Blueridge BR-160

i sold a 1963 gibson and bought a blueridge 160 and i wouldnt give my blue ridge for two gibsons , i also own a alveez yairi a simon patrick a1952 harmony , my blueridge dosent have to back up for any one of them oh by the way i have owned two martins which i got rid of , my opion is the blueride is hared to beat , mine is not for sale at any price .

my action was perfect , perfect guitar

definately

I"VE BEEN PLAYING FOR 42 YEARS IF IT WAS STOLE I DEFINATELY WOULDBUY ANOTHER, THE ACTION IS GREAT THE NECK IS PERFECT NOT A MARTIN SAW LOG, THE HIGHS AND LOWS PERFECT , THE BEST GUITAR I EVER OWNED I THINK IT BEATS MARTIN AND GIBSON ALL TO PIECES SOUND AND PRICE WISE

My Blueridge BR-160, was made in 2003. I purchased it from Slashman Music out of Nashville. As others have described it here, the features of this guitar are outstanding. And for a mainland China made guitar, I'm amazed.

I play Bluegrass and country music, and the BR-160 has excellant solid spruce and rosewood sound. Deep base and good treble.

The set up from the factory was a bit high for my taste, but very satisfactory. I made a slight neck adjustment, that lowered the string action to my way of playing. The solid sitka spruce top is well matched, and fit, finish and workmanship was unusually great.
The fret board could be a bit more nicely finished, but still is attractive. Just my opinion.
All frets were dressed and leveled fine.
The bone nut and bone saddle, were installed and nicely fitted.
I did replace the six factory Kluson style tuning keys, with standard chromed Gotoh's from Elderly instruments. (catalog number GTM-30) Grover's have a too large a round body, and the six o'clock wood screw hole, on each of the Gotoh's matched perfectly. The empty screw holes at the 12 o'clock position left over from the factory Kluson's, I installed six spare chromed wood screws into them, and it looks great. The Gotoh's are exellant quality.
I also replaced the six plastic bridge pins, with D'Andrea E-Z Brass string pegs. These are the older style brass pins, that the guitar strings must be fed through the bottom holes of the pins, and then the brass pins installed into the bridge pin holes. They Look great and give a secure solid fit for the strings, at the bridge postion. Nothing wrong with the plastc pins, just my own opinion.
I also use either Martin SP phosphor bronze light gauge strings, or D'Addaro phosphor bronze light gauge strings. But I found if I always use a .053" big E sixth string, I get a better sound, so I install those even when using Martin strings.

I play with local bluegrass bands, and my BR-160 holds it's own with my friends playing their Martin D-28' and 35-s. I also own a D-28 and Gibson J-45. And mt Blueridge does every thing comparing to my other guitars. I find I'm using it all the time now, at our gigs and shows. And I draw a lot of attention using my BR-160. And all favorable too.
The pick guard from the factory, had some scrathches on it. I contacted Saga about this, and they sent me a brand new one free. I'll keep it as a spare, and install it someday in the future. All in all, everything about the guitar I am happy with.
The "Dobro" style headstock, and abalone decoration may turn some players off, as too flashy, but it is attractive.

My contact with Saga about the pickguard, and their response, was great. Very friendly. The guitar has a short warranty period, but it is so solidly built I don't perceive any problems. From what I know of other BR-160 owners, they have no trouble.

I am 68 years old, and been playing since age 15. I own a Martin D-28, and Gibson J-45. If my BR-160 were stolen, I'd replace it right away. In fact I am going to purchase another one soon. Everything about it I am well satisfied with. Comparing it to other more expensive dreadnoughts, it is a great buy.

Not going to go much into detail. My experience is the same as the other reviewers. A copy of a Martin D28 from China. Solid top, sides, and back. For the money, what a great buy!!!!

Deep bass. Great sound. Bought this guitar because of all the great things said about it. Was suppose to be my "beater" guitar. Turned out to be more than that.

As others have said, you might want to replace the tuners with something better. Not that I've had any problems, but they do feel cheap. Pegs do pop out when changing strings. However, over all this is a well made guitar.

Don't know. Only owned a few months. Time will tell. I don't seen anything I should be worried about.

