Breedlove AC25/SR Plus

Atlas is Breedlove's entry level guitars. They are made in Korea but go through the Bend, Oregon plant for final setup and inspection. The AC25/SR Plus is the flagship of the Atlas Series. It has a solid Sitka top and Rosewood back with laminate sides. It has some nice inlay work on the rosette and on the fretboard. It is a concert body which gives it a large lower bout, and has a venetian style cut-away. I am an acoustic guitarist currently playing in Nashville, TN.

I bought the guitar from a store called Starz Guitars in Cedaredge, CO. I paid $600 for it because the owner had been demoing it. I bought it for my brother to replace his terrible dean guitar that sounded like a boat paddle with strings. I wanted to spend $1,000 or less and had looked at many Martins and Taylors but neither of the makers had anything close to the Breedlove. I would have needed to spend between $2,500 and $3,000 to get an equivalent guitar from the standard makers.

The guitar is very responsive, it doesn't take much to get it ringing. It is a very good finger style guitar. Obviously, not being a dreadnot, it doesn't sound like a D-28 Martin. It is not a bluegrass guitar. It is however just as loud. It is more balanced than a dreadnot. It has strong bass and even mids and fair highs. The guitar is beautiful as well. The kind of inlay on the guitar is pretty rare for a guitar under $1,000. The neck has a nice feel to it as well and it comes equipped with nice electronics. The guitar was also set up very nicely. I don't know if it was a factory set up or if it was an in store set up. If it was a factory set up, they did a great job.

The only con I can think of is I feel it lacks some highs. To be fair I am used to playing a custom Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack premier guitar. The guitar's highs are not missing by any means but it just doesn't have that crisp pop that I am used to. Also I have seen some people count the laminated sides as a negative. The sides of the guitar have little to do with how the instrument sounds. I think of it as a positive because it helps Breedlove keep costs down.

The craftsmanship of the instrument is superb. Don't let the 'Made in Korea' stamp scare you. Every Atlas guitar is checked in the American Plant. It has the Breedlove name on it so they aren't going to let poor quality out. They use grover tuners and real rosewood fretboard. They don't skimp on any of the important things and still manage to keep the cost down.


Overall, this is a fantastic instrument for the price. As I said above, before looking into the bigger companies like Martin, Taylor, and Gibson, look at some of the lesser known companies like Breedlove and Larivee. I recommend this guitar to anyone looking to upgrade from a beginner to a more professional guitar without breaking the bank.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Breedlove AC 25/SR, spruce top, back, sides solid rosewood, rosewood bridge, Fishman Classic 4 acoustic electric

UTILIZATION

C Channel pleasant, well balanced, good access to acute due to the cutaway, easily obtained a good warm sound

SOUNDS

suitable for any type of style, warm thank you to the rosewood back and sides, the Fishman works great

OVERALL OPINION

Super value for money, compared with a gibson songwriter, sound was quite similar, normal, the two guitars have the same characteristics but with the advantage Breedlove for its price! much less expensive.