Along with its body shape, a guitar’s top is the defining element of its sound, driving, through its vibration, the key aspects of volume, tone, sustain and projection. Spruce will, due in part to its famous stiffness-to-weight ratio, ring loud and clear. A solid wood top translates those vibrations with more immediacy and purity of tone, and reacts more directly with the intent of a player. If you are at an intermediate level or above, you will appreciate the instantly recognizable benefits of a solid wood top.
Historically, serious guitar players on-the-move have faced a rather tough dilemma; contend with the challenges of traveling with a full-size guitar or settle for a more convenient, smaller instrument with traditionally reduced sound quality… the travel guitar.
The world’s most popular topwood, for a reason. Sitka has an ideal strength-to-weight ratio, yielding a strong fundamental, high velocity of sound and a pleasing elasticity. Translation? Sitka sounds great for heavy strumming, light fingerpicking and everything in between.
Long treasured by cabinetmakers and shipwrights for its simple, straight-grained beauty, strength and workability, mahogany—used in tops, backs, sides and necks—is also one of the true classic tonewoods, famous for its clear, strong fundamental; even string-to-string balance; and warm midrange emphasis. Mahogany pairs well with spruce tops as well as with itself in single species guitars—and both combinations define much of American roots music.
Breedlove’s pinless Delta bridge is a distinctive element, alright, with a sleek, modern contour that adds an extra bit of unexpected beauty to every instrument, from Discovery to Legacy. But it also adds welcome functionality while anchoring great sound. Beginners love the fact that string changes are much easier without having to wrestle a traditional pin bridge. Pros love it for the same reason! No more looking for lost pins during a fast backstage string swap. And its low profile makes for perfect right hand damping.
Breedlove guitars feature a slimmer neck profile, which enables comfortable play, even with smaller hands. The hand-rubbed, semi-gloss Breedlove neck finish also contributes to ideal playability. The labor-intensive finish process includes precise finish coat applications, fine sanding, and hand buffing and rubbing.