Haven't had to delt with them at all.

I've been playing since early 70's. I play an Adamas, a few top of the line Ovations, and a couple of hand made guitars from Canada. I can safely say this this guitar holds its own against all of my other guitars!!

Best "bang for the buck" out there!!!!!!!!!

Made in 2003. The specs are the same as others have noted before.

As others have mentioned, the top is a bit "orange-ish" and the pickguard is not the greatest, but those are minor quibbles. Otherwise, everything is appears clean and tight. The headstock inlay (if it is real inlay) might be a bit much for some tastes. I do wish the headstock was a bit wider. The A string contacts the low E string on the tuning peg a bit. Should have been spaced slightly wider. One other very minor quibble is that some of the fretboard inlays are very colorful, while the adjacent inlay is so dark that it is almost not visible.

I purchased this on a whim and based upon reviews I read on this page. I currently own a '77 Martin HD-28 and a '95 Larrivee D-10 and wanted a decent sounding "beater" for festivals. Believe me, this guitar is no "beater." Right out of the box, the guitar has tons of tone and power. I imagine it'll sound incredible with years of playing as the wood "opens up." There's no doubt in my mind that it'll hold its own in any bluegrass jam session.

The folks at Janet Davis Music did a great job of setting it up. The playability is better than my Martin and on par with the Larrivee.

Except for the pickguard, and possibly the tuners, looks like this guitar should last a long time.

Am surprised that a guitar of this quality only has a one-year warranty.

Have been playing lotsa years, but mostly banjo. This guitar was a very pleasant surprise and I won't hesitate to recommend it to others. While I do support "buying American," It's hard to pass up a deal this good. My Martin will stay in the case more and the Larrivee will be used for fingerstyle playing.

Hello all, this is a follow up from my review, and its still an amazing guitar. I want to tell all BR160 owners and potential buyers that to experiment with differnt strings as well. This guitar sets up so good that i changed to medium gauge strings and it feels like butter. This increased the volume as well...as if THAT was needed! Phosphor bronze strings give it a full warm tone. Regular bronze has the warmth with sparkle. Martin strings are cool, but the earthwoods 80/20 are boss IMHO.

I purchased this guitar on a whim! I read a positive review in Acoustic Guitar Magazine. I have a Taylor 314, but was looking for a a solid wood dreadnaught to round out my collection and provide some variety in tone. In spite of my hestiation to purchase one over the internet, I took the risk. I have not been disappointed. The purchase price included a hardshell case.

The sound is incredible! Very strong bass, with a a balanced high end and mid-range. Responds very well when being strummed. Maintains good response when played high up the neck. Capos without unexpected loss in quality. The sound is much better than significantly higher priced dreadnuaghts that I have played.

The action is adequate . The workmanship is solid for the most part. The artificially aged top looks funny out of the box. The factory tortise shell pickguard looked cheap and was pulling up on the edges when I unpacked it. (I have replaced it with a black Martin pickguard that totally changes the look of the guitar for the better.) I highly recommend changing the pickguard. Othwerise, it is very handsome!

Difficult to tell at this point. I am a pretty gentle player and it is new.

Overall, based on the sound and general construction, I wouls say this is a great guitar for the money. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably priced dreadnaught that has the ke ingredients of a much finer guitar. I will be very interested to see how it develops tonally over the years. Buy one! Change the pickguard. You'll love it.

Guitar is made in China! I was skeptical until I played it! Promptly went home, thought about it a week, did research via net, went back and bought it. Blueridge 70 series has laminated back and sides, but the 160 has solid Sitka top and solid rosewood back and sides. Am not sure what kind of tuners it has, but they appear to be adequate. If I ever have a problem, I will probably swap 'em out for a name brand. This acoustic notes true up the neck according to my ear and an Intellitouch tuner! I had the option of hardshell case or a nylon cloth/foam lined one. I got the hardshell. Mine will sit on a stand 95% of the time.

