Breedlove Roots Concert RTC-SRe Review

Solid From the Start

The guitar I tested came out of the case ready to work, with low action and impeccable attention to detail. Those details include a solid Sitka spruce top paired with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, a Honduran mahogany soft C neck topped by a 20-fret African ebony fretboard, and a pinless African ebony bridge. The concert body measures 19.87" in length, 15.37" at the lower bout, and 11.28" at the upper bout, and has a slim 9" waist. Body depth tapers from 3 1/4" at the neck to 4" at the tail. The nut width measures 1 3/4" and the scale is 25 1/2". Breedlove nickel tuners and the LR Baggs HiFi pickup system round out the very straightforward yet elegant hardware and electronics package.

The pinless bridge, where the strings pass through much like a top-loader electric, is one of those details that probably doesn’t factor into many purchasing decisions—but maybe it should. While it’s hard to tell how much it contributed to the Breedlove’s lively tone, it certainly didn’t detract from it. And with no slack and no pins to pop loose, it’s definitely user-friendly. I’d like to see more guitars make this design choice. It’s attractive, too.

The RTC-SRe boasts a gloss finish that brings out the character of the wood without overwhelming it, and overall, the guitar is what I would call handsome—smart-looking but not ostentatious. Combined with the black binding and centered dot inlays, the vintage toner in the top finish gives the guitar a ready-for-the-stage appearance right out of the case—whether you go up there wearing rhinestones, broken-in jeans, or a tailored suit. No matter what you wear, the superior fit and finish are easy to see, too.

​Excellent Execution

The RTC-SRe is a smooth player, thanks in particular to that impeccably low action. I would place the neck’s C profile and dimensions right in the middle of the heft spectrum, and the its satin finish made position shifts easy. The neck width, starting with the more OM-like 1 3/4", is ideal for me—wide enough to make room for clean arpeggios, but not so wide that it requires fatiguing stretches.

The attention to detail isn't just visually pleasing—that same craftsmanship makes this Breedlove a joy to play and a pleasure to hear. Rosewood and spruce is many players’ favorite tonewood recipe for a reason: It delivers solid bass, clear midrange, and present high end. In the RTC-SRe’s concert body dimensions, the mid-forward tone results in plenty of jangle, which seemed to get brighter as my attack got stronger, especially with a pick.

But the RTC-SRe can get mellow, too. Played gently, it delivers a warm, pleasing “mmmm” sensation, especially in the midrange. A lighter attack also gives the lovely overtones room to speak—and do they ever. I slid from A to D on the G string with the open D lightly droning, and the sympathetic overtones blossomed. The sound of even these simple moves is addictive and revealed a lot about the guitar’s potential to develop a dialog with the player. And as much as I enjoyed running through the things I'd deliberately chosen to test specific capabilities, the Breedlove put me deep in stream-of-consciousness mode—letting the guitar's voice guide me toward new ideas, or new perspectives on old ones. In general, a light touch makes the Breedlove respond beautifully and reveals much about the width of its tone spectrum. Plucking with fingertips, picking with fingernails, brushing, snapping—each technique brought out a different color.

The tension of the 25 1/2" scale also gives the strings a tight feel and strong attack. I like to play in alternate tunings, and this guitar performed exceptionally in drop D and DADGAD. The punchy low end—impressive for the guitar’s size—also made those tunings ring nicely without getting muddy. Back in standard tuning, the rosewood-and-spruce combination and concert-size body resulted in flatpicked lead lines that were articulate and clean. I heard a little more glass than I might have in, say, a mahogany guitar of the same size. And there’s definitely less thump and boom than what you hear from a larger, rosewood-backed guitar. Even so, the RTC-SRe exhibits great balance for any rock, pop, jazz, or folk styles that benefit from clarity.

​Simple, Straight Line to Amplification

That clarity also translates well through the electronics. Plugged in, the LR Baggs HiFi system delivered a clear, natural amplified sound. Through both an acoustic amp and direct recording setup, the pickup retained great note separation and dynamic response without sounding overly compressed or harsh in the high end. The tone and volume controls, by the way, are mounted discreetly inside the soundhole, keeping the guitar’s lovely lines intact.

The Verdict

Clear, balanced, and very well built, the Breedlove RTC-SRe delivers everything a premium guitar should, taking traditional design cues, mixing them with more unique touches and executing them with excellence. At $2,999, the guitar is a significant investment, but the top-quality construction, easy playability, and genuinely appealing tones justify the price tag.