Breedlove knows how to do a sunburst finish. This is apparent in the AD25/SM, Sunburst. With solid sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back, the sunburst turns out to a rich, medium hue, and the wood grain is still apparent through the finish. Breedlove’s Atlas dreadnoughts are different from anything else out there on the market — pinless bridges, JLD bridge truss system, scalloped bracing. These lead to a more resonant dreadnought that compares to much more expensive dreadnoughts.
Breedlove’s AD25/SM has a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back. The mahogany produces a warm, bright and “woody” sound, particularly in the bass, which is deep, yet not overpowering. The AD25/SM also comes with a soft cutaway, allowing for easy access to the uppermost frets. The AC25/SM does not come with a pickguard, which may seem odd to many dreadnought owners. However, a plastic pickguard will reduce the top’s resonance, and thus it’s nice to not have one, and, indeed, many dreadnought owners will remove a factory-installed pickguar. You may easily use a removable pickguard with the glossy finish, and thus you have the benefit of a more resonant top (no plastic sound quenchers) yet may also use picks without worry of scratching the finish. MacNichol provides removable pickguards for free with the purchase of any guitar with a glossy finish.
Although a sitka/mahogany dreadnought will work well for many playing styles, this guitar works particularly well for strumming and slide playing. The strumming melts chords into one smooth wall of sound, and putting a slide to the AD25/SM results in clear, whiny individual notes with great sustain.
Breedlove’s AD25/SM has a black headstock along with glossy finish, which complement the mahogany well. Other features include gold Grover tuners, dot inlay pattern, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and Micarta nut (1 11/16″ width) and saddle. The model also comes with Breedlove’s hybrid soft shell case, which, unlike a floppy gig bag, provides definite protection for your instrument.
Thanks to a MacNichol customer for posting a demonstration of the CA (Composite Acoustics) Cargo guitar on YouTube. You may see the demonstration by clicking on this link: CA Cargo Guitar Video
MacNichol Guitars has a great deal on a RainSong guitar. This particular guitar, RainSong Advanced Series, model A-WS1000, was previously sold but once the customer received it via FedEx, realized that he wanted natural carbon fiber finish, rather than a black finish and sent it back immediately for a different color. As such, this guitar is technically “used”, but is in mint condition. The only drawback is that the manufacturer’s warranty is no longer applicable. Note: The guitar is made of carbon fiber. The guitar’s body has a black finish, but the neck has a natural carbon fiber finish. Please see pictures below of this instrument.
Features Include:
• RainSong’s Projection Tuned Layering™ technique
• Fishman Prefix Plus-T electronics
• Durable carbon fiber construction
• Gotoh tuners with 1:18 ratio
• Tusq nut and saddle
• Custom RainSong gigbag
This guitar typically sells for $1,399, but this particular model is being significantly reduced to $1,099 (plus tax) for local pickup, or $1,149 for shipment to addresses within the continental U.S. (outside the State of Utah). For more information, please contact MacNichol at 1-800-849-3305. Thank You.
Breedlove’s Atlas Series concert body guitar are unlike any other on the market — pinless bridges, JLD bridge truss system, scalloped bracing. These aspects of Breedlove technology lead to a more resonant concert body guitar that favorably compares to much more expensive models. The Breedlove AC25/SM model is built with a solid sitka spruce top along with a solid mahogany back, to produce a versatile guitar that would work well for many different playing styles, although it works particularly well for fingerstyle, fingerpicking, light strumming, and slide playing, which results in clear yet “whiny” notes.
Breedlove’s AC25/SM model has a brown headstock along with tortoise binding and a glossy finish, which complement the mahogany well. The AC25/SM does not come with a pickguard, however, you may easily use a removable pickguard with the glossy finish, and thus you have the benefit of a more resonant top (no plastic sound quenchers) yet may also use picks without worry of scratching the finish. MacNichol provides these for free with the purchase of any guitar with a glossy finish. Other features include gold Grover tuners, dot inlay pattern, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and Micarta nut (1 11/16? width) and saddle. The model also comes with Breedlove’s hybrid soft shell case, which, unlike a floppy gig bag, provides definite protection for your instrument.
