Blueridge BG-140

Gloss finish, slope-shoulder modified dread. Very fancy but still tasteful with unbound neck, bound body. Solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides. rosewood f/board with very nice floral inlays. Open tuners, but they work. Very light in weight. Forward-shifted X bracing. One big problem-- it has a scarfed-on headstock. I don't mind a Spanish heel but I dislike a scarfed headstock, so I'm knocking off a couple from the score. The neck itself is very thin and comfortable and the scale is 24.75. Otherwise it's great. Very well made and sounding guitar.

Very loud and very bright but well-balanced. Needs some time to open up but already has that light dry airy mahogany tone I was looking for. Very nice for fingerstyle, bit less convincing strummed-- I think it's the short scale. Nice for blues. Really for the money you would struggle to get better and this keeps up with big-name Americans in the tone stakes.

Very well made-- frets-- lovely, perfectly finished. The lacquer is high gloss but not heavy or thick, you can see the texture of the grain just as you should. All the bracing and kerfing is well done, no glue blobs. Inlays are a floral design and very well done. Rosewood board. Generally the build quality is great-- it's what Gibson should be producing, frankly. Action exactly the way I like it out of the box, no fret buzz, easy to play.

This standard of finish routinely escapes certain "big-name" makers and they really need to get a grip. I was really reluctant to buy a Chinese guitar because I've had so many bad experiences with POS Korean guitars, but after having this I can honestly say I would consider top-end Chinese on a level with American guitars now.

Not had it long enough to comment.

No Idea

Very good. I was looking for the mahogany sound and this has it in buckets. I would readily recommend one of these. In fact guitars like this show up a lot of flaws in the market-- in specification, woods, finish and sound this guitar gives any of the big-name US brands a real run for the money, based on side-by side tests. It's very hard to see how it can be reasonable to ask four times as much for a US guitar that is better, maybe, on a couple of minor details. The ONLY thing that lets this guitar down is that scarf joint in the neck, and frankly most players will never even notice.

Body - dreadnought - soft shoulder design. no-name brand tuners. Rosewood fretboard. no accessories. 1996 (I think) Solid top. no electronics. Black sunburst. Nice look.

Guitar is loud. Sounds good, but definitely needs to season. Sometimes I love the sound, other times I get frustrated. Better when finger picking than when strumming.

Guitar could have been set up better. It doesn't strsse me too much but not the feel my other guitars have. Maybe just what I am used to.

Got to say - I'm not impressed. Tuners are no name brand and are very tight - I've had one of the turners give me a problem and I worry that they won't last. I planned on replacing them, but another problem popped up. I was concerned about the top cracking because of reports of that problem happening on other Blueridge guitars (See Deadeye) The top on my Bluderidge cracked this past week - two cracks actually - one is so sever that the guitar is now in danger of coming apart.

If you are looking at buying a Blueridge guitar or if you have one, ask your dealer about this problem. Although this guitar is less expensive that that other guitars that give a good sound, you might be wasting your money.

I will be taking my Blueridge back to the dealer and hopefully I can get this issue resolved.

Bought this through a very reputable dealer. My favourite guitar store of any that I have ever been in.

I play 5 other guitars - two electrics, two xix strings, and a 12 string. As for sound compared to my other accoustics - I like the blueridge better, but the Blueridge has proven to be no whare near as reliable. I have 25 year old Flambeau that has taken a beating over that time, and it is still solid - My bluedrige did't last a year without a sever crack showing up.

sunburst finish. soft shoulder dread. no-name tuners. Rosewood fretboard. No accessories. Chinese made - not sure of the year but probably 2006 or 2007. solid top, back and sides. pure accoustic - no electronics

This guitar is louder than my other accoustics. Good sound, but needs to season. I'm still getting used to the sound in comparison to my other guitars, but it is louder and brigter.

