Breedlove Guitars AC200/SM

Concert size. Solid Sitka spruce top and laminated mahogany sides and bottom. Clean understated look. Satin finish. Expensive looking. Mini Grover tuners. Clean workmanship. Herringbone rosette and nice pearl "b" logo on headstock. Not a lot of gingerbread, it is what it is. Made a couple years ago. Made in Korea. New old stock. Included Breedlove soft case.

I mostly fingerpick on an acoustic and this suits me fine. Balanced tones, good sustain, trebles nicely up front as they should be on a mahogany concert.

I bought this just a week ago as NOS on e-bay. The discontinued status explains why there has not been recent reviews here.

I have a Breedlove AC25 SR plus so I know about the quality and sound of a Breedlove. I had considered other makes but chickened out and decided to go with a known brand. The Breedlove AC200 looks smaller and feels smaller but it???s the same size as my AC25 less the cutaway. I like the satin look and feel of the neck. It???s very smooth and the overall appearance is very woody looking. Even though the sides and back are laminate, you???d never know it by the sound. It???s just sensational with rich and even tone throughout the range with good sustain. The treble strings ring and cut through better than my rosewood AC25 although that model has stronger lows. The D???Addario EXP strings are obviously original and they are somewhat tarnished and sound quite dead. I???ll be interested to hear the lows with a fresh set of strings.

Breedlove is filling this price point now with the new Passport series. I don???t know how they sound but this one sounds good and looks good, better than the ultra plain-Jane look of the Passport models, in my opinion. Maybe they discontinued these because they sounded and looked too good for an economy model.

The fingerboard seems to be radiused more than my AC25 SR plus which is flat as Kansas. All in all, I???m most pleased with this model. If you haven???t tried Breedlove you owe it to yourself to try one. No boominess or mud in any of their guitars.

Two piece front and back. Nicely book-matched. The satin finish is well done. I was geared up to do a set-up. My AC25 SR plus was close but I had to do some bridge and nut work to get it where I like it. This one is already set-up to my liking. Action is low, just a little neck relief and careful nut work. Most nuts are too high from the factory. I'm impressed and relieved.

Ebony end pin. Mini Grovers. Time will tell if the finish holds together over the long haul. You wouldn't want to expose it to harsh elements or body perspiration.

The fret ends are a tad rough if you hit them from the side. It doesn't intrude in ordinary playing but I'll keep an eye on them.

My AC25 SR plus had to go back to the factory because of protruding frets. They sent me a new guitar, better than the old. That speaks for itself.

I've been playing a long long time. I have three electrics but this is my second acoustic. I really bought this for my wife who is learning. I use a lot of altered tunings and it was a pain constantly re-tuning. This way she'll have a standard tuned guitar that will fit her well. It's quite a bit lighter than my AC25.

Dreadnought body with a transparent finish, 20 frets, Grover tuners, pinless bridge, JLD bridge "truss rod," plain black pickguard...

I wish the rosette around the sound hole and the detailing around the edge of the body was a little fancier but I can't complain. It's a nice setup.

This guitar has a VERY awesome, full sound. I played a lot of guitars at the store before I bought this and this was definitely one of the better sounding ones. I wouldn't have bought it if it weren't. I played the more expensive Breedlove AS20/SM, various Martins, Taylors and Fenders and found that many were too bright or "dark" - the highs overpowered the lows or vice versa. But the AD200/SM was just right, making it ideal for fingerpicking, strumming or just about anything else really.

From the factory, my guitar had lighter strings and a somewhat low bridge. In fact, the action sort of took me by surprise and was a big selling point. Having played mostly electric guitar for years. I typically think of acoustic guitars as having a higher action and strings that are just a little too heavy. But this guitar plays a little more like an electric. The guitar also comes with shims you can use to raise the bridge if you would like and an allen wrench for adjusting the truss rod(s).

I haven't noticed any flaws in this guitar.

Everything seems solid and Breedlove uses a nice bracing design inside so I expect it to hold up pretty well. I also bought the Breedlove hardshell case to keep everything in good condition. The gig bad was nice but I prefer hardshell cases for acoustic guitars.

The guitar came with a 5-year warranty. I expect they would be good if there was ever a problem but I doubt there will be.

