Breedlove Oregon Concerto CE Review

No regrets, unbelievably great guitar

I wanted to wait awhile to review the guitar so I could get used to it and give an honest review. This was my first time purchasing a guitar without having my hands on it first, so I was a bit hesitant, but so glad I did. I'm the worship leader at a small local church and have both a Taylor and Martin and was looking for something different. As I was researching several guitars… read more I came across Breedlove's myrtlewood and was very intrigued. Living in southern Oregon, I was fortunate enough to drive up to their factory in Bend and try some of their guitars and was impressed with their craftsmanship. I've been using it at church for four months now and cannot find any negative things about this guitar. The factory set-up was almost perfect, the tone and sustain from the myrtlewood top is phenomenal, and the neck feels like my G&L Legacy. I also liked the fact that Sweetwater gives you multiple choices to choose from, especially with the differences in the myrtlewood grain, and it shipped extremely fast for being in the winter months! I highly recommend this guitar for the craftsmanship, playability and tone. Phenomenal guitar!

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A Winning Combination

I purchased my Breedlove Oregon Concerto CE - All Myrtlewood a few weeks ago (10/20/21). My main guitar for the past 15 years or so has been a Mcilroy A25 which has been a wonderful instrument. However, it is in need of a full fret replacement as well as some other upkeep, so I decided it was time to find a replacement for it. The Mcilroy will be restored but likely retired to mainly… read more studio playing. I chose this Breedlove because I wanted something a little different. I like the tone of nice dreadnaughts, jumbos, and similar guitars. I want some low-end strength in my acoustic tone along with a balanced midrange some sparkle in the highs. The fact that this Concerto body is designed specifically as a dreadnaught alternative attracted my attention. Combine that with the unique character, both visually and audibly, of the Myrtlewood and you have a winning combination for my preferences. I also like that it is made in the USA with quality craftsmanship in focus. Now, this guitar is a departure from the character of my Mcilroy A25, so I am learning what to expect from it. This Breedlove is very well designed and constructed, beautiful to look at, and quite pleasing to play and hear. This is my first experience with Myrtlewood and their description of it encompassing a blend of the characteristics of Rosewood, Mahogany, and Maple, is a pretty good summary. It is very well balanced across the tonal spectrum. Overtones and harmonics are nice but not overly active. The Concerto body has nice volume but it's not as loud as some of my other acoustics. This is not a problem for me as I do not plan to use it in an acoustic-only situation where I am trying to overcome other loud instruments. I guess that leads me to the electronics in this guitar. The LR Baggs VTC Element pickup system is an under-saddle style pickup. While they have their place, they are not my preferred pickup. I can get an okay sound, from my perspective, out of this system. However, I want something that is a little more natural in tone. I will replace this pickup relatively soon. Apart from that, I really like this guitar. It is very comfortable to play. The fit and finish are very nice. The natural Myrtlewood has a striking character. I believe the tone will take me to new places in my playing. I look forward to finding new songs along the way.

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