Breedlove quartz oo

**tortuga** · Sep-26-2007, 3:26pm

Does anyone have any comments about the Breedlove Mandolins - especially the Quartz OO?
Thanks

**Jim M.** · Sep-26-2007, 3:35pm

I think they are a very nice modern version of the old Gibson A jr. Good open, warm tone, plainly decorated, but very nice workmanship. Breedlove necks are a little wider than many other, but I find them very comfortable.

**otterly2k** · Sep-26-2007, 3:43pm

Yes... I had a Quartz OO for a while and really liked it a lot. I think it is one of the better buys out there, especially if you find a used one. In particular, I liked the neck... very comfortable, a hair wider than most others, and with a comfortable radius and thick fretwire. I found it to have a clear and uncomplicated tone that made it very versatile for different styles of music. These are well made instruments, and I really like the plain satin finish... just the look of the natural wood. Which also holds up very well and doesn't show fingerprints or light scratches. Tonally, they tend to be on the bright side, and I found that the Labella flatwound strings (or the jazzmando set, which are the same strings in a slightly different configuration of gauges) tempered the brightness well, and brought out the best of the instrument and made it very easy to play.

I think the Quartz is an excellent choice in an intermediate instrument. Not everyone likes the modern styling (vs. the more traditional look), but I like it fine. If I could have afforded it, I would have liked to keep the Quartz as a backup mando when I upgraded... but alas, budget did not permit.

I have played one or two other Breedloves (a Quartz KF and a Spirit) and found them to be similarly nice - I didn't know them over time, but had a favorable impression of them when I sampled them. I will say that I REALLY don't care for Breedlove's sunburt, when they use it. But that's an aesthetic preference issue.

I'll also say that the Breedloves I played in stores, the new ones, had a kind of tight slightly stiff quality, but that the one I played over time did not, and I'll attribute that to the mysterious "opening up" process.

**Greg Ashton** · Sep-26-2007, 3:48pm

I love the breedlove necks too. I own a quartz KF and FF. There was one OO that I tried a couple of years ago that I really liked. It had great bass and sustain for a mando although the E string was a bit too bright/tinny. It was more "guitarish" when strumming open chords than the F hole versions. I was actually going to buy it but when I went back to the store someone had beaten me to it. Soundwise, I'd say they were much brighter and less "tubby" sounding than the old Gibson ovals.

**Kevin Briggs** · Sep-26-2007, 4:12pm

Loved my Breedlove Spirit. You can't do much better than them, especially in the price range. I'd catagorize them as a "best buy."

I'm in line for an Alpine one day.

**MLT** · Sep-26-2007, 4:44pm

I have the OO (and an OF). #I really like it. #It is not meant for chops, it is more of a finese instrument and while bright, has beautiful tone. #As you can see a lot of people really like the neck of the Breedloves, I am not (technically) sure why I like the neck and the radiused fingerboard, but I can tell you that it just has a great feel and you never tire of playing one.

**Kevin Briggs** · Sep-26-2007, 5:07pm

I love the neck too, and have always thought it resembles a small guitar neck or something. That means it's comfortable, to me, as I played guitar for 10 years before switching to mandolin, and never even thought about a neck being uncomfortable on a guitar.

Isn't that funny.... I only started noticing uncomfortable necks when I started playing the mandolin. Let's stay positive and call it growth.

**weleetkaoutlaws** · Sep-26-2007, 6:44pm

A Breedlove Quartz was my first "good" mandolin. This was back in 1999 (IIRC). I loved the neck...and especially the larger fretwire. When I went looking for an F style, the neck/fretwire was the one thing I wanted to keep as close as possible to the Quartz. The JBovier F5-Vine was as close as I could find.

The Quartz is a great mandolin in an Irish Music/Celtic setting, but beyond into Bluegrass territory it fell miserably short for me. It didn't have the pronounced chop and cut that I desired. It has wonderful tone, and is oh so smooth in my opinion. Most all of the Breedlove Instruments are fine examples (guitar & mandolin), and well constructed. Not to hijack the thread, but the Breedove Ed Gerhard Signature acoustic is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever played. Tone for days, almost piano like qualities. YMMV.

**homeslice** · Sep-26-2007, 7:59pm

One of the easiest mandolins to play out there. Great workmanship and tone also. Very addictive instrument.

**MandoSquirrel** · Sep-26-2007, 8:39pm

My KO does what I want, provided it wears flatwound strings.
I expect an OO would sound very like a KO.

Great necks, great Buys.

**latentaudio** · Sep-27-2007, 5:27am

I love my Quartz OO as well.

