This stunning little Custom Masterclass was recently completed in the custom shop in Bend, Oregon. The top is Sitka Spruce and the back and sides are figured Koa!
About Koa: One of the most visually stunning woods available, with golden hues and often with dramatic figure. Koa is characterized by a tone that is both clear and sweet. The voice grows over time, from sweet to sweeter. Clear and sweet. The wood “opens up” the more the instrument is played, expanding the midrange, for an even richer, sweeter tone over time. Due to its popularity, it is harder and harder to find top-quality koa. Limited supply has driven up prices in recent years, making koa expensive, and therefore rarely found in production guitars. Has the stiffness and clarity of rosewood, but with the warm, light tones of mahogany. Similar in weight and strength to black walnut. Colors range from brown to gold, with rich and varying grain, tending toward curl or flame figure in old-growth trees. Koa is a fast-growing tropical hardwood, native to the Hawaiian Islands. It requires up to 200 inches of annual rainfall. As a nitrogen fixing plant, it is perfect for growing in the young volcanic soil of the Islands. Learn more.
About Sitka Spruce: Sitka spruce is grown in the northwest, and has been the primary top wood for U.S.A. instruments for many decades. It is strong, light, and gives an extended harmonic content and nearly equals the power of Adirondack. Strong, focused tone with a solid fundamental — perfect for flatpicking styles. Usually takes a slightly longer period of playing time to open up. When compared with Eurpean spruce, Sitka delivers warmer, more fundamental sound, largely free of overtones. Not so cleanly defined as European spruce but, instead, a 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. Straight uniform grain. Coloration ranges from white to pink to light brown. Learn more.
Build Your Own Custom Masterclass Program
Like visiting a tailor, selecting the cloth and cut, the suit crafted to you – Breedlove is offering the CUSTOM MASTERCLASS BUILD-TO-ORDER PROGRAM. You can build your own guitar by selecting the acoustic body style, tonewoods and aesthetics – designing a Masterclass which is distinctly you. The palate of woods are yours to choose – each will be Sound Optimized and Hand Voiced to give you superior sound, balanced tone, and an instrument you will cherish for a lifetime. Handcrafted by our finest Master Craftsmen, your Breedlove Masterclass will be a one-of-a-kind guitar – Your Breedlove! Please complete the form below to begin the process of building your own guitar. All instruments will include ebony veneer, fretboard and bridge with a 1 3/4” nut width, bone nut and saddle, 6 strings, standard frets and an Ameritage Deluxe Hardshell Case.
