I Did It! New Breedlove!

[steelvibe]

Congrats! I love the Concero series Breedloves. I've played the Concerto E (all myrtlewood, non-cutaway, non-burst) and was pretty impressed with it!

I love the haircut headstock shape too- way more than the asymmetrical version. You dun good.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by LisieDee

SO, question: Is there a way to tell that's it's bone other than reading specs?

I'm not sure I could tell the difference...

In this photo, the bridge saddle appears to be made of synthetic material of some sort:

˙˙˙

I just went to the Breedlove website, but the specification list for this model didn't mention what the factory stock saddle is made out of. But the color of the saddle in the photo above doesn't look like real bone to me.

So if you want to know for certain, there's a relatively easy way to find out. Loosen the strings and pull the saddle out of its slot. Then straighten out and heat a paper clip over the flame of a match, candle or lighter, until it's glowing red. At that point touch the hot end of the paper clip to an inconspicuous part of the saddle - either on the underside or on the side of the saddle that's covered by the saddle slot when the strings are up to tension.

If the saddle is made of a synthetic material it'll smell like plastic. If it's made out of bone, it'll smell like burnt hair.

But like I said, that saddle in your photos does not look like bone to me. It might be when you pull it out of the saddle slot that you'll see sprue lines or some other obvious evidence that it was made in a mold.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[LisieDee]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

But like I said, that saddle in your photos does not look like bone to me.

Wade Hampton Miller

It definitely feels like a plastic material to me. But I'm new and fairly clueless!

(I'm learning so much on this forum...and I really appreciate all of the comment and advice that I'm getting. )

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

I'm surprised that Breedlove didn't spec a bone nut and saddle. My Pursuit Concert Red Cedar came with each. You may want to double check on that?

It obviously has an undersaddle transducer (I can see the controls). A lot of companies will use TUSQ for more consistency when they ship with a pickup.

This one is pretty obviously TUSQ since i can see the molded B string compensation in the pictures.

[LisieDee]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

It obviously has an undersaddle transducer (I can see the controls). A lot of companies will use TUSQ for more consistency when they ship with a pickup.

This one is pretty obviously TUSQ since i can see the molded B string compensation in the pictures.

Whoa! There actually IS some kind of an electric wire inside of it that I hadn't even seen. You have to turn the guitar sideways and really look into the side of the sound hole to see it, but it's there.

Okay, so forgive my incredible ignorance, but what exactly am I supposed to do with this? I saw some less expensive Breedloves with clear inset electronics, but this one doesn't have that.

Thanks for noticing that. I probably wouldn't have seen it at all!

[LisieDee]

Man! I have a lot to learn.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by LisieDee

Okay, so forgive my incredible ignorance, but what exactly am I supposed to do with this?

You should be just plug and play when you play out, it's the Sound Guy's job to make you sound good.

[jseth]

Originally Posted by LisieDee

Whoa! There actually IS some kind of an electric wire inside of it that I hadn't even seen. You have to turn the guitar sideways and really look into the side of the sound hole to see it, but it's there.

Okay, so forgive my incredible ignorance, but what exactly am I supposed to do with this? I saw some less expensive Breedloves with clear inset electronics, but this one doesn't have that.

Thanks for noticing that. I probably wouldn't have seen it at all!

Well, you could always plug it into an amp when you find one!

I did a little research today (mostly at Bullfrog Music, with Les (the fellow who helped you a few weeks ago...). Breedlove doesn't make a Pursuit without a pickup... which means yours is a Baggs EAS system; an under-saddle transducer with a volume and tone control hidden just inside the upper edge of the soundhole... easy to reach but hard to see, so I don't blame you for thinking ti wasn't there!

Now you get to answer the question I posited a few replies back... you can have the pickup taken out, get a new saddle made/cut and hear your new guitar, sans interference (!), or not...

Easy enough to take the battery out of the guitar (yes, there is a battery, probably in a little pouch on the upper bout near those controls) and have the pickup taken out of the saddle slot, but taped to the inside bout so it doesn't rattle around... then you can easily slip the UST back into the saddle slot, use the original saddle and you're ready to play it plugged in again, if you have a change of mind.

Not something that needs to be decided right now, although when you have the guitar set up to your liking might be an opportune time to have a new saddle made... shouldn't increase the cost of the set-up by much...

[LisieDee]

Well holy crap!
This is why I shouldn't buy things from Guitar Center!

I think I'll call Les and beg his forgiveness for not buying the Alvarez from him...and ask him to help me get this one set up. He can even charge me extra!

Here I was looking at all of the guitars there and this one just kept screaming "Buy me!". I couldn't figure out why the $399 Breedloves had pickups and this one didn't.

Not ONE person said a word to me until I said, "I think I'd like to buy this guitar."

Well, lesson learned and now I need to get it set up and CLEARLY I need to start learning more about my beautiful new friend.

Jseth, thank you so much for the advice and info. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

Lisanne

[Roy B]

If you go to the Breedlove website and look up your guitar, go to "Guitar Portrait". Within those detailed specs it lists the saddle and nut as being bone. Also, the UST part that's under the soundhole consists of only one "wheel", which controls volume only, not tone. That would require two wheels. I have the Pursuit Concert Mahogany, and love it!

[maxtheaxe]

Beautiful...I love the looks of Myrtlewood, although I've never had one in my hands; I've heard that the tone is similar to Koa. I also love that faux tortoise binding next to that wood & finish...really pops! Nice score, there!

As to the saddle, you might want to try both bone and Tusq for comparison; I think the Myrtle will be somewhat midrange/hi-mids forward (especially on the smaller body style) and I've found that sometimes with guitars like that, the Tusq sounds a bit more balanced. As with all such, it depends on your tastes.

I've often thought that higher-end guitars should come with a saddle of each material so one can compare them right off the bat, or even change the tone for different applications.