You’ve likely heard a lot of buzz about the new i Series, but how do they sound? “Wow!” was my first response upon playing a 7i for the first time (at least for the first time in a quiet setting; I’ve played them at NAMM but the subtleties of an instrument are hard to catch at NAMM Shows).
CA Guitars’ statement that the i Series models have “a deeper low end response than most acoustic guitars” is definitely an understatement. The sixth and fifth strings have the deep, mellow, resonance of an upright bass, yet, do not overpower the mids and highs. Indeed, it almost sounds as though two separate instruments are around. I love to play a slow version of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, plucking out the melody on the high E and B strings, while plucking out the chord root notes on the bass strings. It sounds as though I’ve got a bass player backing me up. I also played the same tune strumming a full chord instead of just the root note and the 7iM delivered a full, resonant chord.
Next up, the slide. Carbon fiber guitars are great for slide playing - although you don’t get the same resonance and sustain of a resophonic guitar, you do get much better resonance and sustain than you would from a wooden acoustic guitar, yet, you don’t get that metallic sound with carbon fiber. The 7iM-CE stacks up well with a slide compared to other carbon fiber guitars, but with a deeper, slightly more resonant tone, along with bit of a metallic sound (although nothing like the tone from a resophonic guitar).
Because of the offset soundhole, I recommend using a blank luthier’s card removable pickguard where the soundhole would normally be when using a plectrum to avoid scratching the glossy finish. You may purchase these through DS Custom Shop. (MacNichol includes a free removable black pickguard, either teardrop shaped or rectangular, with the purchase of any glossy finish guitar.)
People often buy carbon fiber guitars for the convenience of not having to worry about humidity and temperature changes. However, with CA Guitars new i Series, I believe that people will buy for the sound first, and the worry-free aspect will simply be a nice bonus.
Thanks to Jim Cannon for letting MacNichol use his guitar for this review, and for the below pictures.
Update: The green Cargo has sold. However, there are still charcoal Cargos available. Please contact us at 1-800-849-3305 for more information. Thank You.
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MacNichol Guitars and Mandolins has several XS-C Cargo Guitars by CA (Composite Acoustics) available. There is currently one green model and one charcoal model available, and on Wednesday, July 16, there will be an additional six charcoal models available. All models come with Access gig bag and free shipping to the continental United States. None come with electronics. Price is $799. Please contact MacNichol at 1-800-849-3305 or at info@macnichol.com for more information.
Breedlove Guitars model AC250/CR is a concert sized guitar with a solid western red cedar top and rosewood back and sides. The instrument will definitely please fingerstyle players or light rhythm players seeking a balanced tone in a value-priced instrument. Also, the cedar top results in a broken in sound even though the guitar may be brand new, and thus is an excellent choice for beginning fingerstyle and fingerpicking players who seek a quality instrument yet do not wish to wait years for the guitar to open up.
The combination of of a cedar top and rosewood sides produces great warmth without the punchiness often associated with a sitka spruce and rosewood combination. This is a great wood combination for those who seek the piano-like bass that Breedlove rosewood guitars are known for, but with a warmth that many fingerstyle players seek.
The Breedlove Guitars AC250/CR comes equipped with Fishman Classic 4 electronics for those who wish to plug in. Features include soft cutaway, abalone rosette with black border, black binding, micarta nut and saddle, rosewood fingerboard, pinless rosewood bridge, rosewood headstock overlay, dot inlay pattern, and chrome Grover tuners. Price includes hardshell case and free shipping to the U.S.
MacNichol Guitars and Mandolins announces that it has opened a new location to serve customers better. The new location is in the historic MacDonald-Wagstaff House, located at 4659 South Highland Drive in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The new location is centrally located in the Salt Lake Valley, allowing musicians from all over the Greater Salt Lake region an easy drive. The new location provides an ideal setting for guitar and mandolin playing, with a relaxed atmosphere of hardwood flooring, rugs and comfortable chairs to help musicians who are interested in Breedlove, Larrivee, Composite Acoustics, or RainSong guitars to make decisions.
