Breedlove VS. higher end Pac-Rim imports.

[jackmalonis]

Hey guys, I played a Breedlove FF today and absolutely fell in love with it. Played it for hours and hours.

I was just wondering what stance you guys take on Breedlove mandolins in particular, and if it's worth waiting and saving my money to get one, as opposed to going with a cheaper Pac-rim import (either Kentucky KM-1000 or Loar LM-700)

I haven't played either the Kentucky or the Loar so I'm not sure if they play or sound like the more expensive, American made Breedlove.

[if6was9]

I had the opportunity to play a lot of mandolins when I worked in the music store and like the sound of most Breedloves better than most Kentuckies or Loars (except real Loars of course). At any rate, Breedlove makes a really nice mandolin at a great price point.

[Markus]

I have had mine for two years, very happy with my decision.

I had a warranty issue, Breedlove took very good care of me.

I would do it all over again.

[dcoventry]

Hey guys, I played a Breedlove FF today and absolutely fell in love with it. Played it for hours and hours.

I think you have your answer right there, honestly.

[Mike Romkey]

Used to have on oval A Breedlove. Loved it. Good affordable mandolin. Go for it.

[Ken Scarbrough]

I have a Breedlove Quartz 00 that I just love, dont see how you can go wrong with a Breedlove. I got mine used from The Cafe and the tailpiece broke, I phoned Breedlove to try and purchase a new one but they sent one to me for free even though they knew that it was used when I got it. This shows me that they care about more than just a Buck, Hats off to Breedlove.

[Ian Rossiter]

Another OO owner here. As soon as I played it, I was done Mandolin shopping/GASing.

[jackmalonis]

Thanks for all the answers guys, you make me feel more confident about saving the extra $1,000 or so!

[jackmalonis]

While I'm asking, any Kentucky/Loar/Michael Kelly etc. owners want to give a counter argument?

[greg_tsam]

I love mine. It's a very good mando and it's a great mando for the price. Depends on the sound you are looking for but since you've already fell in love, there ya go.

[mandobassman]

The only Kentucky's that I would consider over the Breedlove are the KM-900, KM-1000, or KM-1500. Even then, I'd have to play them to see if I would like them any better. I, personally, wouldn't even consider any other Pac-Rim instrument, except maybe a Northfield, but they are much more expensive. I have a 2006 Breedlove Quartz OF. Bought it new for $975 and it has developed a beautiful tone. I has plenty of volume, and is a dream to play, not to mention the beautiful workmanship. I love mine. I know the Breedlove prices have gone up, but I still think they are a bargain for the quality and tone.

[mandobassman]

Just look at Greg's post #10. He has three Weber's, all fine instruments, I'm sure. But he always seems to prefer his Breedlove.

[Mo Soar]

The few Breedloves that I have been able to play had a very distinctive sound, similar across several models. To me they sounded... "Ovation-y" for a mandolin. They were all in one shop, and it's possible that they had been set up in a very odd way. My point is that you might try playing something else in a similar price range and see what you think.

[jackmalonis]

Definitely all good advice.

I played a Loar Lm-700 today and while I could tell that it had good "chop" (even with dead strings), I really wasn't a huge fan of how it played.

The action was pretty high so a lot of it was probably due to setup but I haven't played enough to know...
And I don't have a very wide selection of nicer mandolins to play in Fort Worth, Texas...

Does anyone have an import that blew them away with how well it played/sounded?

[SincereCorgi]

I've been impressed by all the Breedloves I've heard a jams. I think some people's reactions to them might be to the aesthetics rather than the sound, since they're one of the few companies with the nerve to make a really 'modern' looking instrument.

[mandobassman]

One of the things to keep in mind about the pac-rim instruments is this - most of the guys who do the set up on those mandolins will tell you that they all need some degree of major work to get them just playable, much less play good. Frets are sloppily installed, nuts need to be filed, bridges need to be set and slots filed. I read this all of the time. I can't speak for all Breedlove's, but mine came from a store that didn't do ANY set up and it played like a dream from the first day I had it, which means it came from Breedlove that way. I have done nothing to the set up in the six years I have had mine and it plays so easily. I think the pac-rim instruments can be a crap shoot. Yes, you can get some that are great, then again, you may not. I have not heard of any bad experiences from Breedlove owners.

I can't dis-agree enough with Mo Soar's comments about the Breedlove's sounding, as he put it, "Ovation-y". I have played a few Ovation mandolins and thought they sounded terrible (Sorry Ovation owners, that's just my opinion). They sound hollow and weak to me, at least acoustically. Breedlove's have a full and powerful sound. They lean a bit on the bright side but I use flatwound strings on mine and the tonal balance is nice with lots of volume. I don't think they're in the same league.

