BreedLove Revival Series DM

Price Paid: US $1600

Features: 10
Solid Sitka top with solid Mahogany sides and back. The bracing is set forward as a prewar Martin D18 and it works real well. The Satin finish is fine with me and the light body weight is wonderful.

Sound: 10
This is why I bought this guitar! (selling one of my precious Gibson's to get the money) It is the best sounding D-18 I have ever played and I have played more than a few D-18's. This guitar is vibrant in sound with lots of volume and balance. Terrific!!

Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
The set up was perfect and still is. However, for my ears I will no longer put Elixer strings on. I thought the poly webs would work well, but they produced too much high end as compared to the Martin SP's I had on originally, and will return to.

Reliability/Durability: N/A
It's new, so we will see. I am a professional who plays most of my gigs in the summer festival season. On the surface, I don't see this guitar with it's very thin woods as the premier Festival guitar. But, we will see.

Customer Support: N/A
NO need for it as of yet.

Overall Rating: 10
As I mentioned before I had to sell one of my precious Gibson's to get this guitar. I still own a J60 and J100 of the Gibsons' and I also have a Martin M16. I am presently waiting to play the Breedlove DR. If it sounds as I expect it to, judging by this DM, I may be selling another guitar! This guitar sounds this good.

Submitted by Barry Lee at 12/25/2005 20:40

Price Paid: US $1699

Features: 9
Fortunate to get one of the 12 Revival DM prototypes $1699
Solid spruce top. Solid Mahogany side and back. Satin finish.
Waverly 18:1 tuners
Nothing fancy about the appearance of this guitar (which is my preference) This one is all about the sound.

Sound: 10
Fortunate to get one of the 12 Revival DM prototypes $1699(also bought the DR a few weeks later, then a Revival OM M a few weeks after that!) I guess you know what my opinion is. The DM is simply the best Dreadnaught that I have ever played. It's a canon on the low end, yet the treble cuts through clear as a bell. I like to say it is better than the legendary Martin low tones and better than the Taylor treble.

Less $$ than a D-28 and blows it away (and I'm a big Martin fan). This is the best Sounding Dreadnaught out there at any price let alone under $2K. Pay more and you're getting ornaments, but you won't beat this sound

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Perfect set-up out of the box.
Plays easy. I fingerpick and flatpick and it handles both superbly.
Construction is flawless.

Reliability/Durability: N/A
N/A Only time can tell on these parameters.

Customer Support: 10
I've called the company beforehand to get info. They put me on with Kim Breedlove! Answered all my questions as if I was the only person in the world.

Called afterward to tell them my high opinion and they obviously take pride in their products

Overall Rating: 10
30 years on acoustic guitar and I've tried hundreds. I have a vintage D-28 that had been my standard until this Breedlove blew it away.
I married this one. Named it and everything. It's a joy everytime I pick it up.

Submitted by KW at 07/26/2005 17:20

Price Paid: trade

Features: 9
I don't need to say anything more than this is Breedlove's interpretation of the classic D-18 mahogany dred. It's almost austere in it's use of semi-gloss finish, but it features ebony fretboard and bridge, like the vintage D-18. Like the vintage D-18, it has open back tuners and scalloped braces, and no tongue brace. Unlike the Martin, however, it features a bolt on neck.

Sound: 10
This is a killer guitar. I've played a lot of acoustics in my life, but nothing quite this good. The thing feels alive in your lap. The tone is very balanced, the separation is great, the volume is awesome. Great punch and projection emanate from the sound hole. You can play it quite softly or really dig into it and it does it all with aplomb. The sound quality doesn't seem to break at all.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
The build quality of this guitar was great. Everything fits snugly and the finish is perfect. The only thing I could complain about was the fit of the nut, but even that was almost perfect. I do wish Breedlove had used bone instead of tusq, but your can't complain about the sound. I replaced the stock pickguard with Tor-tis and the bridgepins with bone for aesthetic purposes.

