Sound Test of my Blueridge vs. Martin Golden Era

pushinforty · #1 05-03-2009, 07:52 AM

I thought this might be helpful to people who are curious about the Blueridge Instruments. I was just messing around yesterday and decided to compare these two guitars directly under the same conditions. Both were recorded in a 12 X14 room with carpeted floors, using the internal mic of a Marantz Professional CD Recorder, about 18" from the mic. I reveal which guitar is which at the end...

The order is:

Guitar 1 flatpicked
Guitar 2 flatpicked
Guitar 1 fingerpicked
Guiar 2 fingerpicked

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getpl...d=7569970&q=hi

chitz · #2 05-03-2009, 08:18 AM

I liked the BR best. Thanks for sharing.

I was listening thru KRK studio speakers if it matters. Quite good sound.

banjar · #3 05-03-2009, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pushinforty

I thought this might be helpful to people who are curious about the Blueridge Instruments. I was just messing around yesterday and decided to compare these two guitars directly under the same conditions. Both were recorded in a 12 X14 room with carpeted floors, using the internal mic of a Marantz Professional CD Recorder, about 18" from the mic. I reveal which guitar is which at the end...

The order is:

Guitar 1 flatpicked
Guitar 2 flatpicked
Guitar 1 fingerpicked
Guiar 2 fingerpicked

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getpl...d=7569970&q=hi

is there any way to download it? I cant stream it on dialup

rmyAddison · #4 05-03-2009, 08:33 AM

Thanks for the recording but.................

Why would you compare a short scale, small body Mahogany with a Rosewood dread? Different woods, different body sizes and different scale lengths? What's to compare with a short scale Mahogany fingerpicker and a Rosewood dread, regardless of brands?

Not trying to give you a hard time, and I appreciate the recording but if you want to compare the Blueridge dread to a Martin, which would be interesting, shouldn't it be an Adi top rosewood Martin dread? Apples and Oranges to me, sorry. To differentiate an A/B needs to be "like to like" as closely as possible.....

But again thanks for you time, just don't see any valid comparison.

skiltrip · #5 05-03-2009, 08:33 AM

I liked the Martin best on both parts, but I was hoping that guitar #1 was the Blueridge! Thanks for posting that. Those type of A/B comparisons are extremely helpful.

Twelvefret · #6 05-03-2009, 08:45 AM

Since I started recording about 18 months ago I have learned that instruments that record well may not be the best acoustically. I just posted a sound file over on the song project page using a D-18GE with 3 year old strings. I don't think you could tell if I had not said so.

Other factors when comparing guitars include playability such as the shape and width of the neck. The BR's I have played had narrow small necks which are going to appeal to some players more than others.

Lastly, is the BR going to hold up after 20 years of continuous playing? Old Martins have that staying power.

charlie

ahorsewithnonam · #7 05-03-2009, 08:48 AM

Which one is guitar1?

Hambone · #8 05-03-2009, 08:52 AM

Thanks. A couple of obervations. I thought guitar #1 sounded fantastic, and ID'd it as the Martin after the flatpicking segment.

#2 had the "metallic ring" I associate with rosewood, but with all due respect, and considering I'm only hearing it through a laptop, it wasn't as "musical" a metallic ring as my Martin rosewoods.

Interesting comparison though, they are night and day.

pushinforty · #9 05-03-2009, 09:24 AM

Well, of course, ideally one would compare the exact same body types and woods. But I don't own those guitars so I can't do that.

What strikes me as interesting is the increased bass response in the 000 compared to the dred, and in the mahogany compared to the rosewood. It certainly goes against traditional stereotypes, and also shows that the quality of build and of the woods may matter more than the body size/wood combinations.

Frankly, I like them both very much and the Blueridge is remarkable for the money (about 25% of the cost of the Martin).

SpruceTop · #10 05-03-2009, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

Thanks for the recording but.................

Why would you compare a short scale, small body Mahogany with a Rosewood dread? Different woods, different body sizes and different scale lengths? What's to compare with a short scale Mahogany fingerpicker and a Rosewood dread, regardless of brands?

Not trying to give you a hard time, and I appreciate the recording but if you want to compare the Blueridge dread to a Martin, which would be interesting, shouldn't it be an Adi top rosewood Martin dread? Apples and Oranges to me, sorry. To differentiate an A/B needs to be "like to like" as closely as possible.....

But again thanks for you time, just don't see any valid comparison.

Hi rmyAddison & All,

I agree with the invalidity of pushinforty's guitar comparison but it does demonstrate that recording-wise, under like conditions, the Blueridge delivers a pleasing tone that isn't too far removed from the quality level of the recording's Martin's fine tone. From the recording, I wonder how many of us preferred the Blueridge's tone over the Martin's?

Let's face it, most of the sound/tone from a guitar is produced by the strings driving the guitar structure, i.e., soundbox/neck, etc. I feel as long as the materials used to construct the guitar are of decent, all-solid-wood quality and crafted fairly well, the majority of tone that a guitar can produce has been met. My statement is a simplification but I think it supports the initial reaction many of us have had when playing our first Blueridge dread and thinking something like, "Why would anyone want to buy a Martin for three or four times the price?" Of course, examination of the Blueridge, inside and out, reveals a much lower level of craftsmanship than a Martin. Playing two like-models in a Blueridge and Martin, side-by-side, I'm sure would lead most players to choose the Martin's tone over the Blueridge's.

I'd like to hear tonal tests that compare a Martin HD-28V with a Blueridge BR-160. This would be a good comparison pitting a Martin forward-shifted, scalloped-braced, rosewood dread against the Blueridge equivalent that sells street-priced for about 25% of the Martin's street-price.

Regards,

SpruceTop

skiltrip · #11 05-03-2009, 09:49 AM

I find in general, and there are always exceptions, but in general, mahogany records better than rosewood.

mondoslug · #12 05-03-2009, 09:52 AM

I wish Blueridge would do the wider nut...I'd probably have a few more.

I have the Parlour which is 1 7/8" & it's just killer(to me)....can't stress it enough. I could deal with the fake D-45 stuff all over the headstock if they'd just offer a 1 & 3/4" nut or similar in a 000, OM size.

rlouie · #13 05-03-2009, 10:11 AM

they both sounded very good to me, which in and of itself is a bit eye opening!!!!

banjar · #14 05-03-2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mondoslug

I wish Blueridge would do the wider nut...I'd probably have a few more.

I have the Parlour which is 1 7/8" & it's just killer(to me)....can't stress it enough. I could deal with the fake D-45 stuff all over the headstock if they'd just offer a 1 & 3/4' nut or similar in a 000, OM size.

I believe they have done runs of 1 3/4" nut BR-143, with less bling. Unless I'm thinking of the 140..

Martin_Nut · #15 05-03-2009, 10:15 AM

Kinda fun. I enjoyed the comparison just for the fun of it! Thanks. Took me about 5 seconds of hearing both flatpicked to ID which I preferred - the Martin, in this case. Funny, I have played lots of Martin dreads - own 5, both Mahogany and EIR - and have played some EIR Blueridge guitars and A/Bd in stores. Not all nice Martins light my pipe - this one did, at least as far as this recording. Blueridge are real nice guitars for the money, and this one sounded OK - maybe a tad thin sounding for my tastes. I will say that it may well sound better than D-18s and D-28s that I have owned, adjusting for the medium, that did not quite have "it" for me.

Thanks again for doing this.

John