<$1000 Guitar Review: Blueridge vs Eastman vs Recording King vs Alvarez

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by benbmw

Good suggestion, I plan to put D'Addario mediums on all the guitars and just replace the original strings before the return.

For everyone suggesting other guitars, I appreciate the ideas but at this point I'm pretty much set on one of the 4 coming my way already. Nonetheless, useful information for down the road!

-Ben

Why would you replace the original strings before returning the guitars? If you're really buying these just to test with and have plans to return, the least you could do is leave a new set of strings on them.

[ajerjo]

@benbmw, have any of the guitars arrived? Any initial thoughts? I'm considering an Alvarez MD60BG ;-)

[benbmw]

Originally Posted by ajerjo

@benbmw, have any of the guitars arrived? Any initial thoughts? I'm considering an Alvarez MD60BG ;-)

I do have all the guitars at this point. I hadn’t anticipated being so short on sunlight! I was able to record two of the guitars yesterday morning and two this morning, but tomorrow morning I want to film some more, possibly talk about my thoughts on them so far. Here’s what I’ve observed:

Recording King RD318
So far this is my least favorite one tone-wise, however I was impressed with the overall fit and finish. It sounds a bit too “plain” where the others have some more “color” to their tone.

Eastman E10D
Unfortunately the Eastman arrived with much more damage than I was made aware of. From the picture I knew it had some checking in the finish, and I even called to confirm that it was merely cosmetic, but when it arrived it was clear that it suffered from a lack of humidity control as the top was bellied way up and the bridge was cracked. It is still playable, although the action is high, but I would probably not keep this exact guitar if I end up liking the Eastman best. I like the volume and sustain, but to my ear the tone somewhat lacks in complexity.

Blueridge BR-140
I would say that the fit and finish on the Blueridge was the least impressive, and it arrived with the truss rod cranked wayyy to tight and the strings were piled against the fingerboard. Despite the lackluster first impressions, I have grown to really like its tone! It seems to be the loudest and most responsive of the 4 and it is very playable with the action properly adjusted.

Alvarez MD60BG
I may be biased by the <$500 price of the Alvarez (got it used in like-new condition), but it truly does hold its own with the Blueridge and Eastman. To my eye it is the best looking one of the bunch and it is unique to the others with a satin neck finish rather than gloss, which I find much easier to play. It has a great bottom end and a rather colorful tone, although the Blueridge has a slight edge tone-wise. Really the only thing I would count against it is the shallow C shaped neck, which I am not used to. I go back and forth between it and the Blueridge but tend to lean towards the Alvarez. I think the price really seals the deal for me, being nearly half the price of the Blueridge and Eastman.

Hopefully the editing process will be speedy and I can get the video out within a week or so. I want to find a program that can give me a waterfall plot of the frequency spectrum in order to provide some objective comparison between the 4. If anyone has suggestions for audio editing software that can do this please let me know!

-Ben

[zephystar]

I don't like the gloss finish on my Blueridge either. I took some 0000 steel wool to it and knocked the gloss way back then gave it a nice satin finish just by buffing with a microfiber towel. Now it feels great, just like my D-28.

[ajerjo]

Thanks for the preview, Ben! This is a neat comparison.

[benbmw]

Originally Posted by zephystar

I don't like the gloss finish on my Blueridge either. I took some 0000 steel wool to it and knocked the gloss way back then gave it a nice satin finish just by buffing with a microfiber towel. Now it feels great, just like my D-28.

Great tip Zephystar! Good to have in mind for this decision as well as future ones.

-Ben

[Martin_F]

I think you should have considered the Yamaha Red Label series of guitars in this test. I believe they might have been very competitive and likely better than the other guitars in this test.

The FG3 would have been below your budget in the US for sure. The FG5 would have been close.

Good luck on the test!

Martin

[Ed66]

That Alvarez MD60BG is, in my books, one of the best deals out there. It may not have a real competitor at or below its current price. I played one a few months back in my local store and was stunned at how good it was. If I didn't already own its all mahogany sibling it would have come home with me.

[L20A]

If you go with the Alvarez consider a few upgrades for it.
A new 40's or 50'd style pick guard and a set of Grover Open Back Tuners

Without even listening to your recordings, I'm rooting for the Alvarez.

[benbmw]

Originally Posted by L20A

If you go with the Alvarez consider a few upgrades for it.
A new 40's or 50'd style pick guard and a set of Grover Open Back Tuners

Without even listening to your recordings, I'm rooting for the Alvarez.

Thanks for the recommendations. I have been playing more over the past few days and I think its still a tight competition between the Blueridge and the Alvarez.

One thing I've noticed after getting more comfortable with both guitars is that the Blueridge can definitely be driven harder(*more headroom*). If they are played moderately they both sound great and "big" but as I really dig in the Alvarez seems to plateau whereas the Blueridge has more to give. The Alvarez has a lower action, which may have an affect on this? I have backed off on the truss rod a little bit to see if I notice a change for the better over the next few days.

I am also really rooting for the Alvarez, and as others have said the price really cant be beat, but I went in with the budget for the Blueridge so I don't want price to disqualify it. I would be curious to hear others experience with driving the Alvarez hard. It is known for having volume, but has anyone else experienced it "topping out" a little too soon?

*EDIT*
Another thing I have noticed is that sometimes, typically only after playing alot, I will be flatpicking something on the Alvarez and notice that I am having to strain my thumb against the back of the neck (almost like a classical guitarist's left thumb position) in order to comfortably fret notes fast. If I switch to the Blueridge the thicker neck profile fills out my palm better and my thumb doesn't have to do as much work. I'm not sure if this is just a technique issue on my part and the Blueridge allows me to be lazy, or if my hand/playing style suits the Blueridge neck better.

-Ben

[PappyVanWinkle]

My shootout was between the E10D and the BR-140A. The BR won for me because I preferred the neck shape and fretboard radius, but both are fine guitars. I agree regarding the gloss neck though, not ideal.

I haven't played the Alvarez, but all these threads make me want to check it out.