Blueridge BR-143

Ok by now we all know what the BR-143 is made of etc so I won't address that here

On to the sound. This guitar sings. Really. I have a '64 Martin D-18 and a newer 000-18 (the BR-143 is basically a clone) and although the Martin is a little crisper with a bit more sustain the difference in sound quality is negligible. I paid $400 with a hard case for my 143 used (looks brand new though). I play many styles of music ie: fingerpick, flat strum etc. and this guitar has all the tone I want

Set-up when I got it was a little high for my liking so I filed the nut slightly. This is just a matter of my playing preference of course. I could have left it as is and it would have been fine. Alot of complaints about the "yellowed" tint. I actually like it. I also like the pickguard unlike other people. The spruce top is perfectly matched as is the mahogany back. Another complaint I've heard are the tuning machines. I haven't any problems here either. My BR-143 has the open back Waverly style tuners which I like.

Well, I use the BR-143 as my main acoustic live right now and have not encountered any issues. I do bring my Martin as my back up. Any seasoned player knows you should ALWAYS bring a back up to live gigs. Long term realibilty remains unknown as I've only had this guitar for a few months so we'll see but as a player for 30+ years I can say that it's constructed very well.

Bought it used so this catagory is not applicable

I have 12 acoustics of various make and models as well as many electrics (have to admit mostly strats and teles there along with my one favorite electric a '56 Esquire). The Blueridge is fast becoming my acoustic of choice live and @ my home studio. For the price you simply cannot beat this guitar. It plays and looks like a guitar that cost 5 times what I paid. I only speak for this particular model as it has a solid top AND solid back and sides. I would never buy a laminate so I can't say how the Blueridge laminates are.

Overly yellow tint top of spruce. Mahogany sides, back, neck. Neck is 2 pieces. All solid woods is the important thing! Cheap but adequate tuners with small buttons. Nut width is 1 11/16. Nut and saddle appear to be bone and 'clink' like bone. 2003 with the more tasteful headstock design (no banner or name). China made. Standard 000 size guitar and all gloss laquer finish well shot, if a bit thick. You can still see wood grain ripple in the top finish.

I rate a '9' here compared to Martins I have played including some pretty good 1950's all mahogany models. For the money in a new guitar, this is a great sounding little guitar. It's a very responsive guitar: can deliver subtlety from nails (I play classical style finger picking with no thumbpick) and can tolerate firm pick attack and doesn't break up. Even prctically new, it sounds loud, clear, balanced and rich in the bass and mids. Trebles are clear and penetrating, not tinny. It gets flabby if tuned down 1/2 step, but is usable id played gently.

This guitar is definitely versatile and my musical tastes run to Renaissance lute tunes, hillbilly mountain music, blues, cowboy rock, and beach music. This little guitar can do them all.

Action as I got it used (barely) was decent. I dropped the nut slots slightly with nut files and the saddle should be taken down just slightly to get 3/32 and 1/16 at fret 12 by my luthier. But plays well. Not what I would call an easy action, but firm and positive.
Build quality is pretty good for a cheap guitar abd the finish is smooth with no runs or puddles at the neck joint. all gloss, which I like.

A sturdy guitar. Tuners are adequate but not like Grovers or Gotoh, of course. Finish is good and it is a solid wood guitar nicely built and has a nice headstock face emblem.

Can't say

Easily a fantastic value used for $400 with a good case used and in near perfect shape. I ran it on eBays twice for a friend and no one bought it, so I took it for cheap and with minor adjustments and good strings (DR Sunbeams 012-054), it sounds great!

Another cheap China built guitar that beats most American guitars for about 1/3 the price. Guild GAD series is another example, especially the jumbo and the D40CE with a very sharp case for under $700.

For tone and build quality at about $500 new, this is a really good value. They shouls stop using that awful yellow tint and go with something more golden/amber and light.

Solid mahogany and spruce 000 size....these details are all covered here in previous reviews...mine appears to be made in 2004 and has the enclosed Kluson style tuners. I bought it new about 18 months ago, it did not come with a case (I purchased one separately at the same time).