I've been playing for about a decade, with a little off and on. I've mostly played electric guitar over the years and mostly play a PRS Custom 22 with an assortment of pedals and a 30 watt all tube amp.

I absolutely love this guitar and its tone. If it were lost/stolen, I would replace it pretty quickly, either with the same guitar or perhaps another Breedlove, like one of their cutaway acoustics. This is an absolutely awesome guitar and that's about all there is to it.

Full bodied concert made in Korea, 20 frets, solid spruce top, acoustic - no pickup, mahogany ply body & sides w/rosewood fingerboard and head-stock overlay, Grover tuners, satin finish, and a top quality "gig-bag." I give it a 9 because of the satin finish; while expertly executed, the beautiful wood could have been magnified with a gloss finish.

Sound is great! Rings like a bell; highs are very distinct, lows are strong. Sustain is increadible. Anticipate the sound will only improve as it's played and the top/box loosen up. The neck/string action is comparable to my Peavey (strato-clone), and although there's a very light buzz from the high three strings on the lower (1 - 4) frets; this can surely be corrected with a truss-rod adjustment at the next string change.

Superb construction. Albeit plain, the satin finish is smooth as silk and really shows off the Mahogany (which is gorgeous); the abalone rosette is understated elegance; the frets are very well polished (although just slightly protruding - a little finish filing along the ends would make it a 10). The interior is very clean, no glue visible anywhere. The overall construction and composition is extraordinary. There is one rough spot that catches my shirt on the body binding - needs to be smoothed out with some steel wool, that and the frets lead me to give it a 9. I'm still awestruck at how beautiful an instrument this is for it's price-range - and the fact that it's the lowest model in the Atlas series.

Just bought recently. The Grover tuners are a pleasure to use and will surely withstand regular use; holds it's tune well. The finish, while satin, is evidently a space-aged polymer of sorts and seems plenty sturdy. The guitar is solid and some people call it heavy (I don't), but it doesn't seem fragile at all (note - the shipping box had pressure creases and a hole in the middle with no damage to the guitar inside...!). Both strap buttons are rock-solid; I hang it on the wall every day/night with no fear of stressing it. And the JLD Bridge Truss should ensure years of undisturbed service from the top/bridge.

No experience; have read great accounts of the company's customer support. Used their on-line registration and am awaiting a reply.

I've been playing off/on for 30 years, both electric and acoustic. While only an amature guitarist, I've also been a wood worker for 20 years (have built 2-3 guitars as well as fine furniture) and I know quality craftmanship when I see it - this is a well executed piece! I also own an Epiphone Sheraton II, a Peavey Detonator and two home-made guitars (one electric/one acoustic), and I can say the playability of the AC200's neck rivals my Peavey, if not the Epiphone. Lost? would replace it ASAP. I considered trading up to a cut-away (AC25/SM) with electronics before my AC200 arrived, and having seen/held/played it, there's no way I'm returning this guitar! I love the tone, the volume, the action and the beautiful wood. The guitar came with the second strap button installed and an increadible "gig-bag" (has 1 - 2" foam inserts/padding all around, two large zippered pockets and back-straps for easy portability!). I've wanted a Breedlove for 2 years; had I bought one initially I'd have saved $150.00!!! they've gone up that much in price. My next acoustic will certainly be another 'Love, but probably one made in Bend, Oregon.

Breedlove atlas ac200/sm full bodied concert, made in Korea, 20 frets, solid spruce top, acoustic no pickup, mahogany ply body w/rosewood fingerboard, satin finish, no case.

I really like to play a little of everything and the sound of this guitar is spectacular. It's very clear and has an impressive projection... not too bright or bassy.

I think the guitar was set-up as good as you can considering it had to travel from Korea to Chicago to Wishikawa, Indiana... back to Chicago, then to Dallas and finally here to El Paso, TX.
I did adjust the neck to give it a slight less of a relief, and now it sounds and plays better than when it arrived (although it was allright when I recieved it).
It was packed very well and had no flaws, the making is practically perfect.

The guitar is very solid and it seems that nothing can ever go wrong with it (except, that is if you mistreat it)
The finish is extra hard and won't scrach (up till now), and since the guitar does'nt have a pickguard (which I think is ok since you don't mess with the top) this is an excellent feature.
It comes with only 1 very solid strap button (ok by me)

Have'nt dealt with them...

