Traditional craftsmanship, environmental consciousness, and customer focus are at the core of the Breedlove philosophy. Breedlove does not use endangered rain forest woods and offers the widest selection of non-traditional tone woods in the industry. These guitars also boast impressive custom inlay work and a wide range of body configurations and appointment upgrades.

Breedlove create guitars in two styles, modern designs with a patented bridge truss device that counterbalances the string tension on the top of the guitar. The increased structural integrity of the bridge truss braces the tops for optimal vibration and sound quality and creates what Breedlove calls a "relaxed top." The result is a responsive guitar with rich bass, balanced mids, sweet highs, and a remarkable balance of sound when playing notes up the fingerboard.

Kim Breedlove has been building guitars and mandolins for thirty five years during which time he has perfected guitars which solve two major problems encountered by the modern guitarist. He has produced acoustic guitars whose strings all ring at the same volume negating the need for the amplified or recording guitarist to employ a compressor which "evens out" the string volume but adversely affects the natural sound of the instrument (perfect for finger-style). These contemporary designs have also greatly reduced the 'low end boom' that causes low end feedback problems which are the main challenge of sound engineers and amplified acoustic guitarists the world over. The 'relaxed top' is one of the innovations Kim has brought to guitarists.

For the traditionalists Kim has turned his skills to replicating the build style of the pre- war builders with scalloped forward cross bracing to produce the power required by such as Bluegrass and Blues players whilst delivering a pure tone devoid of the low end boom associated with many acoustic brands.

All Breedlove guitars have tops that are voiced both before and after the braces are applied.

Uniquely Breedlove.

Whilst our website is being re-developed please visit www.breedlovemusic.com

Bridge Truss System

Guitars built with the Bridge truss system are created with a “Relaxed Top”. In other words the massive strain exerted on the bridge by the string tension is relieved by transferring the stress to the bottom of the guitar where it cannot cause harm to the top. The instrument can then be build with less bracing allowing, in the case of US models, the inside of the top to be carved and tuned.

With less bracing running across the width of the guitar top, the build up of the “boomy” frequencies that cause such feedback problems is less likely to occur giving you a more pleasurable performing experience.

Another bi-product of building this way is the even balance of the volume delivered by each string. Each string rings at the same volume, unlike almost all other acoustic guitars, therefore a Breedlove can be recorded without the need to use a compressor. Breedlove are the only acoustic guitars we know of that can successfully trigger Roland guitar synthesizers.

The result is uniquely Breedlove, perfect for finger-style articulation or anyone who wants clear definition in their playing. Soft when you play softly but responding with bite when you “dig in.”

This system is used on Atlas, Pro, Performance, Master Class and Private Reserve guitars.

Forward, Cross Scalloped Bracing.

The traditional styled guitars are constructed using pre war scalloped forward cross bracing patterns which deliver a powerful yet clear, articulated sound, allowing each
String to produce its individual character, they are extremely quick and powerful to meet the demands of flat-picking, bluegrass and the blues. Scalloping, or scooping out the tops of the bracing struts, is rarely used in this day and age due to the cost in time spent on the shaping of the braces and yet the benefits to the player are well worth the effort. Scalloping gives the guitar a clear “bell like”, clarity of tone and reduces the “boom” can cause problems when amplifying in a live situation.

This system is used on Retro, Roots and Revival guitars.

Before the Atlas Series, Breedlove was a custom shop guitar manufacturer only. In 2003 the Atlas line was launched with the intention of incorporating high-end custom features into a production line (see Traditional Design Guitars). The Atlas line is made overseas and goes through the setup and quality control process at the Breedlove Custom location in Bend, Oregon.

The all new Breedlove Atlas Series comes in four categories: Stage, Studio, Solo and Retro lines. Each category has a specific sound and application.

The newly voiced instruments feature the all new LR Bagg's Stage Pro Element pickup with chromatic tuner. We worked with Lloyd Baggs for over 5 years developing this pickup to be the best performing on-board pickup of its kind. Stylish L.R. Baggs Stage Pro controls include volume, EQ, notch, phase and fast battery access highly sought after by today's touring musicians. Lloyd Baggs explains, "The sound and combined performance features were previously unattainable, until now."

