 VIP,
October 1998
Rick Hoover
H.E.A.R. honor's Rick Hoover as this month's VIP of the Month. Rick and
his staff's outstanding craftmanship and dedication to the quality of
sound have made Santa Cruz Guitars known all over the world as one of
the finest guitars of its kind ever made. Rick understands the importance
of good sound and good hearing. He supports H.E.A.R.'s efforts to educate
music players and listeners about their hearing so they'll continue to
enjoy good sounds for years to come.
Richard Hoover began building guitars
and carvedtop mandolins in 1972. By 1976 his focus was on the modern steel
string guitar. The task of becoming a master at all aspects of guitar
making is a lifelong pursuit, and Richard has patiently refined his craftsmanship
and knowledge as his company has grown. It is Richard's intent to translate
his skills and sensitivities as an individual builder to an exceptional
team of craftspeople, each of whom is an expert in their specialty. Richard's
style of allowing his cratfspeople to both interpret and contribute to
his
vision has propelled Santa Cruz Guitar Company to the forefront of modern
guitar making.
Each Santa Cruz guitar receives an extraordinary amount of individual
attention due to our "bench style" of building, which necessitates
that each worker not only perform his own specialty, but also review the
work of those who have completed stages before him. Over half of all the
instruments that we build are custom orders, reflecting to a high degree
the personality and unique playing needs of the buyer. Every guitar top
is graduated and tuned by hand to attain maximum resonance and sustain,
ensuring a high level of consistency of sound within each standard model
line as well as the ability for custom voicing. The balance, tone, volume,
and response of a Santa Cruz guitar are established before the guitar
is strung. By limiting the number of instruments built, we can practice
a style of luthier born from a genuine love of the guitar, as opposed
to a production line approach that might favor greater numbers at the
expense of our attention to detail.
Santa Cruz guitars are exceptional. They are a uniquely sophisticated
instrument that will inspire and challenge its owner throughout a lifetime.
Santa Cruz Guitar Company, 328 Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz, California
95060
408-425-0999 Fax: 408-425-3604
www.santacruzguitar.com
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