Sunburst finish. Has a neat look of old bluegrass guitars. Nice sides and back finish. throwback inlays are cool. Haven't noticed any blemishes. didn't take long to get some scratches around pickguard, but it goes with the way I play. Tuners are quite plain but the look goes with the retro look of the guitar, but more about the turners later. Guitar was nicely set up, but I expect that was ensured by the dealer (local dealer) as they are a very professional and experienced shop. This guitar is very light weight compared to my other guitars, which I didn't think were very heavy either.

No idea of this guitar's reliability. I have read that tuners aren't very reliable. I'm thinking of replacing them, but keeping the originals to put back on if I ever sell this guitar, which I doubt that I will. Lower rating because of tuners. I've read forum comments that suggest problems with cracking of the top, although it seems to be isolated cases from a few years ago. No problems with mine so far, but I will be watching for this.

Don't know about distributer support. I know I can get good suppor from the local dealer. High rating for the dealer.

I've been playing off and on for 25 years. Mostly rhythm and some fingerpicking. Other accoustic guitars - Japanese built Ibanez Concord 12 string (1970's). Flambeau 6 string (Japanese built in 80's- designed by Louden). Korean built Ibanez 6 string with electronics (3 years old).

I would have liked a guitar strap pin on the neck, although I don't know if I'll even install one on this guitar as I have on my others.

I would have asked about the tuners based on what I have read recently. I plan on purchasing a fishman soundhold pick up to plug in. I have 2 soundhole pickups but not very good ones, but sound thru my accoustic amp is still reasonable.

Sunburst finish, Slope Shoulder Dread, No Name Tuners, Thin neck, Made in 2006, Solid Spruce Top, Solid Mahogany Back and Sides, Pure Acoustic no extra gizmos or pickups. Excellent Materials for the Price Point.

I strum for the most part, I like Dylan, Young, Guthrie, etc. Some figerpicking and flatpicking. The sound on this guitar is very full and loud, I find it to be compressed and clean (i.e. no peircing highs), but it is not dull either. I like the sound very much. Moving the pick around provides a variety of tones and lets me adjust the sound to my tase for a particular song. Nothing is perfect, but again I have been super impressed with the Blueridge line.

Some small chips on the side of the fretboard finish, the finish gets a little thick near the neck and fingerboard. If there is a compromise on this guitar, the finish is probably it. I think the finish is neatly applied on 98 percent of the instrument and is nice and light. The finish seems to pick up fine scratches easily, but this is my first dark colored dread. Most have had natural finish tops.

I hear a lot of talk about reliability. I think this is name brand fans bagging on a lower priced instrument that rivals performance. I have owned other Blueridge guitars and never had a problem. I would suggest avoiding internet dealers and go with a real guitar shop(this does not include MF, et. al.). A real service oriented guitar shop will turn these into real gems, and weed out the flawed units. If you have to go mail order, I would recommend Gruhn or Elderly.

No problems yet. I trust my guitar shop to make sure any problems are addresed. Either by them, or the vendor.

I have been plaing 20 years. I own Tacoma DR18, Washburn Maple Dread, Babicz Identity Dread, Garrison G-30, Blueridge BR160, Ovation Celebrity 6 string, and Ovation Celebrity 12 string, Martin LX1, Larrivee Parlor Koa Top, Alvarez MSD1. I love the shorter scale the Old J-45 look and awesome sound. I base my rating on the cost of the instrument and the product I received. I am very happy! E.M. Shorts guitars sold me this instrument and my Larrivee, they have been very good at setup and support.

Solid top, solid mahogany back and sides, slope shoulder dread, bone nut, pealoid inlays. Would like to have seen fretboard side moulding.

LOUD!!! Its a very loud acoustic guitar. I've owned several dreads of various manufacture and none I've played were as loud as this. The sound is as nice as any custom made guitar I've played. The lows are low, the mids are mid and the highs are high. Everything seperates nicely. Meaning you can hear the individual tones clearly with little blending. Playing hard, or playing softly, it still retains its sonic qualities. Its very versatile and suitable for just about any music style. As its a brand new solid wood guitar, the sound will need to open up over time. As it stands now, its pretty open. So I see it a few years down the road as sounding like a guitar that costs 10x what I paid.