I've been playing for some 10 years, I used to have a few electric guitars but I finally decided to sell them all to get a nice steel string acoustic. I think I would definetlly would buy this model again. The size is perfect. I think this guitar was made to be played, and although it's design is very attractive it dose'nt have a flashy appearence... (I wanted the most for my money, craft and soundwise, no gimmicks. I even decided not to go with a pickup in order to have a better built guitar, I reasoned I can always install one in the future).
I was somewhat affraid of the body size since I had only played dreadnoughts, but i'm very satisfied with it (I've had it for a couple of months now)

I'm new to guitar and have been taking lessons on an electric, and I was looking for a good quality acoustic to get started with. I decided early on that I wanted something smaller than a dread. I also hoped to get something with a neck closer to an electric feel, on the slim side, not so flat, and with generous frets. I also didn't care to spend money on electronics, and I didn't want a cutaway either since the cutaways I've tried always sounded hollow and boxy compared to their full-body versions. I shopped for 9 months. I looked at practically everything under $1,000 US and there's not much to choose from. If its not a dread, or a cutaway small body with electronics, your average dealer isn't going to stock it. So the Breedlove is something out of the ordinary in the market. The features are 'limited' but exactly what I wanted.

Body Style: Concert with No Cutaway
Binding: Black Binding
Body Depth: Deep, 4 9/16"
Rosette: Abalone w/ black border
Width at lower bout: 15.25"
Nut and Saddle: Micarta
Scale Length: 25.5"
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
# Of Frets: 20
Fingerboard and Bridge: Rosewood
Finish: Satin
Tuners: Chrome
Top Wood: Solid Sitka Spruce
End Pin: Ebony
Back and Sides: Mahogany Ply
Electronics: None
Made in Korea
No case, and hard to get one that fits. Breedlove's have a distinctive headstock design that makes them slightly longer than most guitars, and so they don't fit in generic cases. There are models of TKL cases made specifically for Breedloves (only seen in one place, www.finecases.com), or you can get a case direct from Breedlove, although both of these are options are pricey for a $400 guitar.

Using the Martin-Taylor sound scale I'd say it is more toward the Taylor but with less top end. The Breedlove projects its sound well and responds to pick dynamics and will produce a good sound with light picking/strumming, versus say a Martin which usually needs to whacked on to get its characteristic 'sound'. (I like the Martin sound BTW.). The Breedlove is a little bigger than a Martin 00 or 000 size or a Taylor auditorium while still beign comfortable to sit with, and the extra box helps the sound. The Breedlove does not have the midrange complexity of Martin but overall is well balanced from bottom to top with a particularly good bass for a small body. I think overall Breedlove builds guitars for fingerstyle play and that carries over to this model. It will take light-to-moderate stumming but can sound muddy if strummed hard. Intonation is good and the sound hangs in there as you go up the neck, unlike many guitars where the sound starts to die the higher you go. What's that old saying - "Anything above the 5th fret is decoration"? Not the case here.

At my stage of ability I find practically all acoustics impossible to play with the combination of action, neck radius, and string gauge that you find on most of them. With the Breedlove the action out of the box was about as low as I've ever seen on an acoustic and completely free of buzz and squeak, and even though the neck is probably close to 'standard' size/radius it is fast and easier to fret going up the neck than many guitars I've tried. Really helps for players like me making the transition from electric to acoustic. As for fit and finish I've had bad experiences with other Korean guitars and other companies that claim to "inspect every import" but this one is very well put together, no complaints. Excellent fret work, well done binding and inlays, back of the neck had some minor burrs on it, nothing some light steel wool couldn't take care of.

I don't gig so can;t comment here, other than to say it looks well made with good quality parts.

I called them about cases and was surprised to actually get someone on the phone and not a message box or nest of menus. Very helpful and pleasant to chat with. So that's a good sign. 5 year warranty.

I had low expectations for this one really. I had exhausted myself trying to find a guitar with the feature set that I wanted and that I could actually play, and I was about to give up. I mail ordered it - which I never do - just based on the specs and was pleasantly surprised. I think this is a good quality guitar and would be a good bet for a serious beginner or a player making the transition from electric.

