Many people know that when it comes to high-end acoustic guitars, Martin is probably one of the first brands to come to mind. It’s no coincidence given that Martin guitars have been on the market for over a century.
Martin has also been an influential brand, inspiring many guitar brands throughout the 20th century to up their game in manufacturing acoustic guitars.
You can see Martin’s influence with popular manufacturers such as Gibson, Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, etc.
However, a brand that you mightn’t be as familiar with is Santa Cruz Guitars.
Santa Cruz has become a quality brand when it comes to acoustic guitars.
For those of you who are interested in how Santa Cruz and Martin guitars compare, let’s take a quick look.
Santa Cruz Guitars
The Santa Cruz Guitar Company, as they’re properly known as, has been making guitars since 1976. The company is a small bespoke outfit, employing 22 staff and building around 400 guitars a year. To put that into perspective, it’s thought that Fender does these numbers in little over a single day! Santa Cruz is a true Custom Shop, with every single guitar being fastidiously crafted by hand from the ground up. The SCGC (the acronym for Santa Cruz Guitar Company, which you’ll see on their guitar headstocks and inlays) is well-known as one of the world’s top-tier guitar makers. The company owner is Richard B. Hoover, who’s one of the most respected and revered luthiers in America. Not only has he built some of the greatest acoustic guitars on the planet, but has also taught some of the greatest luthiers on the planet! With that being said, who better to go to for your dream instrument? Richard Hoover is still very much involved in the company’s day-to-day machinations. The SCGC is also known for their legendary after-sales service makes a big difference to players, collectors and investors alike.
Martin Guitars
C. F. Martin & Company is well known for being one of the oldest guitar manufacturers in the United States.
They’re also one of the oldest in the world when it comes to manufacturing the standard body shape of acoustic guitars that we know today.
Christian Frederick Martin originally founded the company back in 1883 with its main factory situated in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
To this day, the Martin company has remained a family-owned business for six generations.
One of Martin’s most notable innovations was their creation of the dreadnought guitar body type.
It didn’t take long for the dreadnought to become so popular that almost all other guitar manufacturers began to copy it.
Unlike previous models, the dreadnought provided a richer and louder sound because of the size of the body, which is significantly larger than other types.
Martin’s dreadnought guitars can be identified as having “D-“. The most famous models being the D-18, D-28, and D-35.
Santa Cruz Vs Martin: Sound
Santa Cruz sound
Martin’s sound
Since Martin’s formation, the company has strived to set the standard for a perfect acoustic guitar.
To this day, they have maintained their dedication to quality since the beginning. In fact, Martin has made a name for defining the traditional acoustic guitar sound.
While different models have many different sounds, most instruments have a warm and full sound with plenty of natural reverb.
As Martin was so popular with so many musicians playing their instruments, particularly in the 60s and 70s, that their guitar sound dominated the “Oldies” era.
This has to be one of the biggest indicators of Martin’s sound quality; the number of musicians who have played and currently playing their instruments.
Santa Cruz Vs Martin: Build
Both Martin and Santa Cruz are handmade guitars. With both brands, quality and originality take precedence over quantity.
This means that the best guitar makers in the world use the highest quality wood when making their guitars.
For a fair comparison, we’ll compare two models that are similar in quality.
One of Martin’s most popular models is the D-28.
The guitar is made of high-quality Sitka Spruce for the top, East Indian Rosewood for the back and sides, Mahogany for the neck, and Ebony for the fretboard and finished in satin.
The Santa Cruz D Model is made with Sitka Spruce for the top, Indian Rosewood for the back, sides and Mahogany for the neck.
Santa Cruz D Model as standard comes with similar materials that Martin’s D-28 has, although they can provide many options for woods and finishes.
Santa Cruz Vs Martin: Pickups
Unlike Santa Cruz, Martin installs Fishman pickups on its guitars.
Fishman pickups are of great quality; especially when it comes to the pickups that Martin uses for its guitars.
While both brands offer different pickup systems, the quality of each system is the best.
Therefore, it’s difficult to determine which one is better and simply a matter of the user’s taste.
Santa Cruz Vs Martin: Price
When it comes to the price, both guitars are pretty expensive, although Santa Cruz guitars are generally more expensive. Martin’s guitars typically range from $1000 to upwards of $10,000 for their limited models. Santa Cruz guitars can range from $4,000 to $20,000+ used.
Considering the price for both brands, it’s usually expert guitarists who order these guitars brand new. As you would expect, you won’t find many amateurs playing on a limited edition $14,000 guitar.
Conclusion
The difference between the guitars that these two brands offer can be quite extensive given that Santa Cruz offers so many options, although the majority of options available will depend on the taste of the individual.
Regardless of the guitar you choose, you should be confident that you’re getting a great guitar.