Being in the habit of representing numerous fine guitars from the Breedlove
Guitar Company, I often find myself making very fine distinctions between
instruments - distinctions that would be hard to make without the experience
of having seen and played a lot of Breedloves. The problem, if you can call
it that, is that Breedlove's build quality is tremendously high, and their
instruments are very consistent in fit, finish, and playability. But every
once in a while, an instrument will stand out even amongst such a competitive
field. This C25 is one such instrument.
If you are looking for the perfect fingerstyle Breedlove, then here is your
guitar. This C25 has a top of Western Red Cedar, and a back/side set in beautifully
grained Walnut. Master Class Koa Binding completes the wood complement, and
Kim Breedlove's "Wings" inlay adorns the Ebony fretboard. The tuners
have been upgraded to Schaller Gold, giving a high-precision touch of class
to this already stunning instrument. A complex but balanced tone, and exceptional
playability make this guitar a fingerstylist's dream, but you'd also get on
well with this instrument if you play with a light to medium strumming style.
The tone is warm but also well defined on the top end - this instrument sings
in response to both light touches and more powerful playing. There are currently
no electronics installed in this guitar, but factory installation of the pickup
system of your choice can easily be arranged.
A very minor finish check developed on the top of this guitar, parallel with
the wood grain, right off the treble side tip of the Breedlove "bat-wing"
bridge. This check is very hard to see - in fact, you can only spot it when
there is a direct reflection of light over the affected area. The check runs
from about 1/2" above to 1/2" below the point of the bridge, which
is really the epicenter of this finish check. It should not get any worse,
as the root cause is the difference in freedom of movement of the top wood
at the bridge vs. away from it.
I've taken special effort to show the finish check below. I captured it using
the reflection of a fluorescent light, and you can make out the imperfection.
I've also included a second shot that I took right after, which shows the
same area without direct light upon it. You literally cannot see the finish
check unless there's a direct reflection over the area. Very minor!
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The top
image clearly shows the finish check - well, as clearly as it can
be seen, anyway. Below is a second shot that I took of the same area
immediately after, but at a lower angle so that the fluorescent light
was not visible in reflection. You literally cannot see the finish
check unless you're eyeballing that area under direct light. As imperfections
go, this one is a trifle. |
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