The finish has some small issues. Overall its applied evenly and not too think. Its not a big clunky coating like some cheap guitars. The only issue I have with the finish is on the top where the fretboard meets the body, some finish seemed to gather at the seams and its a wee bit thick. I dont see this as effecting sound quality though. The bridge saddle out of the box was EXTREMELY high. I had to sand about a 3rd of it down to get the level I wanted. I also took it to a tech to adjust the neck. I may have the nut lowered, but I'll wait till the guitar settles over a few mos, before I make a commitment like that. Even though I had small issues with fit & finish, they are minor and over all its a VERY well built guitar. You wont come close to the quality for this price range.

I don't know yet, I got it on Tuesday. Today is Saturday.

I use my own tech, as everyone should. Using factory repair people should only be done if there is a major catostrophic failure with construction and you are still under warranty. Otherwise, you'll get your guitar back sooner using a local repair person and you'll pay less in repairs than you would in shipping your guitar to the factory.

Its a great guitar. Not just for the money, but a great guitar PERIOD!
Its supposed to be a copy of the Gibson J45, but it sounds far better than any J45 I've played (new or old). Compare: new Gibson J45= $2000, new retail price for a BG-140= $600. Its a great player and an incredible sound. I bought mine from a dealer who tried auctioning it several times and never met reserve. I offered him a price far less than dealer cost and he took it!

Solid top, solid mahogany back and sides, slope shoulder dread, bone nut, pealoid inlays. Would like to have seen fretboard side moulding.

LOUD!!! Its a very loud acoustic guitar. I've owned several dreads of various manufacture and none I've played were as loud as this. The sound is as nice as any custom made guitar I've played. The lows are low, the mids are mid and the highs are high. Everything seperates nicely. Meaning you can hear the individual tones clearly with little blending. Playing hard, or playing softly, it still retains its sonic qualities. Its very versatile and suitable for just about any music style. As its a brand new solid wood guitar, the sound will need to open up over time. As it stands now, its pretty open. So I see it a few years down the road as sounding like a guitar that costs 10x what I paid.

The finish has some small issues. Overall its applied evenly and not too think. Its not a big clunky coating like some cheap guitars. The only issue I have with the finish is on the top where the fretboard meets the body, some finish seemed to gather at the seams and its a wee bit thick. I dont see this as effecting sound quality though. The bridge saddle out of the box was EXTREMELY high. I had to sand about a 3rd of it down to get the level I wanted. I also took it to a tech to adjust the neck. I may have the nut lowered, but I'll wait till the guitar settles over a few mos, before I make a commitment like that. Even though I had small issues with fit & finish, they are minor and over all its a VERY well built guitar. You won come close to the quality for this price range.

I don't know yet, I got it on Tuesday. Today is Saturday.

I use my own tech, as everyone should. Using factory repair people should only be done if there is a major catostrophic failure with construction and you are still under warranty. Otherwise, you'll get your guitar back sooner using a local repair person and you'll pay less in repairs than you would in shipping your guitar to the factory.

Its a great guitar. Not just for the money, but a great guitar PERIOD!
Its supposed to be a copy of the Gibson J45, but it sounds far better than any J45 I've played (new or old). Compare: new Gibson J45= $2000, new retail price for a BG-140= $600. Its a great player and an incredible sound. I bought mine from a dealer who tried auctioning it several times and never met reserve. I offered him a price far less than dealer cost and he took it!

Solid top and sides. Nice inlay work. good feel and balance. Sitka spruce top, rosewood sides and back. Built just like a 50's J-45 Gibson. Nice job for a Chinese made instrument. And the price?? Unbeatable!! Got mine for $450.00!!Nice hardshell case( better than the case that came with my Martin!!)

