Breedlove Oregon Series?

[HAMFIST]

Wondering who else here owns the Breedlove Oregon series guitars. These are a newer offering of primarily locally sourced woods and constructed in Bend, Oregon.

I have a limited edition based on the concert model ... dubbed a C20 SMYR. It is #14 of 24 made with a sunburst finish and stained maple neck instead of plain maple. Also has the iMix system, which is also not common to the rest of the Oregon series. Gold hardware I believe is also nonstandard.

Even with the action as high as it is right off the wall of the store, it plays beautifully. And the tone. THE TONE! TONE FOR DAYS.

Strong fundamental, kind of laid back and full. But then there are a bunch of midrangy things going on all over the place ... all dark and woody sounding. It is very articulate and full fingerpicked lightly. But when you hammer on it a bit with a flattpick, it stays loud and fat with a cool high end edge. Sounds like a vintage Martin with a bit of a modern, compressed tone.

The owner at Hartland Music here in Hartland, Wis. cherrypicked this and a few other Breedloves at the NAMM show. It went up on the wall about a week before I got it, and the new guy running the guitar deparment there handed it to me while my daughter was in her piano lesson. I WAS NOT really in the market for an instrument, but as soon as I played this guitar, I knew I could get a decent trade for my Larrivee L-03WL and close the distance with cash. I was one of three guys looking at it in earnest. Since it was a limited edition, it is not like you can go and buy another just like it.

As a matter of fact, as I was in there working my deal, I was just in time to buy it out from under this other guy who came in to do the same thing as me. I let him play it for a while, and pulled off another guitar from the wall to jam with him. Nice enough guy. Turns out he lives down the road from me. So we'll see how it goes. Maybe we'll be on the back deck jamming soon.

So anyone else have a limited edition or the production model, the C20 SMYE? What are your impressions?

From what I understand, the concert-sized Oregen model DOES NOT HAVE the bridge truss as do the vast majority of other Breedloves, and is said to have special, new bracing. I am wondering to what extent this influences the tone of the instrument. Because this sounds AMAZINGLY better than other Breedloves I have checked out.

[The Growler]

I haven't found any of the Oregon series yet, but I'll have to keep looking based on your description. Congratulations!

[HAMFIST]

Originally Posted by The Growler

I haven't found any of the Oregon series yet, but I'll have to keep looking based on your description. Congratulations!

Can't say too much about the rest of the line ... but I guess the concert model is their best seller across different product lines. So I would keep my eyes peeled for the C20-SMYE.

[AZLiberty]

Breedlove's visual cues are getting more and more confusing.

This one has a US style headstock and Import style bridge which confuses my poor little brain.

Pretty burst though. And very lovely headstock overlay.

[David M123]

That is a beautiful guitar, Hamfist! I'm not generally a fan of sunbursts, but that one is nice. The ebony on the headstock is particularly nice.

I'd love to see the back - it looks like that is stained too and I'm curious how the myrtlewood looks underneath the color.

I have a production model OM, which I bought several months ago. I wasn't even really shopping for a new guitar, but happened on one on a Friday and was really struck by it. I thought about it all weekend and went back on Monday, did some negotiating and took it home.

It has a voice that is different from any of my other guitars, with a sweetness in the upper registers that really sets it apart. It is also very responsive.

[jseth]

Thus far, I have only played two of the Oregon series... one a Grand Concert size and the other, more of a Concert Jumbo. Both guitars were lovely, played really nice and sounded very good... and they were both BRAND-NEW, like "fresh off the bench" new...

6 months later, I had a chance to play the GC sized one again; it was in the local shop for something or other... Man! It had really "come into it's own", even in that short time; much more volume and responsiveness, and the tone stayed sweet.

I have played more than a few of the guitars that Breedlove makes, over the past year and a half... I have been impressed by each one I have played, from the Korean made to the USA ones... but the Oregon series is an incredible deal for the money.

They are really hard to get into your hands, though; my local shop here has another 10 sold, whenever they come into the shop! I barely have time to grab one and play it a bit before the new owner takes possession! Some seem to be better than others, but they are ALL really nice guitars!

[HAMFIST]

Originally Posted by David M123

That is a beautiful guitar, Hamfist! I'm not generally a fan of sunbursts, but that one is nice. The ebony on the headstock is particularly nice.

I'd love to see the back - it looks like that is stained too and I'm curious how the myrtlewood looks underneath the color.

I have a production model OM, which I bought several months ago. I wasn't even really shopping for a new guitar, but happened on one on a Friday and was really struck by it. I thought about it all weekend and went back on Monday, did some negotiating and took it home.

It has a voice that is different from any of my other guitars, with a sweetness in the upper registers that really sets it apart. It is also very responsive.

Ask and ye shall receive.

To be honest, I am not too much of a sunburst guy either. This one works, and since it is part of it being a limited edition, I thought it was even better.

