Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Vintage Southerner Frank Ford Tribute – New

Fresh from SCGC’s NAMM Show display, this maple Vintage Southerner model is a great mixture of old wood, nostalgia, and state-of-the-art luthiery from our pals at Santa Cruz Guitar Co. The back and sides are highly figured curly maple that’s been stashed in Gryphon’s attic since Frank & Richard’s guitar building days in the early 1970s. The fingerboard inlay, by Larry Robinson, is from a cartoon Robert Armstrong did for Frank’s first version of his FRETS.com website in the 1990s (and which later appeared on the FRETS.com T-shirts and shop aprons).

But all the history wrapped up in this VS fade when you play it, as memories have never sounded this good, or played so easily. We’re big fans of the shorter 24.75″ string scale, but with ample projection and head room you’d never guess this was a short scale guitar when you hear it (only your left hand will notice the difference). If you’ve played an SCGC Vintage Southerner it was probably the standard mahogany version, and while those are also favorites here at Gryphon this maple version brings a deeper and more substantial bass response while still preserving the clarity and balance of the VS.