Reliability/Durability: 10
The guitar is extemely light. I would definitely exercise care with it (as I do with all my instruments), but with normal use it looks like it will stand up fine. Anyone who abuses a fine instrument shouldn't be allowed to own a fine guitar. They should be required to play Ovations or something like that

Customer Support: N/A
I haven't had any contact with the company at this point and hope I don't need it. I am a former guitar store owner and do all my work myself.

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing for 45 years. I have owned about every acoustic possible except for Collings. I compare this guitar to a Santa Cruz Vintage Artist or a Collings D1. I would replace it with another in heartbeat.

Submitted by George Kraushaar at 07/12/2005 19:29

Price Paid: US $1567

Features: 9
Made in Bend, Oregon, the top is solid sitka spruce and the back, sides and neck are Honduran mahogany. The 14 fret fingerboard is ebony. "Sta-Tite" vintage Grover tuners. Scalloped ¿Pre-War¿ X-Bracing. I believe it was made in 2005, primarily because this is a fairly new line for Breedlove. As I understand it, they have only been making this guitar since 2004. I wish it had two strap buttons, however, rather than just one. Having one strap button makes no sense to me.

Sound: 10
I play finger style (with old plastic Dobro fingerpicks), slide and I flat pick. With a $3000 (US)limit on what I could spend, I invested 3 entire days in 4 high end guitar stores playing Collings, Gallagher, Santa Cruz, Huss & Dalton, Martin, Taylor, Larrivee, Tacoma, Bourgeois, and Welker guitars. I was looking for tone and rich sound. To my complete surprise, I fell in love with this DM--choosing it over more expensive hand-made guitars. The sound is fantastic.

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
The action is perfect for me. It is set high enough for me to play slide on it and low enough to be a breeze to play. From my point of view it is flawless.

Reliability/Durability: 9
I've only had it for two days, but I have no doubt that it will work well in live performances, but the guitar is light and the wood is thin and it will definitely need to be cared for.

Customer Support: N/A
I haven't had it long enough to have any dealings with the company

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing for 50 years--since I was six years old. I have owned a variety of guitars through the years, but this, by far, is the best sounding guitar I have ever played. If I lost it I would definitely get another.

Submitted by river109 at 07/11/2005 04:17

Price Paid: US $1599.00

Features: 10
MFG.in 2005 in Oregon. Its the new revival series dred. Deemed the DM. It has Honduran Mahogany back and sides with a sitka spruce top. It was fashioned after the pre-war Martins and does not look like any Breedlove I've ever seen. It is very lite in weight. 14 frets with 1 3/4" nut. It has a low profile semi-gloss finish. No electronics (thank God). The tuners are Grover, Open back. Looks like Waverlys. Rings like a bell. The neck has small mother of pearl dots on it; just right... The pick guard is color matched with the top and is not too large in size. The binding is attractive also. Faux tortishell.
The case has 6 latches with a key for locking. Instead of the plastic formed handle, there are 2 large black straps, and the case has a carrying strap attached to it (I never seen one of those before). The guitar fits glove perfect in it. The case even makes room for the already attached end pin so it will not tear the material. A very nice case...

Sound: 10
I am a flatpicker and I love bluegrass, so this fits my style. I have a bone saddle instead of micarta, so theres a big jump in sound there. It is loud being new, In a couple of weeks it should be a tone monster.
There is no disliking this guitar...

Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
The guitar was set up very well. It didn't buzz or distort. Everything about the guitar is first rate externally, and I don't see ant hints of glue residue or anything else inside it to make me question quality of the company or guitar.

Reliability/Durability: 10
This guitar will withstand live playing and I can depend on it. Its very gigable with out a backup. The finish is there to stay.
There is nothing to pick apart.

Customer Support: N/A
never dealt with them...

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing 35 years and this guitar will go along with my Martin as a flatpicking guitar. This guitar is mail order and it has exceeded my expectations. It sounds larger than life. I compare this guitar with the likes of S/C D/PW, Martin D18GE, Bourgeois country boy, etc.
You probably can get this guitar $100 cheaper. I opted to purchase one of the factory's "prototypes" of which are no more with the mahogany/spruce combo. I was told the mahogany/adi combo was $1000 more... thanks.... but no thanks.

Submitted by Art Davis at 05/31/2005 15:49