Ad200/sm - See previous reviews for specs
Grover tuners, pinless bridge.

Sounds great. The lows are strong, mid and high stand out. Have been shopping for Taylors, Ovations & Martin. The Martins are overpriced and overrated...The Taylors are excellent (should be for 3x the price of a AD2000) and the Ovations are weak unplugged compared to this Breedlove

setup correctly right from the start. Factory finish is bullet proof (well maybe paintball proof). They use a catalyzed urethane coating. VERY nice matte finish.

well built with quality componets ( for an Asian made guitar) finial fit is at the factory in the US

Have called a couple times and have had quick response as well as all questions answered. I think there is a 5 year warranty (not that I think I'll need it)

Playing on and off 35 years. Look at guitars 2 & 3x the price of the ad200 ( Taylors, Martins and Ovations) Wish I had started with this one and saved myself several weeks looking.
I challenge you to find a better sounding guitar for the price....on second thought twice the price ( or 3x the price in the case of martins which are highy OVERrated).
Buy the Breedlove and enjoy great sound at a reasonable price!

This is an auditorium sized acoustic, slightly bigger than a concert but more streamlined than a dreadnought. If this is Breedlove's budget line (The Atlas Series) I can only imagine how wonderful their regular line must be...cos this one is fantastic. This guitar rings with the authority of a dreadnought in a much more comfortable size. The bass is solid and the mids and highs sparkle. I prefer this over my Gibson J100Xtra, as that guitar tends to be too bassy and somewhat dull sounding with any strings that are older than one day. The AC200sm has Grover heads, tusq-like nut and saddle (not bone but not cheap plastic either.) It has a nice looking abalone rosette and no pickguard...but you can easily add a stick on tortoise-like one and both protect the guitar and give it some more aesthetics.
The neck is eminently playable and fast to boot. I think it came with 12s but I might go to 11s. iT HAS AN OVATION LIKE PINLESS BRIDGE.

SOLID...RINGING TONE THAT IS BALANCED...

VERY NEAT FRETS AND NICELY GLUED SEEMS.

SEEMS SOLID....WHAT WITH THE UNDER BRIDGE SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT IS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE TOP SWELLING AND BRIDGE LIFTING.

WHO KNOWS...I EMAILED THEM A SIMPLE QUESTION ABOUT STRING GAUGES AND THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME AS YET.....AND THAT WAS A WEEK AGO.

I have 38 years of experience and have owned many a guitar...and this one is a good one.....very professional....and I would gig with it.

Solid Top Concert size guitar that was a B stock, solid spruce top that looked nice, plywood mahogany sides and back, no electronics,no pin bridge with JDL Trussing systemm that makes guitar very heavy for such a small guitar,closed chrome tuners. 2004 model, made in Korea.No Case.

Honestly was not able to get an honest appraisal of sound because guitar came with a hole in the back the size of a quarter which showed how cheap the plywood mahogany was.

Action looked good, tight grain on spruce top, If I had kept the guitar ,probably would have action lowered ,did have the hole in back previously mentioned.

Since the guitar came with a hole in the back, I can't imagine being very durable, disappointment for a Korean made guitar, will never get another one. Strap button looks flimsy.No strap button for other end of strap. I would not gig with it, too heavy,almost as heavy as an electric, I am guessing it weighed 8-9 pounds , since the Fedex total weight was 11 pounds and the cardboard box could not have weighed that much.

Can't say anything about Breedlove, but the company I bought it from said they didn't open the B stock guitars, just sent them out, this looked liked it was opened and retaped when I bought it. I had ordered the Breedlove ADsm/200 which is a dreadnaught, so not only did this company send me a guitar with a sizable hole in the back, they sent me the wrong guitar to begin with. Dealing with their customer service was a nightmare, but after about 5 hours ,I finally got to the top and the GM was very apologetic about all that I had been thru. Anything that could go wrong with a purchase did in this case, Thankfully it is on it's way back!!!!~ Lesson learned, buy from a store where you see what you get!!!!

I have been playing for 30 years, cannot give an honest appraisal as it was badly damaged before it was sent to me. Did not like the heavy weight of the guitar

Korean made comparable but cheaper than the USA version. The build quality is excellent.-Full bodied concert size--Solid spruce top, laminate mahogany back and sides-Rosewood fingerboard-Excellent Grover tuners-abalone rosette around the sound -Natural, satin finish-Black binding-Pinless rosewood bridge. A lot of quality and fine features for your money.

