Breedlove C200/SMP (OM body)

[OutWithTheBlue]

A half a year ago or so I was at a local guitar shop (a corporate one) and I played and fell in loved with a Breedlove Guitar only to eventually find a few pitted frets so I put it down. At the time they were having a trade-in trade-up event and I wanted to trade in my two old beginner Ibanez acoustics toward the Breedlove, but I ended up keeping them. Now a few days ago I went back to get some electric strings and took a gander in the acoustic room and saw the same model Breedlove behind the counter so I asked an employee whom I am familiar with and asked if their offer for my Ibanezs still stood and he said sure and to bring them on by. Ran home and ended up trading them in and paying the difference for the Breedlove. This guitar plays simply BEAUTIFUL for a guitar with a low$ shelf price...it is SO crisp sounding and just feels so right. It has pretty much all the stuff as the higher end Breedloves do, but doesn't have the laquer finish and "special" looking bridge and ebony fretboard. Having this is far beyond better than having 2 useless guitars laying around. Fills the room beautifully and contends quite well with high end guitars. Oh, it came strung with D'addario EXP lights, wrench for the truss rod, another saddle, a couple shimmys to put under the saddle if I wanted to raise the action, and a gig bag (although this thing WILL be in a case). Very happy with this. I think part of the reasoning they can sell this so cheap is it's made in Korea, then shipped to their Oregon plant where it is set up and inspected. Who knows. Thanks for reading.


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[ffinke]

Hey OutWithTheBlue,

Way to go! I became interested in Larrivees through Acoustic Guitar Mag and did the same thing with Breedlove. Right now I'm finding it extremely hard to justify but a B'love is on my short list of 'wants'. While it's true that the lower priced models are built in Korea Breedlove has recently gotten very innovative with the 100% Made in America American Series. When I read your thread I thought you wrote C20/SMP I thought in terms of the C20/SM (American Series). At a current street price of about 1k (street price NEW) this is an incredible value for an all wood, totally american built guitar. I played an American over the summer and was stunned at the sound the guitar is capable of. I think Larrivee and Breedlove currently are heads and shoulders about all other makers in the value arena. My L-03 fits right in with my more expensive guitars and when I start downsizing I'll look at the B'love to replace the fancier ones.

f

[OutWithTheBlue]

Thank you. Yes Breedlove seem to be one of the tops in the market. When I first played a Larrivee I never heard anything like it. When I played a Breedlove for the first time, I felt the same way (although I like my Larrivees more). I like the American series i've played but I haven't had the chance to play one without a laquer/laminated finish on it. And I have a feeling once I do, I will love the American series too. I'll be owning another Breedlove at some point....maybe when I get my anniversary check from work....

[GreenWillamette]

I just got a C200/SMP today.
This is a Christmas present for my wife, and I myself don't play the guitar.
However, I see only good reviews on it like yours.
I hope my wife likes it too.
Thanks for a helpful post.

[AZLiberty]

I really like Breedloves, especially the C "concert" size.  But it's not an OM size.  It's more like a Larrivee LS body, Breedlove does build an OM, which is the same size as a Martin OM.

[OutWithTheBlue]

I just got a C200/SMP today.
This is a Christmas present for my wife, and I myself don't play the guitar.
However, I see only good reviews on it like yours.
I hope my wife likes it too.
Thanks for a helpful post.

Awesome, she'll love it! Definitely worth the money spent, and more.

I really like Breedloves, especially the C "concert" size.  But it's not an OM size.  It's more like a Larrivee LS body, Breedlove does build an OM, which is the same size as a Martin OM.

Ah, thats right! I guess it just reminded me of an OM body but there are subtle differences.