Santa Cruz OMS

This OMS has the standard features of a Santa Cruz guitar. It is made of all solid woods and features sort of a classic, almost minimal aesthetic. No fancy frills, no excessive abalone, no weird shapes to any of the pieces and parts. The headstock, the beautiful volute, the SCGC logo, the open geared SCGC tuners, the pyramid bridge, the beeswing mahogany,and the German spruce top are the features of this guitar.

This is an OM, small bodied guitar, but playing a full six string chord or a line of single notes quickly reveals a very big, full, rich,loud (if you dig in) and woody kind of sound. It is a classic acoustic guitar sound, I would say. The sound of this OMS is very taut, alive, and sort of reaching out from the guitar. It is an excellent sound, and one that makes you wonder how it can come from such a compact body. This guitar has no electronics on it.

This is my first Santa Cruz guitar, and I am just floored by how well it is built and finished. My standard for finish and construction up to this time has been Taylor guitars, which are nearly 'perfect' in terms of finish and fit. This Santa Cruz OMS is finished and built beautifully; every bit as 'perfect' as a Taylor. The OMS is also very light, a good bit lighter than my Taylor K22 for example. The inside of the Santa Cruz reveals construction and attention to detail that is breathtaking. There are beautifully carved braces along the guitar's sides, running from the top to the back of the guitar, and the whole interior is immaculate. This OMS has gorgeous beeswing mahogany back and sides, and a German spruce top. The soundhole rosette and top trim are herringbone. The herringbone has a classic look to it. The entire guitar is just flawless in fit, finish, and construction. The overall effect of this work is that the guitar feels almost alive when you pick it up and begin to play. In comparison my Taylor K22 feels kind of heavy, and a bit 'thick'.
This guitar is a short scale instrument, which means that it is about 5/8 of an inch shorter, from the nut to the saddle, than a typical 14 fret guitar. The effect of this shortening is very, very noticeable. I can play barre chords on this guitar that I cannot quite pull of on my longer K22. The feel of the short scale is great. It feels buttery, and softer, than a standard 14 fret guitar.
This is a 2005 guitar,and the action is perfect for fingerstyle playing. The setup from the factory seems perfect. There is no fret buzzing as you play up the neck.

It seems to be very well made, in terms of being solid, and potentially very durable. Everything on this guitar is of very high quality. The SCGC open back tuners work beautifully. I do not think I would take this guitar to any sort of gig, except for a solo performance where there was no hurry, and not chance to bang it around with other instruments or stands.

I hear from others that the folks at Santa Cruz are great to deal with, but I have no experience with such at this point.

I have been playing acoustic guitar for about five years. I own seven or eight acoustic guitars, including a Taylor K22, a Seagull S6+Folk, a National Estralita, and a Crafters of Tennessee Tennessee Blues 10.5. This is a very, very fine guitar. It feels like a handmade guitar, and it plays like a very well made, well designed, and carefully focused instrument. For a long time I have thought that the big manufactuers' guitars were about as good as the small shops' guitars, but this Santa Cruz has changed my mind. This guitar is a noticeable step up from a big shop instrument. Of course, the Santa Cruz guitars are relatively expensive and how much any individual enjoys what a more expensive instrument offers depends on your own aesthetic, and your own ability or willingness to fork over a hefty amount of money.

I look at a guitar in terms of four qualities: sound, feel, appearance, and 'what it is'. A Santa Cruz OMS is not a fifty dollar discount store guitar; it is a very high quality, fine guitar. My Taylor K22 takes your breath away when you first see it, and the Santa Cruz does not, but the sound that comes out of the Santa Cruz makes up for the conservative visual character. The feel of this guitar is outstanding in every way. Great neck, comfortable body size and shape.