Santa Cruz Vintage Artist - German Spruce & Mahogany

This custom Santa Cruz Vintage Artist pairs classic acoustic styling with a carefully chosen set of upgrades. A German spruce top is supported by advanced, scalloped X-bracing crafted from Adirondack spruce and attached with hot hide glue. The forward placement of this bracing helps deliver a full, powerful bass response, while mahogany back and sides contribute a warm, woody character with clear fundamentals and strong note definition. Together, these features balance depth and richness with the articulation that makes a mahogany dreadnought so appealing for flatpicking and vocal accompaniment. The teardrop sunburst completes the vintage aesthetic, highlighting the spruce grain at its center before fading into darker edges—an elegant finishing touch to a thoughtfully customized Vintage Artist.

INCLUDED:

• Hardshell case

• Pro setup (per customer specifications)

• Lifetime warranty

From Santa Cruz:

Doc Watson, who owned the prototype of the Vintage Artist, said, "This is the Dreadnought I've been looking for all my life." In 1991, Richard Hoover collaborated with vintage experts to identify the most desirable qualities of the iconic Pre-War D-18.

Maestro Watson's contributions to the concept were born of an appreciation of the clarity of Mahogany's tone and his requirements for playability. After Doc's test pilot duties on the prototype, he offered this thoughtful testimonial: "Son, what do I have to do to keep this guitar?"

We present this instrument as the tonal equal and technical superior to the most respected Pre-War guitars. This instrument features an advanced, scalloped X-bracing for powerful bass, complemented by the clear tone and definition of master grade Mahogany.