The Inspiration

Spend a few days in the Northwest – among the mountains, in the deserts, and along the rustic coastline, in breathtaking seascapes, crystal-clear alpine air, and dense, lush forests – and your imagination takes flight. As craftsmen, designers, builders, makers, and artists, we’re fortunate to live, work, and play in Central Oregon; the vast, dramatic playground of the Northwest is part of who we are. Our passion for the outdoors and the natural world are continually influencing the way we design, build and see our instruments.

There is a special magic found only in the Northwest, and this magic inspired a series of instruments unlike any other. In the Oregon Series we merged the science of sound, flawless craftsmanship, and striking local woods to create a series of instruments that expresses the deepest parts of who we are as a company.

The one-of-a-kind sound we’ve engineered in the Oregon series is the result of 20 years of experience of working with myrtlewood. Tonally, it's one of our richest, most-acclaimed heritage platforms. We use it in our highest-end instruments with great success, and, ultimately, wanted to offer myrtlewood guitars to a wider range of players at a more accessible price point.

The Tonewoods: Myrtlewood Back and Sides

Myrtlewood is visually stunning with an awe-inspiring range of grain pattern, coloration, and figure, but it’s also an extraordinary tonewood. Some say it is one of the finest tonewoods available. It has all the best attributes of rosewood, mahogany, and maple. Strum an Oregon Series guitar and you’ll hear a sound that is incredibly alive in each of the tonal ranges; you’ll be amazed at how well these guitars express across all registers – lows, mids, and highs – all with the famed Breedlove balance and clarity.

A dense, gorgeous hardwood rarely found in production guitars, myrtlewood grows primarily in a 90-square mile area along the Pacific Coast. One tree can take up a century to mature, and throughout its lifespan, endures dramatic winds, driving, violent rainstorms, dense fog cover, and the blinding summer sun. Imagine the adaptation and strength required to survive a hundred such seasons. It is this rugged climate, combined with the mineral-rich soil of the region, that gifts myrtle with a wide range of coloration and figure and with the clarity and definition of sound rarely found in a single tonewood.

The Tonewoods: Sitka Spruce Top

To compliment this highly distinctive wood, we chose one of the most versatile and tonally expansive top woods: Sitka spruce. The Sitka top provides a rare versatility, allowing you to really drive sound – it accommodates heavy strumming – and still responds incredibly well to a light touch. This Northwest top wood is an essential part of the alchemical trio, myrtlewood, Sitka, and maple, that makes these guitars extraordinary.

The Neck: Hard Rock Maple

We paired myrtle and Sitka spruce with a hard rock maple neck because the stiffness and density of maple locks in the vibrations of the body, making the neck an anchor point for the soundboard and the back and sides. The maple neck also brings out the best of both myrtlewood and Sitka, allowing the back and sides to resonate with the soundboard in a remarkable way.

Overview

For the player who wants the stout projection of a Breedlove dreadnought with the unique look, midrange fullness, depth, clarity, and liveliness of locally sourced myrtle. The most accessible American-made platform for the Breedlove rounded dreadnought, it's voiced to project defined tone with volume and clarity and features a slightly rounded upper bout to provide a great sound chamber and to be less restrictive for the player.

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