The Blueridge Mystique

Dogberry415 · #1 09-10-2010, 12:54 PM

Took my Yammy to a new luthier for a minor adjustment today, and when I got there I saw he was also a Blueridge dealer. While I was waiting, I played with a couple of his models... the BR-40 struck me as an amazing guitar for a laminate dread.

Why is the Blueridge name so rare in the retail world? Who makes them? They certainly don't have much of a web presence. I'd like to know more about the people who make these nice, little-known guitars.

Bingoccc · #2 09-10-2010, 01:01 PM

They're made in China. Maury, one of our sponsors, is a great place to go for one.

http://www.maurysmusic.com/blueridge_guitars

Wade Hampton · #3 09-10-2010, 01:06 PM

The Blueridge guitars are actually considerably better-known than you've been aware of, but that doesn't matter.

Blueridge guitars are made in Chinese factories for Saga Musical Instruments, which has its corporate headquarters in South San Francisco, California. Saga was founded by, is owned in its entirety and run by Richard Keldsen, who's a five string banjo player who was smart enough to spot a business opening when bluegrass music became widespread in the United States during the mid to late-1970's. At that time there was a rapidly expanding interest in the mandolin, but no US companies were making inexpensive instruments that suited the bluegrass style.

So Keldsen started importing mandolins from Japan, later South Korea, and now China. Guitars and banjos followed the mandolins, and now Saga carries a vast array of virtually every stringed acoustic instrument you can think of, with the exception of more esoteric instruments like autoharps and dulcimers.

But if it's in the violin family, they've got you covered. Same with mandolins, banjos and guitars. The various brand names they design and import include Blueridge guitars, Kentucky mandolins, Cremona violins, Regal resonator guitars, Gitane gypsy jazz guitars, and many, many more.

Hope this helps.

Wade Hampton Miller

L20A · #4 09-10-2010, 01:13 PM

Blueridge Guitars are ganning in popularity at a rather fast pace.
They are patterned after the old Pre-War Martins and Gibsons.
These guitars are great values and have a great tone. The quality is very good today but there were issues when they first came out.
Today's Blueridge Guitars are built so well, that they now come with lifetime warranty.

Yes that are Chineese imports and they are finished with a rather thick Poly finish but that isn't holding the sound back.

The lower end Blueridge guitars have laminated sides and backs.
The more expensice models are all solid wood.

Blueridge Guitars are some of the best guitars for the money on the market..

stuco · #5 09-10-2010, 01:21 PM

Blueridge makes pretty good guitars and they have been well known for many years now. However, as their price has crept up I no longer consider them to be worth it. Starting at close to $700 for what I would call their 'standard' guitars, (all solid wood) you are better off with a used larrivee/martin/guild/gibson/etc.

mondoslug · #6 09-10-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuco

Blueridge makes pretty good guitars and they have been well known for many years now. However, as their price has crept up I no longer consider them to be worth it. Starting at close to $700 for what I would call their 'standard' guitars, (all solid wood) you are better off with a used larrivee/martin/guild/gibson/etc.

I think it's like everything else...it just depends on the particular instrument. I have a BR-361 00-12 fret type thing. I love this guitar, I think it sounds great & as good as if not better sounding than several similar higher end guitars I've tried. $900 was not what I wanted to pay for a Blueridge guitar but I bought it for it's tone & playability.

That said, I played a couple of other 341s & 361s and I wouldn't have bought those.

Dogberry415 · #7 09-10-2010, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The Blueridge guitars are actually considerably better-known than you've been aware of, but that doesn't matter.

Yes, my naivete is showing. I did notice that they've received a lot of love in this forum. I'd just never seen one outside of this one luthier's shop... and selling instruments isn't even his main business. I was beginning to wonder if Blueridge was some kind of in-joke. :-)

Thanks for the historical information, Wade. It puts them into context very well.

Tuffythepug · #8 09-10-2010, 02:54 PM

A friend who I jam with occasionally has a BR-40 that his daughter gave him for Christmas. He's a very accomplished player who usually plays electric but when we do an acoustic jam he makes his Blueridge sound almost as good as a Martin. I think his daughter paid less than $600 for it. Pretty good guitar for the money. I usually play one of my Larrivee guitars when we play and I prefer the Larrivee sound but that Blueridge is a very good guitar.

dmcowles@comcas · #9 09-10-2010, 03:16 PM

If you check out www.blueridgeguitar.net you'll find all the information you could even wish for about these guitars, as well as many other good Asian imported guitars. There are numerous threads extolling the virtues of the laminated BR40.

Dave

Jeff M · #10 09-10-2010, 03:54 PM

"Mystique" is not a word I usually associate with Blueridge

Made in China.
Pretty well known brand....at least on the guitar forums.
Good guitars...especially for the price.
Other similar manufacturers include Eastman, Recording King, Guild GAD.

patticake · #11 09-10-2010, 04:21 PM

you need to check out maury's - they start at about half that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuco

Blueridge makes pretty good guitars and they have been well known for many years now. However, as their price has crept up I no longer consider them to be worth it. Starting at close to $700 for what I would call their 'standard' guitars, (all solid wood) you are better off with a used larrivee/martin/guild/gibson/etc.

Wade Hampton · #12 09-10-2010, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogberry415

Thanks for the historical information, Wade. It puts them into context very well.

You're quite welcome. I'm a friend of Richard Keldsen's, and have been ever since I visited the Master Model Kentucky Mandolin facility they had in the Japanese Alps in the early 1980's and wrote an article about it for Frets Magazine.

I saw Richard again, over in Germany this time, at the Frankfurt MusikMesse trade show in March. Saga is a good company with a nice array of products.

whm

ruger9 · #13 09-10-2010, 05:39 PM

Maybe it's just me, but I'm so sick of hearing people use "Yammy" for Yamaha... (no offense intended.)

I got a "Waldy"... alot of people here have "Martys" or "Taylees" or "Ovies" or "Taks" or "Blues" or...

Jeff M · #14 09-10-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruger9

Maybe it's just me, but I'm so sick of hearing people use "Yammy" for Yamaha... (no offense intended.)

I got a "Waldy"... alot of people here have "Martys" or "Taylees" or "Ovies" or "Taks" or "Blues" or...

There was a long...and mildly contentious...thread about just this issue a few months back. Titled something like "Why all the toddler talk?"

http://69.41.173.82/forums/showthrea...ight=baby+talk

66strummer · #15 09-10-2010, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuco

Blueridge makes pretty good guitars and they have been well known for many years now. However, as their price has crept up I no longer consider them to be worth it. Starting at close to $700 for what I would call their 'standard' guitars, (all solid wood) you are better off with a used larrivee/martin/guild/gibson/etc.

Not sure what you would expect to pay for an all solid Adi topped guitar from a bigger name like the ones you mentioned. Certainly not the amount you posted or even twice that amount. When Blueridge starts manufacturing Adi topped guitars that sell for well over $1K, then I think I might start to agree with what you said. I've seen folks buying the BR140A at insanely low prices considering it's features and well below what most used Martins go for.