Santa Cruz OM - Moon Spruce & 1930's Old Growth Mahogany
Overview
Specifications
Our Take:
What an awesome guitar! The mahogany used in this build was harvested in the 1930's from old growth trees that were already hundreds of years old at the time. The difference in tone compared to newer growth or farmed mahogany is evident almost immediately, with refined clarity and ringing sustain that embody the essence of mahogany as a tonewood. The top is made of alpine Moon Spruce, with some striking bear claw features within an incredibly tight, highly silked grain structure. This build features custom wide string spacing at the nut and bridge, offering fingerstyle players and players with larger hands a tailored playing experience. Ornamentation on this build was kept to a minimum, creating a timeless aesthetic. It's everything you would expect from a top-tier OM from Santa Cruz, and more.
From Santa Cruz:
In the 1920’s, the Orchestra Model was originally intended to be a large guitar capable of being heard over other orchestral instruments, hence the OM name. Although it fit the bill, its relatively large body was soon eclipsed by the mighty dreadnought. Fortunately, the OM had secured its place in history as a powerful and versatile voice for public performance. Santa Cruz was among the first modern builders to reintroduce this now smaller bodied favorite at the beginning of the Eighties. Our practice of combining the most desirable attributes of old and new, rather than copying, made for a very successful introduction of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company to a whole new audience. With some irony, this acclaim encouraged the venerable originator of the OM to reintroduce the model to their line. Eric Clapton’s historic performance on the debut of MTV Unplugged set us on a course for another 25 years of success with this now perennial favorite.
The OM is delightfully versatile. Our OM players range from blazing flat picker James Nash to John Mayer and Elvis Costello. The Santa Cruz Guitar Company OM provides clean, loud mid-range and trebles that are complimented by a slightly predominant bass. Deeply appreciated for fingerstyle and contemporary flat picking work, the OM is our number one request.