The Breedlove prices have gone up recently, so they have put themselves in a range where there is more quality competition. I still think they are a good buy and you will have a quality mandolin that will serve you a very long time. There are certainly other good mandolins in their price range, but the Breedlove's, even the bottom models, are very good sounding mandolins indeed.

[mandobassman]

I've been impressed by all the Breedloves I've heard a jams. I think some people's reactions to them might be to the aesthetics rather than the sound, since they're one of the few companies with the nerve to make a really 'modern' looking instrument.

I agree with this. Most of the negative comments I have heard have been a reaction to the styling from traditionalists. Nothing wrong with that opinion - I happen to love the styling because of the non-traditional look. But in the end, I base my opinions on tone. I do applaud Breedlove for designing outside of tradition and taking chances.

[jackmalonis]

I have to say, I like the traditional body shapes a bit more than Breedlove's (and I am by no means a traditionalist). Although I do love the natural and satin sunburst finishes.

But I'm in it for the tone quality and playability, and Breedlove really wowed me with that.


And as far as the Pac-rim instruments I've played, they sound comparable to more expensive mandos but they play TERRIBLY.

My 14 year old epiphone that I set up myself plays better (yeah Epiphony to Breedlove, big jump huh?)

[Phil1580]

Though your mind seems made up (I think it was you posting a Want ad in the classifieds?) I will give a +1 for my The Loar LM500. Even with it being a few steps below the 700 you looked at, it plays beautifully....probably because I purchased and had it set up by Robert Fear at Folk Musician (NFI). I do like the modernized look on the Breedlove but never played one.

[jackmalonis]

My mind's not quite made up yet (though I did post the ad)!

I told the shop owners at a little used music store to lower the bridge and adjust the truss rod on the lm-700 and the Kentucky, and If I'm amazed with how they play after setup, I'll definitely go that route and save myself $1,000.

But if not, I think I'd rather wait to shell out on a great instrument than buy one now, and have to lose some turnaround cash in trading it in for a better one later.

Can anyone vouch for that?

[jackmalonis]

ALSO (sorry to repost, I'm really excited about the prospect of a mandolin purchase) I felt like when I was playing the Breedlove, that it was definitely a guitarist's mandolin. It seemed like the string pairs were spaced farther than many mandos (I don't know if that's actually the case)
even the tone reminded me of my Taylor acoustic (don't stone me hardcore bluesgrassers, I bought the Taylor for singer songwriter purposes).

Anyway I figured that the Breedlove would do well in the mix with my Taylor.

[mandobassman]

You're right! The strings are farther apart. However, the Breedlove is not only wider at the nut, but at the bridge as well. My Quartz OF, at the bridge, is 3/16" wider from the outermost G to the outermost E than any other mandolin I've had. For me, it's part of makes it so comfortable to plat.

[Marcus CA]

I know the Breedlove prices have gone up, but I still think they are a bargain for the quality and tone.

For quality, absolutely; for tone, I'm not sure. At their old price points, no question! I bought a Quartz OF five years ago at a store where I could compare it with a range of Kentuckys and Eastmans, and there was no comparison. I haven't played a Kentucky since then, but every time I play an Eastman, I just don't hear what others seem to in it. A year later, I bought a Quartz FF, which was an absolute bargain that I bought it used from someone on the Cafe. I had played one side by side with an OF in a store, and felt that it had much more pop. However, both are built quite solidly and are well set up. The other thing I'll say about both Breedloves is that they really stay in tune.

With the new pricing, though, the American FF is just a couple hundred bucks cheaper than a Collings MT or a Weber Gallatin, so depending on your savings per month and your patience, it might be worth checking those out first, which you should be able to do in Austin.

Happy hunting!

[almeriastrings]

I always advise anyone shopping for instruments not to be too swayed either way by setup. The setup and playability, in general, can be changed. You can even set up a $75 mandolin to play easily (provided there is nothing structurally wrong with it). What you can't change is the sound, so if you find a great sounding instrument - that counts for a lot more than something like action. Obviously very wide vs skinny necks is another fixture (without major surgery). Breedlove's are very nice mandolins.....quality all the way. I have a traditionally styled dreadnought guitar that was hand-built and voiced by Kim Breedlove, and it's one of the few non-vintage instruments that can give my old 1950 D-28 a run for its money.

[jackmalonis]

Yeah, either way I'll wait till I get back to Austin to look at some more mando's before I buy.

The thing is, the Breedlove is already at the very tip-top of my price range, to the point where I would probably only buy a used one.
So I would only consider a Weber or Collins if it was a steal.

And as far as set-up goes I agree that shouldn't be a huge deciding factor but I'm hesitant to buy a mandolin that plays so terribly from the start.