Great guitar for finger picking. The notes by themselves ring strong and loud!! Did I mention LOUD!!

Factory set-up was good. I am going to take it to a friend of mine to do a special set-up for bluegrass rhythm.

Only time will tell on these. Haven't had enough time to see how it will hold up. Who cares at this price!!

not going to bother. I will take to someone who knows what they are doing. Who cares for the price!!!

I own a Martin, Larivee, and Ovation.They all sound different, but single notes on the Blueridge are definetly louder!

This review if for a Blueridge BG-140 guitar. The mahagony sides and back as well as the spruce top are all solid wood. It has a sunburst top, not blended as well as the Gibson J-200 I once owed. The tuners are workable, but kind of cheap looking. The pick guard is already pulling off the top. Action was high, but I'm working on that (more later).

The sound is is amazing for such an inexpensive guitar. Loud, good bass, even mids and highs. Great for finger picking or strumming. I didn't think it would sound this good.

Action was high. The first thing I noticed that there was something wrong with the intonation of this guitar on the low E string. My tuner would display that my low E string was in tune, but when I fingured the E string on the third fret, the sound was way off. I thought a new set of strings would help, so I changed strings. When doing so I found the real cause, the saddle was badly chipped right under the low E string. I called the place I bought the guitar (OnLine guitar on Ebay). Say said mail it back and they would send me a new saddle. That was 1 1/2 months ago, no word. I ended up taken an extra saddle I had and using it. The problem went away, but very poor after purchase service from OnLine guitars. They won't even answer their emails.

The rest of the guitar seemed very good, well built.

This guitar was meant to be my carry around guitar. I haven't gone anywhere yet, but I have no doubt this will be a fine guitar. It might just impress a few people.

Saga - haven't tried to contact them yet.
OnLine guitars - where I bought it. Good price, poor after sales support.

I've been playing on and off since 1970. My first good guitar was a Gibson J-50. I miss it. I have owned a Gibson J-200, various top end Ovations, and some hand made guitars. Sound wise this is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever owned. It is really the best bang for the buck. I wouldn't dump my hand made guitars for this guitar, but it is a keeper in my book.

This is a 2005 Blueridge's Chinese made 2005 historical copy of Gibson's famous slope shouldered J-45. It it solid wood: Spruce top with Solid mahogany back and sides. Nice job on the sunburst finish which is framed with an off white binding. It is true to Gibson's shorter length on the neck ( which makes for easy playing in my opinion). Pearloid open tuners which are a brassy gold color. Well done mother of pearl inlays on both the fret board and headstock. Overall a very nice looking instrument. Any other guitar with this look and quality on the market would be twice the price. I paid $600 including a Superior brand hard shell case new in 2005 from a Blueridge Dealer outside of Boston. It has a "dalmation" pickgaurd.

I was thrilled with the sound, a solid booming bass with a nice balance of cutting highs. I guess that's why The slope shoulder models are so highly praised. It actually sounded better than 2 J-45's I played at a National chain . Part of that might be because they don't bother to set up their gits very well or change the strings regularly-but I digress. I play 80's alt stuff and some old rock & roll (Everly brothers etc..) I have an 83 Ovation collectors shallow body-original owner-which I used to play out plugged in but now that I'm older I wanted something that sounded great acoustic around the house or miked in small clubs. This guitar really delivers on the sound. My first night out playing it people were asking what brand it was and this was at a Blue grass open mike. I've heard better But not in this price range!!!
At this price range it's really worth saving the extra money to get a Solid wood instrument.

