Breedlove Guitars has established a status as an eco-conscious guitar maker. With its new Natural Professional assortment, the corporate gives professional-level devices produced from all-solid tonewoods which can be sustainably harvested. Whereas guitars with these options are sometimes on the dear aspect, the Natural Professional collection is designed at Breedlove’s workshop in Oregon and in-built China, so the associated fee is true in line for working musicians and gamers stepping as much as extra refined devices. Our take a look at guitar, the Artista Professional Sequence Live performance Burnt Amber CE, sits on the high of the Natural Professional Assortment. This beautiful instrument contains a number of the maker’s signature touches—like a curved, asymmetrical headstock, myrtle again and sides, and a pinless bridge—in a compact physique whose sound punches above its weight class. 

Sensible Wooden Choice

The Live performance CE is produced from a particular set of tonewoods. Breedlove prefers myrtle for backs and sides as a consequence of its tone, look, native availability, and sustainability. Myrtle is a big hardwood tree that grows from Southern Oregon down by means of California, the place it’s often known as the California Bay Laurel. Slightly than the extra widespread Sitka spruce, the guitar’s high is produced from European spruce harvested in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. 

I’m a fan of maple necks on acoustic guitars. Maple is tougher and denser than mahogany and feels much more conscious of my palms. The fingerboard and pinless bridge are each formed from ovangkol. This dark-colored and dense West African hardwood is now a daily substitute for Indian rosewood, which has grow to be more and more troublesome to supply and transport underneath international commerce guidelines. 

Wealthy and Balanced Sound

Even proper after unboxing, when guitars usually sound just a little harsh and inflexible, it was simple to see why Breedlove touts the power of its wooden recipe. The Live performance CE instantly provided a heat, brilliant, and punchy sound that grew as I bonded with this guitar for a number of weeks. The extra I performed it, the extra I dug its richly balanced and highly effective sounds—maybe owing partially to Breedlove’s light-weight, scalloped Cascade bracing, the shaping of which is impressed by the peaks of the West Coast’s Cascade Mountains and optimized for every physique measurement. 

Each easy and sophisticated chords have sparkly readability with vivid bass and candy overtones that leap from the guitar. Strumming and flatpicking elements are particularly suited to this guitar’s quickness, transparency, and dynamic response. Fingerpicked elements are additionally rewarding, although some gamers accustomed to wider necks may discover the spacing just a little tight. However with a trim C-shaped profile, 25.3-inch scale, and 1-11/16-inch spacing on the nut, the neck has a up to date, easy-playing really feel that ought to enchantment to a spread of guitarists.

To check the instrument’s electronics, I plugged first into a transportable PA system after which a Henriksen Bud combo amp. The nice and cozy readability of the acoustic tone got here by means of the electrified sign. As a result of the Fishman electronics embody an undersaddle pickup, it had a little bit of that snappy piezo tone, which I dialed down for solo taking part in. Only a pinch of an adjustment gave me a cozier presence, however I returned it to flat settings for some group taking part in, the place it sat properly within the dwell combine. Along with bass and treble enhance/lower, the electronics have part reverse and an onboard tuner that’s accessible by urgent the amount management.

Fairly the Looker

The Live performance CE seems to be simply nearly as good because it sounds and performs. The physique’s high and again are certain with plastic tortoiseshell that coordinates splendidly with the Burnt Amber sunburst end. As an alternative of plastic place markers on the fingerboard and aspect of the neck, there are brass dots—a delicate contact that works effectively with the guitar’s natural theme and toasted colours. 

The neck sports activities the identical end because the physique, however with a slick, easy-playing satin matte texture as a substitute of a high-gloss sheen. The gold strap button on the neck heel makes it simple to go straight to the stage. Even with all the opposite design choices that make a guitar identifiable, a novel headstock is usually a maker’s calling card, and Breedlove’s signature asymmetrical headstock design is likely one of the best to identify.

The Backside Line

The Breedlove Artista Professional Sequence Live performance CE supplies distinctive touches in a well-made instrument that’s prepared for the stage or studio. Some gamers won’t love all the design prospers, however the Live performance CE’s heat, punchy tone and a focus to construct high quality and luxury ensures a guitar that, most vital, sounds and feels good. It’s value testing one if you happen to’re involved in a compact acoustic-electric with a full dynamic sound and options that depart you wanting nothing.

Specs 

BODY Live performance cutaway measurement; strong European spruce high with Cascade bracing; strong myrtle again and sides; plastic tortoiseshell binding; pinless ovangkol bridge with compensated Tusq saddle; Burnt Amber gloss end

NECK 25.3″-scale European maple neck; 1-11/16″ Tusq nut; 20-fret ovangkol fretboard with plastic tortoiseshell binding; sealed gold tuners with black buttons; satin Burnt Amber end 

OTHER Fishman Sonicore undersaddle pickup and Flex Plus-T preamp; gold strap buttons; D’Addario XT Phosphor Bronze Mild coated strings (.012–.053); hardshell case

MADE IN China

PRICE $1,249 avenue

breedlovemusic.com

This text initially appeared within the Could/June 2023 challenge of Acoustic Guitar journal.