Sound was the first thing I knew about this guitar and the Blueridge brand in general. I happened to be in a Melbourne (Australia) guitar shop and reluctantly browsed the acoustic guitars, knowing I could not afford any such instrument, let alone a decent one. (I have played solid bodies for years and have owned a couple of great acoustics in the past, but it had been ten years since a hollow guitar has lived in my house).
I stood in front of one of the mahogany Martins which a friend had told me were good value instruments and just iddly strummed across the 6 open strings as it hung in front of me. Even though it was beyond the scope of my finances, it was disappointing. Next to it I noticed some flashy looking headstock with a price tag attached. I looked at the tag....AU$700..hmmm...affordable...so I strummed across the 6 open strings on that guitar too...and....WOW! I was just about blown backwards across the shop! Huge, wide sound, and a heap of it! On closer inspection I was thrilled to see it was a 000 style....a style I have always loved as I can really only fingerpick, strumming just never seemed to work out for me. So it was off home to the internet and some research on this 'Blueridge' brand.
I went back to the shop with a piece of paper containing the details of all the models and a friend who is an accomplished acoustic player with a great ear. We got the guitar I'd heard and played it....but....it turned out to be the BR140....the laminated back and sides version. Even so, it acquitted itself very well from both the playing and listening positions. The shop owner said he had the same model but all solid wood...the BR143. Immediately we got onto that one and were both impressed. One thing that really knocked me out was that while my mate was playing it, I could walk all around the shop and it seemed to be the same volume and tone everywhere I went.
The owner told us that the price was AU$995....$300 more than the laminated version. I considered it a no-brainer....the BR140 was great for $700 but the extra $300 was going to be well worth it, so I put a deposit on it there and then, and collected from the shop a month or so later. I also bought a hard case as it did not come with one.
About 18 months have gone by and in less than half that time the guitar was starting to sound even better. In recent times I have been transcribing choral pieces and organ/vocal pieces (ancient Icelandic folk music mostly) and have been trying to get the guitar to sound less like a guitar and more like vocal/organ/harp/harpsichord tones.
What I have discovered is that because this guitar has so much dynamic punch, I am finally learing to play in a less ham-fisted style (mostly I play it with bare fingers over the soundhole) and find all these subtle nuances and the guitar still projects them well. And it can make a great guitar sound as well!! With a thumbpick and slightly more normal steel string techniques, this is a great instrument...picked a little harder, there's a real authority about the tone. I would say it's midrange has become more complex and detailed as time has gone by. I would have expected these changes to take some years but they were becoming audible after only months. The bass is strong and authoritative, and the trebles seem...maybe..delicate. There is a definite body to the sound, and it is very responsive to where I pick, which i try to exploit as much as possible. I use medium strings, GHS so far, I plan to try various other brands.

This guitar seems hard to fault after a close visual inspection. OK, the headstock is small. I'd read these reviews after I first encountered it and was well aware of this fact. I find just a little care when re-stringing and I don't have any problems. Also I was ready for the fact that I might be shopping for new tuners (mine has the enclosed Kluson style jobs with the butterbean buttons). However so far the tuners have been fine...and I do shift around between tunings quite a bit.
The action was a bit stiff so I shaved the bottom of the bridge saddle and tweaked the truss rod a fraction and it's just fine.
The neck on this guitar is wonderful. I would describe it as a 'contemporary acoustic neck'. It seems to work very well for chopping back and forth between solid body electrics to this guitar, while still retaining a classic sort of feel. Somehow it seems not dissimilar to a chunky Les Paul neck to my way of thinking.
I removed the scratchplate completely for a cleaner look as the way I play doesn't really threaten the top...if I find I do need a plate, I'll treat it to something really nice.
Overall, I'd say that if all Blueridge guitars are of this quality, don't waste too much time inspecting them....just play them, and if you like the sound and the feel, buy them! It is remarkably clean in every aspect of it's construction, inside and out.
It is worth noting, here in Australia, that if you aspire to the 'big name' acoustics...well you'd better have at least AU$3000 to spend at the very least....and this cost 1/3 of that! I am also rather thrilled that I do not own a Martin or a Taylor, and I'm dumbfounded that I own a guitar made in China....if you'd told me that even a couple of years ago I would have been rolling on the floor laughing or mortally insulted. But I own this by choice and would make exactly the same decision again.

