2024 - Santa Cruz Fingerstyle Custom - Western Red Cedar & Ancient Kauri

Description The 2024 Santa Cruz Fingerstyle Custom in Western Red Cedar and Ancient Kauri feels like a quiet miracle made tangible, a meeting of time-worn timber and the unwavering vision of Richard Hoover. Though lovingly played and impeccably maintained, it carries itself with the poise of a nearly untouched treasure, its voice and presence shaped by both ageless material and masterful intention. Hoover’s hand in choosing the woods is unmistakable. He drew from the deep well of Master Grade Western Red Cedar for the top, a soundboard known for its sensitivity and its ability to reveal nuance with the lightest touch. For the back and sides he selected Ancient Kauri, one of the rarest tonewoods on earth, lifted from the silent ground after tens of thousands of years. Its grain carries the long memory of wind and water, its resonance full of stories that began long before instruments existed. Hoover’s selection of these pieces is an act of reverence, bringing together two materials that seem to understand one another across eras. Inside, Advanced X Adirondack spruce bracing, sculpted by hand and joined with hot hide glue, gives this guitar a responsive heart. Every brace is shaped to encourage clarity and sustain, supporting the cedar’s softness with Adirondack’s strength. The fully buffed finish across top, back, sides and neck reveals a body wrapped in Cocobolo: bindings that glow with rich color, a matching fingerboard and bridge, a Cocobolo overlay on the headstock, and even the heelcap, tail wedge and backstrip carved from the same lustrous species. The FS Blue purfle top border and rosette shimmer with subtle color, framing the instrument like jewelry set into fine wood. The details invite long looks and deeper appreciation. The solid FS headstock carries the SCGC inlay at the twelfth fret with quiet pride. Slim 2 mm dots keep the fingerboard clean and elegant, with white side dots offering guidance when needed. A 25.375 inch scale length gives each note presence and depth, while the 1 3/4 inch nut and 2 1/4 inch bridge spacing offer generous room for the expressive right hand that the Fingerstyle model celebrates. Gold Gotoh 510 tuners with black buttons add a stately touch and an unshakable sense of precision. At just 3 pounds 13 ounces, the guitar seems to float into playing position, ready to respond to the most delicate articulation. Cradled in its Ameritage case, this Santa Cruz Fingerstyle Custom stands as both instrument and heirloom, a meeting of ancient wood, modern craft and the enduring curiosity of Richard Hoover. It is a guitar that invites exploration, rewards intention and seems always to whisper a promise: that the next note may be the one that opens a new room in its long-awaiting voice. Other specifications of the Fingerstyle Custom include: Master Grade Western Red Cedar Top Ancient Kauri Back & Sides - Selected by Richard Hoover Advanced X Adirondack Spruce Braces w/Hot Hide Glue - Scalloped Cocobolo Body, Fingerboard & Headstock Bindings Cocobolo Headstock Overlay Cocobolo Heelcap Cocobolo Tail Wedge Cocobolo Backstrip Cocobolo Fingerboard & Bridge FS Blue Purfle Combo Top Border FS Blue Rosette Solid FS Headstock SCGC 12th Fret Inlay 2mm Dots Fingerboard Inlay White Fingerboard Side Dots 25.375" Scale Length 1 3/4" Nut width 2 1/4" Bridge Spacing Fully Buffed Top, Back, Side & Neck Finish Gold Gotoh 510 Tuning Machines with Black Buttons Ameritage Hard Case 3 lb 13 oz #1406 For more information about the Santa Cruz Fingerstyle Custom, please contact us. Manufacturer Santa Cruz Body Style Fingerstyle Actual Weight 3.13 Model Fingerstyle Custom Condition Excellent Year 2024