These days, Richard Hoover is a bit of a legend in the industry. When he started building Santa Cruz guitars in 1976, the goal was to push guitar-making to a new level of perfection. At SCGC, the goal is to build the finest, most expressive instruments possible—not to maximize sales or profits. That purity of intention translates into exceptional instruments.
When you tour the Santa Cruz factory, Richard makes a point to show off the wood stash. Because of the reputation, folks around the world seek Richard out when they come across special cuts of wood. Stop by the Santa Cruz booth and NAMM any year, and you'll see beautiful woods you never knew existed. With the finest materials available, the team at Santa Cruz is able to coax incredible sounds of their instruments.
This 2018 Luna OM Custom is a great example. It features a Moon Spruce top and stunning figured Cocobolo back and sides. According to the lore, the Moon Spruce concept goes back 100s of years in Swiss carpentry. Essentially, the Spruce is cut at a certain time of the winter moon phases when sap is not actively moving through the tree. It's a time of year when the tree is more dormant, so the goal is a drier, more stable product that is strong but lighter weight. The Moon Spruce top selected for this OM is a stunning piece of European Spruce. It lends a dynamic response and articulation that make for a deeply expressive and nuanced guitar.
Beyond the high-end woods, this Luna OM Custom is styled out, too. It features Flamed Koa binding around the body, fingerboard, and peghead with matching tuner buttons. It has a stunning abalone rosette, and three custom heart inlays on the fingerboard at the 3rd, 7th, and 16th frets. On the peghead, there is a stunning "Luna" moon inlay, which makes it clear this is a special guitar.
This 2018 Luna OM Custom has been played and enjoyed, but it shows minimal signs of use (see photos). Sure, you can tell it's a used guitar, but this one has been properly cared for, so it is free of any cosmetic imperfections. It plays nicely with smooth, low action and a 1-3/4" nut width. It includes its original Ameritage case.
From the first glance, you can tell this Santa Cruz is a special guitar. But you'll be amazed by the balanced, articulate sound it produces. This is the type of guitar that will inspire you and push your music to new dimensions. A fantastic OM from one of top builders in the game.