The Breedlove Rogue... Beautifully crafted, stunningly appointed, and very,
very rare. Breedlove made just 16 or so of this particular Masterclass mandolin
model last year.
Of course, appointments are top-notch. Premium carved Sitka Spruce top, a
vibrant flamed Maple back and sides, flamed Maple neck and a clean and classy
binding of Walnut comprise the wood complement. Kim Breedlove's Rogue River
inlay runs its course down the Ebony fingerboard from the seventh to twelfth
frets, and the instrument is accented with gold colored hardware and a Monteleone
tailpiece. Finally, this instrument is ready for the stage, with one of the
best-sounding mandolin pickups you can buy already installed - the Schertler
DYN-M, as used by the chap in Nickel Creek.
Since this is the flagship Breedlove mandolin, you'd really expect only the
best of appointments and craftsmanship on this instrument. And that's what
you get. But what really sets this and other Breedlove Masterclass mandolins
apart from the rest of their superb mandolin line is the Masterclass voicing.
Each Breedlove Masterclass mandolin is individually voiced by Kim Breedlove.
In my opinion, Kim's extra attention pushes these Masterclass instruments
into a rarified realm, where the tonal qualities are quite simply as good
as one can get out of an already wonderful mandolin. Spend just a few minutes
with this instrument, and you'll have no doubt that Kim's work under the hood
really comes singing through.