It seems to me that there's no reason why this guitar shouldn't outlast me. It feels like a classy instrument with an underlying strength, but only time will tell. I must say that the fact that the sound has developed so quickly made me wonder...'perhaps this guitar is going to live it's whole lifespan at an accelerated rate....mature fast, then fall to bits...in maybe only ten years!' Obviously I hope not, but as I say, time will tell. Maybe the tuners won't go the distance, but then again look at some of the crummy old tuners on old, cheap guitars....still going as good as they ever did. It will be interesting in say 15 or 20 years time...if you come across an old Blueridge....see how they're travelling and how they're regarded.....

I haven't had to deal with anyone and I don't really expect to....it's an acoustic guitar, not a car with 1500 moving parts. I can take care of some minor issues should they arise, and anything bigger I can go to the luthier of my choice. I'm hoping that the only big problem I might have with it will be that I'll wear it out.

I've been playing for close to 35 years. I've owned a lot of guitars of all types. These days I enjoy trying to have fewer instruments of higher quality and spend more time with less guitars. I build my own amps. I like to be outside the big brand-name syndrome if I can, it's tedious listening to people droning on about getting that elusive 1956 scratchplate screw or bridgepin for their pre vintage such and such. What I like about a product such as this is that should anything happen to it, I could go and get another one and feel pretty confident it would be just as good.
There could be microscopic details one could fault with this guitar vif they looked hard enough, but it has to be kept in perspective with the purchase price. As I've said, i agree that the headstock is small but it doesn't affect anything for me. I didn't really compare this directly with anything as I already knew what was out there in this sort of price range (and higher) and had some experience with playing, reviews, friends guitars, etc, and I was aware that I wouldn't get anything better for my money. 18 months later I still feel exactly the same.

I believe my secondhand BR-143 dates from 2003, as the serial number begins with 03. It has the earlier Kluson-style tuner cases with butterbean buttons, not the open-backer Waverly/Grover Sta-tite style tuners currently used. Like the other reviewers have stated, it is 100% solid wood, with a spruce top and mahogany back'n'sides, and has bone bridge saddles and nut. Quite remarkable for a guitar in this price range, thanks to the underpaid workers of communist China. The body is more rounded than dreadnaughts, and is maybe an inch thinner as well.
Some might be put off by the very slender neck on this guitar, which reminds me of a Rickenbacker electric's neck. My fingers are long and narrow, so it feels great to me, but if you have beefy hands it might not be right for you. I really like the jumbo frets on this guitar, which are similiar to a Gibson J-160E I used to have. The big frets really stand up well to the heavy strings I prefer.
I've read a bit about Blueridge, which is an off-shoot of Saga Musical Instruments, which is itself an off-shoot of the Fifth String, a well-respected acoustic instrument shop in the SF Bay Area. Saga's owners spent a lot of time designing these vintage-style instruments, and went to a lot of effort to source a factory that could produce instruments to the level of quality required by Saga. I'd say they succeeded.

I'm told this model is based on vintage Martin 000-style guitars, which I'm not familiar with. That said, The BR-143 has more emphasis on the bass and mids than the average Martin dreadnaught has. This may be a characteristic of 000-style guitars, I don't know. That's not to say that the treble suffers, because it doesn't. The highs ring out with perfect clarity. The tone of this instrument is very well-balanced, and you can feel the musical vibrations passing through the entire instrument - always the mark of a well-crafted acoustic instrument. Thanks to the quality solid wood construction and bone nut and saddle, this guitar has excellent sustain, and the individual notes are clear and well-defined. In the store I A/B'd this BR-143 with a $1000 Martin dreadnaught and a $1900 Gibson '30s Advanced Jumbo reissue. The Martin had a lot more sparkle than the Blueridge, but it was a lot more trebly too. The Gibson sounded similiar to the Blueridge, but was noticeably muddier sounding. Considering that the Gibson was 6 times the cost of the Blueridge, and the Martin was approximately 3 times the cost, it was a no brainer deciding which one to buy. Is the Blueridge as good as a Gibson or Martin? Probably not, but for the bread, it's a darn good guitar, and pretty close quality-wise.