The Sunburst is great with a nice finish. Nice deep color in the mohogany back and sides. However not all is grand. I had some buzzing on the A string so I put on some GHS lights which I usually use anyway. It solved the problem with little sacrifice in the bass end. The tuners are suspect. They hold tune but they probably would be the first thing I change. The action is average. I might have it lowered if anything. ** one issue was the pickgaurd-it was coming up slightly when I purchase it. I'v heard the same from other owners on the internet. The dealer I bought it from said use a hair dryer to fix this -DON"T. I took it to a well known Luthier and he re-adhered it. It took him 2 attempts which he attributed to the finish. I probably should have sprung for a custom color pick guard.
I did see a blemish on 1 guitar bridge on a rosewood model in store.

I have used it without a backup live. Like I said- an upgrade for tuners would be a good investment. Pickgaurd was an issue. These are the sacrifices at this price range. I hope it holds up over the years like my American made electrics. Time will tell.

Took 6 weeks to get an e-mail from SAGA about warranty and strings. Not good sign. However I did get a phone call from a rep when I was looking to play a B-140 in my area, one day after my e-mail. Had to drive 75 miles to find one. Warranty is a year. Unless it's a major issue I would just use my guy.

I've been playing for 25 years- I own a 83 Fender P-bass Special-82 Les paul Standard-89 Kramer Ferrington Acous-elec Bass-78 Rickenbacher 4001 bass-89 Washburn D-10- 1983 ovation collector-1990 Epiphone Les Paul.
I really like this guitar. It's what I wanted for less than I thought I would have to pay for the features and quality. I would definately replace it. I would even consider buying one of their dread models if I could sneek it in past my wife.

Slope-shouldered sunburst copy of a J 45- solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, plastic tuners

Rich sound- superior in some ways to my Gibson WM45 - I find the midrange and trebles comparable to Gibsons- with the bass being a bit tighter on the Blueridge.
Sweet tone- nice for country/rock, fingerstyle, Beatles- or blues

Sounded fine out of the box, but needed a set-up

Tuners might be a problem down the road- otherwise fine

I've been playing since 14 years of age(I'm 55)-Blueridges are pound for pound the best guitar deals on the market. I own Martin, Gretsch, Epiphone, Fenders, Kay, Gibsons, G and L, Guild and others. Blueridge can play up there with the big boys regardless of the price(very reasonable). Great guitars!

This was a 2005 model, made in china. Round shouldered tobacco sunburst (Stunningly beautiful guitar). Close copy of a J 45

Would be fine for any style known for acoustic guitar. It did have a lot of Gibson J45 characteristics which we me is a love hate relationship. This Blueridge could not be compared to the ones I love. Volume is mediocre and tended to not bring out the low end.

Beatiful to behold, and well constructed, good joints etc, Wonderful wood. Action was as good as you could want. As others have noted, the frets have been carefully polished so that they feel silky smooth at the edge of the fingerboard, This is hard to find in any brand.

Houston we Have a Problem, This is what made me not buy this guitar. I spent nearly three hours evaluating this guitar and a couple of other models. I know that this is a low line import and do not expect it to be the quality of my martins etc, but as the stor tech was putting on new strings due to one being dead, one of the vintage looking plastic tuners twisted off and he did not have a replacement in the store. I just felt this was an omen but in spite of this, if you want a relable guitar and since this guitar isnt going to escalate in blue book value, I would give one a try but would drop in some new Grovers or something. I am going to be generous in this catagory as this may have been a fluke.

Cant say

I play everthing from Bluegrass to country and southern rock. I play paying gigs at clubs etc, been playing 30 years or more. I am serious about music. I dont give much stock to brand loyalty and have heard some Martins and Gibsons that sounded like crap. I left the stor that day with a Martin DCX1RE and although not an all solid wood guitar, it far and away kicked the blueridge's butt on all points. PLus the martin is ready to go on stage without adding pickups.

Slope shoulder dreadnaught. Solid Spruce top, solid mahogany sides and back,and neck. Urethane finish, open butterbean style tuners, Rosewood fretboard, and bridge. Bone nut and saddle. White plastic binding, Salloped bracing.
Neck is fairly chunky. Not unlike a Gibson from the 50's and early 60's. Tobbacco sunburst. Dark stained back and sides.

