PRODUCT REVIEW
Santa Cruz
Guitars
Otis Taylor
Signature Model
178 PREMIERGUITAR DECEMBER 2008
BY GAYLA DRAKE PAUL
Fans of Otis Taylor’s music know him as an innovator steeped in tradition; it’s dark and beautiful,
banjo-driven and full of love. He calls his music
“trance blues,” and it’s deep, powerful and a
little wild sounding, yet the tradition of the blues
shines out like a star in a dark sky. When Willie
Carter of Santa Cruz Guitars approached Taylor
about doing a signature guitar, those were the
things he brought to the design process, creating a beautiful instrument that reflects the proud
traditions of Santa Cruz Guitars as well as the
personality of its namesake.
Willie heard Otis play at a NAMM show where
he was promoting the new Otis Taylor signature
banjo from OME. He introduced himself, and told
Otis to call sometime. After a couple of weeks,
Otis called and learned that the design for the
Otis Taylor model was already in the works. He
was ecstatic and deeply honored, having been
an ardent fan of Santa Cruz Guitars for many
years. He knew that whatever Willie Carter came
up with would be exceptional, and he was right.
When Otis received the very first Otis Taylor
Signature guitar, his reaction, he said, was like
being a new parent. “I opened the case and just
stared at it—it’s the most beautiful guitar I’ve
ever seen.” The guitar I got for review belongs to
Otis as well; he said the fact that it is out there in
the world, traveling to reviewers like the famous
globe-trotting gnome, makes him a little nervous,
a little impatient and very excited.
Part of the beauty of this instrument is its remarkably clean appearance; there’s no excess of ornamentation—it’s pure understatement. The elongated upper bout, joining the fretboard at the
13th fret, gives it a classic, vintage elegance, while
the lack of frets beyond the 14th allow for a bold
graphic statement: the initials OT inlaid in abalone
on the treble side. Otis Taylor’s father, Otis Taylor
Sr., was an artist and signed his paintings with that
logo. Otis says that using that signature made
the guitar feel even more special, more linked to
his family, yet the very modern look is a beautiful
complement to the whole instrument.
The top is custom-dyed Italian spruce, and the
sides and back are beautifully figured Madagascar
rosewood, with whorls in the wood that look
remarkably like the storms on Jupiter. The neck is
of Honduran mahogany; the fretboard is 1-11/16”
at the nut, and 2-3/16” at the 14th fret, with ivoroid binding. The compound radius is more like
an electric guitar, it gets flatter as you go higher
up the neck, and it works well as I experienced
no hand fatigue and heard no buzzing at all. The
purfling and rosette exemplify the guitar’s simplicity, just a simple bit of black and white striping.
The backstrip is another vintage-looking detail,
reminiscent of fine marquetry. The tuners have
