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Old 03-20-2018, 07:36 PM
AcousticWoody AcousticWoody is offline
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Default Blue Ridge Quality?

I did a search and most of the results were at least 4 years old. Is there any newer feedback on Blue Ridge guitars? I am looking for a cheap 000 (BR-43?) to carry around and not worry too much about, but I want it to sound decent.

Competitors are the Martin 000x1ae and the Taylor GS Mini, although I played a LAG guitar that was interesting the other day. I know NOTHING about them other than they are European.
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Old 03-20-2018, 08:04 PM
Rmz76 Rmz76 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AcousticWoody View Post
I did a search and most of the results were at least 4 years old. Is there any newer feedback on Blue Ridge guitars? I am looking for a cheap 000 (BR-43?) to carry around and not worry too much about, but I want it to sound decent.

Competitors are the Martin 000x1ae and the Taylor GS Mini, although I played a LAG guitar that was interesting the other day. I know NOTHING about them other than they are European.
Blueridge guitars are not European in origin. They are designed in the USA and built in China. Blueridge is one of a few brands owned by Saga Music Group based in San Francisco, CA. Compared to other brands, their dealer network is kind of small which is why you don't see them at retail often.

Their guitars are above average to exceptionally good quality for the asking price. They make all solid wood models and models that have a solid top and laminate back and sides. I currently own a Martin and a Gibson and have owned multiple Martin's in the past, my Blueridge BG140 is as good (if not better) than any of them when it comes to what I'm looking for so I give the brand thumbs up. I'll also add that my Blueridge is 12 years old and it's previous owner gigged with it quite often. Aside from a basic setup and little fret filing it has needed no major work and is in excellent shape. So the build quality is good, Blueridge guitars probably aren't going to fall apart on you as some value brands will.

If you're looking to buy new check with AGF sponsor Maury's Music. He's one of the largest Blueridge dealers in the country. I've never bought from him but have only heard good things and I imagine he can give you a better overall deal than what you'd find elsewhere.
https://www.maurysmusic.com/

https://www.maurysmusic.com/inc/sdet...43/35915/80419



You may also want to consider the BR-143. It's identical to the BR-43 except it is all solid wood. Price differences is about $200.
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Last edited by Rmz76; 03-20-2018 at 08:26 PM.
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Old 03-20-2018, 08:14 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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I second that. Check with Maury.
His policy is to inspect any Blueridge he receives before making it available for sale. If it does not meet with his standards it is returned not to be sold until it is either brought up to snuff or he won't offer it for sale.
He stands behind the product and will do his best to make a customer happy.
I have met him personally and he is a good dude. Blueridge guitars are good quality instruments and a good value IMHO.
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Old 03-20-2018, 08:21 PM
sabatini sabatini is offline
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I believe the OP was saying LAG guitars are European. They appear to be based in France though their guitars may be manufactured in China.
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Old 03-20-2018, 08:24 PM
Blunote Blunote is offline
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I concur with the previous post by RMZ76. My BR-43 was purchased new in 2009. It's gotten a lot of use in the years since then and still looks as good as the day I first brought it home. To be sure, I have other guitars that I enjoy more. But this is a yeoman's guitar -one I'm not afraid to take to a campfire, or travel with.

No issues whatsoever. No repairs required.

Build quality is excellent. Flawless, as far as I can tell.

The only beef I have with it is the no-brand open-back tuners. Not as solid as accurate, or solid as others I own. Thinking of replacing them.
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Old 03-20-2018, 08:26 PM
taylorgtr taylorgtr is offline
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If they made a BR-549 model, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

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Old 03-20-2018, 09:01 PM
zmf zmf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AcousticWoody View Post
Is there any newer feedback on Blue Ridge guitars? I am looking for a cheap 000 (BR-43?) to carry around and not worry too much about, but I want it to sound decent.
If you like a Martin-like, traditional Americana sort of sound, Blueridge is a good choice. The laminate back and side of the 43 and other double-digit models would be sturdy enough for tougher conditions. Even their all-laminate Bristol series has good, "traditional" tone.
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Old 03-20-2018, 09:44 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taylorgtr View Post
If they made a BR-549 model, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Especially if it was a banjo!

