Santa Cruz D12 "Torrefied" Bearclaw Sitka Acoustic Guitar From Santa Cruz

A bold and balanced 12-fret dread from Santa Cruz!

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This specific item was photographed by us here in Durham, North Carolina. We are a very small team dedicated to providing you the most accurate photos possible, through our obsessive focus - individually photographing nearly everything that comes through the door. Questions about what you see? Want more information, photos, or just a friendly conversation with someone that cares and who has actually had their hands on this exact item? Contact us now!

Available for Special Order

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Because of our special relationship with Santa Cruz we can get this as fast, or faster than anyone in the industry. In some cases, we even have preferred build slots we can offer you.

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What We Think

My favorite dread in the shop, -by far-. All of the unique aspects of this guitar and the benefits they offer come right at you from the moment you lay hands on the D-12: light and thus highly resonant construction, dry, woody power and shimmering sustain from that extra headroom, artillery-like projection and presence from the slightly larger soundhole, effortless movement up and down a comfortably slim neck...everything about this is guitar is just spot on! I've never heard a sitka/mahogany combo with this level of tonal nuance and complexity. The obvious choice in terms of material for this guitar is flatpicking, fiery and flowery alike, but I had almost too good a time fingerpicking country blues, too! Easy playing and expressive enough to delight and encourage the beginning player, precise and powerful enough to satisfy the veteran performer. Anybody would be right to want this guitar--call us up and make it yours today!

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Santa Cruz D12 "Torrefied" Bearclaw Sitka Acoustic Guitar

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- Santa Cruz D12 "Torrefied" Bearclaw Sitka Acoustic Guitar

Manufacturer's Description from Santa Cruz

Legendary artist and first call session ace, Norman Blake, has long appreciated the power and sensitivity of the original dreadnought design with 12 frets clear of the body. SCGC’s prototype D-12 Model was commissioned to showcase Norman’s playing style by adding clarity and sustain for an articulate response to the flat pick. Building a guitar with 12 frets clear of the body creates more air volume, which allows greater amplitude and sustain. The hand tuned X-bracing insures increased bass response, while the top voicing and 4-1/4 inch sound hole size combine to achieve great presence in all ranges. This eliminates the tendency of the traditional dreadnought towards boominess at the expense of midrange and treble. The controlled integrity of Mahogany sides and back impart clarity and definition to the guitar’s complex acoustic presence. The D-12’s sheer volume, complexity and incredible sustain make it a truly inspiring stage partner.

About Manufacturer

Interested in building your custom Santa Cruz with us? Email us at acoustics@soundpure.com, or call us at (919) 682-5552! Richard Hoover began building guitars and carved-top mandolins in 1972. By 1976 his focus was on the modern steel string guitar. The task of becoming a master at all aspects of guitar making is a lifelong pursuit, and Richard has patiently refined his craftsmanship and knowledge as his company has grown. It was and is Richard's intent to translate his skills and sensitivities as an individual builder to an exceptional team of craftspeople, each of whom could become an expert in their specialty. Richard's style of allowing his craftspeople to interpret his vision has propelled Santa Cruz Guitar Company to the forefront of modern guitar making. Each Santa Cruz guitar receives an extraordinary amount of individual attention due to our "bench style" of building, which necessitates that each worker not only perform his own specialty, but also review the work of those who have completed stages before him. Over half of all the instruments that we build are custom orders, reflecting to a high degree the personality and unique playing needs of the buyer. Every guitar top is graduated and tuned by hand to attain maximum resonance and sustain, ensuring a high level of consistency of sound within each standard model line as well as the ability for custom voicing. The balance, tone, volume, and response of a Santa Cruz guitar are established before the guitar is strung. By limiting the number of instruments built, we can practice a style of lutherie born from a genuine love of the guitar, as opposed to a production line approach that might favor greater numbers at the expense of our attention to detail. We believe that our approach ensures that every Santa Cruz guitar is exceptional. Our intent is to create a uniquely sophisticated instrument that will inspire and challenge its owner throughout a lifetime.