The top of the line Vault Series was introduced at the 2024 NAMM Show this past January in Anaheim, CA. The legacy builds of founder Richard Hoover, this is the best of the best from Santa Cruz Guitars built with rare woods he collected and actually stored in an old vault at the Santa Cruz shop. The dazzling Vault 000 ‘Cowgirl’, named Clementine, is a work of art and the first Vault guitar available outside those original NAMM Show builds.
A guitar with a story and history? Yes. How about ancient history? 50 years in the making, The Vault Guitar Series utilizes the pinnacle of tonewoods that made their way to Richard- extremely rare Unicorn grade figured Brazilian Pernambuco and remarkable Vault grade 3,000 year old Ancient Sitka Spruce unearthed in Alaska. The Clementine Cowgirl inlay, originally used on the 35th Anniversary guitar 15 years ago but has not been used since, has been redesigned specifically for this guitar and features 14 Karat Gold horseshoe, rope, belt, buckle, handkerchief and hair and Silver face, boots and gloves nestled below the 14 Karat Gold Santa Cruz script logo. Indeed this is a very special one-of-a-kind design. Other premium features of the Cowgirl include the first ever build with 45-style full body and neck cowboy rope purfling on every edge including heel and wedge inlays, Pernambuco presentation century blocks inlay with 14 Karat Gold star at the 5th fret, Pernambuco bridge with 14 Karat Gold lasso and star inlays, full figured Koa body, fretboard and headstock inlays, custom horseshoe scrimshaw heel cap, Waverly gold engraved tuners, EVO Gold frets and more. Interior label is signed by Richard Hoover with wax seal.
This 000 12-fret model is an exquisite combination of taste, luck and fancy fretwork from the capable hands of the Santa Cruz’ luthiers. The rare woods that lets itself be found has a knack of finding its way to Richard Hoover, and the initial boom of the beautifully marine-tinted sedimentation stain that is the Ancient Sitka Spruce operated no differently. This 3,000+ year old extremely rare wood was unearthed on an island of Alaska after being buried in a landslide. Over the 3 millennia, the color has naturally changed to the ghostly hue it is now. That is not a stain- the smoky green/ grey color is the actual color of the wood, and this rare collectors set with it’s dimensional ripples and movement of color is a stand out of all that was harvested from this single tree. The tree was estimated to be 1000 years old when it fell, so just think of when this tree was just a sapling in 2,000 BC! Due to the capsulizing of the tree, it did not rot but rather it aged over that time. That it was retrieved, found to be in workable condition, and then quarter sawn to make an amazing guitar, is an extraordinary feat for this piece of wood. There is an amazing tone and clarity of this Ancient Sitka Spruce top, which had been curing and aging already for a 1000 years at the time of Christ. You can feel the history with every strum.
This particular Ancient Sitka Spruce top has been perfectly paired with a back and side set of very rare Brazilian Pernambuco, that Richard has been waiting to save. Stashed away in his private vault, this is one of only two sets they have ever received. This ‘unobtainium’ wood is akin to the best and most coveted sets Sant Cruz has ever used. Pernambuco is widely used for making high quality bows for violins because of its strength, density, and flexibility. It is dynamic and articulate with a quick response and rich tones like that of rosewoods, but exceeding rosewood’s ability to transfer energy due to its density of fibers. Though the wood is highly sought after because of its pure resonant qualities, there are very few guitar sized sets available because the trees grow so small. Take that small pool of guitar sized pieces and add on that it needs to adhere to SCGC quality, reducing it further. That is for just “plain” Pernambuco in general, which has a color that is not as rich and vibrant as they would like. Not only is plain looking Pernambuco extremely rare in their quality, but figured sets are almost non-existent. Add in the rare, rich red/ orange color and high figuring of this set, one of only a few existing, and now we are talking about a mythical creature. This is one of only 2 sets that Santa Cruz was ever able to procure. These sets were reclaimed from a fence post that exhibited this unheard of figuring, so there is no evidence of finding any more. This set has mesmerizing color and pattern reminiscent of blister quilt, birdseye and bearclaw. The color shimmers with dimension when moved and changes lighter to darker. read more on Pernambuco below.
Pernambuco:
Brazilwood, known as Pernambuco to bow-makers and guitar builders alike, is perhaps the only wood that was so famous, it was responsible for the naming of an entire nation. When Portuguese ships discovered the trees on the coast of South America in the sixteenth century, they found that the wood yielded a water-soluble red dye which made for a very valuable and lucrative trading commodity. They named the tree Pau Brasil (the term pau meaning wood, and brasil meaning red or ember-like). Such a vigorous trade resulted from this wood that early sailors and merchants referred to the land itself as Terra do Brasil, or ‘Land of Brazil,’ and the name stuck.
The handmade scrimshaw “Horseshoe” heelcap highlights the Cowgirl theme of the ‘Clementine’ 000 Vault. Additional features include scalloped Adirondack Spruce bracing with hot hide glue, Koa bindings on the body, fingerboard and peghead, Koa tail wedge with cowboy rope purfle, cowboy rope rosette, Ebony fretboard, bridge and peghead overlay, Waverly Gold engraved tuners, Mahogany buffer neck, Ebony pins with Blue Paua dots, LR Baggs HiFi pickup LR Baggs Hi-Fi with voiceprint DI pedal system and more.
Includes deluxe Ameritage hardshell case and Lifetime Warranty.
Free shipping in the continental United States.
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