Santa Cruz Otis Taylor Signature Model Acoustic Guitar

JUST ARRIVED!!!

Our first impressions of this guitar were the SAME as what Guitar Player Magazine seemed to find:

"dimensional"   "complex"   "rich"   "articulate" 

Part of the beauty of this instrument is its remarkably clean appearance; there’s no excess of ornamentation— it’s pure understatement. The elongated upper bout, joining the fretboard at the 13th fret, gives it a classic, vintage elegance, while the lack of frets beyond the 14th allow for a bold graphic statement: the initials OT inlaid in abalone on the treble side. Otis Taylor’s father, Otis Taylor Sr., was an artist and signed his paintings with that logo. Otis says that using that signature made the guitar feel even more special, more linked to his family, yet the very modern look is a beautiful complement to the whole instrument.

The top is custom-dyed Sitka spruce, and the sides and back are beautiful Indian rosewood. The neck is of Honduran mahogany; the fretboard is 1-11/16” at the nut, and 2-3/16” at the 14th fret, with ivoroid binding. The compound radius is more like an electric guitar, it gets flatter as you go higher up the neck, and it works well as I experienced no hand fatigue and heard no buzzing at all. The purfling and rosette exemplify the guitar’s simplicity, just a simple bit of black and white striping. The backstrip is another vintage-looking detail, reminiscent of fine marquetry. The tuners have ivoroid buttons which, in concert with the ivoroid binding, contrast beautifully with the ebony bridge, fretboard and headstock overlay.

Otis Taylor required very specific tonal and aesthetic qualities for his signature instrument.  As a fine arts professional, Otis Taylor's vision is a combination of vintage retro and ultra sharp European styling; this guitar looks like an expensive Italian suit from the 1930s. This collaboration has produced a musical instrument that truly reflects the artistry of both Otis Taylor and the Santa Cruz Guitar Company. The OT's compound radius fretboard allows lightning action while the Sitka Spruce with hot hide glue ensures the substantial power and clarity as described by Guitar Player Magazine:

"Dimensional and complex immediately come to mind when playing the Otis Taylor. A very rich sounding guitar with impressive articulation and note detail, the Otis Taylor Signature makes you want to keep on playing because it is so inspiring. And that's reason enough to give it an Editors Pick Award".