Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Tony Rice D Model Acoustic Guitar – New

It’s not exactly fair to say the Tony Rice Model put the Santa Cruz Guitar Company on the map. The company already had a strong reputation before Tony approached them to build him a road-worthy replica of his delicate 1935 Martin D-28, complete with modifications like the bound neck and enlarged soundhole. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this model ushered in the concept of the hot rod rosewood dreadnought, a trend that continues to this day.

This guitar in particular lives up to the hot rod dread expectation. Though the materials are pretty standard for that of a Sitka spruce and Indian rosewood dreadnought, there is nothing standard about the sound of this one. It has tons of clarity for the amount of low-end it puts out, and the overtones are present and perfectly balanced with the rest of the frequencies. Many people consider the Tony Rice Model to be the ultimate bluegrass guitar, which it is, but its rich but focused bass response, punchy midrange, and clear, sparkling trebles will find favor with musicians who play a variety of styles. It comes with a Santa Cruz branded Ameritage hardshell case.