This guitar has a GREAT sound for all acoustic music! Deep bass and bright treble with excellent intermediate tones! Very bright sound. I play mainly bluegrass and I would put this instrument up against ANY pre-war Martin or vintage series Martin. Great for flatpicking or fingerpicking, or for strumming back-up. Like other reviewers, I am not wild about the pick guard. Upon removing the plastic covering, mine had a small spot that wasn't real shiny. Still very functional, and I consider this, very,very minor!

Action is better than Martin or Gibson (especially for bluegrass)! Top appears to be bookmatched. Compared to a HD-28, grain pattern is better. (I have yet to see a Martin with perfect grain) I played the Blueridge 140 model with mahogany back and sides, and there is no comparison to the 160 rosewood!! I carefully inspected the instrument for flaws and have yet to find any. The neck is what I would call low profile. Fits smaller hands great! I will probably replace the end pins with ebony version from Martin, and may/may not replace the pickguard. Bracing is forward shifted X and scalloped under the bridge, similar to Martins vintage series.
Has a aged look to the finish color of the top...I am anxious to see how the appearance changes as it ages...I bet it will be beautiful!

Appears sturdy, I will not hesitate to play this guitar in any environment in which I would normally play, i.e., outdoors in humid summer festival conditions. Finish is gloss and appears to be excellent! All bindings, bridge, bone nut and bone bridge appear to be solid and should last. Instrument should easily last several decades with reasonable care and feeding.

Haven't had the occasion to use support, and doubt that I will!

Comes with 1 year warranty standard.

For the money, you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT beat this guitar! I purchased this cause I liked the sound...I was preparing to buy a HD-28 LSV Martin (approx $2300.00). Needless to say, I won't be buying anything else..the Blueridge is all I need! Anyone reading this review that has any question whether you will "get what you pay for" need to fear not; this guitar is the real deal! I have been playing for 38 years and currently own a Ovation and have previously owned a D-28. When my wife heard the Blueridge, she immediately commented that it sounded 5 times better the the D-28! I would buy another if anything happened to it. Probably will never look at Martins again. How the Chinese can produce such a quality instrument at this price is astounding! I hope they seriously hurt Taylor and Martin , who have been screwing consumers for several years now with ridiculously high prices.

All the specs are listed on other player's reviews so I'll just add a few remarks. I bought this guitar a short while ago because, like a lot of musicians, I can't justify the purchase of a D-28 Martin at the asking price and this Blueridge BR-160 was getting extraordinary reviews from real players.

I bought this guitar to get as close to a Martin sound as I could on a moderate budget and I succeeded. I have played other people's Martins and Gibsons. I've visited many a music store and I have yet to find a better sounding acoustic guitar. Highs and lows are clear and intonation is perfect according to my electronic tuner. Action is fine for my taste.

Cratfmanship is practically flawless. The only beef I have is with the pickguard. It was improperly applied and is peeling off slightly. I suspect the task of glueing them on is left to the less experienced employees of the factory.

The action is better than on my other acoustic and as good as on my Fender Telecaster.

I have a brother who actually builds guitar so I had him go over this Blueridge for any weak points or future concerns. He could not believe the high standard craftmanship at any price. He plays a Gibson J-45 and formerly owned a Taylor, a L'Arrivee and a Weber Mandoline so he knows how good instruments are put together.

All in all a very sturdy and dependable guitar for any level of play.

N/A

I've been playing for 38 years. I've tried quite a few different brands of instruments but none have even come close to this one at any price. I do not know how these Chinese craftsmen do it but grab one of these now cause it may not last. I personally am planning to purchase the BR-140 and BR-143.

I wish the pickguard was better applied but that is my only problem with this instrument. As I have stated above my brother the guitar builder has reassued me of its value. He also cannot believe the sound and quality.

This is a new line blueridge introduced, and i must say they are on to something very good. Blueridge is a newer brand that was synonymous with cheapo to mediocre acoustics...like yamaha, alvarez and washburn. They exploded to the top level arena really well to say the very least. I have been a yamaha fan for a looong time because some of their models really sing for the buck$, but now blueridge is the best for value. Hell, value is used very loosely because this axe is conservatively worth twice as much as MSRP...and thats saying alot.

