Blueridge BR-160

This is an update to my review for the BR-160 that I purchased about a month ago.

After 4 weeks and a set of bone bridge pins this guitar has really opened up. It is a totally amazing guitar. I love it and have no regrets about buying it instead of a Martin. I took it up to Guitar Center with a buddy and we did a guitar off between a D-35, D-28, HD-28 and a D-41. The Blueridge held its ground and was as good sounding as all 4 of the Martins. What a sweet guitar. I wished when I was buying it that I could have heard it first, so I have made this little site with some sample recordings of my guitar, so you can hear how it sounds too. go to www.artkat.biz/br160/index.html to hear it for yourself.

www.onlineguitar.com is replacing 1 tuner that has a slight problem with the tuning key. They are very easy to work with.

What are you waiting for. Get one before they realize what they have and raise the price.

2005
Made in china
Solidtop
Same feature as the rest of review posted here.
Paid 590 US NEW W/CASE

I play bluegrass. I was hesitant about buying a chinese built guitar.
It is loud but not in a good way..Very Twanky, and lacks any real tonal quality. I would say that it sounds n par with other cheap imports.
I've tried many different sets of strings now and still cant get anything out of it.

The action as others have stated was very high. The string spacing was overly tight. The frets had sharp edges. I dont think anyone does setups prior to these leaving the factory. The intonation was out even with a compensated saddle. Not very impressed.

The spruce top is a basic grade. Bookmatch was fine however the grain has some run out in it.

Inside the body, there is glue protruding from joints. And the bracing is splintery. Also does not have a good smell coming from the sound hole.

Also noticed that tuners were drilled and set crooked. If you look at the back of the headstock the tuners looked very crooked (Probably can reset them ) but this is new shouldnt have to.)

Also seems the body and neck were finished while joined. Hope I never need a neck reset. Maybe this a cost cutting at that factory I dunno,,,Looks cheap.

Base on the fit and finish I wouldnt gig without a back up and I wouldnt bring this on stage. I think this would make a very good beginner guitar. It's seems solid so I will give it a 4 in this dept.

Actually tried calling saga to get some warranty info on it. And they dont deal directly with you....Got the run around. But for a chinese 590 beater, guess It doesnt matter

At the end of the day it's an affordable import. It's nowhere near the guitar it attempts to replicate. I wont say that name out of respect. It's good for the beginner..If you are a perfectionist do not buy this. You will be disappointed. But if you like Cheap Eyecandy and bad sound go for it...

10-Excellent, I play bluegrass and let me tell you this is as fine as any over priced Martinout there. You will not be able to convince some Martin players of that, but then again that's who Martin makes them for.

10- Like I said you won't get any better

10- very fast and smooth

10- appears to be made very well

haven't needed it

10-Don't listen to people who will tell you that it has to be a Martin to be bluegrass. This is the one of the best on the market and I saved 1500 dollars.CGc

Mine is a 2005 BR - 160 made in China and you probably already know the features from reading the other 40 odd reviews. Please note that I have owned this guitar for 3 days, so it has not had ample time to open up. I will review it again in about a year. I purchased this gutiar from www.onlineguitar.com as they were the cheapest that I could find. They included a free extra set of Martin SPs and an imitation SKB case (sweet). This guitar has all the features of much higher priced ($2300 to $2500) Martins. That is not to say that they are of the same quality level as the Martin stuff, but they are nice features for the price. I don't like the sparkly rear purfling, but that is just a taste thing.