The comment above about "Guitarish" tone fits it very well. Mine is nice and loud with no tinnyness and even barred chords up the neck ring out and sound nice and full.

I had an Eastman 604 that was a little less expensive than the OO. But I never really liked the sound. It had way too much treble and not a lot of sustain. One strum on the OO and sold the 604. There was no comparison.

Fit, finish and playabilty on my OO is EXCELLENT!

**John Flynn** · Sep-27-2007, 7:36am

NFI, but there is an OO in the Classifieds for $875.

**Santiago** · Sep-27-2007, 8:41am

MandoJ, I'm sure that's what spurred the discussion... either a potential buyer or a smart seller.

**tortuga** · Sep-27-2007, 12:21pm

Thanks for all the comments - that settles it - I am placing my order today! Hopefully I will have it by Christmas if their expected lead time is accurate. Thanks again - I'm really looking forward to it.

**fatt-dad** · Sep-27-2007, 2:58pm

Not enough power for a big jam. My pancake cuts twice as deep as my (former) quartz.

Nice neck though. . .

f-d

**steve V. johnson** · Sep-27-2007, 10:18pm

My band partner Richard Groner plays A Q OO, and we all enjoy it. #Sometimes we switch instruments and I enjoy the Q OO, so I don't bring my own mandolin(s).

I've never ventured into the mob #jams nor blood sport chop-socky of the bluegrass world

, so I don't know how to measure all that, but Richard plays a right handsome sounding chop, and a lot of other nice mando styles, too, on the Q OO. #It's good and loud on stage and in rehearsals. Folks often comment to us about how well it comes thru. Of course, Richard has had it for some years now, and has played it -a lot-.

I've recommended the Quartz series mandolins to a number of new players and folks moving up from a starter mandolin. #Even at the std discounted new price (lately it seems to be $997 or so, from a pal who's just been shopping for one and seen that number a lot), they're a great value, IMO.

stv

**ruraltradpunk** · Sep-28-2007, 10:02am

So much great feedback on these mandos! You've all got me intrigued now, gotta try one of these out sometime!

Jill

**Dave Caulkins** · Oct-02-2007, 8:00pm

I'm slightly guilty of going through instruments at a relatively breakneck speed (I tend to change my primary axe, both guitar and mando, about once a year...). I grabbed a Breedlove Cascade this year, which actually DIDN'T replace my other mando, though it fills a gap left by my Vega almost two years ago ('83 Flatiron A5, that's not going anywhere). I went for the Breedlove because the tone is so atypical, much chimey-er and more bell like than mandolins in its price range. I personally like Breedlove better than the Webers and Rigels in the 1-2k level, and feel that I have found a decent compromise between Vega tone (which I absolutely adore) and durability. My old Vega constantly worried me gigging, as I have been known to break strings... multiples in fact...

My one caveat about the Breedloves is that they seem to be very fussy about strings, and differ greatly between them. I'm currently using Savarez Argentine strings, and they are pretty decent but not the holy grail - though they have a peculiar sound that works well with jazz (sort of like Silk and Steel meets Monels in a love triangle with Thomastiks... Weird, I know). I actually didn't go crazy for the mandolin with Thomastiks, which I adore on the Flatiron - it seemed to pull away from her voice, which is the opposite of many opinions I've read. I'm not a huge fan of "standard" strings, but to date j74s sounded, IMO, best. It freaks me out to be honest. I'm moving to Monels next, as I've always been a fan on other instruments. Honestly, I'm sort of relieved to not have to slap Thomastiks on two instruments all the time, with the cost prohibitiveness... $6-$9/set is much easier to swallow than $29, especially when you have "toxic death sweat".

Dave

**JGWoods** · Oct-03-2007, 3:03pm

Lots of people like them, lots of people who like them sell them and get other things. That's what I did.
They are well crafted, very playable, etc. but in the end I found the tone....lacking- thin maybe is the word.

I measured the neck and sent the specs to Rigel for my Jethro which sports a wonderful, very Breedlove-like neck.
If anything the Breedlove neck was a little nicer with it's more pronounced V shape compared to my Rigel which was carved in more of a D shape because I didn't specify that.

**tortuga** · Oct-05-2007, 2:07pm

I now have my Breedlove Quartz OO and just love it. #It truly is easy to hold and play. #Thanks for all your input. #I found mine used (3 months old) here at the Mandolin Cafe classifieds. #The seller was great to work with and my mandolin is just as wonderful as he represented it! #Happy Mando-ing to everyone!!! #