Breedlove Legacy Dreadnought Ricochet E Sitka Spruce - Cocobolo Acoustic-Electric Guitar Gloss Sunburst

Most guitar builders misunderstand the powerful musical capability of cocobolo. Being one of the denser tonewoods, it is frequently used to a dimension making the instruments heavy and the cocobolo unresponsive. Through  Breedlove's SOUND PROFILING technology, they sand their Legacy Dreadnought backs to a targeted weight, hitting a frequency that will efficiently respond to the power of the Sitka spruce tops. The completely re-engineered Legacy Dreadnought is crafted with master grade cocobolo – highly figured with stunning contrasting sapwood. The Ricochet finish accents the natural wood grain and provides a rich background for the eloquent mother of pearl inlays.

Body Shape
Breedlove set out to enhance the traditional dreadnought sound, and the results are evident. If you’re inspired by the familiarity of a dread, but are looking for more nuance and richness than usual, the Breedlove Dreadnought delivers. The shape is slightly more rounded than traditional dreadnoughts and produces beautifully full, punchy, and articulate tones. It also provides excellent projection and articulation, so it excels in any ensemble. The hand-graduated top provides the balance and clarity that make this one of the most innovative and expressive-sounding dreadnoughts on the market.

Top Wood
Sitka spruce, picea sitchensis, originates in the northwest United States. Sitka spruce has been the primary top wood for American-made instruments for decades. It is strong and light with extended harmonic content, and it nearly equals the power of Adirondack. It offers a strong, focused tone with a solid fundamental -- perfect for flatpicking styles. When compared with European spruce, Sitka delivers warmer, more fundamental sound, largely free of overtones. Sitka takes a slightly longer period of playing time to open up. It has a straight uniform grain and coloration ranges from white to pink to light brown.

Back and Side Wood
Cocobolo, dalbergia retusa, originates in southern Mexico and Central America. Cocobolo is dark and dense, with a bright, clear, sustaining voice and a tone that is very similar to the best rosewood. It is considered the closest tonally and aesthetically to Brazilian rosewood. It offers a well-balanced tone with power, sustain, and volume. It is responsive, with clear, slow-decaying harmonics and a well-articulated and complex low end. Similar to Brazilian rosewood, it has a little less bass and more pronounced treble. The coloration is a rich brown-red with black streaks.

Graduated Top
Breedlove graduated tops contribute stunning balance from lows to highs. How? Graduated tops are slightly thicker on the treble side, balancing the higher energy treble frequencies with the lower energy bass frequencies traveling through the thinner bass side. The result: clearer, cleaner highs and stable, resonant lows. Because no two soundboards are exactly the same, Breedlove craftsmen evaluate each top for stiffness and density, and then graduate it accordingly. The amount of graduation is customized for each individual instrument. The top is sanded to the precise graduated thickness to achieve optimal flexibility and stiffness. This hands-on process is one of the major contributors to the Breedlove sound.

Necks
Breedlove guitar necks feature a slimmer neck profile, which enables comfortable play, even with smaller hands. Unlike traditional dovetail neck joints that require major surgery for a neck re-set, it is easy to adjust the play action and neck angle with the Breedlove bolt-on neck and single-action truss rod. The hand- rubbed, semi-gloss Breedlove neck finish contributes to ideal playability – the finish process alone takes three days, including precise finish coat applications, fine sanding, and hand buffing and rubbing.

Limited Lifetime Warranty
Breedlove players around the world can attest: With consistent, proper care, your Breedlove will give you a lifetime of service – and inspiration. New Breedlove instruments, purchased through an authorized Breedlove dealer, are warrantied to be free of defects in materials and workmanship throughout the lifetime of the original owner. In addition to materials and workmanship, Breedlove offers a two-year warranty on tuning machines and electronics packages. Cases and bags are subject to a one-year warranty covering defects in structure and hardware.