Tell me about ~ Blueridge ~ guitars please...

ChrisMusic

Tell me about Blueridge guitars please...

What are they like, who are they, etc, etc

I've just come across them, so any info or insights on their guitars and history are welcome,

including comparisons with other brands for perspective, if appropriate.

Cheers,  Chris.

buckfast

ChrisMusic said:

Tell me about Blueridge guitars please...

What are they like, who are they, etc, etc

I've just come across them, so any info or insights on their guitars and history are welcome,

including comparisons with other brands for perspective, if appropriate.

Cheers,  Chris.

I have one, BG-140. Excellent guitar, has slim neck which works great for me. J45 like. Better than most J45s that I have played (but that said, I have found Gibson quality to be variable, most not great). I also had a BR160 which also was excellent, just sold it to get the mahogany 140 for something different. I highly recommend them.

Gassage

I believe they're made in Virginia from wood of the Lonesome Pine.

ChrisMusic

Thanks for your feedback @buckfast , I had heard good things about them, even in comparison to Gibson and Martin, so it's good to get some personal experience to consider.  Cheers, Chris.

ChrisMusic

Gassage said:

I believe they're made in Virginia from wood of the Lonesome Pine.

 There is always an inherent danger in "belief", may I take this opportunity to suggest...

Electric monk

An Electric Monk is a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. Dishwashers wash tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the bother of washing them yourself, video recorders watch tedious television for you, thus saving you the bother of looking at it yourself; Electric Monks believe things for you, thus saving you what is becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expect you to believe.

“Unfortunately this Electric Monk had developed a fault, and had started to believe all kinds of things, more or less at random. It was even beginning to believe things they'd have difficulty believing in Salt Lake City.”

― Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

earwighoney

ChrisMusic said:

Tell me about Blueridge guitars please...

What are they like, who are they, etc, etc

I've just come across them, so any info or insights on their guitars and history are welcome,

including comparisons with other brands for perspective, if appropriate.

Cheers,  Chris.

I've played quite a few.  Saga Music who make them, have a factory which make a few brands which include Gitane - who's Django instruments are excellent. 

Are there any particular models you after in particular?  Of the ones I have tried the 12 fret OM was my favourite. 

ChrisMusic

A friend has a 163 which is surprisingly good, and has sparked off this enquiry @earwighoney .  He reckons it sounds better than his old Martin OM28.  Although it is a pretty much open ended question, as I would like to understand more about the brand.  Do you know if Recording King (or what others) come from the same factory, they look to have similar DNA.

Just getting my ear "back in" after far too many years away from guitar, and even more away from acoustic.  Trying to understand the range of sound possibilities available nowadays, with people like Lowden etc on the scene, and the plethora of manufacturers, including some extremely good far eastern guitars.

xSkarloey

I remember that they were fairly common pre 2008 or so. I once played a lovely 000 Martin type model at a guitar show, which would have been about £500 or so. 


They don't seem to be that widely available in the UK though, unless someone can enlighten me. 

mgaw

I tried a few and thought they were good,  Adirondack ones especially so.....good mid priced, better than them i think are Stonebridge/Furch who capture the US sound better than most and can be had for a reasonable sum 2nd hand

daveww

Love mine.  I have a BR-180CE which I love.  Sustains forever and almost piano like tones.  I had to sell my Gibson Songwriter which I loved and had picked in the US over over more expensive models.  The Blueridge is actually better. Playability, sound and workmanship are first class.

Elvis_Penberthy

I have the cheap one BR40. tried a zillion solid top guitars in 48th St some years back. My chum said"that's the best sounding guitar youve played today" But he might of had enough by then! It was dirt cheap and still sounds great-it's the Martin lookalike one. I also like the J45 types. I believe Hobgoblin stock them over here. For the money top guitars but then there is also Sigma ........

daveww

I haven't tried the others as they don't seem to be stocked in many places.  Mines relatively pricey.  The only slight criticism I have is that I wish it was a little wider at the nut.

redrighthand

They're lovely. Made in China but supposedly by "proper" craftsmen and using decent woods rather than being chucked together. I have one for sale in the classifieds for cheap die to some cosmetic issues if you're interested in giving one a try- necks a bit on the small side for me otherwise I'd be keeping it.