Telling the Breedlove Guitar Story
Music Trades October 2013
New logo signifies a rebranding campaign designed to more effectively communicate the character of the unique Oregon-made instruments
Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was recently spotted purchasing a Breedlove Oregon Series guitar in a Boston retail store. When a fan spotted the star with her new guitar, he exclaimed, “I have a Breedlove too and I love it!” Lawrence looked puzzled and replied, “What’s a Breedlove?” This incident, and scores of others just like it, illustrates the quandary that has faced the Bend, Oregon-based guitar maker for the past 20-plus years. Breedlove’s instruments, with their unusual tone woods, exceptional build quality, and unorthodox designs, consistently win high marks from discerning players, but the brand name remains poorly defined among players and in the retail channel.
New owner Tom Bedell is working hard to rectify this with a rebranding effort, designed to match Breedlove’s guitar building skills with an equally adept marketing effort.
When Larry Breedlove and Steve Henderson began their guitar making venture in 1990, their product vision was crystal clear. They surveyed an acoustic guitar market filled with instruments based on the century-old Martin dreadnought design and resolved to strike out in a new direction. From the start, their guitars reflected an innovative approach to design. A unique graduated top design (thinner on the bass side, thicker on the treble side) was employed to provide more even response. They also developed an innovative truss system that transferred the string pull from the bridge to the tail block to improve sustain, balance, and clarity. These unorthodox design elements were incorporated into a distinctive body shape that forcefully announced: “This is not a traditional guitar.”
