Breedlove has made bold claims about its new Myrtlewood Legend builds, but believes the tonewood they utilize will soon reach legendary status
(Image credit: Breedlove Guitars)
NAMM 2025:Breedlove believes that its adoption of an unsung tonewood “will shape guitar history” as it debuts two new models.
“Some tonewoods become legends, shaping guitar history with their extraordinary beauty and sound,” the firm says, adding that the “exceptional Myrtlewood” logs that have been “unearthed along the Oregon coast” and deployed in its latest acoustic guitars are destined for a similar fate.
Native to Southwestern Oregon and Northwestern California, Myrtlewood offers intricate grains and colors, which include blonde, black, and honey shades, influenced by the minerals in the soil from which they sprout.
Sonically, Breedlove talks up “shimmer highs and powerful lows” with a hybrid voicing. Expect “the depth of rosewood, the brilliance of maple, and the balance of mahogany” all in one wood.
Discovered by sustainable forestry expert Cyril Jacob and since handed over to Breedlove, the tonewood has been used to fashion two new acoustics, with its “tonal magic and visual brilliance” standing as part of its Special Edition builds.
The Oregon Dreadnought Concerto CE Myrtlewood promises a “bold, resonant sound with impressive projection”, and is crafted exclusively from Myrtlewood.
Oregon Special Edition Dreadnought Concerto CE Myrtlewood - Acoustic Guitar - YouTube
The specific log it is made from – which has been dubbed "Rain" – boasted a six-foot diameter, and is prided for its “stunning, high-contrast markings and one-of-a-kind grain patterns.” That means no two guitars are the same.
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It has been hand-voiced in the firm’s Custom Shop and is equipped with LR Baggs Anthem electronics for superlative amplified performances. It comes with a custom-fit hard case.
The Oregon Concert CE Myrtlewood, meanwhile, builds off locally sourced myrtlewood for its top, back, and sides. Breedlove says its “tonal profile is alive with bass, midrange, and treble in perfect harmony.”
Oregon Special Edition Concert CE Myrtlewood Acoustic Guitar - YouTube
Once more, it’s been handcrafted and hand-voiced at Breedlove HQ and comes with LR Baggs Anthem electronics. It’s said to be lighter than its Dreadnought stablemate.
Breedlove’s second Myrtlewood log – the “Outrageous” – is 40” in diameter and offers “vivid patterns”. It will be used for its upcoming Exhibition Edition of acoustics, due to be announced later this year.
No launch date or price for the guitars has been confirmed at the time of writing.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