The quality of the woods appear to be top-notch. I can see no obvious blemishes or discolorations, and the grain on the back and sides is quite nice. The tinted natural finish on the spruce top has a nice vintage look about it. The mother-of-pearl inlay in the headstock venier is quite stunning.
The neck is perfectly straight, and there is not even a hint of fret buzz anywhere. Even when strummed hard, the guitar has no buzzes or rattles, which is more than I could say for the Gibson I had. The factory-set action is slightly on the high side (just like Gibsons and Martins), but isn't uncomfortable to play. Still, I plan to have a tech cut down the saddle so that I can play faster on the upper registers.
The only criticism I can offer in the area is the fact that the edge of the pickguard is starting to lift from the body, which is apparently a common problem with Blueridges. They need to use a better adhesive. No big deal.

There is nothing about this instrument that would suggest it won't last as long as a Martin, Gibson, or any other fine acoustic guitar. It stays impeccably in tune too.

My only contact with Blueridge/Saga was to send an email via their website inquiring about which cases would fit this model. I had a response within 24 hours.

I've been playing guitar since 1977, and have mostly concentrated on electrics. Over the years, all of my acoustics have been of the budget variety, ie: an early '70s Japanese bolt-neck Epiphone El Caballero (which was actually pretty nice), an '80s Korean Sigma (terrible action), etc. A few years ago I bought a Gibson J-160E, which was a wonderful instrument. I learned to appreciate the joy of playing a quality acoustic guitar on the Gibson; it was almost an "organic" experience. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to keep the Gibson, and began hunting for a less expensive guitar that would get me close. One day I stumbled upon the Blueridge BR-143 at the Boston Guitar Center, and decided to check it out. I spent at least an hour A/B'ing it against Martins, Gibsons, and other budget instruments, and I couldn't believe what a great guitar it was, considering the low low price.
This model sells new for approximately $500, and is easily comparable to American-made instruments costing two or three times as much. There no reason to settle for an Epiphone with laminated wood or a Martin with an HPL (ie: plastic) body, when you can own a 100% solid wood Blueridge with a genuine bone nut and saddle for the same $$ (or less). This is the ultimate bang-for-the-buck acoustic, and for that reason it gets a "10."
There is nothing that I hate about this guitar (other than the fact that it says "Made in China" on the label), and many things I love about it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Same as the other revies, solid spruce top and solid mahogany body. No pickups, OM body shape, slim neck, and orange tinted finish.

This is where it shines. It is perfect for fingerstyle and especially for accompanying a singer. Warm and resonates well, but not a quick enough response for flatpicking. If you are looking for something to play solo notes, look somewhere else. This doesn't project as loud as other guitars I've played but it has very good presence. This will make a great rhythm guitar though, since the bass and the mids are strong when I play rhythm with my fingers. I don't know yet about the trebles, they seem a bit weaker or muted compared to the other strings. Maybe I could try a different brand of strings to see some change in tone, sometimes that can do the trick. Also the back doesn't resonate too well because the back braces are too thick in the lower bout. I thought having solid back woods would give me a better projection, but not if it is overbraced like this. Maybe this is the reason for the lack of projection.

The nut had bad spacing, too narrow for an already narrow neck. I wanted to change the nut but found out that it was glued since it would not come off. The saddle is bone, a bit high so I got that fixed with some files and sandpaper. Neck was fine but the headstock is the most common complaint for this brand of guitar. Somehow the tuners are too close to each other which makes it uncomfortable to change strings and the posts between the 1st and 6th strings are too close so that the other strings touch them on the way to the nut. It's a bit tricky to get it properly tuned with all the other string posts getting in the way.

