Santa Cruz Don Edwards Signature Cowboy Singer - USA 2013

Don Edwards was one of the true torchbearers of American Western music, a singer, guitarist and cowboy poet who spent close to six decades keeping the songs and stories of the old west alive. Signing with Warner Western in 1992 marked his breakthrough into wider recognition, and from there he built a career that earned him two Grammy nominations, induction into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame in 2005, and the rare honor of having two of his recordings preserved in the Library of Congress Folklore Archives. He appeared alongside Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer, lent his voice to Nanci Griffith's Grammy winning album Other Voices, Other Rooms, and recorded tribute records to Gene Autry and Marty Robbins that cemented his reputation as one of the genre's great preservationists. It was fitting, then, that Santa Cruz Guitar Company partnered directly with Edwards to build a signature instrument in his honour, a model designed around his 50th anniversary in music and built for exactly the kind of player he was, someone dedicated to the lyrics and lore of the old west.

This is that guitar, a genuine Santa Cruz Don Edwards Cowboy Singer, USA built in 2013, serial number 587. It is constructed entirely from mahogany, top, back and sides, giving it that dry, woody, midrange forward voice that suits solo singer songwriter playing and fingerstyle work beautifully, with none of the boom of a larger dreadnought to fight against a vocal. The OO sized, 12 fret body is a genuine period correct format, paired with a slotted headstock finished in an ebony overlay and the vintage script "Santa Cruz" logo in gold, gold Waverly tuners with snakewood knobs, and a pyramid style ebony bridge. The ebony fretboard carries the signature touches that make this model unmistakable, an 8mm star inlay and the "Don Edwards" signature inlaid near the first fret, along with a tortoise teardrop pickguard in the OO17 shape. The sunburst finish has been buffed across the body, neck and peghead for a warm, lived in look that suits the guitar's character.

Condition is excellent for its age, presenting as a well cared for example with no structural issues and clean frets. The guitar has had a professional neck reset carried out by world renowned luthier Jeff Mallia, undertaken in consultation with Santa Cruz's own Richard Hoover, so playability has been restored to spec by hands with as close a connection to this instrument's maker as you could ask for. It comes complete in its original Santa Cruz hardshell case. This is a genuinely special piece, not just a fine sounding small body mahogany guitar in its own right, but a documented collaboration between one of the finest boutique builders in America and one of Western music's most respected voices.

Specifications:

Weight: 1.66kg / 3.67lb

Action at 1st Fret: 0.5mm

Action at 12th Fret: 2.0mm

Neck Depth at 1st Fret: 21.21mm

Nut Width: 47.84mm

Width at 12th Fret: 59.49mm

Body Style: OO Cowboy Singer, 12 fret neck join

Top: Solid Mahogany

Back and Sides: Solid Mahogany

Bracing: Scalloped Adirondack, hot hide glue construction

Fretboard: Ebony with 8mm star inlay and "Don Edwards" signature inlay

Bridge: Pyramid style, ebony

Headstock: Slotted, ebony overlay with vintage script "SantaCruz" gold logo

Tuners: Gold 3 on a plate Waverly tuners with snakewood knobs

Pickguard: Tortoise, OO17 teardrop shape

Rosette: Ivoroid, tortoise, ivoroid

Purfling: Black .020

Finish: Sunburst, buffed, applied to body, neck and peghead

Scale Length: 24.75"

Serial Number: 587

Country of Origin: USA

Case: Original Santa Cruz hardshell case included

Service History: Professional neck reset by luthier Jeff Mallia, in consultation with Santa Cruz Guitar Co. founder Richard Hoover