I own a 2014 Santa Cruz OM/PW in Cedar/EIR and short scale, and play with a pick 95% of the time. I've been very pleased with the guitar overall, but there are days when I've thought about selling it and replacing with another Martin Authentic, as most of my recreational playing time is spent practicing bluegrass fiddle tunes. It sounds great but its voicing is not really suited to that style of music, as Cedar's darker tonal complexion lacks a bit in the upper mids and highs.
However, two weeks ago I had a great performance in church with it and got some comments after mass from the choir director and piano player over the tone, which I've never gotten playing my J-45. Despite the Cedar top, it's still an OM/PW, so it's got the Martin-like voicing, bass bias, tremendous volume for a non-dread, and tons of harmonic content (a signature Santa Cruz trait). So I'm going to give it some more time and think it over carefully before replacing.
As with many things, it comes down to the builder. Cedar in the hands of a skilled builder can make an awesome guitar. Just make sure the tone is suitable for the music you're playing.
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