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  #31  
Old 08-20-2007, 11:38 PM
lightmage81 lightmage81 is offline
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Blue-ridges are pretty good guitars for their price! I would recommend them to any beginner with a slightly higher budget.

I've tried brazillan b/s blueridge here in Singapore before. It was LOUD and CLEAR! Amazing! Easily one of the best guitars I've heard before. It still is hanging on the store's display wall if I am not mistaken.
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  #32  
Old 12-20-2009, 11:29 PM
crobs808 crobs808 is offline
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I have never played a Blueridge, but I have played both Taylors and Martins, and compared to Taylors, even their lower end models, the Martins are just horrible. I can grab a random Taylor off the wall that is under $1,000, at a guitar store, and it will beat any Martin they have that is $3,000 and up. Martins are just way too muted sounding to me. Don't get me wrong, the "tinny" sound that some guitars have drives me up the wall, but Taylors just have the right balance. They have lots of boosting bass, especially the cedar tops like the 714ce, but they are still bright when they need to be. I have found Martins to be either cheap sounding, or really dull/muted, like they are being played from inside a cardboard box. Also, I find Martins much harder to play. The action is always way off, and it hurts more to play them than Taylors because the strings are so high off the fretboard. I will never buy a Martin, as long as I am a guitar player, unless they drastically start changing how they make guitars. I might try out a Blueridge, but won't buy until I play. If people are saying you cannot tell them apart, then they might be just as bad.

p.s. - sorry for reviving an old thread., but I just found it.

Last edited by crobs808; 12-20-2009 at 11:45 PM.
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  #33  
Old 12-21-2009, 06:18 AM
catdaddy catdaddy is offline
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Good of you to weigh in on a thread whose subject is Blueridge guitars when you have no experience playiing them. Your preference for Taylor guitars is noted as is your ignorance concerning the ability to have any guitar (yes including Martins) professionally set up to ideal playability standards.
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  #34  
Old 12-21-2009, 07:13 AM
rmyAddison rmyAddison is offline
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Originally Posted by catdaddy View Post
Good of you to weigh in on a thread whose subject is Blueridge guitars when you have no experience playiing them. Your preference for Taylor guitars is noted as is your ignorance concerning the ability to have any guitar (yes including Martins) professionally set up to ideal playability standards.
The thread is two years old too..............

I was biting my tongue but you said it for me, pretty "uninformed" and pointless attack from someone who has no apparent real knowledge or experience with guitars. Holiday spirit at it's best.............
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  #35  
Old 12-21-2009, 08:39 AM
Grenvilleter Grenvilleter is offline
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Yes...2 yrs has passed since this thread first started. With time, can anyone tell us how their Blueridge folded up like a lawn chair due to poor quality wood or construction techniques?

Let me tell everyone about mine.

I purchased a BR-260 in about March of 2006 that was built in Nov of '05. It was set up for bluegrass work with about 1/8" string space between #6 and the 12th fret. Last fall, in about the time frame of 2-3 months, my string height rose about 1/32" at the 12th.

I'm not too sure if this was a result of high summertime humidity causing string tension to "pull" the sound box out of "square". No sign of finish cracking anywhere and the neck joint remains stable without sign of movement.

It's not really a big issue and there has been no additional change since that initial movement. I could take some from the top of the saddle (cut-through type) and bring it back to my preferred string height but so far I've refrained opting instead to continue to monitor the situation to see if it gets any worse. Over a year later and no additional changes measured.
So far it's still quite playable for me. I enjoy it.
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  #36  
Old 12-21-2009, 08:57 AM
SlopeD SlopeD is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crobs808 View Post
I have never played a Blueridge, but I have played both Taylors and Martins, and compared to Taylors, even their lower end models, the Martins are just horrible. I can grab a random Taylor off the wall that is under $1,000, at a guitar store, and it will beat any Martin they have that is $3,000 and up. Martins are just way too muted sounding to me. Don't get me wrong, the "tinny" sound that some guitars have drives me up the wall, but Taylors just have the right balance. They have lots of boosting bass, especially the cedar tops like the 714ce, but they are still bright when they need to be. I have found Martins to be either cheap sounding, or really dull/muted, like they are being played from inside a cardboard box. Also, I find Martins much harder to play. The action is always way off, and it hurts more to play them than Taylors because the strings are so high off the fretboard. I will never buy a Martin, as long as I am a guitar player, unless they drastically start changing how they make guitars. I might try out a Blueridge, but won't buy until I play. If people are saying you cannot tell them apart, then they might be just as bad.

p.s. - sorry for reviving an old thread., but I just found it.
Classic Elixir (Taylor) vs. Martin Strings (Martin).

Everytime I pick up a Martin it has dead strings on it.

Taylor's stay fresh with Elixir's.

I've also never played a Taylor under 1k that could touch most Martin's. As for the booming Bass in Taylor's, I can't even begin to agree with that.

Funny how opinions vary so much.
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  #37  
Old 12-21-2009, 09:41 AM
Tony Burns Tony Burns is offline
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I seem to have pissed off a few folks earlier in this Thread , sorry about that !

. I think the only real answer as to wether blueridge are good guitars will come 25-30 years from now - Yes i have played Blueridges- many different models -they were nice - but not of the caliber i expected ( in my opinion )- a nice instrument or even a great travel instrument .For the money their a decent value -Thou i like Yamahas and Eastmans a tad better . I am not fond of the point they use CITIES banned materials in their manufacture -China does not care about the environment -but to also say alot of other companies including Gibson have also been cited for their alleged import and use of illegally banned or limited import wood as well .So whos right and whos wrong-- I own 4 BR guitars ( their very old ) so im not drewling over having another one - (thou they do have a certain sparkle to their sound ) if your happy with what ever guitar you own im am honestly very happy for you -thats what this is all about anyways -Peace !
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  #38  
Old 12-21-2009, 09:58 AM
lroyb lroyb is offline
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Quote:
seem to have pissed off a few folks earlier in this Thread , sorry about that !
If you did I think they have gotten over it by now. It has been a couple years, I'm sure folks have changed how the feel about alot of things since then.

