REVIEW > SANTA CRUZ
how much this factors into the voice of
the Cowboy Singer, particularly given how
bright it can be for a mahogany guitar. But
you certainly get the sense that the 12-fret
configuration of the Cowboy Singer has
a lot to do with how deftly the guitar
balances rubbery bass tones and bell-like
trebles. The balance becomes even more
remarkable when you use a capo on the
Cowboy Singer. Typically, playing with
a capo trades low-end oomph for high-harmonic zing. But even with a capo at the
5th fret, the Cowboy Singer has plenty of
thump for thumbpicked alternating bass
lines (though its wide string spacing means
a lot of capos won’t fret all six strings at
the 5th fret or higher).
Open tunings showcase the Cowboy
Singer’s remarkable combination of girth,
chime, and resonance, and reveal the guitar’s lively energy. Variations on open G
and DADGAD that are heavy on octaves
lured me into playing fewer notes—more
slowly—so I could relish the even, ringing
sustain and the surprising multitude of
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Rating:
overtones you can coax out of the Cowboy
Singer’s compact body.
The Verdict
Just about any guitar from the Santa Cruz
factory is bound to be some measure of
exquisite. And even by the company’s
lofty standards, the Don Edwards Cowboy
Singer is soulful and extraordinarily beautiful to look at and play. With its wide string
spacing, the fretboard is ideal for peppering
fingerstyle work with pull-offs, hammer-ons, and bends. But it’s the Cowboy
Singer’s broad and multifaceted sonic signature that makes this Santa Cruz special.
It has superb and unusual balance and
dynamic range for an all-mahogany body—
a distinction that’s certainly attributable
to Richard Hoover’s holistic and exacting
approach to guitar building. And if you’re
a fingerstylist who digs the feel of a 12-fret
neck, or a singer and picker who looks to
the guitar for texture and nuance, it’s hard
to imagine a finer slab of wood and wire
for the job.
Buy If...
you love the warmth of all-mahogany
guitars, but lust for a little more low end
and zing, and embrace the notion of
subdued, yet extraordinary guitar craft.
Skip If...
you prefer 14-fret neck joints, need
jumbo-body volume, or need super
bright spruce-and-rosewood tones.
Santa Cruz
Street $4300
santacruzguitar.com
or use a mobile device to download
audio clips of the guitar at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/may2011
152 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2011
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