This Custom Masterclass Concerto acoustic guitar was recently completed by the craftsmen in the Custom Shop in Bend, Oregon. The concerto body surpasses the classic big body sound of the dreadnought, and comes to life with bright, warm tone from the maple back and sides. While most players identify maple as a rich, light-colored tonewood – this custom guitar's back and sides received a beautiful stain, giving the tonewood an appearance visually closer to mahogany, koa or other darker colored tonewoods – but maintaining the tonal characteristics of maple. This guitar was designed and built for Breedlove dealer Jessica's Music.
About the Concerto Body Shape: When we set out to create a guitar that would surpass the classic big body sound of the dreadnought, we didn’t just want it to be loud. We sought to bring out more tonal complexity, and to offer a much more comfortable playing experience, too. Introducing the new Breedlove Concerto, a new guitar shape created to elicit more volume than a classic dreadnought, and more lush, complex tonal resonance in a comfortable body shape that feels just right. Loud, textured, and supremely satisfying. Learn more about the body acoustic guitar body shapes.
About Bearclaw Sitka Spruce: Bearclaw Siika spruce has a shallow, cross-grain curl that seems to increase cross-grain stiffness in acoustic guitars. Many luthiers feel that it enhances the tone and sustain of spruce. Strong, focused tone with strong fundamental — perfect for flatpicking styles. Usually takes a slightly longer period of playing time to open up. Not so cleanly defined as European spruce but, instead, as warmer, more fundamental, and largely free of overtones. It’s a good, solid sound and bluegrass flatpickers and folk-musicians tend to like it a lot. Looks like a bear has clawed across the grain of the wood. Highly appreciated for its unique patterns, resulting in an eye-catching shimmer. The figure in bearclaw is not actually caused by a bear clawing the tree. While the true cause of the figure is unknown, it is widely assumed to be caused by either genetic mutation or climactic stress. Learn more about the tonewoods.
About Rosewood: Brazilian rosewood is highly desirable, exceptionally rare and heavily regulated. It is regarded as one of the finest tonewoods; hard, stiff, and highly resonant with a glass-like ring that sustains; it has a floral scent, similar to roses, thus the name. A very hard, heavy wood that produces a loud, warm, rich tone, with full deep bass, and brilliant trebles, known for its sustain and clarity. Can vary from brick red and burnt orange to shades of dark brown to violet color with black spidery streaks, it looks best when quarter sawn, and can exhibit straight grain and homogenous color or wild landscape-like figuration, often compared to spider webbing. Learn more about the tonewoods.