Each new Atlas Series name (Stage, Studio, Solo, and Retro) implies the purpose of each design. The Stage, Studio and Solo models are all braced for balance and reinforced with the bridge truss to maximize sustain and dynamics. The Retro models offer balance and power.

Breedlove Atlas Series instruments are designed and engineered by Kim Breedlove and are quality assured at our Custom Shop in Bend, Oregon.

The Atlas Series includes six-string Concerts, Dreadnoughts and Jumbos, twelve-string Concerts and Jumbos and four and five-string acoustic basses. We also offer a nylon-string Atlas acoustic guitar in a concert size.

Atlas Side "Monitor" Soundhole

With a satin finish the Solo Series offers an even more simplified aesthetic and a high degree of value. What's most innovative is the fully voiced "monitor" side sound hole on each Solo model. The monitor sound-hole on the Solo series is just below the pre-amp. This feature gives the player the opportunity to hear the pure tones and ambient sounds usually heard by standing in front of the instrument being played. This sound hole projects a balanced sound directly to the player. Breedlove reports some players are already creating percussive effects with the body resonance. The body pitch can be changed by a fifth by covering both sound holes in a percussive style. President, Peter Newport says, "We have been experimenting with voicing side sound holes for years and we feel the time is right for our clients to enjoy the unique performance of this feature." He continues, "Solo guitars are especially great for playing and songwriting in noisy environments such as tour buses, jam sessions, bars and coffee shops." We believe that the "monitor" sound hole allows for a better connection to the subtleties of each instrument.

Top Woods

Bear Claw Sitka Spruce

This spruce has genetic attributes that produce a figuring suggestive of a bear clawing his way across the grain. Lateral figuring makes this wood the stiffest of our top woods. Highly sought after for its unique figuring. Very stiff and punchy. Good for heavy playing styles - retains clarity when pushed. Pacific Northwest tone wood.

Red Spruce

Adirondack responds well to a firm touch, but is quite versatile. Relative rarity, combined with a reputation for fine tone, especially as used on pre-war/vintage instruments, have elevated it to premium tonewood status for new instruments. Interesting grain color variations make this aesthetically desirable. From the Northeastern United States.

Sitka Spruce

Sitka spruce has become an industry standard top wood, renowned for high quality and excellent tonality. It is a very versatile top that works well for all styles of playing. Present abundance makes it arguably under appreciated, but it remains a classic. The color is fairly light when new, and becomes golden over time. A Pacific Northwest wood.

Engelmann Spruce

Generally for a lighter touch, this wood vibrates with developed overtones and is "ringier" than Sitka Spruce. Warm bass response and very light in color. From Northwest Montana and Canada.

German Spruce

The "ringiest" of all spruce species. Extremely clear and bell like. Exceptional choice for light fingerstyle and medium strumming techniques. Heavier fingerstyle techniques yield abundant overtones and chords become a choir. Very white in color.

Port Orford Cedar or White Cedar

Durable, stiff and strong, with warm resonance. Tonally, a versatile combination of Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedar. Light Amber in color, and also quite aromatic, like eucalyptus. Another fine Oregon tonewood.

Western Red Cedar

Balanced, warm and rich, with bright trebles - sounds broken in even when new. A favorite among fingerstyle players. Great warmth and full chording for light rhythm players. Coloration runs from light to very dark reddish-brown. From the Pacific Northwest.

Redwood

Rare and beautiful, Redwood is tonally warm, rich and complex. Responds dynamically to a light touch. A phenomenal choice for fingerstyle. It is darker than Red Cedar with a reddish hue. From Northern California.

Back and Side Woods

Walnut

With the textured woodiness of Mahogany and the rich depth of Rosewood, Walnut is an excellent all-purpose back wood. Breedlove's bracing scheme gives our Walnut guitars a unique warmth and tonal depth. Dark brown, highly figured. Obtained from salvage operations in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

East Indian Rosewood

Deep, warm yet punchy, very piano-like. Powerful rich sound. Clean mid and treble. A good all-around player's choice. One of the more deeply resonating hardwoods.

Striped Ebony

The richness of Rosewood with a bit more volume, and a specific gravity matching Brazilian Rosewood. It has a striking figuring, distinctive dark and light brown, with black and green variegation. Full, beautiful and stripy. It makes for a truly exceptional twelve string. Controlled by the government of New Guinea, but not an endangered species.

