From the March 2018 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY ADAM PERLMUTTER
When Breedlove introduced its first original body style, the Concert, more than 25 years ago, it delivered a medium-sized instrument that was ideally sized and voiced for a wide range of guitarists and playing styles. The Oregon-based company has recently branched out with new designs at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of size. Last year saw the introduction of the Concerto, Breedlove’s interpretation of the classic large-bodied flattop, designed to be more comfortable to hold and play than the typical model.
Breedlove’s response to the resurgence of smaller-bodied guitars is this guitar, the Concertina, which is new for 2018. This 12-fretter’s body silhouette is similar to that of its larger counterparts, but its interior air volume is quite a bit smaller—measuring 750 cubic inches, compared to 915 on the Concert and 1075 on the Concerto. I took a Sitka spruce-and-myrtle version of the Concertina for a spin and found its generous amount of sound and effortless playability impressive.
Fine-Sounding and Great-Playing
Myrtle grows in coastal regions from Central California to Southern Oregon but, aside from Breedlove, few guitar makers have used this sustainable alternative to tropical hardwoods like rosewood and mahogany. Breedlove believes that myrtle (Umbellularia californica) has the best tonal attributes of rosewood and mahogany—as well as the clarity of maple—and that it pairs well with Sitka spruce. Judging from my time playing the Concertina, it’s hard to argue with the guitar’s clear and sustaining voice, very good note separation, and overall responsiveness.
It feels natural to play old-school blues on a small-bodied instrument like the Concertina. During the time I spent with the guitar, I was also preparing the notation for an upcoming Acoustic Guitar blues instruction book by Steve James. This method covers a broad range of approaches in standard and open tunings, and the Concertina sounded terrific in these contexts. When I played an example in E, the alternating bass line had an impressive thump, while the treble-string melody, falling on both open strings and fretted notes, had excellent crispness—an attribute also apparent when I played James’ arrangement of “Spanish Fandango” in open-G tuning.