This guitar is amazing for the price. Over the past year I have played about 100 or so different guitars in my quest to find the perfect balance of price and quality. And then I chucked all my hard work by purchasing this guitar site unseen from an online guitar store. Thankfully I still came out ahead on my gamble. This guitar sounds great. It is not as good as a real Martin HD 28, and is not as bassy as some of the D-16R and D-15 models that I played, but it has a very well balanced and woody tone. It sounds better than any of the Taylor and Takemine guitars that I have played over the past year and is made of better woods. It can't compare with Bourgeois or Collings, but then again, not many guitars can. It is certainly loud enough to hang with my pals Bourgeois slope d, but the tonal quality is not there yet. Once again, this guitar is only 3 days old, so time will tell. I have put about 7 hours of play time on it since I got it Monday and it is definitely getting better. It does have a bit of a boxy tone like the last reviewer said, though I hold this guitar in higher regards than the last reviewer. He said he would buy another one, but called it a "beater". I would say that the Alvarez, Ibanez, and Yamaha laminent based guitars are beaters. This one is definitely several notches about those. As a side note, my friends have a couple of old (1970, 1971) Guild acoustic guitars (spruce and mahogany) and this guitar sounds very much like those. I also played a 1973 Gibson that sounded very similar. And for $500 bucks, that ain't half bad.

This guitar came set up a bit high at the saddle, but no problem. I used my stewmac saddle vise and files to straighten that out. This guitar was far more beautiful than I imagined. I was afraid that it would be very orange (like some of the other reviews) and that the pickgaurd would suck, but the guitar is yellow with no orange in it at all. Maybe Saga heard the complaints and changed the formula. I also got a good dalmation pickguard that was very even in its spots. The wood seems to be of high quality, and the spruce top has a pretty tight grain and even some bear claw qualities. I am not sure why everyone complains about the tuners. I haven't had any problems with them and I love the "waverly" look and feel. I didn't like the head stock in photos, but in real life it looks cool. I have only 3 complaints. 1. The fretboard inlays have a JUDICIOUS helping of black glue to hide overcuts. This looks extremely bad. I would rather see a very plain fretboard done right. 2. I don't like the back purfling, it is too sparkley and looks cheap. 3. The bridge pins and GLUED IN endpin are made of cheap plastic. These are all being replaced in about 2 weeks (next paycheck). I love the action of this guitar. It feels just like my friends DC16-GTE. Small fast neck with medium string height. Perfect.

This guitar seems well put together, but time will tell.

Haven't had to call - yet

I have been playing guitar for 16 years, I play at least an hour a day, but usually more. I am primarily an electric player, but have really been enjoying the whole acoustic guitar "thing" for the past 2 years, almost to the point of fanatacism. I am even considering buying and building the StewMac Triple - 0 kit for fun. Someday I will buy that Bourgeois or Collings, but for now I am glad to finally have a good guitar that sounds nice, looks good, and yet can still go camping with me without causing me too much anxiety :).

Bought my ~2004 BR 160 about a year ago for $499, thirty bucks for shipping. This Chinese made dreadnought came with extra strings, nylon strap, sturdy molded hardshell case. It is constructed of solid Indian rosewood back and sides, solid Sitka spruce top with nice b/w herringbone binding, mahogany neck and Kluson butterbean tuners. Inlaid marquetry stripe in middle of the back. Aging toner on top, gloss finish all around. Also has inlaid abalone snowflake on fingerboard and some rather gaudy abalone inlay on the peg head. This seems to be aimed at the bluegrass crowd, so a few embellishments are not out of place. The neck dimensions feel real nice on my hands. Another strap button would have been nice.

Can't really say I play any particular style, but it's probably most influenced by folks like Doc Watson, Junior Kimbrough, George Harrison amongst many others. Mostly I let my fingers go where they want to, and every now and then they come up with something new and neat, something that makes me happy.

The BR 160 was balanced and tight, with enough middle and crisp high end to cut through the substantial low end. Granted, even my ear can hear that it does not have the upper register complexity and sweetness of the D 28. But. For the money, wow.

Man oh man can this thing roar. And then it will produce some of the sweetest sounds when noodling around For a first guitar, I am extremely pleased with this one. Not as full sounding as the Martin at the store in the side by side test, but after more than a year my 160 seems to have opened up, with an even bigger sound across the spectrum. And, depending how it's tuned, has developed a more complex shimmer in the upper registers.

