Review by
a visitor on 17.6.2006
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My 20 year Guild D60 finally bit the dust after a friend stepping on the front of it causing a small crack, an earthquake caused keyboards to fall on it, it fell 10 feet onto a Fender Twin amp... So I had to replace this wonderful sounding acoustic despite the damage, and try and fork out as little money as possible and yet get the most tone! So I went up to the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California, and started walking from guitar store to guitar store.
First I tried out some guitars that I couldnnullt afford like, $3500 - $7500 Martinnulls, Takaminenulls, Guildnulls, and Gibsonnulls. My immediate impression was that for the most part, they all sucked. Mainly because of the action, then the overall tone. Obviously there were some exceptions, but I knew that even these top name brand guitars either just werennullt made like they used to be, needed some serious playing and aging, or simply were over charging because they created a name for themselves. I was depressed nevertheless as I moved on down the guitars that were more in my price range of $500 - $1000, to see if I could pallet a lesser priced instrument. There were lots of similarities, especially in regards to action and playability, with the exception that most guitars in the lower price ranges lacked the cosmetics, inlays and such. Now with some of the models, especially around the $500 range, the tone, at least for me, was thin and unappealing, even after checking out specific models raved by other reviewers on the web. I was in search for some nice bottom and yet sweet top end which I did not find, not yet anyway.
So I proceeded to search for used acoustics in my price range, and came across several, but fell in love with one; it was a 30 year old Takamine, beautiful sounding, and not bad looking, except for that crack you get sometimes that starts from the bridge, and then proceeds down the middle to the guitarnulls edge. $600, I almost bought it, but my dad always told me to shop around. So I went to Guitar Center last thinking that wouldnnullt have anything, but found that I was wrong; their Guitar rooms, were environmentally controlled, all made entirely of wood, etc. So when I went into their nulloff brandnull room, I discovered the Breedlove AD25/SR Plus, made in Korea, yikes! It was amazing from the time I lifted it; it felt heavy and solid, like the $10,000 Martin I was so afraid to play, it had inlays much like the $3500 and up models of name brand guitars. Some guy in the room told me that Breedlove based out of Oregon, really was trying to make a name for themselves. That they were selling their guitars with the quality of the Old School majors who used to make great guitars, borrowing manufacturing techniques perfected by the masters. Well, he didnnullt have to tell me anything, I already knew, that this was a great instrument right of the shelf, it played, looked, and sounded like a guitar that would sound absolutely amazing in a few years - and best of all, the price was listed as $800. I bounced around to other stores, fell in love with a couple other brands, mostly used, but still kept going back to the Breedlove; what a beauty.
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Features |
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The "AD25/SR Plus" is a Solid Sitka Spruce top and Solid Rosewood back acoustic electric dreadnought with a soft cutaway. The plus package includes abalone top purfling, plus rosette, tortoise pickguard and the Breedlove Diamond inlay pattern. Complete with ivoroid binding and Fishman Classic IV Pickup. It has 20 frets @ a 25" scale, a Rosewood Finger Board & Bridge, smooth but firm gold Tuners. Most affordable model acoustics I checked out were strung with 10nulls or 11nulls, and tuned down to nullDnull and sometimes lower, to make you think that the guitar felt great; but the Breedlove was strung with 12nulls, and tuned to nullEnull, because they had nothing to hide.
The one feature I wished it did have, was a built-in tuner. A friend of mine had a great Takamine, which had that feature, and I havennullt seen it since in any of the guitars I checked out anyway. I figure that since Breedlove seemed to put the most into this semi-affordable instrument, why not add a built-in tuner? This is the 21st century...
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Playability |
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Now in regards to actually playing a Breedlove, thatnulls where they shine, and out rank most of their competition. I donnullt like a salesperson telling me that, "oh, donnullt worry about the action, just take it in to get it setup". Inullm sorry, they should have gotten the guitar in the nullballparknull at least from the factory - especially at $2000 and up! No, even the lower-end Breedlove guitars I played, still had decent action. The "AD25/SR Plus" however is sweet. You can play bar chords everywhere up and down the neck, without struggling or missing notes. Playing single notes, especially in the upper ranges, is where this guitar shines. It was made for soloing, no doubt about it.
I play several different styles, and overall, the tone is great, but it still lacks the bigger bottom I desire from an acoustic. Now when compared to other nullcutawaynull styles, this will be the best bottom end for the money, hands down. Again, when playing single notes, the guitar shines: it has a heavy bottom end when picking hard, so the notes sound thick. Finger picking is probably when this model is best at, heavy strumming still leaves a little to be desired however. The intonation is excellent. When the guitar is in tune, it sounds in tune all over the neck.
I havennullt had much time to plug it in and really mess with the tone controls, but top-end will not be your problem live. The bottom-end (plugged in) seems a little boomy, but I would say see for your self. When I was at Guitar Center, I plugged this guitar into a very nice acoustic guitar amp, and it sounded great, but through P.A. systems, it sounds fake; I had a comparison with another acoustic (top model) and that acoustic sounded MUCH better plugged in, very natural. So since I play the guitar mostly in open air, I am content with that.
I also record often in my pro studio, but havennullt had a chance to mic this bad boy up, but I trust that it will record just fine, and probably better than my old Guild; my Guild had so much bottom end, that I always had to cut much of it off with EQ. Since this model Breadlove lacks a little bottom it should record just fine. Basically due to microphone proximaty effect, because I mic so close to the strings. |
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Quality |
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Again, without sounding redundant, the quality meets or exceeds that of other top name brands at tripple the price. With exception to the tuning pegs, they feel like they are smooth and solid while tuning, but as mentioned before, I notice that the guitar can be pulled out of tune fairly easy. Perhaps with different brand strings, there will be a difference.
This guitar in regards to appearance, even though it just came off the shelf, it doesnnullt have that "new pair of sneakers" look where you almost want a few nicks & scratches in the body to give the guitar some character. I hate how some of the new acoustics look, they almost appear as if they are made of Balsa wood, yikes. |
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Durability |
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The Breedlove acoustics, even the lower-end models, just feel like nullyounull are holding a real instrument in your hands. The neck is solid & heavy, as is the body. Now maybe I donnullt know much about wood used in Acoustics, but of all the models I played that were three times the cost, all felt too light, and thin. The Breedlove feels solid, like it can take a beating. Some $$$ Martinnulls I tried, felt like one little bang into something, and I would get a large gash in the wood.
The one problem I have with this guitar, is that I find that I have to tune it often, especially after some serious strumming. Perhaps the strings werennullt fully stretched yet, but now that its time to change the strings almost, I would say that the strings have stretched. My old Guild, once it held a tune, it stayed in tune! I havennullt found that to be true with this guitar. Perhaps, when I change strings, and select a brand of strings that I am more familiar with, I will have better luck with the guitar staying in tune. |
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Overall |
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Overall I think that you can not get a better guitar off the shelf. If you shop around for a used, old acoustic, you will find better tone characteristics, and perhaps playability, in the same price range. The guitar is a little bright, and metallic sounding, especially with new strings, but with a little sweat & string aging, the guitar seems to fall into a sweet spot.
Perhaps with some years this guitar will improve and match the quality of my old Guild, but for now at $800 I could not get better, especially only being a few months old. Oh, and I must not forget that this is a cutaway, and my Guild was a Jumbo, perhaps I should have mentioned it instead of rambling throughout this review. |
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