The sound of this guitar is wonderful. The bass is definitely loud enough & resonant ? But the top end is crystal clear and sharp, without being to harsh or abrasive in any way. This is simply the best and most balanced sounding guitar I have ever heard.

The factory setup of this guitar is very good. The action is good ? maybe could be a little lower ? but hell, that?s my personal choice. The intonation is also very good. The string nut and saddle work is good. The finish of the guitar is a fine satin look and abalone rosette around the sound hole really adds a touch of class. The fretboard is nicely oiled, frets well polished and its neck is a joy to play.

Very well put together ? it feels a lot more durable and reliable than my Taylor Big Baby. I?d be certainly happy and confident in gigging this guitar. The Groover tuners are top class and very reliable.

Currently there are very few detailer?s in the UK selling this guitar. Therefore this guitar was bought via mail order from Dawson Music Ltd. The level of service and communication from Dawson?s? was excellent. Particularly from their Sales Manager, Paul O?Toole

This guitar is superb: I am now a complete Breedlove convert. My other acoustics are a Taylor Big Baby and a Takamine EG10 ? this guitar plays and feels light years ahead of both these guitars. I can?t imagine another guitar giving better value for money. If you are in the market for a sub #700 acoustic guitar ? it is a one horse race ? BUY THIS GUITAR!

In general, I agree with the other review, but this seems like the appropriate spot to gripe about the lack of a factory hardshell case. That's the only feature I miss. I'd prefer it came with both strap buttons, but some folks won't want it that way, so I can't really call that a shortcoming.

I will say that the wood is very good; tight grain throughout, and I like the fact that it's a bound top. That's remarkable at this price.

The pinless bridge is another interesting feature, that makes a lot of sense from an engineering standpoint. Considering that and the JDL bridge truss system, I'm almost temped to bump this up to a 10, but the case issue is important enough to make me stick with a 9 here.

I've only been playing about a year, so I just stick to chord accompaniament of singing, and flatpicking melodies for my own amusement. It's a great guitar for both of these types of playing. I play it for Sunday School openings at church, and it's more than loud enough for about a 20' by 20' room. After playing it for two weeks or so, I stopped by a music store and spend almost an hour playing Martins, Gibsons, Fenders, Takamines, etc that were far outside this price range. I wasn't playing them side by side with my Breedlove, but nothing I heard made me want to trade up. I've let some (far) more experienced players play it, and they agree that it sounds great, especially considering what it cost. It certainly sounds much better than any of its likely competition (Baby Taylor, Little Martin, etc.). And it looks far better than either of those guitars.

The guitar was very well set up as it came from the factory. One other player who I had try it out suggested that the action might need to be lowered a bit, but he plays nothing but electrics. I don't see the need myself.

The fit is excellent. I can't find anything to complain about there.

I really like the satin finish: one player who's been playing for at least 30 years couldn't get over how smooth and comfortable the neck feels with that finish. I should also mention how attractive the abalone soundhole inlay is; there's no comparison between this and the "scratched in" effect on a Baby Taylor.

This guitar goes been back and forth to church every week for almost two months. It went back and forth to work on two successive days (single digit temp, and probably single digit humidity) without going out of tune. The Grover tuners no doubt deserve some of the credit for this. I have had the end pin come loose once or twice, so I may need to have that checked. All in all, I expect this guitar to be very reliable and durable. I'll say 9 because of the end pin, and note that it may simply be that it shook loose in shipment, and I haven't pushed hard enough to seat it correctly.

I called about the placement of the second strap button, and they were very helpful and friendly. I can't comment on how well they'd back up the warranty.

I've been playing a little over a year. I also own a Fender Highway 1 Strat (very nice) a flamed Schecter Diamond Elite double cutaway (gorgeous), a Johnson strat for travel, and a Marshall MG10CD amp (pretty good for non-tube).

I have no regrets whatsoever about this purchase. If it were lost, I'd (be very upset and) try to get exactly the same guitar again. My gut feeling is that I'd have to spend 3 or 4 times as much to find another model that sounds and looks this good.