Yes it is pretty sturdy. Hardware seems like it should last. Finish is good, just a little too much orange for my taste. Pickguard is pretty ugly too, I want that replaced but at least it does its job of protecting the top. Strap buttons on the heel is solid metal, the one on the tail is plastic.

I have tried to contact this company before and they are slow to answer, you'll have to wait a week or two to get a response. I'm not sure how they are when you have a problem with the guitar. No warranty, it was a second hand.

It came with a nice hardcase so that helps sweeten the deal. I've been playing for more than 10 years. I've read the previous posts before I bought this guitar so they helped and their comments were not far off from my observations. If it were stolen, I'd think twice about buying another one. I'd have to play it first to buy since there are variations when it comes from a factory. The ones I played in the local stores had much more response especially in the trebles. I've owned many kinds of brands: Epiphone, Tacoma, Art & Lutherie, Yamaha, Alvarez, Dean and Fender. Probably Tacoma and Seagull guitars are the only ones I have heard in this price range that can give this guitar competition. I hate the spacing of the tuners in the small headstock, I hate the pickguard, I hate the orange colored top, and I hate the thick bracing of the back which limits the response of the instrument. But these are my personal preferrences, I could live with these issues. I like the overall appearance of the guitar and the sound is really what I'm after. I wish it had more trebles for soloing. It does its job if you are playing fingerstyle or if you have other guitars, you can designate this for fingerpicking or rhythm work. Great value for a guitar, not many guitars in this price range sound as good. The company just needs to refine the product by listening to the players who actually buys their products. Simple modifications could mean a lot to make this a better product than it is already.

This has been adequately addressed by previous reviewers. I will say that mine came with a nice selection of straight grained mahogany and a spruce top at about 80% vertical. Consequently, you don't see much silking on the top, which occurs with a more perfectly quartersawn piece of wood.

Also, my guitar came with a set of open-back, waverly cloned machines with butterbean tuners. They seem to work fine and I like them better than the previous Kluson knock-offs seen on previous Blueridges.

This guitar has a great, articulate, open sound, with fat highs and a very nice and open bass. It's a perfect fingerstyle guitar and works well for flatpicked leads, where the high notes ring out far more than they do on a lot of dreadnoughts. I find this guitar an excellent choice for a guitar duo or for playing old time music. It's not really a bluegrass guitar.

The action was quite high right out of the box and I had to sand down the saddle to get it comfortable. I also did not like the narrow spacing of the nut, so I made a new nut with a wider string spacing. Although the pickguard was the best example of a "dalmation" pickguard I have yet seen on a Blueridge, I removed it anyway and replaced it with a Greven "OM" style.

Build construction was almost perfect with the exception of the bridge being glued ever so slightly off center, but I can't feel any negative impact on playability.

Everything seems shipspape and ready to go the distance. I've had several Blueridges before and have not been dissappointed.

I love Blueridges and I needed a dedicated fingerpicker and this is it.

A bunch of reviews have detailed this, so I won't go into specifics. Generally, it's a mahogany OM-sized Martin knockoff, with all solid woods and an over-the-top headstock inlay (which I actually like very much). Other than the headstock, decorations are Martin 18-style, meaning minimal.

A moment for philosophy. Reviewers traditionally either hate an item and want to trash it, love it, or want to justify their purchase by trying to love it and telling everyone how smart they were to buy this exquisite product. I like it very much, but I'll try to be a bit detached.

I've mostly played D-sized guitars most my life, so this takes a bit of getting used to. After about a week, "Full" is a description that I'll reserve for the dreadnaughts. But this is a wonderful sounding instrument. It's bright and well-defined, with a much clearer mid and treble than I'm used to. Not as much bass, of course. I've never played a rosewood OM, so I don't know how it compares (although I've ordered a BR-183; future review pending), but it's a very different sounding guitar from dreadnaughts. I'm (sadly) strictly a finger-picker, and this thing sings.