I wouldn't buy one from Junior though unless Roy demoed it first.
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Old 03-20-2018, 09:44 PM
AgentKooper AgentKooper is offline
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I have two Blueridges and a Martin. I went with all-solids: a BR-240A and a BR-163A. I’ll probably sell the dread, but only because I’ve learned dreads just aren’t my bag. It’s a great guitar. Which may explain why I still own it more than a year after deciding I should probably sell it. The 163A is a great size, perfect for when I want a little bigger sound than my 00-18 can give. The workmanship is good, not quite on par with the Martin, but still a great looking and feeling guitar. With it’s slightly heavier build and poly finish, it’s becoming the guitar I take out with me when I’m not sure how guitar friendly the scene is going to be. I don’t worry about letting my kids play it, or hanging out around the campfire with it.
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Old 03-21-2018, 12:09 AM
AgentKooper AgentKooper is offline
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It's interesting that you posted this tonight. I'd been thinking of writing something about my BR-163A. I've really been loving it lately. I bought it in the summer of 2016, and just a couple months later had an unexpected opportunity to buy a custom shop Martin 00-18. I had really been enjoying the 163A, but I'll be honest, the Martin was fantastic, and it had my full attention for over a year. So the new Blueridge that I'd been really into ended up in mothballs for awhile.

In the past couple weeks, though, I've been gravitating back toward the BR-163A, and I'm really appreciating it anew. It's a really cool-looking and great-sounding guitar, and it's a great complement to a mahogany 00.

An OM/000 size guitar is really really hard to beat. So is an 00. Some I'm grateful to have a good example of each!
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Old 03-21-2018, 12:09 AM
Wild Bill Jones Wild Bill Jones is offline
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Little Ramona would buy that BR-549 too.
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Old 03-21-2018, 04:58 AM
Cas-v86 Cas-v86 is offline
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I own a BR60 - basically the poor mans D28 - and the quality and finish are amazing. Truly great guitars. Mine was only 690 euros a few years ago and it has such amazing 'oompf' and projection. The sitka spruce is very good on Blueridge's. Have a go at a BR60 I'd say, but any will do.
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Old 03-21-2018, 07:15 AM
rmgjsps rmgjsps is offline
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I just bought a Blueridge BR-142 000 12-fret used on Reverb. This is a sweet guitar. Well made, comfortable neck. I have played a higher end BR-371 parlor size and it was really a super guitar -- a little small for me and a little too much bling and more money than I wanted to spend.

I've played a few other Blueridge models too, and I prefer them to similarly priced Yamahas (although I have not played any "better" Yamahas.)
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Old 03-21-2018, 07:55 AM
grasser grasser is offline
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I've had a BR-40, the dread version of the one you're looking at, for almost a year. Just a really good guitar in my opinion. Not going to say it sounds as good as a D-18, because my ear is not the most sophisticated and tastes differ, but I've played several D-18s lately and none have made me want to get rid of the Blueridge. Blueridge takes the best tone-producing features from Martins (solid top, forward-shifted and scalloped braces) to get you pretty close to that sound.

One thing you have to consider with Blueridge is they have very thin necks (top to bottom) and the non-adirondack models have 1 11/16" nuts. I really like the neck but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
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Old 03-21-2018, 07:59 AM
Texmex03 Texmex03 is offline
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Went to a local shop that had them the other day. They did sound nice and I know this sounds shallow but something to me is off on the looks of the ones he had in store. The busy and cheesy headstock inlays and banners on several of the models, very plain rosettes and the cheap feeling tuners turned me off.

I realize its all about sound but it just looked like someone just said we gotta put something on that headstock so lets just throw random crap on it.

If going simple look, I like the natural finish and simple understated appointments done like the dreadnought jr, which I recently purchased from GC and still in my 45 day preview period.
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