I guess there hasn't been enough new threads to stir anyone up.....
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  #39  
Old 12-21-2009, 11:46 AM
crobs808 crobs808 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catdaddy View Post
Good of you to weigh in on a thread whose subject is Blueridge guitars when you have no experience playiing them. Your preference for Taylor guitars is noted as is your ignorance concerning the ability to have any guitar (yes including Martins) professionally set up to ideal playability standards.
hmm. must be a democrat. call someone 'ignorant' just because they don't agree with you. thanks buddy.
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  #40  
Old 12-21-2009, 12:01 PM
Grenvilleter Grenvilleter is offline
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"I am not fond of the point they use CITIES banned materials in their manufacture "
------------------------
I'm not sure how Saga pulled this off. I've heard rumors but nothing that is documentable.
There has to be some paperwork somewhere allowing the export of the old growth stumpwood that was used to build Blueridge's braz guitars not to mention the importation of the guitars after manufacture.

I think their yearly production of them is very very small now if it even happens just as a side note. They certainly don't have unlimited stock of the stuff.
The fact that Gibson got slammed means the "feds" are doing what they are paid to do.
If there was an issue with regard to illegally harvested wood, I think we would have heard of it by now.
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  #41  
Old 12-21-2009, 12:03 PM
Hambone Hambone is offline
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Saying we should wait 25 years to see if a sub $1000 guitar is any good is a pretty lame attack on a brand. If they play and sound well today and have exhibited few systemic issues over a 4 year period... I'd say they're an OK guitar for the money.

As to Chinese "slave Labor", the world's standard of living has risen precipitously over the past 20 years. What people in the US may perceive as "slave" labor by their personal standards, is a life saver by the standards of emerging nations.

If it wasn't for the new global economy, and manufacturing entering countries with low wage levels, there are hundreds of millions of people who would be living only slightly better than in the Stone Age.

As these emerging economies develop they too will build middle classes and nouveau capitalists with a critical mass of capital to continue raising their national standards of living.

The US went from a rural agrarian economy to an industrialized nation on the backs of indentured factory girls in cities like Lowell and Lawrence, Ma. Those workers were the basis of our economy's success.

If it weren't for low paying factory jobs in China, there wouldn't be any jobs at all. Until Chinese capitalists build sufficient capital to be independent, there will never be any wealth in the nation to encourage further improvement in the standards of living.
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  #42  
Old 12-21-2009, 08:06 PM
crobs808 crobs808 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grenvilleter View Post
"I am not fond of the point they use CITIES banned materials in their manufacture "
------------------------
I'm not sure how Saga pulled this off. I've heard rumors but nothing that is documentable.
There has to be some paperwork somewhere allowing the export of the old growth stumpwood that was used to build Blueridge's braz guitars not to mention the importation of the guitars after manufacture.

I think their yearly production of them is very very small now if it even happens just as a side note. They certainly don't have unlimited stock of the stuff.
The fact that Gibson got slammed means the "feds" are doing what they are paid to do.
If there was an issue with regard to illegally harvested wood, I think we would have heard of it by now.
who cares? even if they are using banned woods, and they are using child/slave labor and sweat shops...if the guitar is a good product I will buy it. I don't care where it came from or who made it...are we supposed to be politically correct now when buying guitars? For crying out loud.
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  #43  
Old 12-21-2009, 08:57 PM
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Folkstrum Folkstrum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crobs808 View Post
who cares? even if they are using banned woods, and they are using child/slave labor and sweat shops...if the guitar is a good product I will buy it. I don't care where it came from or who made it...are we supposed to be politically correct now when buying guitars? For crying out loud.
(Thing is, I'm sure you mean this. How very myopic. Sad).
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  #44  
Old 12-31-2009, 02:01 AM
crobs808 crobs808 is offline
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Originally Posted by Folkstrum View Post
(Thing is, I'm sure you mean this. How very myopic. Sad).
Why is this 'sad'? If the guitar is already made, then why let it go to waste just because it was made in a sweat shop and/or using banned woods? If it is already made, then wouldn't it be more of a tragedy for someone to never buy it, so that slave labor was in vain? Seems to me that once something is on the market, then it may as well be bought, no matter where it came from...the "damage" is already done, for lack of a better phrase.
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  #45  
Old 12-31-2009, 02:06 AM
blues2rock blues2rock is offline
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Originally Posted by Grey8 View Post
Guys...ive seen some Blueridges lately that have called my attention... the first one i saw was the BR-160A ... wich had Adirondack ... i was totally impressed, since i thought Adi was a very expensive high end top wood (correct me if im wrong please)... the price was about XXX, no more than 3 digits... but today i visited Maurys Music, i entered in the Blueridge section and i saw this "line" if may call it like that... that all of them have Adi tops... and this model Blueridge BR-70AS even has "Brazilian Rosewood" b/s ... this sounds like the specs from a suuuper high end Martin, it doesnt looks bad at all to be honest... looks good to me... any thoughts in sound... does it makes justice to the adi/braz combination? thanks!
I first tried a Blueridge over at Melodee Music in N. VA. I thought their sound would be similar to Martins but they weren't. Very bright, brittle sound with no definition at all. If you're looking for a true, vintage sounding guitar, I wouldn't advise them. Be sure to first try them before buying.
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