Breedlove Masterclass Concerto Sinker Redwood Cocobolo

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This Breedlove Masterclass is a particularly special instrument for us here at Merchant City Music. The fruit of our recent visit to the Breedlove workshop in Oregon, the top, back and sides woods were all hand-picked by us, and all appointments are to our specifications. Sinker Redwood is used for the soundboard, with Cocobolo for the back and sides, with all woods selected for their unique and stunning grain.

Commissioned to commemorate our new status as a Breedlove Distinctive dealer, this guitar will provide a fitting halo to any acoustic guitar collection. We're very pleased to have secured this partnership; Breedlove builds some of the most beautiful acoustic guitars we've ever seen or played, all with a forward-thinking ethos focused on sustainability and ethical guitar luthierie. Supplied in a custom Ameritage case, and fitted with an LR Baggs Anthem system, this guitar is in stock now. We ship fast to the UK and Europe.

Merchant City Music Exclusive Breedlove Masterclass Concerto - Sinker Redwood and Cocobolo

The starting point for this stunning guitar is the Breedlove Concerto body. This body is a true tour de force, designed to out-project a dreadnought, while offering much more focus and musicality. It succeeds on both fronts; we’ve had a number of Concertos through our hands, and they are probably the loudest guitars in the acoustic room, while simultaneously lending themselves to less boisterous styles with equal aplomb. You’re getting close if you imagine a traditional OM, with more projection than a dread’.

Our guitar has been fitted with a Sinker Redwood soundboard. We chose this particular piece of wood for the beautiful grain running up its centre, offering a natural visual link from the tail block, through the sound hole, to the fretboard. Sinker Redwood is a rarefied iteration of this exceptionally powerful soundboard wood. Spending sometimes centuries at the bottom of lakes, it is both ancient, and perfectly preserved, sealed from oxygenation by its encasement in water. Sinker Redwood is distinguishable by its darker, more striped, colouration. Sonically, it is stiffer and lighter than normal redwood, yielding complex overtones and an increase in that characteristic Redwood attack.

In terms of back and sides wood, our Masterclass is fitted with highly figured Cocobolo; we were drawn by the sapwood on the sheet we chose for the back, which mirrors the central figuring on the Redwood top. Cocobolo is notoriously difficult to work with, but the results are stunning when skilfully handled, as it has been here. The high gloss finish brings the grain to life, which is saying something, because it was impressive untreated. Part of the Rosewood family of woods, Cocobolo is redder in colour than Indian or Brazilian Rosewood, with balance, power and a tonal complexity all its own.

The core ingredients provided by the body and tonewoods have been finished and appointed to the highest standards of Breedlove’s Masterclass programme. We opted for Breedlove’s original signature winged bridge - crafted from ebony - as a distinctive flourish for the guitar’s front aspect. The matching ebony fretboard is adorned with Masterclass leaf inlays. Hawaiian Koa is utilised for the body and fretboard binding, also featuring in the Masterclass Spoked Rosette. The tuning pegs are by Gotoh; 510 X models with vintage gold buttons. This guitar’s neck is also worthy of mention. Taking days to finish, the semi gloss finish is unique to Breedlove and likely the silkiest neck you will ever feel. In profile and width it is very comfortable, slightly slimmer than traditional, and more suitable than many necks for guitarists with smaller hands.

To top off the package, our Breedlove Masterclass has been fitted with top-of-the range, industry-leading LR Baggs Anthem electronics. This system combines a microphone, which provides the dominant signal, with a piezo pickup to bolster the low end. These two components can be blended to the player’s tastes. The Anthem system really has to be heard to be believed. No other pickup so faithfully and reliably amplifies the true tone of a high end acoustic guitar.

Finally, the safety and longevity of this guitar are assured by the inclusion of an Ameritage hard case, custom-built to fit it perfectly. With Masterclass guitars being heirloom grade instruments, only the best case will suffice. Ameritage cases retail for £895, and are more than up to the job of protecting such a guitar.