Price Paid: US $699
Features: 8
2005 model Made in Korea.14 frets to the cutaway,20 total frets.
Solid spruce top,Laminated Mahogany sides and back.
Electric -Acoustic with Fishman Classic 4 under saddle pickup,Volume,Bass,Mid,Treble and Brilliance control. Pretty basic but easy to use. Active pickup.
Mahogany neck, Spruce top,Laminate Mahogany Back and Sides.
Concert size with cutaway. String through bridge,Grover tuners,Black Binding on body and neck.Satin finish all over. Not sure of the scale but the neck measures 17/8 th at the nut and is a bit thick,not bad but substantial.It also has the JLD Bridge truss system in it as do all Breedloves. Resonates front and rear and projects well for it's size.
Sound: 8
I have no particular style...ask anyone! I play a bit of anything. It covers a lot of 12 string stuff smoothly and is articulate enough to play leads with.
I've been mainly using it through PA and/or a Ultrasound AG-30 witha Boss RC-20xl looper,no effects.
The sound is very round and full with a lot of low end due to the bridge truss system. A lot of low end for a small bodied instrument. Not the typical 12 string jangle here. You hear the higher octave strings but they aren't overbearing.It covers a nice"sweet" 12 string sound well. I like the sound very well compared to several of the really high end guitars out there. There are a few I liked a tiny bit better but you have to pay 4 -5 times as much for them. 12 string isn't my main guitar so this is a nice sounding/playing instrument that doesn't break the bank.It is a very responsive guitar and likes to be played lightly.The dynamics are there you just have to coax them out rather than beat them.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
The guitar came setup well. The action isn't perfect but really, really close.I was impressed with the action/setup straight out of the box.
The finish is impressive and nothing about it shows poor workmanship.No sloppy finish,no bad joints or anything you might expect out of a fairly low end guitar. I think I read that the setup is done in the U.S. at Breedloves regular factory.
Nicely done top with a nice abalone rosette and the headstock sports the Abalone Breedlove Emblem.Very tiny inlaid fret markers.
The Grover tuners on the guitar must be very low geared because you have to tune them quite a ways to change tuning. The tuning is very stable.Check the tuning then play for hours .
Reliability/Durability: 10
I don't see why the guitar would present a problem with decent care on stage or off.
It has an upper strap button installed that seems quite solid.The endpin/jack arrangement is screwed on with three tiny screws and I'm not familiar with this system but it seems very well done.
The finish looks great and satin finishes are quite durable.
Customer Support: N/A
I've never dealt with the Breedlove people but they sell a very impressive product so I would assume they are good folks who try to market a great product so they don't have a lot of quality issues. These type of folks usually want you happy so they go the extra mile.
Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing 30+ years.I own it all, well most of it anyway.Too much to list!
Taylor,Martin,Ovation,Fender,Gibson,Godin.
I didn't think it was Laminate Backed until I checked the specs on Breedloves page but the sound is still the same sound I liked when I picked it up.
If it ran away I'd probably wait to see what the rest of the Breedlove Atlas line sounds like in a 12 string but the truth is this suits me fine.
I love the fact that it's a 12 string with a nice woody sound to it with decent bass response. It's not a Jumbo so don't expect that. It's more of a nice size ,easy to play instrument with good projection and a "not so brash" sound.
I played several Taylors high and low priced.The diffences were small if any. I played Takamine and Alverez Jumbos,Not my sound.I played a very high end Breedlove. It was a very nice instrument but I'm not sure in a blindfold test I could have picked between the two. Playability wasn't an issue .They were all similar.
In short if you're in the market for a nice 12 string don't pass these little guys by. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Submitted by Thumbpicker at 04/19/2005 17:55
