Help me pick a new Blueridge dreadnought guitar

[The Orb]

You can see thirteen of them here L I N K

Have any of you played one from that batch?

[A Scot in Otley]

Had a BR 160. Okay, balanced across the strings, but annoyingly I had to do a bit of fettling to improve its playability. After a few months, I sold it. I have two other Chinese made - non dread - guitars (Auden Chester and Eastman AC322ce) that are of noticeably better build quality than the Blueridge.

Here endeth my tuppenceworth

[Robin, Wales]

I really liked the basic BR-40 I played in a shop last year. It felt just like my 2009 D-18 in my hands. And the slightly dryer laminate b/s timbre I preferred over the BR-140 I also tried. I thought that it would make a great gigging guitar for bluegrass / string band / solo singer. It would take the knocks and I'm sure that I could have got a nice stage sound out of it with just a mic'.

Playability was OK. The general neck geometry was good, so it would have been easy for me to set up.

[Keith Lee]

I bought a used sunburst either BG 60 or BG 80 for Wife's daughter

I liked playing it and used it in church a couple times, despite having "better" guitars at the time

Know maybe 5 years ago they were more popular than Eastman with bluegrassers in East Tennessee at least based on jams at Ciderville Music

[BlueBowman]

To my ears, the best one I've played was the BR-160A. It was heavy as a tank, but it surprised me with its sound. I have not played the pre-war series.

[Rogerblair]

For my needs, the BR140 can’t be beat. I’ve owned a couple of them and they are wonderful sounding, and then they get better with age. Next would be the BR40.

Rb

[columbia]

The BR40 is one of the best values in a bluegrass guitar. Not exactly a Martin but in that ballpark.

[Squirrel40]

The BR70 I played was amazing. Felt great and was LOUD and resonate.

[JStotes]

I had a BR-180 for a few years, excellent guitar. Sold it to a buddy and he still plays it daily.

[The Orb]

Originally Posted by Rogerblair

For my needs, the BR140 can’t be beat. I’ve owned a couple of them and they are wonderful sounding, and then they get better with age. Next would be the BR40.

Rb

Thanks for your recommendation. The BR-140 has been on my mind because I hear it sounds close to a Martin D-18, which I will never be able to afford. I'm not crazy about the Blueridge's "Dalmatian" pickguard, but if it bothers me that much I'll replace it with a black or tortoise-shell style one.

[jacot23]

Originally Posted by The Orb

Thanks for your recommendation. The BR-140 has been on my mind because I hear it sounds close to a Martin D-18, which I will never be able to afford. I'm not crazy about the Blueridge's "Dalmatian" pickguard, but if it bothers me that much I'll replace it with a black or tortoise-shell style one.

I own a BR-40 and. BR-140, the BR-140 is quite a lot better. Out of those choices I’d go with the 160A. A good friend has a BR-160 and it’s a good guitar, but the wider nut and ADI top on the BR-160A makes it most appealing to me.

Having owned both at the same time and played samples of both a 140 is not that close. Is it close enough for you maybe, I’d suggest playing some of them and deciding yourself.

I’ve kept my Blueridge’s for camping and traveling and because I don’t play much; they’re good guitars, but hard to beat a Martin, splurge if you can at all

[baseball]

240 ! All the way if you can afford it... it is their top drawer Mahogany guitar...Much Like a D-18 just a little more sparkle and a hair less oomph.

The 140 is probably the best bang for your buck but it is a 1 11/16 nut vs the 1.75" nut on the 200 series....

I have played all of them and the 140, 160 and 240, 260 are the 'kings'...the ones that end in 80 have too much bling and the two digit ones have laminate backs...not the end of the world but the voice isn't quite all 'there'

[Jack the Pearl]

I own a BG-160 that I bought new from Sun Valley Guitars about 4 years ago. It's a fine guitar. The BG prefix in the model name means it has a Gibson-like short neck scale. Perfect for my short fingers. I love this guitar.

It has solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides but, otherwise, is a clone of my long-gone Gibson J-50 that had solid mahogany back and sides (as most of you "woodchucks" here on the AGF will know). I bought the BG-160 to stroke my ego because I wanted solid back and sides. Now, I learn that there used to be a BG-140 available that probably was solid mahogany back and sides.

Blueridge has, I believe, discontinued these BG models except for the BG-60. I used to own A BG-60 that was also a fine guitar. Bought it in a pawnshop to have as a backup for my J-50 as they are the same physical dimensions.

The BG-60 is a fine guitar. I'd buy that one if you want short neck scale and you don't mind laminate back and sides.