Price Paid: US $2250
Features: 9
Mine's a 9/2003 fresh from the factor in OR(more on that later); all solid woods, except for the (celluloid) black binding (would prefer wood, but we can't have everything); Western Red Cedar (from the Willamette Valley) top, Walnut back and sides (hence the "W" in model #), ebony board, head stock overlay and bridge.
The finish is clearcoat; and the Walnut is flamed 3D. The red cedar shows nicely thru the clearcoat. No pickguard.
Jumbo Deep body w/cutaway, hence the “J”, “2", and “5", respectively. “S” is the line designation and represents the “hot rod”, i.e., entry level of the brand. Their Master Class is to die for, if money’s no object.
Chrome Grovers keep this one stays tune for days (better than my 6-string Martin HD-28KM. See my review http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Martin/HD-28KM-01.html).
Upgrades include bone nut and saddle, ebony tuner buttons (more on that later too).
Shipped in Breedlove’s HSC w/plush dark blue velvet lining. A solid case for a solid guit!
Sound: 9
Magnificent. It makes anyone who plays it a better player. The Cedar top really warms the sound. Note, other than Taylor, there are not too many others making 12 strings w/cedar tops b/c it’s too soft. I’d guess Breedlove’s use of the JDL “bridge doctor” makes a big difference in this regard.
The cedar top also gives the guit that broken-in sound and feel right out of the box.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
Flawless. The bookmatch w/o stripe on the Walnut back is barely decipherable. The one-piece mahogany neck is incredibly straight and true (more comfortable w/better action than my Martin too!)
Don't get me wrong, the HD-28KM is a great guitar. I'm just amazed that these guys make a 12 string that's so easy to play.
No flaws that I could tell; tho I've yet to bring it to my luthier. I doubt he'll find anything, but will follow up if he does.
Reliability/Durability: 9
Very solid. After dealing with the Co., I have no doubt they will stand behind the guit if any reliability issues arise.
Customer Support: 10
Customer service is where Breedlove really shines. I purchased a SJ25-12W from Buffalo Bros., who were blowing it out for $2,250. After doing my homework, I learned that this was an unheard of price. When I received it, however, I also learned why. I brought it to my luthier who discovered that the frets were raising up out of the board due to improper humidification.
I had to ship it back to Breedlove (one of the disadvantages of buying from a smaller company w/o a warranty service center network, IMHO). After Breedlove’s luthier checked it out, he agreed that it needed a fret-job. In his opinion, the guit had been “over-humidified”.
This made me nervous; so I asked for a replacement rather than a repair. Steve Anderson was great. He said “we will make it right, whatever it takes”. And he did. He offered me a brand new replacement guit w/same features, which was just about to be completed, "factory fresh".
Now, the first guit had herringbone purfling on top, a $300 option. To make up the difference, Steve offered ebony tuner buttons; and he agreed to my request for a bone nut and saddle. Very cool move; and a very nice guy.
Jennifer Anderson was also great. She always answered any questions I had and is very knowledgeable about their guitars. For highly technical stuff, I spoke many times with Scott. He loves to talk shop, and knows what he’s talking about.
I can’t say enough good things about these folks. They make an excellent product and really stand behind it. That’s worth a lot.
Overall Rating: 10
The more research I did, the more folks told me that Breedlove makes the best 12 strings. After playing this one for nearly a year, I'd agree.
The fact that I got a "factory fresh" guit for the blow-out price of one that was a couple years old, not to mention defective, made this a fantastic value and me, a lucky guy.
She's a keeper!
Submitted by peten at 04/04/2004 09:30
