NGD Santa Cruz H13

WafflesOnHorseback · August 2023

I got this Santa Cruz H13 the other day. A guitar that is not to everyone's cup of tea from what I've read on various forums but I really love it. So nice to play but the sound - to my ears - is just so punchy and warm. Just what i was looking for. Really chuffed! They seem like a great company and I can listen Richard Hoover talking about wood all day frankly

PCT57 · August 2023

That burst is perfection. Beautiful guitar.

Kilgore · August 2023

That is very nice.

richman6100 · August 2023

Wow, that's a serious looker. HNGD. :-)

Choivert · August 2023

That is beautiful. I absolutely love the slotted headstock!

GTC · August 2023

Congratulations - it looks lovely, and you don't come across a 13-fretter every day. After missing out on a second-hand Santa Cruz Eric Skye lefty a few years ago, I've hankered after one. Earlier this year I went for a new 000 12-fretter lefty - and what an incredible guitar it is, too!

WafflesOnHorseback · August 2023

GTC said:

Congratulations - it looks lovely, and you don't come across a 13-fretter every day. After missing out on a second-hand Santa Cruz Eric Skye lefty a few years ago, I've hankered after one. Earlier this year I went for a new 000 12-fretter lefty - and what an incredible guitar it is, too!

Wow, bet that sounds wonderful!

Smellyfingers · August 2023

I tried a Santa Cruz when I bought my Collings at Glenn’s guitars

I don’t know if is the case with your guitar but it seemed to sound very like the best Martins I had tried - ime really good Martins are few and far between.

CountryDave · August 2023

That is lovely

WafflesOnHorseback · August 2023

Smellyfingers said:

I tried a Santa Cruz when I bought my Collings at Glenn’s guitars

I don’t know if is the case with your guitar but it seemed to sound very like the best Martins I had tried - ime really good Martins are few and far between.

Yeah, deffo about really good Martins being few and far between. Not played any really good ones lately. I have what I thought was a reasonably good Martin (Westside Custom Edition XI) but there is a big difference between that and the SC. The bass in particular is very resonant and lovely on the H13.

Are you enjoying your Collings? I bought one recently and love it! Two great makes for sure that seem to really care about what they are doing and I think this comes across in the way they make their instruments and their approach to the woods used.

thomasross20 · August 2023

There's a nice hi-fi thing going on with Santa Cruz, Collings and also my Larrivee. That is one serious new guitar day. I tried an H-13 rosewood and it had rather a lot of the hi -fi thing going on. Is it v neck? That's usually a deal breaker for my personal tastes but in all other regards, a great guitar. 13 frets is very cool.

thomasross20 · August 2023

Santa Cruz probably has the most of that hi fi thing going on, from my experience.

Smellyfingers · August 2023

WafflesOnHorseback said:

Smellyfingers said:

I tried a Santa Cruz when I bought my Collings at Glenn’s guitars

I don’t know if is the case with your guitar but it seemed to sound very like the best Martins I had tried - ime really good Martins are few and far between.

Yeah, deffo about really good Martins being few and far between. Not played any really good ones lately. I have what I thought was a reasonably good Martin (Westside Custom Edition XI) but there is a big difference between that and the SC. The bass in particular is very resonant and lovely on the H13.

Are you enjoying your Collings? I bought one recently and love it! Two great makes for sure that seem to really care about what they are doing and I think this comes across in the way they make their instruments and their approach to the woods used.

I love playing the Collings - it has such a distinctive chimey/cut through sound, although some may prefer the slightly more ‘standard’ tone of a SC or Martin.

As you say these small workshops seem to be far less likely to let a bad/mediocre guitar leave their factory than the bigger brands. I tried 4 Collings of various ages before buying mine and they were all very consistent.

tomjax · August 2023

thomasross20 said:

Santa Cruz probably has the most of that hi fi thing going on, from my experience.

Personally, I'd say that's far more true of Collings guitars. SC tend to be more rounded tonally in my experience.

I hadn't heard about the divided opinions on the H13. Is that due to the fretboard or the tone? Looks a stunning guitar, congrats on a very special NGD.

thomasross20 · August 2023

I'll have to try more Collings...
(Actually, please no... I've sickened myself with GAS - hope the OP has long & fruitful music sessions with his new instrument)

How many acoustics do you have, out of interest?

mgaw · August 2023

thomasross20 said:

Santa Cruz probably has the most of that hi fi thing going on, from my experience.

I have had 3 in my time and they were all great sounding guitars, not sure sounding hifi is how I would describe the ones I had tbh.

WafflesOnHorseback · August 2023

thomasross20 said:

I'll have to try more Collings...
(Actually, please no... I've sickened myself with GAS - hope the OP has long & fruitful music sessions with his new instrument)

How many acoustics do you have, out of interest?

Oooh not too many compared to some I know. I have a Martin, Collings, this SC. then a 1986 Paul Fischer (I used to play classical) and a lovely dobro I had made for me. Got a few very nice electrics too but have been trimming those down a bit as I have too many guitars and not enough room. What about yourself?

thomasross20 · August 2023

Ooh very nice!

Too many... All Larrivee acoustics (OM02, om05, OM-03BH, p-03, and an L-05 which is for sale as prefer smaller bodies). And a Suhr Pro S4 and PRS special edition.

Way too many and yet I've got a custom Halcyon due in a few years.

Would love to hear a clip of your guitar(s) but know it's not everybody's thing to do that

WafflesOnHorseback · August 2023

thomasross20 said:

Would love to hear a clip of your guitar(s) but know it's not everybody's thing to do that

Oh, I got no problem with that. It's all good fun really!

I am very excited about your Halcyon guitar. I stumbled upon their parlour only recently. They are beautiful. Look forward to hearing that when you get it! Congrats!

thomasross20 · August 2023

Ah amazing - that is some great playing and TBH I think that Martin guitar sounds great!

Ditto again re the Dobro track, that is brilliant.. there's something very cool about getting a completely different type of acoustic instrument and not just always the same guitar with different woods.

Ooohhh did you get to try / hear one in person?
It's some years away - I might be going for quilted sapele with moon spruce or lutz top but it's up in the air right now.
My OM-02 is sitka / sapele so I sort of think I should get something different, but then the top will colour it differently...

Thanks for sharing (and let us know when you get a clip of that H13 !)

WafflesOnHorseback · August 2023

No, haven't tried a Halcyon in person. Never seen any in the UK tbh. But there's alot I haven't seen in the UK. Outside of the mainstream brands it's hard to get to play anything a bit errr interesting I've found. Struggling for music shops with interesting acoustic stock really but some do exist - like Coda. But I guess in this day and age, when people are struggling for cash, it's not a good time for retailers to be stocking up with pricey guitars.

thomasross20 · August 2023

Yep. The market is crazy now - so many new guitars (how many are needed?) and high-end ones at over £10k, too.

Halcyon are raved about and the build wait time is 2 - 2.5 years so I thought I'd jump on that train lol

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