Never intended to be a copy of Tony's iconic 1934 D-28, the Tony Rice model represents over 30 years of collaboration between the legendary flatpicker and master Santa Cruz luthier, Richard Hoover. The Tony Rice model is voiced to showcase his stellar lead work with influences from Clarence White to John Coltrane and delivers exactly what the contemporary flatpicker needs: substantial treble and midrange for rapid lead lines, clean note separation for definition and the traditional bass boom without the woofy bottom end of some of the older Martins. According to Tony, most of his modern recordings are recorded using his Santa Cruz models.
Master grade Indian Rosewood and custom order German Spruce were carefully chosen for this TR model and the results are phenomenal. The rosewood offers deep, growling lows while the German top provides a fast response with rich complex overtones. German Spruce, being more flexible than Adirondack, is the perfect compromise for many players who love flatpicking but also enjoy playing fingerstyle. We all can't play like Tony, so German is a much better choice for many players, as it is more forgiving and doesn't require quite as much strength to pull the tone out of the guitar.
The Santa Cruz string balance comes from Richard Hoover's masterful top voicing. Richard tap tunes each top to ensure it is voiced specially for that specific body cavity and this one is no exception... the guitar is voiced beautifully for maximum power and clarity while maintaining the famous Santa Cruz string balance up the entire neck.... it's easy to see why Tony prefers recording with these modern masterpieces.
This guitar features a few custom appointments. The German Spruce top is a significant upgrade over the standard Sitka Spruce. The inlay on the fingerboard has been moved to the 15th fret and a Vintage Top Toner was applied for a more vintage appearance.
FEATURES
- Model: Tony Rice Signature
- Top: German Spruce
- Vintage Top Toner
- Back and Sides: Indian Rosewood
- Back Stripe: Zipper
- Binding: Ivoroid
- Rosette: Herringbone
- Bracing: Scalloped
- Fingerboard and Bridge: Ebony
- Peghead: Solid
- Peghead Overlay: Ebony
- Pick Guard: Tortoise
- Tuners: Nickel SCGC
- Fretboard Markers: none
- Bone Nut and Drop-In Saddle
- Scale: 25.375"
- Nut Width: 1 11/16"
- Body Length: 20"
- Body Depth: 4.875"
- Lower Bout Width: 15.5"
- Hardshell Case Included
This instrument has been spoken for. Please call 866-265-5993 or email info@artisanguitars.com to inquire about a similar instrument. Tags: dreadnought, enlarged soundhole, german spruce, indian rosewood, santa cruz, tony rice
