Breedlove Guitars AC25/CR

Brand new 2005, AC25/CR Altas Concert size guitar with cut out and electronics that features a Western Red Cedar top, with indian Rosewood back and sides, undersaddle Fishman pick-up and Fishman 4 Pre-amp with endpin jack. Small micro-dots on the fret board and chrome Grover tuners that really keep it in tune. Guitar has a light satin finish, no pick-guard, pinless bridge, what feels like a standard size acoustic neck(very comfortable), medium size frets. I bought an excellent Breedlove hard case to go with it.

I walked into a music store to buy an eight dollar part and walked out with this Breedlove. The music store was having a sale and I pulled a couple of guitars down from the wall and this one had a cedar top and sounded great. I played it for about half an hour people were coming up saying how nice it sounded. I couldn't believe the ease it played with, the projection and the tone. Outstanding! I usually play a Takamine, heavily braced top so don't sound the best acoustically but sound great plugged it. This Breedlove sounded fantastic acoustically and the guitar tech and I took in the back and plugged it in to an amp. All I can say is WOW. What a sound. I play everything from old Grateful Dead tunes to Jazz solos and this guitar is just plain fun to play and sounds great.

Everything about this guitar is flawless. Action was fine. The guitar repair guy at the Music Store changed the strings to a Dean Markley Alcamy strings his personal favorite. I don't know if that had anything to do with the sound. Everything else was fine with the manufacturing process. The top is straight grained Western Red Cedar, the back and sides are Rosewood and the neck Mahogany. The fit and finish is without fault. The pcik-up is dead quite and very responsive.

The guitar looks like it will last a long time. It apprears solid and dependable. Breedlove uses a truss rod system to reduce stress on the top yet produces an even loud sound. I don't know the machanics of it but if you can play one, I think you'll like it.

Guitar comes with a five year warrantee. I called Breedlove about this model the next day because the guitar wasn't in their catalog and I spoke with someone after four rings! They were very helpful and said they had lauched several new models that are just hitting the stores and asked if I'd like a full color catalog ssent to me. So all I can say is they seem very helpful and knowledgable about their products.

Overall I give it a 10, I'd hope it never gets stolen. I'd like to buy the Breedlove twelve string. I own a Takamine and a Stat for electric work. The playablity and the tone on the Breedlove Atals is just outstanding! The cutaway lets you play up the neck and the combination of the Cedar and Rosewood really are a good match. I sold my Martin, and was looking for another acoustic. Like I said I play an old Takamine, but they never really sound good acoustically, but sound great plugged in. I use an Ultrasound amp. I have owned Taylor 810 (sold it too much treble), Martin (uneven sound, huge bass, loud and uneven sound). Overall Iam happy with the purchase and I like the way it looks.