Reviews of the Best Blueridge Guitars!
Blueridge Guitars represent a turning point in the production of top quality guitars at rock-bottom prices. These are the “go-to” instruments for the country, folk, blues and bluegrass crowd.
BR40 | BR43 | BR60 |
Solid top beginner guitar OR perfect upgrade model | Slim, auditorium size with solid top for beginners and intermediate players | Solid top guitar with attractive mother of pearl inlays |
BG60 Slope Shoulder
|
BR143A
|
BR140A
|
Why a slope-shoulder? They are easier to hold given their rounded shape. | Vintage-style guitar with smaller, 000 solid-body guitar | Large-sound, vintage, solid wood guitar |
BR70
|
BR163A
|
BG60 Slope Shoulder
|
Stunning abalone shimmers all around this guitar. Loud, full bass and crisp highs | All solid wood. Very resonant and easy to play. | Drop dead beautiful guitar. Comes close in sound to Martin! |
BR180A
|
BR183A
|
|
Stunning beauty that sounds fabulous! Compare her to the Martins! | Small 000 body with looks like no other! Sound tone and volume defies size. |
Guitars of the Golden Age
In times past, purchasing a “budget-priced” guitar meant sacrificing quality in order to be able to afford an instrument. Even today, many guitar companies produce a line of “low cost” guitars that they trust will sell simply because they carry the company’s brand name. Blueridge Guitars represent a turning point in this tradition.
Owned by Saga Musical Instruments,
Blueridge Guitars
specialize in creating historic and pre-WWII guitar reproductions that have earned a great deal of praise from guitar publications such as Guitarist Magazine, Music Maker, and Total Guitar because of their low price and top-notch quality. Blueridge instruments are especially popular for those who enjoy playing folk, country, blues and bluegrass music.
Blueridge got its start in the 1990’s when guitar manufacturers began moving their centers of production from Korea to China in order to stay competitive. Saga took advantage of low-cost guitar production in China and began producing incredibly detailed reproductions of top-quality vintage guitars. The result is a line of guitars produced by Blueridge that have the finest features from the Golden Era; including the traditional dovetail neck/body joint and adjustable truss rod. While Saga owns a number of guitar lines, Blueridge focuses solely on creating acoustic and electric-acoustic models. This means that the company focuses on the quality of their acoustic instruments instead of having to spread their attention between building acoustic and other varieties of guitars.
Blueridge Artists
Blueridge guitars are known as the workingman’s guitar, and as such they are valued by musicians who appreciate the quality and sound of a well-made guitar but cannot afford the price of the better-known names. Artists such as the UK Bluesman Martin Harley and guitarist Jimmy Capps both play Blueridge and speak highly of them.
Popular Models
The Blueridge Carter Stanley Memorial Guitar is a popular Blueridge Guitar, modeled after the guitar used by Carter Stanley during his illustrious career. It is very distinctive in its look and includes all of the custom features Stanley had built into his own guitar. This particular model is one of Blueridge’s Memorial line, and is the more expensive of Blueridge’s models with a list price of $1,795.
The Blueridge Contemporary Series 000 is another Blueridge line that sells well. They have excellent resonance and are lightweight, but strong enough to take the punishment of everyday usage. These guitars are crafted to look like Golden Era guitars; but unlike the Memorial Series, the Contemporary Series are much more affordably priced.
Seeking a traditional-style dreadnought? The
Blueridge BR-140A (~$779) strongly resembles its more expensive counterpart, the
Martin D-18 (~$1,999). The Blueridge BR140 is perfect for playing the fast tempos and fingerpicking of bluegrass music.
Want the sound of a Martin guitar without paying the price? Below are Blueridge models that closely resemble their more expensive Martin counterparts:
Blueridge BR-40
vs. Martin DM
Blueridge BR-43
vs. Martin 000M
Blueridge BR-60
vs. Martin DR
Blueridge BR-70
vs. Martin DR
Blueridge BR-140A
vs. Martin D-18V
Blueridge BR-143A
vs. Martin OM-18V
Blueridge BR-160 vs. Martin HD-28V
Blueridge BR-163A
vs. Martin OM-28V
Blueridge BR-180A
vs. Martin D-42
Blueridge BR-183A
vs. Martin OM-42
Why a Blueridge?
Quality speaks for itself. Blueridge has quality and tone that appeal to musicians who value quality in their instrument without having to pay exorbitant amounts of money. For those acoustic guitarists looking for a top-quality instrument but working within a limited budget, a Blueridge Guitar may be just what they are looking for. Plus, Blueridge Guitars now come with a Lifetime Warranty!
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Blueridge Acoustic Guitars
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