Breedlove Ed Gerhard Signature Model
After a little over a year of designing, discussions and four prototypes, Breedlove began shipping my signature model guitar in January 1997, and it has really been catching on with dealers. The crew at Breedlove worked very hard with me on getting this thing right, and I’m very pleased with the result. I’ve been touring with one since November ’96 and it has proven itself to be a remarkable guitar in every situation. The guitar is Indian rosewood/Sitka, based on Breedlove’s jumbo shape, with a thinner body (check the Breedlove web site for photos, specifications, etc.) I’ve also been touring lately with a German/Brazilian that I just love. I’ve always loved the sound of dreadnoughts and jumbos for fingerstyle guitar, but also like the clarity you often get with a smaller guitar. By combining these two aesthetics, I think we’ve gotten the best of both worlds.
The thinner, “concert” depth body (a half-inch thinner than a standard dreadnought or jumbo) makes the guitar more comfortable to play as well. The guitar looks very cool, too; beautiful jumbo shape, soft cutaway and curly koa binding on the body and neck. Classy! You can also get an Ed Gerhard Custom; you can choose from a variety of woods for the sides and back. I hope you’ll get in touch with your Breedlove dealer and check one out soon.
I use a variety of guitars on my albums these days, and I love ’em all. On my recordings you’ll hear the guitars above, plus these others;
1985 Somogyi Dreadnought
This is the guitar heard on my first three albums. It’s Brazilian rosewood/ European spruce and was my main guitar for ten years. I still record with this guitar (“The Water Is Wide,” “My Creole Belle” and the main guitar on “Isa Lei” from Counting the Ways feature this guitar). Very rich, thick sounding guitar with loads of sustain.
*1982 Mossman Winter Wheat
I use this as my high strung guitar. Mossmans as a rule are very loud guitars, and as a high-strung this one really cuts through. Indian rosewood/Sitka dreadnought. A high strung guitar is basically a typical six-string, with the bottom four strings an octave higher. My string gauges for the high strung vary with whatever strings I have on hand. >From low to high, they are approximately .034, .024, .013, .010, .016, .013. If you have a guitar around that you don’t play much anymore, try stringing it up as a high strung- it sounds very cool.
*1997 Bourgeois Blues
This all koa guitar is patterned somewhat after the old Gibson Roy Smeck, and is set up exclusively for slide. It has that “explosive” sort of sound- this guitar just screams out to be beaten like a rented mule.
*1997 Breedlove 12 string
Mine is an EG25 striped ebony/Sitka jumbo 12 string. They always have one at the NAMM shows, and they’re always killer. I haven’t played much 12 string in the last several years, as my old Guild is ready to explode. This instrument has got me really enjoying 12 string again. It plays great, stays in tune and sounds big, lush and clear.
Additionally I’ve got some wonderful guitars that I don’t take on the road; a couple of Weissenborns, some old electric lap steels, and a couple of Hammertone Octave Twelve electrics.
