Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Vintage Jumbo, European Spruce Top Steel String Acoustic Guitar New

Santa Cruz has been building Vintage Jumbo models for decades, it’s their term for a mahogany slope-shoulder version of Gibson’s J-35/J-45 models from the 1930s & ’40s, usually with a sunburst top. As is typical with Santa Cruz, they’ve been tweaking the model and this is one of the latest versions. The important change compared to earlier ‘Cruz VJs is the European spruce top combined with Adirondack spruce top bracing glued with hot hide glue. The neck on this one is also a slimmer, more contemporary profile, 1 11/16″ wide at the nut. If you like that mid-range rich slope-shoulder tone, this VJ sure has it, but with lots of bottom end when needed. This one can cover the rhythm “whomp” those old Gibsons are known for, but it’s also a great mahogany D for lead flat picking as the trebles have lots of sparkle and bite.