The action is a slight bit high. When I fret it at the top and bottom, and when I sight along the neck, it appears that the neck is razor straight, so a truss rod adjustment might not work so well. Might have to shave the saddle. The saddle isn't compensated, but intonation appears to be pretty good (checked both by harmonics and my trusty electronic tuner). Everything about the construction appears to be first rate, except that (as we've often heard) the pickguard was lifting up on the edges. I applied judicious muscle mechanics and pressed it down as soon as I got it, and it's staying put. If it doesn't, it's an easy replacement. There's no evidence of glue or epoxy on the joints or inlays. The frets, saddle, and nut are all placed properly, and don't require any filing, sanding, or fiddling.

The back is bookmatched so well I nearly have to take a hand lens to it to find the joint. However, the top reminds me of the Joker's costume; the two halves have almost no relationship to each other, except that they're both spruce.

I don't care for the rosette, but that's asthetics. The oft-reported problem with the headstock being too small, causing the 6th and 5th strings to bind, is terribly real. Nothing for it but to be careful when stringing it, so as to minimize the problem. The other reported problem concerning cheap tuning machines hasn't come up, but I'll probably get a set of Gotohs from stewmac.com; they're not too expensive.

When you get an instrument with the pickguard peeling off, you get a bit nervous. However, it appears to be well made, with a nice (thick) even finish. I would've prefered a satin finish on the neck, but the gloss feels pretty good. It's too new for me to have a definate opinion, but the signs are positive.

Not needed so far.

If you expect to get a cheap Martin, you won't. However, I think it's a remarkable guitar for the price. The cosmetics are a minor concern; what matters is the sound, and it's darned good. If it were stolen or lost, I'd probably buy another, unless I lucked into a windfall and could get a Martin.

I own a Martin D-2R (another remarkable guitar, thank you very much) and a 1981 Ovation Legend, and previously owned a D-28, which I had to sell in grad school for food (possibly the worst moment of my life). I would strongly recommend this instrument to anyone who wants an instrument to play rather than show off their disposable income. It isn't perfect, but it's pretty darned good.

Chinese-made, solid sitka spruce top with very much silk pattern, indicationg quartersawn wood, very tight and even grain; solid mahogany back and sides of good quality; 20 fret (14 clear rosewood fingerboard on quartersawn mahogany neck, rosewood bridge, bone nut and saddle. Martin OM style, with slightly longer scale length (25.5) than the Martin OM. Butterbean no-name tuners in vintage style. Good quality well fit hardshell case. Features a solid 10 out of 10 at this price, bought used with minor ding on the top.

I play live 7 nights a week, 70 percent fingerstyle and 30 percent with thick plectrum, blues, jazz and pop material. I installed a Pick-uptheworld Stealth pickup to use with acoustic amps or small PA at my three locations. Good mid range thump, solid-full sounding highs, decent bass. Guitar has, I think, very little playing time, so this very nice top should improve with time, I do not doubt.

Factory setup was better than the Blueridge BR 160 that I bought. On that one, I replaced the nut to widen the string spacing. This one took a few minutes of tinkering to mess with the nut, and I compensated back the B string at the saddle. A quick neck adjustment, pickup installation with a little action tweaking set everything up to my taste. I could have lived with it as is, though. Bindings and joinery all very good. Note that the neck is assembled like a classic, stacklaminated at the heel and with a piece scarfed on to the back of the headstock. As well done as any I have seen, and an honorable construction technique in use for a very long time. Frets good, no leveling needed, unlike my BR 160. You can see some very slight trace of the side bending technique at the waist: a little wood compression. I've seen worse on many a handmade guitar. Interior workmanship is fine, brace wood quality acceptable.

I'm taking the instrument to do two gigs today with no back up. Finish is thick, but that's a positive when gigging in a tourist area as I do in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

I have close to 25 years of luthiery experience, primarily in archtops, but I do all my own work. It was easy to work on, better than the BR 160. I bought it used, so there will be no warrantee issues.

