have a friend is who is truly incredible on the guitar and I’d love to record him playing it as soon as it’s safe to be around other people!
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Haha! Funny you should mention strings… Nobody told me how much harder it is to change strings on a slothead!! My first attempt did not go well and I wasted two strings so it currently has 2 different types of strings on it, shameful stuff. I’ve learned from my mistakes and have a new set coming this week. Cannot wait to get a new complete set on it!
I really think it’s a superb little guitar and records incredibly well. I’m not 100% sure it’s a keeper just yet… It’s lacking the presence of the Skye. Holding off judgement until I get a complete set of strings.I got it for a great price so I won’t lose too much if I trade it in at some point. I’m going to play it for the next few months and see but it has definitely sold me on Santa Cruz guitars. The build quality is insane! No regrets buying it as I think it’s a great introduction into Santa Cruz guitars.
Thanks fo checking in Tadol!
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The slothead thing is why I have a 00-29 rather than a Don Edwards. I have a 128 year old Martin with a slothead and it is a beast to tune, as well as a 12-fret slothead, same thing. They get new strings less then others bc I don’t care for fighting with them.
In terms of presence, it’s just voiced differently than the Skye, which brings the auditory weight of cocobolo/spruce. The DE and 00-29 are voiced a little more evenly with a bit less of a bump in the frequency range at either end of the compass, to my ear, but that’s what I like about them. They’re open and airy and friendly….
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“Open and airy and friendly” – that’s actually a great description Matt! The Don Edwards is just so different than any other guitar I’ve owned. My other guitars currently are a big boomy J45 and a very nice midrangey voiced Lowden. The DE is very balanced indeed. I just need to give myself time with it. The wide neck is also challenging to be honest. I assume your 00 29 has a 45mm neck?
Still waiting for my strings to arrive, hopefully they will come today.
Thanks for the input Matt! -
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Looking good!
I admit that I really, truly, dislike slot heads – They are very pretty, and the design and aesthetics of them are quite elegant, but changing strings is just no fun. I can’t seem to ever do it without getting jabbed in a fingertip at least once, usually twice, and those jabs cause me a lot of pain for a day or two afterwards. I know – technique, patience, careful, etc – but regular paddle heads are so much easier –
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Yes, paddle heads are so much easier to restring but I do love the aesthetic of slotheads. It went a lot better this time I have to say and all strings seem to be holding tension! 🙂
I got a new mic in the post this morning (AKG C451 B) and I really love how this guitar records. A touch of compression, remove the low end rumble and add a tiny bit of reverb and you’re done! Perfect recording guitar for me so I don’t see this one going anywhere anytime soon!
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Tip
I don’t currently own a slothead but have owned several along the way. Get one of the battery powered string winders, makes it much easier. While you hold the string in position on the post with one hand, the winder makes the rest of the job a breeze. bert
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Me again! Just a quick follow up and I’ll leave you all alone!
I love this little guitar! Restrictions finally eased here in Ireland and I was able to get it to my luthier for a service. It felt great to me but as it was built in 2018, I wanted to make sure it was ok.
The luthier called me and said the action was a little high. I told him I like a high action so he said he’d put it back in the case for me to collect because it’s perfect. He mentioned that it’s very rare a guitar doesn’t require any attention after a few years (played or not). He also said “… And it looks great!”
I left up another new guitar with him and it has the dreaded hump at the neck joint. It needs a full refret and the fretboard to be shaved down a bit. 🙁 oh well, at least my Santa Cruz is perfect!!
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