Brazilian Rosewood

Punchy and full, with a bell-like chime. This wood is found on many pre-war and vintage instruments. Dark reddish-brown to chocolate color, with interesting grain patterns. Exceptionally rare and becoming scarce. This highly sought-after wood has become one of the most revered of all tonewoods.

Ziricote

Clear, punchy, and balanced, similar in tone to Brazilian rosewood. Well-defined grain pattern, with an appearance resembling a spider web. Always visually stunning, and a Ziricote Breedlove will always sound as wonderful as it looks. From Mexico.

Koa

Woody and bright when new, Koa's voice sweetens and deepens over time. We keep AA grade (with straighter grain) and Master Grade (highly figured), with a rich honey color. This Hawaiian wood is highly sought after for its three dimensional curl and flame, as well as for its tonal characteristics. Rare, and continues to climb in price.

Myrtlewood

The powerful voice of Rosewood combined with the clarity, brightness and balance of Maple. Breedlove introduced this wood to the industry over a decade ago. Highly consistent tone, while coloration varies, from an elegant whitish/straight grained appearance, to a striated pattern of yellow, green, caramel and cocoa, with flame and curl. One of the best recording tone woods available. From the coast of Oregon.

Mahogany

Bright and woody, a great all-around tonewood and an exceptional value. Breedlove Mahogany guitars are both warm and bright, and very responsive. Many blues bottleneck players love the way it "whines". Our mahogany is from Central America.

Maple

A Breedlove Maple guitar is unlike any other. Our Maple guitars retain the great balance, clarity, and string-to-string separation that Maple is known for, but with the added dimension of a rich, warm low end response. We use Big Leaf Maple from the Pacific Northwest.

Binding and Purfling

Once you have selected your tonewoods, you can choose a material and style for your instrument binding. Bindings are both beautiful and functional, helping protect the edges of your instrument from damage.

We offer two levels of binding - Master Class and S Series.

Hallmarks of our Master Class binding package include a tapered "V" tailstrip, top and bottom body binding with bwbwb purfling on the top, back and sides, matching neck binding with and bwb purfling on the top and sides, and fine mitering throughout. The table below compares binding and purfling schemes for the two packages.

You can have your Master Class instrument bound with a variety of hardwoods, including Koa, Walnut, Rosewood, Bloodwood or Maple. Ivoroid, Black and Tortoise binding can also be used with the Master Class binding scheme. S-Series binding packages usually use Tortoise

Ivoroid or Black... but did we mention that we're a custom shop? If you wanted a Walnut binding done in a simpler S-Series aesthetic, we would be happy to help. We have used many other materials for guitar binding, including Snakewood, Cocobolo and more. Please contact us for more information.

Bloodwood

Brosimum Rubescens. Stunningly colored, quite beautiful and very protective.

Ivoroid

Our Ivoroid is grained. Very crisp and elegant.

Koa

Koa makes for a wonderful binding - beautiful and warm, just like you'd expect.

Rosewood

A Rosewood binding in practice is a subtly subversive thing. Mysterious and luxurious, and never overstated.

Walnut

Light to dark brown, highly figured.

Abalone Top Purfling

You can add a top purfling of Abalone to any Master Class guitar.

Herringbone Purfling

A classic choice for a purfling is Herringbone, here with our Master Class Bloodwood binding.

Binding... Unbound

At the risk of belaboring the point, we are a Custom Shop, and we welcome custom work. There are always going to be options and choices that are not listed on this web site. For instance, our luthiers occasionally fulfill requests for what they refer to as a "Kung Fu" Corner Caps - basically an extra section of binding at the apex of a Breedlove sharp cutaway. Challenging to pull off, but unmistakably impressive!

Purfling Upgrades

Complement your Master Class binding with either an Abalone or Herringbone top purfling. Abalone brings shimmer and sparkle to the top edge of your guitar, while Herringbone adds a classic, timeless touch.

Here are options and examples for S-Series binding packages.

Black

Black binding for our S and Premier series guitars.

Ivoroid

Ivoroid binding for our S and Premier series guitars.

Tortoise

Tortoise-like binding for our S and Premier series guitars.