I've been gigging for 35 years and have close to 25 years of luthiery experience in repair and building. I have my own handmade archtops (see www.jumpinsomethin.com), a Gibson Nick Lucas, Martin 000 16SGT, a Blueridge BR 160, a handmade gig-stressed flattop of my own, and a custom flattop on order from Rick Davis of Running Dog Guitars (www.vtguitars.com). I'd buy another one of these if necessary, or possibly upgrade to rosewood. I play 9 or 10 gigs per week, and switch off guitars frequently for the fun of it, and for the slight differences in each ergonomically to ease the stress. This guitar is good for me size wise, and will get a lot of playtime.

2003 model BR-143 "000" body style. Made in China for Saga Musical Instruments in California.


Features: Solid Sitka Spruce top, Solid Choice Mahogany back and sides, Rosewood fingerboard, bridge and bridgeplate. Slim, fast neck, 14 frets to the body. Abalone inlay headstock, b/w/b/w/b/w top binding, back and sides bound in black. Nice b/w inlay rosette on sound hole.
Finish: High gloss. Tuners: vintage butterbean. Bone nut and saddle.
Includes tightly fitting Golden Gate case.

I've been playing Dreadnoughts for most of my life...this is my first true 000 and I love it. The Mahogany sound is deep and mellow. But make no mistake...this giutar packs a wallop. Has unbelievable volume and gives my solid rosewood Dred BR-160 a run for tonality, clarity and punch.

Being a OOO, the difereniation from high to low is spectacular, while the mids are a little muted, but this should change as the wood opens up.

Right out of the packing box, this guitar blew me away!

Set-up: I like it on the slightly high side, so this was set up perfectly.

The spruce top on this particluar guitar was bookmatched well, but the grain was flipped for some reason, and therefore in varying light conditions, makes one side appear lighter than the other. Quite nice, actually.

The rosewood fingerboard is very tightly grained and the frets were perfectly dressed.

Interior bracing is clean and well done. The saddle and nut were both well cut and make the action clean and fast.

On my BR-160, the Dalmation pickguard was poorly applied and came off right away. On this guitar (I guess after numerous complaints and reviews), the pickguard was correctly placed, with proper adhesive and I was pleasently surprised to find that it had in fact been bevelled as well. A nice touch which makes a world of difference.

Like the BR-160, I have no fears as regards it's durability.
The finish might appear a litte thick at first, but the whole guitar resonates from endpeg to peg head...think of it as an extra margin of safety against years of normal acoustic wear.

I will use it live, with only my other BR as backup and to compensate for changes of mood only! The tuners, while generic, are well made and I find that they stay tuned for days with prolonged playing.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for 20 odd years, and I've owned several guitars, but I've sold or traded them all in for my two Blueridge models. Like my BR-160, this guitar was purchased sight unseen, and don't regret it. I play both fingerpicking and flat picking styles and this guitar can handle both equally well.

For less than 1/3 of the price, I've got myself the equivalent of a Martin 000-28, and I can honestly say from hours of comparison in local guitar shops, that the BR-143 tops all of them (new and old, with the exception of a very few vintage, pre-war Martins that I'd have to take out a second mortgage to finance.)

Having said that, there are a number of things that Saga could do to improve these products. Firstly, I feel that they would benefit from making them available in a and optional, thinner satin finish. Secondly, they need to enlarge the headstock to allow more distance between the pegs (the small headstock causes the 2nd and 5th strings to practically touch the 1st and 4th(epecially when fitted with a set of full medium strings.)

Other than that, Bluerigde guitars are without doubt, the best value on the market today. A monster waiting to awaken, and perhaps a clarion call to the likes of Martin, Larrivee and Taylor: price points can drop even while quality is improved signifcantly.