Fit and finish seem real decent. Action might be a titch high, but I am still learning what I like and don't like, and haven't really experimented with different gauge strings to see how that would affect playability. This has been through some climate changes here in MN and has needed no adjustments save retuning after settling into either the high humidity summer or the drier winters. No finish runs or sags, though it seems pretty thick. The inner bracing is tight and cleanly glued, frets are all silky smooth. All the pretty stuff is very tightly routed and inlaid.

Sturdy, substantial. Doesn't seem to pick up nicks or scuffs very easily, as mine has been banged into the odd chair with no dings. Just noticed some very light pick marks on the top that may or may not buff out (I do like to wail on it in a nice full E when doing my Junior K thing ;-) )

I don't play for crowds, but should that day come, this would be my sole guitar.

I have other Saga instruments: 1998 Blueridge BB60 banjo and 2004 Cremona SC 175 cello. Replaced a plastic nut on the banjo after warranty expired. No other work needed on any of their instruments.

I've just taken up guitar in the last year or so. Also purchased a middle to low end resonator to goof around on, and I love them both. I came to it via saxophone, banjo and keyboards, had decided it was time to take the plunge.

Before scouring online sources for best pricing and packages, I wandered into several local shops and compared the 160 against a few of it's brothers and sisters: the BR 40, 60, 70, 140 and 180. I also had the chance to plunk around on a Seagull (neck was too shallow and wide), several Taylors, as well as a low end Martin (D15?), two $2K + Gibsons, and a couple different D 28s starting at ~$2200. To be honest, I was initially attracted to the sound of the BR 70, but after hearing some of the higher end guitars, it sounded flabby in the low end. Plus, all sources I consulted assured me that the solid wood construction of more spendy guitars would allow further development of the guitars' sound over the years. That and price sealed the deal for me, and I can't imagine life without this guy hanging on my wall. Great guitar, supreme value.

Everyone here already knows the features of this guitar. But a quick rundown would be rosewood back and sides, spruce top, and mahogany neck. My guitar was puchased new in April 2005. Let me tell you the price is right for an all solid wood guitar. But let me tell you that the places that they saved money on are not the greatest, I.E. the neck and the thickness of the back and sides.

I play bluegrass music, and for a beater guitar this is a good one. But I also play professionally and my Martin D-28 CW is what I will use when I'm gigging. For jam sessions and such the Blueridge is fine but when I read people comparing this guitar to a Martin D-28 or D-18 and saying it is better I believe it is because they have never owned a Martin. The sound is pretty boxy (is that a word) compared to a real quality guitar

Hi action, but that does not bother me as I like my action high. Nice gloss finish. Good fit.

I have talked to a guy at a guitar shop who says he does not like these guitars because they fall apart after a couple of years but we will have to see.

Have not had to use it.

I have been playing professionally for 30 years. I own to much gear to list. Believe it or not I would probably replace it if it were stolen or lost. Just don't let the reviews fool you, this is not a better guitar than a D-28. Remember you get what you pay for.

I just purchased my Bluefridge 160 on August, 2005, and I really enjoy it. As you probably know it is solid Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce. It has a very good solid wood sound. The set up is a little high, and I plan on having the bridge shaved and nut adjusted to bring the action down a little. This guitar has so much volume that bringing the action down will not hurt the sound. There is plenty of criticism out there on the Dalmation pick guard. I plan on replacing it with a pick guard from Bruceweiart on ebay - either an ebony or rosewood with abalone, mop inlay for about $30. I did replace the plastic bridge pins with Martin ebony pins, and this simple task really made a significant difference. I have used light/med D'Addario 80/20 and Martin Bluegrass Accoustic 80/20, either work well. I did not care for the D'Addario EXP.

When I went to the fabulous store in Webster Groves, Mo., to try a guitar, they let me compare my Alvarez Yairi to the Blueridge. One of their salesmen would trade guitars with me and I got to compare the Blueridge to a Huss and Dalton, a Martin d-28, d-35, Collings D2, a used Martin D3R. The Blueridge does not have a Martin sound, but is sure is close enough that myh bluegrass friends look in amazement that I got such a fine sounding instrument for well under a $1,000. This axe has great sustain, and with a little bridge modification it should sound just fine.

