Imagine Guitars - Gallery
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Breedlove CM Classic |
Western Red Cedar top
Walnut back and sides
Linear Fusion Inlay
Master Class Bloodwood binding |
The Breedlove CM... the ultimate expression of the Breedlove aesthetic. An
asymmetrical Grand-Concert body, with Sharp Cutaway, Figured Walnut back and
sides, Western Red Cedar top, Linear Fusion Inlay, Master Class Bloodwood
binding and abalone rosette.
This CM sounds absolutely heavenly, and plays just beautifully - the entire
guitar seems to get in on the act of reproduction of string vibration. It
is just one of those instruments that sounds as good as it looks, and that
is a lot to live up to - this instrument is made with an incredible attention
to detail and quality.
This is the CM Classic, and is appointed and finished just as any new CM Classic
instrument would be. There is one single difference between this instrument
and any other CM Classic that you'd find on sale at retail price (currently
$5,499), and it is as follows. As you likely know, all Breedlove guitars are
made by hand, and being a Master Class guitar, the CM is made by Breedlove's
top craftsmen. During the manufacturing process, a guitar is sanded multiple
times - before and during the finish process. Along the way, the original
top on this Breedlove was sanded too close to finished thickness specifications.
This required that the top be removed and replaced, normally a routine procedure.
However, the design of the CM is unique in that the Bloodwood binding on the
tail of the guitar extends up through the top binding, rather than ending
flush against it. In the early days, all Breedloves were made this way. Now,
just the CM carries on this heritage. If the top has to be removed once the
binding is glued in place, a small amount of the binding must be cut away
to release the top. The new top was braced, placed and glued, and the instrument
was finished to Breedlove's exacting specifications. The sole piece of evidence
of the top replacement is a tiny (1mm wide) strip of replacement binding that
was inserted. The repair itself is a marvel of precision craftsmanship. I've
taken a pretty crisp picture of the repair - see the second to last row of
pictures, on the left. Note that this picture exaggerates the visibility of
the repair intentionally. It is small, it blends beautifully, and is difficult
to detect unless you are looking very very closely.