I guess the OM still has the bridge truss ... concert is the only one in the series that does not. I would be curious to play an OM to see how it compares to my Larrivee OM.

And yeah -- I hear ya on the visual queues, AZLiberty.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by HAMFIST

I guess the OM still has the bridge truss ... concert is the only one in the series that does not. I would be curious to play an OM to see how it compares to my Larrivee OM.

And yeah -- I hear ya on the visual queues, AZLiberty.

I'd be more curious to play it side by side with my American Series C20, which does have the bridge truss. Different back/side woods though.

[David M123]

Thanks for the back photo, Hamfist. With the stain, the myrtlewood almost looks like koa.

Overall, just a beautiful guitar, and I know it plays and sounds great as well!

And as jseth noted, the price on these is an amazing value for a solid wood, USA made guitar with great craftsmanship.

Congratulations!

[HAMFIST]

Originally Posted by David M123

Thanks for the back photo, Hamfist. With the stain, the myrtlewood almost looks like koa.

Overall, just a beautiful guitar, and I know it plays and sounds great as well!

And as jseth noted, the price on these is an amazing value for a solid wood, USA made guitar with great craftsmanship.

Congratulations!

Plus one on the value. I am still a big Larrivee proponent for exactly that reason. A fine all solid wood guitar typically costs a lot more.

And with this guitar, it seems there is a depth and quality to the tone that I have not seen until you get into the Santa Cruz realm. It really is remarkable. I have bought too many guitars sight unseen over the internet, and having first hand experience with this one was critical. I often become enthused with the IDEA of a guitar that I have not played or handled. In this case, it was the opposite.

Once I got hands on the Breedlove, for instance, I quickly had to revisit my bias against bolt-in necks. As a former Tacoma Wing series owner, I had moved away from bolt-ins. You were only able to put light strings on the guitars. They seemed kind of flimsy to me. Larrivees are built very solidly, and of course all involve a dovetail neck joint. Yeah -- the bolt-in neck allows you to finish the neck and body separately, and that increases efficiency. But it does not necessarily make for a less desirable instrument.

[dlward]

Guitar friends,

Found this thread and couldn't help but share that I just picked up #2 which has a slightly different sunburst, the plain UST pickup, and an ebony headstock.




Like the original poster, I wasn't looking for another guitar, but this one came looking for me. I already owned the standard Oregon series concert, but have always wanted a sunburst, so I'm selling the standard to help pay for the new baby. If anyone is interested in a minty standard C20-SMYe, I've got mine listed for $1150 locally (Nashville) not including shipping.

[HAMFIST]

Originally Posted by dlward

Guitar friends,

Found this thread and couldn't help but share that I just picked up #2 which has a slightly different sunburst, the plain UST pickup, and an ebony headstock.




Like the original poster, I wasn't looking for another guitar, but this one came looking for me. I already owned the standard Oregon series concert, but have always wanted a sunburst, so I'm selling the standard to help pay for the new baby. If anyone is interested in a minty standard C20-SMYe, I've got mine listed for $1150 locally (Nashville) not including shipping.

Killer guitar, man!

Question for you -- what is your experience with string balance through when plugged in? I am still getting the B and high E strings dialed in.

Originally Posted by dlward

Guitar friends,

Found this thread and couldn't help but share that I just picked up #2 which has a slightly different sunburst, the plain UST pickup, and an ebony headstock.


Pictures snipped to adhere to AGF Saturday Redundancy guidelines


Like the original poster, I wasn't looking for another guitar, but this one came looking for me. I already owned the standard Oregon series concert, but have always wanted a sunburst, so I'm selling the standard to help pay for the new baby. If anyone is interested in a minty standard C20-SMYe, I've got mine listed for $1150 locally (Nashville) not including shipping.

First, welcome to the AGF dlward!!

I have only played one of the Breedlove Oregon Series, a trade-in at my local GC that is in the used guitar room. It was great, had a lot of clarity and volume. Pictures of these instruments don't do them justice, they are very very pretty in person. On that particular day at that particular GC, it was king guitar - its tone was more pleasing to me than any other guitar in the room. I was very impressed. Not impressed enough to trade the Bird , but it was nice.

[HAMFIST]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

First, welcome to the AGF dlward!!

I have only played one of the Breedlove Oregon Series, a trade-in at my local GC that is in the used guitar room. It was great, had a lot of clarity and volume. Pictures of these instruments don't do them justice, they are very very pretty in person. On that particular day at that particular GC, it was king guitar - its tone was more pleasing to me than any other guitar in the room. I was very impressed. Not impressed enough to trade the Bird , but it was nice.

One thing that I think is a big part of the tone of these guitars is the myrtle. The guy I am studying with has a custom build that employs myrtle back and sides, and it, too, has this fantastic, robust but round tonal characteristic.

[BBWW]

Interesting that it has the "Traditional" Headstock but not Bridge Truss System.