Loud, warm, dynamic and complex tone. Very well balanced sound with the slope shoulder warmth that square shoulder dreadnaughts don't have. Tuners are suspect. But an easy remedy,and inexpensive.
If you are a songwriter and solo this might be an excellent choice . By virtue of the loud tone if nothing else. Very crisp and when this opens up it'll run any Gibson on a fast track. Did I mention it is loud? It is loud!

Action is a non-issue since anybody who buys a guitar has their own setups in mind. I played this at Elderly Instruments and did not buy it. But I played it a long time and have a very good feel for it.
Since Elderly sets up every guitar that goes out on the showroom floor the action was pretty right on the money.
Nice body feel. Very balanced and beefy. Not heavy but the neck is pretty chunky. Nice feel to me. Reminds me of my older Guilds.
Urethane finish was applied evenly and no flaws were visible. The frets seemed high in a few spots but that's no big deal either.
Binding was clean as was the inlay on the neck. No filler to be seen.
Nut and saddle are bone and well done. Lends a nice ring to the tone. Better than Micarta or any other Bone replacement. Bone is )to my ears) the best.
Frets were of medium size and cleanly put in. The high spots were a concern. Tho not a big one.And it may well have been the strings it came with. Loud guitar.

I own a, BR-160 and reliability is not an issue either. very solid so far.

DO NOT BUY THES BLUERIDGE GUITARS ON LINE! I found outthe hard way that if you buy a Blueridge on line and if it has problems you have to send it back to where you got the thing. Then they send it back to Blueridge(Saga Musical Instruments) and then they look at it and decide what to do with it. all of which may take months. and more shipping costs. Let the Buyer Beware!!!!

I was extremely impressed with this guitar. I did an A/B comparison to a new Gibson J-45 and it was better than the Gibson. Tho today's recent Gibson Acoustics have not been impressive. I also compared to it an old 60's " J" style and because it was so new the sound could'nt be compared to an instrument close to 40 years old.
It is loud crisp and clean with a very nice balance in tone. there is a strap button on the neck already and the neck being fairly beefy,iy is a joy to play. I owuld love to thear this guitar with mediuma strings on it. I would use this guitar in any style of music. Especially for strumming and singing. Very nice. and for the money you can't go wrong.

This is a all solid wood slope-shouldered dreadnaught, mahogany back and sides, spruce top, mahogany neck, bone nut and saddle, rosewood fingerboard; the finish is sunburst. The neck is 14 frets to the body with a 24.75" scale. The tuners are open with butterbean knobs. It came in a heavy duty arch-topped case. The insides were clean with no sloppy glue or finish stains. The tuners closest to the nut did extend a shade over the end of the head so they had a point sticking out. The sunburst was very sharp, meaning the colors did not gently blend into each other.

The sound right now is a little tight but shows signs of opening up with further playing. It should come close to the old Gibson J-45 sound when played in. It was what I was looking for in this instrument. I am considering putting a Gibson P-90 pickup in the soundhole if I get adventurous.

The action is okay but I may have it lowered a smidge when it gets settled in. Being a short-scale, it is fairly easy to play now. The finish issue was covered before. The intonation is good.

This guitar seems solidly built. No a fragile flower. I would not hesitate taking it to jams and using it to play out. Being somewhat of a Gibson clone, I wonder if I could get the finish to spider crack like the old Gibsons?

Haven't had cause to explore this but the fellow I got it from would be sure to make right if a problem developed.

I've been playing for 40 years and have a fair collection of guitars, including a '68 Martin 000-18, '03 Santa Cruz 000-12, a striped ebony Gevers, a '76 Guild 212XL-SB, and an assortment of mandolins. I am pleased with this guitar which I got to replace a Larrivee L-03BW and an Epiphone AJ-28S (which is now my office guitar). The difference maker is the short-scale which I was searching for. It's the J-45 at a fraction of the cost.