I have been a little concerned to see "Adirondack" used on high volume guitar products from China. It seems a shame somehow, however if they won the auction or whatever - so be it.

I have just looked at the more expensive Blueridge guitars on the Saga site. Apparently the "rosewood" is called "Santos rosewood" which is not a genuine rosewood (Dalbergia) but is Morado (Machaerium Scleroxylon) Bolivia. Also known as Bolivian or Santos "rosewood", morado ranges in colour from a light violet brown to reddish brown with occasional olive and black streaks. Finer in texture than most rosewoods, morado is a close visual substitute for East Indian rosewood, and has very similar tonal properties.

They are no more "knock-offs" of Martin and Gibson designs than the many American companies - including my favourite -Collings.

As to China's approach to economic success - it is unfair to compare them to European or American wages and living standards. Every nation that seized the industrial lead has done so by having competitive labour and resources, and every nation that has lost competitive edge did so by paying themselves too much. It's a cyclic thing.

I've bought Chinese guitars - and sold on - no complaints but seem to lack soul somehow - a bit like modern Gibsons (but better made) and Taylor guitars which actually sound unpleasant to me.
As I am old and remember the times when in the twenty years post war - it was virtually impossible to obtain any q1uality instruments in Europe, we are now blessed with a wondrous choice of both European and American instruments.

To the best of my knowledge "Jacarandá" (or "Jacarandá da Bahia", to be more specific) is what "Brazilian Rosewood" is called in Brazil. So, unless someone is misusing the name, "Jacarandá" is "Brazilian Rosewood".

Has anyone seen the name "Jacarandá" being used to mean a different wood?

Although I'm reluctant to even post on a thread that was embalmed sometime in 2010, here goes:

Jacaranda has almost always been applied to pao ferro (morado, etc.) and only occasionally back in the 70s was it used to describe dalbergia nigra by a couple of Japanese makers. In Brazil the natives sometimes refer to dalbergia nigra as jacaranda, however. Current Blueridge guitars that used to be made with (CITES Approved!) Brazilian are now made with morado. They call it Santos Rosewood in the promo material.

The proof is in the tone, not the tone woods. If you like the tone, buy the guitar. As for me, I love my BR140A with the adi top.

Todd

I've owned a few really nice Blueridges .... BR-180, BR-260, BR-140A-2.

Each were well-worth keeping .... but I was moving towards an old Martin and a few Edmonds guitars.

I'd recommend Blueridge's better guitars to anyone.

You are right. In Brazil, the name "jacarandá" is assumed to mean dalbergia nigra, but there are many other types of jacarandá (as there are many types of rosewood).

None the less, Jacarandá-da-Bahia is Brazilian Rosewood, as indicated on page 2-9 of the CITES I-II-III Timber Species Manual: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_exp...oads/cites.pdf

Other references concur with it:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalbergia_nigra.
  
• http://www.babylon.com/definition/Dalbergia%20nigra/
  
• http://www.maurysmusic.com/martin_guitar_faq

I never read this thread when it was new, but I have seen a lot of misinformation in it that could be cleared up.
The Brazilian rosewood stumpwood that Blueridge used on the 200 series was sourced through Allied Lutherie in the US. It is not new growth, it is the remains from logging old growth trees long before the CITES ban in 1992. Pre-CITES Brazilian RW is exempt from the ban on international trade.
All the laminated 70 series Blueridges I have seen have been morado (AKA 'Bolivian RW') , as previously stated. Some of the confusion comes from Saga, who has advertised it on occasion as laminated Brazilian RW. Saga also has used morado for the peghead veneers on many Blueridges.
The red spruce topped Blueridges usually feature wood with cosmetic issues that has been turned down by the US makers. Low grade second growth red spruce is fairly plentiful....only the higher grade old growth wood is in short supply.
My bread and butter is repair on prewar Martins, and the new Blueridges can be very good....especially for the price.