Santa Cruz FTC-1 1978 Prototype Acoustic Guitar, German Maple & German Spruce - Pre-Owned
Why not spread the cost?
This sensational Santa Cruz FTC acoustic guitar is the prototype model built by Santa Cruz in 1978, featuring German Maple for the back and sides and a German Spruce top.
This piece of SCGC history was featured on the front cover of Santa Cruz's product brochure and magazine adverts, and then became the inspiration for the FTC that Eric Clapton ordered from Santa Cruz.
The inside of the top of the guitar was signed by Richard Hoover with his then musical stage name of Otis B. Rodeo, and the soundhole label boasts the serial number 'FTC-1', 'Prototype' handwritten underneath and '10-78' date.
The guitar's construction consists of a flat German Spruce top and German Ahern Maple sides and carved back complete with a Venetian cutaway. The Maple theme continues with a gorgeous Quilted Red Maple neck and Ebony fingerboard decorated with Tahitian gold mother-of-pearl art-deco style inlays, while the headstock has triple-ply binding and mother-of-pearl stylised 'SCGC' logo.
The guitar comes to us in excellent condition, and in recent years was treated to an inspection and set up by renowned Santa Cruz and Martin specialist technician Dave King in the UK. The guitar includes the original hard shell case.
- FTC Prototype Model - SN: FTC-1
- Built in 1978
- German Spruce top
- German Ahorn Maple back and sides
- Flat top with carved back
- Venetian cutaway
- One-piece US Red Maple neck
- Ebony fingerboard
- Natural finish
- Dark wood centre back strip
- Ebony heel cap
- Multi-ply white & black soundhole rosette
- 'Lower belly' style ebony bridge with drop-in style saddle
- Ebony bridge pins with abalone center dots,
- Mother-of-pearl stylised 'SCGC' logo peghead inlay
- Individual gold-plated Grover Imperial tuners with metal buttons
- Tahitian gold mother-of-pearl art-deco style fingerboard inlay and single-ply white edge neck binding,
- Triple-ply white/black/white edge binding on peghead,
- Single-ply white edge binding with multi-ply light & dark wood edge trim on body top, and two-ply white & black edge binding on body rear
- Includes original hard shell case
- Excellent condition