Product: Santa Cruz D-P/WB
Price Paid: USD 2,900.00 USED
Submitted
03/05/2007
at
10:30am
by
AllThumbs
Features
:
10
I bought this low-end (2004?) Santa Cruz D-P/WB used. It may be minimally appointed but the quality of the woods and workmanship is outstanding. Brazilian rosewood back and sides. Stump wood for sure but is quarter sawn and appears to be stable. Sitka top is nice with nice dark silking and no apparent runout. Waverly tuners inwhich one needs replacing. Stew Mac is sending one for free! Typical 14-fret dreadnaught, 25.4" string length, and 1-11/16" spacing at the nut. Very light weight. Weighs less that my Santa Cruz OM-42.
Sound
:
10
Well, I was disappointed with the sound when it first arrived. My SC OM-42 was louder, punchier, and a lot more sustain. Initially, the guitar sounded like a Martin D-28 I had a few years ago. The Martin had a tight sounding and did not feel loose. I was expecting a lot more. Upon inspection the action was high and the saddle overly tall. I substituted an ivory saddle from my OM and presto! - more volume and sustain. Ultimately I replaced the saddle with bone and the tone is warm, open, with explosive attack. It's like someone turned a subwoofer on when comparing bass to the OM-42. Bass notes are tight and well defined. The highs are so sweet thanks to the Sitka top. What I appreciate most about Santa Cruz guitars is the feedback the guitars give. You can really feel it!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
The guitar was bought used with some surface finish issues but looks great for a played guitar. It has held up well. I was able to adjust the guitar to my playing style with relative ease. Truss rod adjustment was a breeze. The only mechanical issue was a bum Waverly tuner which Stew Mac is replacing free.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
This guitar is well built for such a light weight. Everything is top notch. The guitar finish seems adequate an in some ways feels more substantial than the finish on my OM-42. I would feel confident this guitar would hold up in any situation.
Customer Support
:
10
Never called Santa Cruz for this guitar but have called for information and techical information about other guitars. The SC staff was very responsive and seemed to bend over backwards to address my questions.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing regularly for about six years. I have two Martins and another Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz guitars never cease to amaze me. The warm open tone is seductive. Lots of attack and sustain. It purrs like a kitten and growls like a lion. Could not be happier. The SC P/W series are a bargain. You can find used ones with EIR for less that $2K. If lost or stolen I would definitely look and probably purchase another Santa Cruz.
