March 2023 Santa Cruz Tony Rice Pro – Brazilian Rosewood

Condition Report

This masterpiece from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company is in fantastic shape with just a bit of honest playwear. As with many bluegrass machines, this Tony Rice Pro has some light fretwear, mostly in the first position. There is also some light pickwear around the soundhole and pickguard area, and there are some light scratches on the front of the headstock. There’s one small ding on the back, too, near the butt edge on the bass side. Other than that, it shows very light signs of normal use. All in all, it’s quite clean, and it comes with its original hardshell case.

Sonic Evaluation

As I always say, the best signature instruments give you a heaping helping of the artist’s signature sauce so that you feel like you’re living in one of your favorite records when you pick it up. This Santa Cruz Tony Rice Pro with real Brazilian rosewood back and sides definitely fits the bill! I just hopped on the Tony Rice train this year (I know, I know! No one’s perfect!) and I’ve been reading up on his life and instruments ever since, and by all accounts this guitar nails the tone and feel of Tony’s original. Obviously, I’ve never played Tony’s holy grail guitar, 58957, but this recreation seems to match its description. As far as volume goes, it’s not a banjo killer, although it still has plenty of oomph. The magic lies in how responsive it is, how complex its overtone response is, and its superior dynamic range. It makes sense for a player like Tony to gravitate instruments that capture every nuance and delicate detail of his playing, and this signature model does the same for the player. It has a stout, stiff, piano-like attack that springs forth with piano-like immediacy. The lows are deep and rich, the midrange has surprising density and fullness, and the trebles are fat yet sparkly. At lower volumes, this guitar sounds robust, and you can really alter the tone with your technique. When you dig in, this serial responds with force, and it hulks out across the board EQ-wise with tons of sparkle and woody chime. If you’re flatpicker for a flattop that rewards a light touch with a big sound, this Tony Rice Pro will help you loose those thin dime, hard time, hell on Church Street blues for good!