Like a lot of other folks, I don't really care for the tone on the spruce, but it does have a fine gloss finish with herringbone binding. The headstock is so good looking! That really catches people's attention. With the bridge pins I put in and replacing the pickguard with an inlaid pickguard, this guitar will show very well. The action needs work, and I don't mind dropping $75-$100 to a lutheir to get what I need done.

Just bought it.

I tried to lower the action myself, and the store where I purchased the guitar helped me and told me that if I ever had a problem to bring it back.

I played since the 60's, and put my old guitar up in 1985. My brother linlaw turned me on to some good old boys (and girls) who love bluegrass, and I found my real love in music. I have been through one heck of a learning curve, but I ihave been on it for 3 years. This guitar keeps up with the big boys toys, we have Martins and Collings at our gigs, and they do not drown out my Blueridge. I don't even get comments about a guitar made in China, except for "how do they do it?"

I bought used from a guy who said that he thought it was approx. 3 years old.

All-wood dread. Backs/sides solid Indian Rosewood. Solid Spruce top. Antique-look / orange-hue finish on top (some people don't care for it,.... but I really like it..... differentiates it from the 1000's of bright spruce tops out there). Rosewood fret board.

Thin neck is shallow and easy to maneuver. I like this because I have smaller hands. I thing the nut width is 1 11/16.

Action is medium high - I've chosen to not lower because I'm a pretty aggressive player.

The butterbean silver tuners are ok,.... but nothing to write home about. Holds tune well,.. My temptation is to go looking for some heavier 18:1 tuners - really to increase the already impressive sustain and to add more pizzaz to the Bluegrass experience.

Check out the specs at: http://www.sagamusic.com/catalog/products.asp?keyword=BR-160

My style of playing is bluegrass, country & gospel.

This guitar is absolutely awesome for this style of music. Rings like a bell with lots of boom and sustain. I'm guessing that this guitar is sounding better than the other reviews of newer guitars because it's been played.

I've checked out many different brands / models of guitars and would set my reference point at either an old (20 years) Martin D-28,... or D35 which really reverberate. Compared against these two guitars,.. I'd say the real difference came in difference in age,....not quality of sound (I sense some Martin fans getting ired now!!)

I would describe as rich / full sound,.... almost "buttery". Not as bright as some guitars I've played,.. but awesome thumping bass and mids.

My wife commented to me the other day that I trade guitars like I change my shorts (I just passed by the Martin D-15 in favor of a new Larrivee D-03MT mahogany). I can tell that with this sound and play,.. I have no intent of letting this Blueridge go.

Only reason I didn't give this a 10 was because I played alongside of another one of my acoustic axes and not quite as bright on the high end strings,... this might only be because I've strung the guitar using the Martin SP Phospher Bronze Lights (I remember being given the choice for "brighter" or "mellower" when selecting -- I said "mellow").

Few complaints - mostly compliments. Would have liked to seen lower action,... but I know how to take care of this.

The glue under the corner of the pickguard appears to be a bit weak near the soundhole - not really noticeable.

Slight discoloration of the finish around the sound hole in one 1/2 centimeter spot. Have to turn the guitar just right to see this.

Frets & the abalone inlay are beautifully done. Can't say enough about the subtle ornate abalone inlays on fret boards.

Finish is very beautiful.

Concerning the interior of the guitar body I'd give it a 9.75 out of 10 only because I could only spot a very *tiny* spot of glue in *one* place (where kerfing met one of the back braces). Everywhere else... I couldn't see any glue. The kerfing are relative tall when compared with what I've seen in other guitars. You can really see the distinct grain patterns of the Indian Rosewood - it looks like they used high quality tonewoods - the *sound* verifies this.

My perception is that this guitar will be a good long term investment. It is heavier than my other dreadnought.

No experience.

Without a doubt the Blueridge BR-160 is going to carve out a name in Bluegrass / Country / Gospel music scene. The combination of the sound / playability / quality construction / price makes this a winner.

