REVIEW > COMPANY NAME DIGITAL ONLY REVIEW > BREEDLOVE
BREEDLOVE
VOICE REVIVAL OM/SMe
BY GAYLA DRAKE
Ihate to admit it, but I’m running out of ways to say “Breedlove makes awe- some guitars” without repeating myself, so apologies in advance if this sounds at all like a broken record. When a builder like Breedlove partners with the likes of L.R. Baggs, odds are it’s going to be an “all superlatives on deck” situation. Breedlove Voice guitars come equipped with the L.R. Baggs Anthem Tru-Voice pickup (as well as an EQ installed especially for the Breedlove version), and the Sitka spruce tops are custom voiced to take full
advantage of the technology. Voicing means
the braces are shaved to allow the vibrations
of the top to be controlled in a very specific
way. The Anthem Tru-Voice pickup mounts
a hair’s-breadth from the bridgeplate, and
captures what a guitar sounds like with
phenomenal accuracy. Baggs also optimizes
the Tru-Voice for each guitar model, so it’s
a remarkably ideal match.
The Sum of Its Parts
Breedlove is not known for making con-ventional-looking instruments, favoring
Sitka spruce top
to hear audio clips of the guitar at
premierguitar.com/jun2012
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beautifully asymmetrical guitars that evoke
the natural beauty of the Cascade Mountains
in Oregon, where the Breedlove shop has
become an important part of the local
economy. That said, when they decide to
build a traditional-style guitar, they don’t
mess around. The X-braced Revival OM/
SMe has a Sitka spruce top, Honduran
mahogany back and sides, tortoise binding,
abalone rosette, and ebony everywhere you
want it. The inlay is beyond tasteful, leaving the ebony fretboard blank but for the
“Voice” logo—a stylized V—at the 12th
fret. Sporting an ebony faceplate, the simple
headstock gives a nod to the now-familiar
L.R. Baggs Anthem Tru-Voice pickup
Honduran mahogany
back and sides
DR13 PREMIER GUITAR APRIL 2012
premierguitar.com