2003 model
20 fret/neck joins at 14th
Beautiful solid spruce top
solid mahogany back/sides, mahogany neck-dovetail joint,rosewood fretboard
Beautiful gloss finish on top,sides,back and neck
bridge seems to be ebony
tuners are vintage style butterbean-chrome
neck is extremely comfortable-possibly the best feeling neck I've ever played.
000 size case included
beautiful inlay on headstock-very tasteful

I've looked for an affordable 000 size guitar for awhile. This guitar is very full sounding for a 000. Solid wood throughout, with vintage style forward shifted braces-like the old prewar martins. Blueridge has answered the call here in every way. I play lots of different styles, bluegrass, old time, folk, rock-this guitar is extremely comfortable and versatile. I can't seem to put it down. It already has beautiful overtones that sometimes take months to years for other brand instruments to produce. The sound is punchy and really has a kick to it-but it can be very mellow too. Great for fingerpicking as well as flat picking. Very full, very tasteful.
Like I said to the salesman "What's not to like?" And I mean it.
This puts many other high priced 000's that I tried on their butts-and I can still pay my rent!

Action was a little high from the factory-salesman adjusted the truss rod and it came right down.
Perfectly bookmatched top-you have to look for the seam. Same way with the solid mahogany back.
I think the saddle and the nut are both bone-ask Martin to do that and watch the price skyrocket. I believe they are both standard to this series of Blueridge.
The top is nicely done with "vintage" toner.
All joints seem properly connected-workmanship is exquisite with the exception of one miniscule mark around the 12th fret on the bottom of the neck-doesn't affect playability at all, and I really had to search for it.

I have not played it out live yet-but it has held up well to my playing it for about 10 hours now. And I'm not the most gentle player either. I can be a hammer sometimes.
The hardware seems like it is definitely made to last.
The finish is a thick laquer that looks gorgeous and seems like it will stand the test of time as well.
Pick guard is a tortoise style which I wasn't crazy about at first, but I think it's growing on me. If I decide down the line that I don't like it, then I'll change it to a solid black one-no big deal.
The inlay on the headstock is exceptional, and the tuners are tight and seem reliable.
I feel like I've found a new work horse here. I really cannot find anything on this instrument that I don't like. I love the headstock size as well-very cool.
Seems like it will be very dependable-I'd never recommend anyone to do a gig without a backup guitar. Just a simple rule of thumb.

Haven't dealt with the company. Hopefully won't have to. I think it has a two year warranty on it though.

I've been playing for about 20 years now.
I own several other dreadnaughts including martins, a taylor, and a larrivee.
I pretty much asked all the questions I wanted before making this purchase.
If this guitar was stolen or lost-I'd definitely get another one.
I love the way the neck feels-seems like I can play licks on this guitar that I really had to work at on my other guitars. I also really love the tone. I think that has everything to do with the forward shifted bracing. Very desirable. The inlay on the headstock is classy and not overdone-I like the plain dots on the fretboard. I've never been one of those types that liked a lot of sparkle and shine on my instrument.
The case fits it like a glove.
I played a lot of other 000 models before deciding on this one. One that I really remember that I liked was the Santa Cruz PW 000 model. It really spoke to me, but it was something like 2400 dollars new and I would have had to trade a lot to get it. This guitar plays just as well if not better, and has the same forward shifted prewar sound and look for literally a fraction of the cost. I'm also not going to have to baby it like I would an instrument that cost over 2 grand. In the long run, with touring and what not-that's worth an awful lot to me. Sure the Santa Cruz was nice-but geez-I'm not stupid either! :)
This guitar has everything I ever wanted out of a 000 size and then some. It really is going to be scary in a few years after the wood begins to open up. The top is gorgeous, sides and back are gorgeous, and I love it. If you want a 000 size guitar with all the features of the high end ones and at only a fraction of the cost-you owe it to yourself to try one of these. If your dealer doesn't carry this model, tell him to order one for you. You won't be sorry.
I'm happy to be the first submission for this terrific guitar. I can't say enough about it really. Blueridge has put together a great instrument here. Pick one of these up and see for yourself!