ALL SOLID GUITAR, if you want a "decent" guitar, it has to have all solid woods. The guitar is very attractive. It has a darker yellow spruce top compared to other acoustics. Really nice dark indian rosewood back and sides, you can see the grain. Now the neck is a lighter piece of brown and i dont know what material that is. So theres this three tones of woodsy feel...beautiful!

It also has vintage style bracing and bone saddle and nut...they spared no expense here. Very cool frets and fast neck. Its thin enough to do cool fast runs and still maintain an "acousitc chunka wood" feel in your hands.

Heres where it all matters. The blueridge is up there with the highend Taylors, Martins, Gibsons, and so forth with "boutique" names like Collins.

Very good volume, it cuts and doesnt lose definition, actually it has a sweet spot to where you strum pretty hard and it just punches and snaps at you. Sometimes I just sit and strum a chord soft to loud to really loud just to be amazed of the range and definition. It could use a little more bass, just to be stickler.

The sound is inspiring. I'm jamming like never before, really! I cant wait to hear the guitar years from now when it just gets sweeter and sweeter. This is the best and last acoustic I'll own...maybe I'll get the BR180 if I get a deal and I'll sell this one.

First off, its REALLY hard to get a perfect 10...sound of course is number one, and $ is just the cherry on top. No other guitar manufacturer has EVER given us such a good combo.

I hear that this guitar can get some probs with the nut. And i personally have a problem with their pickguard cuz mine is slightly sticking up...there was a dealer here in town that had the same problem.

Very sturdy guitar like a decent one should be, however I luv this puppy so much I fear taking it on gigs for fear of it getting scratched up.

dont know much

Ive been playing for almost 15 years. I've gone through countless acoustics. Never owned a Taylor or Martin, dont believe in spending that much unless its ABSOLUTELY worth it...and it seems Martin and Taylors and everyother brand out there have been selling out in quality to the low end market with "Musicians Friend." I have friends and played EXPENSIVE acoustics. Bottom line is I would have saved up and paid twice from what i paid for this baby...its my baby! Its like a combination of the acoustic triumvirate - Taylor, Martin, and Gibson. It has the brightness between the Taylor and Martin and has the bass response between the Martin and Gibson.

Blueridge BR160. This thing has a solid sitka spruce top and solid indian rosewood back and sides. The fingerboard is either ebony or rosewood stained dark to look like ebony. the same with the bridge.
vintage butterbean tuners, solid mahogany neck with very nice looking herringbone binding. It even has a heal cap and back center stripe that reminds one very much of a martin D28. Also if you have ever seen a crafters of tennessee tennessee flat top model acoustic the heads size style and abaloney work are very similar. The pickguard
looks like real vintage tortis shell.

I am sure there are some faults in the guitar model but if there are , they are not in the sound department. The BR160 has a quality all its on. similar to martin and crafters o tennesse guitars.
I play gospel and bluegrass .on the bluegrass music ilove the great highs and on the gospel music it has a super bass end.It sounds great out of the box with the junkie factory strings. when I changed them to martin sp phosper bronze medium I could hardly believe my ears.

The action was just a little high for me but not bad. one hold on the bridge was a little to big and the pin kept trying to pop out.
also the nut was not glued down and wanted to move when I cahnged abd tighten the strings. but a couple drops of glue fixed that problem easily. The guitar was very clean , the finish was great . In a time when many guitars come with a satin finish it was great to see that high gloss. Also all the body wood was book matched very well.

I think this guitar will hold up fine for years. the only cocern I have is about the no name butterbean tuners, although they seem to be solid, and working fine for now. I would be afraid to play this guitar in any setting with are without backup, or in a mix of a varity of instruments.

The only contact I have had with customer was to inquire whwer I might fine a blueridge in my area. Happy to say they were very helpful. It only has a 1 year factory warranty. But he dealer I bought it from gave me a extented in store warranty for 5 full years for free. He also included a nice arched top 6 ply hardshell case in the $795. purchase price.

I have been playing guitar for 32 years. I started out ( as did most folks with a silvertone from sears.) I nowown a martin custom sunburst,
and a gibson J30 and a crafters o tennessee. it compares nicley with all three. my favorite thing about it is the great soundn and even though i've heard some jokes about the small head, I actully love it.
The only thing i would change is the reference to china on the label.