It's no surprise to me that Acoustic Guitar magazine rated it as one of the top 3 guitars under $1,000 in 2004. You can check out the review at http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag131/feature131.html

I compared this guitar to the Epiphone Masterbuilts,.. Alvarez MD's (which by the way were very impressive), Martin D-15, D-28, D-35 (D-28 & 35 not fair comparisons), Takamine (can't remember models - approx $800+) and the Garrisons (again,.. another nice sounding guitar but not the punch of the Blueridge on the low end and did'nt jump at the plastic-like bracing). Fact is,.. there are many **great** sounding guitars out there from these companies,...comes down to personal taste.

I've been playing guitar (on and off) for approximately 10 years.

Let me start off by saying that I do not own this guitar. It was one of the guitars I was considering buying. I've played it quite a few times.
The features are basic. Very nice finish, nicely detailed. Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides. Does not normally come with a case (though i have seen some offer it at no charge), and has no electronics.

This is THE guitar. I love the sound of this guitar, never really played one like it. The rosewood gives that nice thick, rich, boomy sound. This is the best sounding guitar i have had the pleasure of playing...

The action was a TINY bit high, but no big deal. The neck was a bit slim, but barely noticeable. The finish was great, high marks in this department as well.

This was the deal breaker. Being a Chinese made guitar, and not having any reviews out there to tell whether this guitar really withstands the test of time drew me away from it. It's solid wood, so it should only get better. And chinese craftmanship has definately improved lately, but it was just too much risk to take when looking to purchase a guitar I would potentially never have to replace.
This guitar could be the next "IT" thing. It could reaplace Martin and Taylor, IF the guitar holds up.
If I was ever looking for a second acoustic, with no need for electronics, for the price I would not hesitate to buy this guitar.

N/A

The initial impression is that this is one amazing guitar. It has a great look and Great sound. The the that really drove me away from it was it Chinese heritage, and the lack of reviews from players who have had this guitar 5+ years. This guitar could sound Amazing now, tomorrow, weeks, months, even a few years down the road, but eventually could turn to crap. The bridge could pop off (As has happened with other cheap guitars), the pegs could seperate from the head...Who knows.
If i ever have a spare $600, or am looking for a second acoustic, I would not hesitate to give this one a shot. Unfortunately, right now It's not a chance I'm willing to take...

2005- bought online, unseen and untested before purchase. I went to a local guitar boutique in my area and played one there which was going for $695.00 without case and decided to try my luck online instead for $499.00 with hardshell case- no taxes and free shipping! And I ended up with one I like better than the dusty old string one at the guitar store. The online one also came with a free digital tuner and a set of strings and had new strings installed on it before it was sent!

Very loud. Started off with light strings as that is what it came with. I replaced with medium lights and it is much better. Sound is so full and loud it almost is too busy of a sound with the fresh strings and strong resonance of the guitar. The huge volume tends to drown out some of the higher end strings and created a busy sound for my ear. I hope and expect it to mellow out soon. it resonates/sustains like no acoustic I have ever used. I used to think Martins were the only ones that had that harmonious vibe to them but this almost vibes my whole body it emanates so strong. The tightness of the top spruce grain is what I believe gives this guitar it cannon like sound throw. I can hardly hear myself sing it is so loud! The grain

I lowered action a little bit and it seems fine. Very easy to play and hold. I like the fret work as it is clean and smooth. replaced the pickguard with a solid black one, the dalmation colored one I did not like and it was installed a little crooked. Extremely tight grain spruce top with many intermitent horizontal lines/ dark streaks and on one side has a half inch knot streak from the spruce going vertically against the grain- so not quite bookmatched.

Seems heavy duty to me, tuners may need to be replaced sometime in the distant future.

N/A have not encountered yet.

I definitely feel like I got more guitar for the money than with any other option I am aware of. I have never seen a solid spruce guitar with SOLID rosewood back and sides for under $1000.00 anywhere, and this is half that and well made.