Blueridge BR-180

Bought this BR-180 Two years ago, thats why I'm updating my review.

It started out sounding O.K. by my previous review. Two years later it is turning into the cannon that I heard about. The sound is smooth and stays in tune well. I've played new Martins, all of them except a D45 and I can say they don't sound or play this good. I've seen the feedback from Martin players defending their D28's. Fellas, a D28 can't touch this. and at a price starting at twice this. It could be a little brighter, but in time I'll probably change to Elixer strings. No Martin has a low end like this. I had to take the bridge down, but I do that on every guitar. The neck could be wider for fingerpicking.

China made with a solid spruce top and rosewood back/sides. There are sweet mother-of-pearl inlays around the binding, sound hole, head, and fretboard. The finish is seems flawless. Musiciansfriend.com gave me a case.

I really have been looking at Martin and Breedlove guitars. I found these at store out of town and after playing a few of them I decided that it sounded and felt just as good as a top of line Martin. Every time I play this thing I smile and think about what a solid made guitar it is. Back to the tone, it really has some nice low end with just enough bite. I play bluegrass and next to a mandolin or fiddle it really takes care of the lows.

The neck size is the reason I bought this guitar. I am not one to buy those beefy thick necks so I wanted something a bit on the thin size and easy to play. Well these guitars are it. I hear that the old martins have thin necks too. Although, the BR-180 does have one of the thicker necks in the Blueridge line. Not too thin, just perfect. The action is exactly where I need it so thumbs up to guys in China.

This guitar is solid.

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I know that in the past couple of years the price has jumped at least $100 on these guitars. So it is still worth the $$$. I have been playing guitar for 11 years and teaching for about two. I am also in a bluegrass band and play in the band at my church every Sunday. I am very pleased at this purchase. If you are thinking about getting this guitar you are saving yourself at least 4X the money than getting a high end Martin. I know that I will enjoy this guitat for a long time.

I recently purchased a BR180. The features have been previously described and do not need repeating. However, I really must say the guitar is cosmetically beautiful. I do have a little concern about the the bridge pins staying in place when changing the strings, but if you hold them in place when tightening the strings, they tend to lock in place. So far the tuners seem fine.

I am a bluegrasser and have two HD-28's. I have owned a D-35, D-18V and a D-18. In my opinion, the BR 180 resembles more the sound of the 35 than the 28s'. I have shopped for and played Santa Cruzs', Collings, Huss and Daltons, and other high end Martins and feel that by all means, the Blueridge has it's place in the market. I'm really not sure if a fair comparison can be made to the higher end makers. When you play the Bueridges next to these makers, you can really distinguish the difference. But, the BR 180 has good tone and volume. You really cannot go wrong for the price. In fact, I am considering, buying a BR 240 Mahogany. I would not consider trading either of my Martins for a Blueridge, only because I do not perceive the Blueridge increasing in value over time the way a Martin or the above mentioned makers would.

The setup seems fine. It plays well and appears to be made nicely. I've read some of the negative comments on the tuners, but my Blueridge does seem to stay in tune fairly well. The bone nut and saddle are nice enhancements. Martin and some other makers use Micarta. I've spent as much as $125.00 alone to have a bone saddle made.

I will be playing it out at our next gig to see how it sounds miked. Before doing that, I will take it to a jam. If it can withstand a bluegrass jam, which I am anticipating it will, it will easily withstand a two hour set.

No experience

I really like the workmanship and it's looks. I compare it to my Martin D-35. It has very nice tone and volume, but time will tell. It would have been nice to have a compensated saddle.

The tuners sucks, really crap, however the value of THIS guitar is worth an upgrade to good pair of tuners. For more, se the other review's.

The sound made me do this review :-) The seller told me, it sounded like a Martin HD 28. And you know what??? It is TRUE :-)

Bone-stuff. Nice frets. Nice fretboard. VERY nice top on this guitar. Once again, tuners really sucks for such a greath guitar!

No comments.

No comments. Bought used.

I played for 15 years, own a Gibson J-45, Martin D-18, the finish of these two is a lot better than on the Blueridge, but surprisingly the Blueridge is a winner in sound. Don't know any of the other models from Blueridge??? With a solid wood guitar at this level, you will get a LOT of value for your money.

Bone nut and saddle, excellent tight grained Spruce top, solid Rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard and pins, Martin style pre-war scalloped X-bracing, and abalone everywhere, which doesn't look ugly, like I REALLY thought it would. You can still see and feel the grain through the gloss finish. The worst thing about it is the headstock inlay (if you have seen pictures you know what I mean) but I have to say that it isn't ugly AT ALL when you see it in your hands. I just don't get it. I figured it would be pretty nice, but it has far exceeded my expectations. It has a nice set of gold open back tuners (waverly style) that are nice and smooth.

It is really amazing sounding. The guitar is very much nicer looking in person than it is in pictures. My friends Dad (bluegrass player) has a D-28 from the 50's (original owner) and I just can't fathom how Saga has been able to build as much of a guitar for so little money when I compare them. I played them both and I would say that the 180 has ALL the character and overtones, maybe a slightly less bass (but the 180 has lights on it and the D-28 is sporting mediums) but it is much more articulate. I have never heard a better sounding dred when fingerpicked. It just purred. I want to go play it again, but I don't want to wake up my wife--its pretty darn loud. The funny thing is its not only loud, but it actually sounds good at the same time. I have played a number of guitars that are loud but sound like garbage.

Nut and Saddle were perfect. Intonation perfect. I can't understand it. How is it so good and so inexpensive? Frets were smooth inlay perfect.

One year warranty, but it looks like you won't need it.

Only dealt with the dealer, so I can't comment.

I had to wait a little while to comment on this one--to be sure I wasn't just having new gear syndrome, but I was quite nervous about buying simply because it is built in China, but it is really amazing sounding. The worst thing about it is the headstock inlay (if you have seen pictures you know what I mean) but I have to say that it isn't ugly AT ALL when you see it in your hands. I just don't get it. I figured it would be pretty nice, but it has far exceeded my expectations. It has a nice set of gold open back tuners (waverly style) that are nice and smooth. If you can get over the country of origin, which I must say, I wrestled with philosophically, it is just beyond comprehension. No hyperbole intended, if you haven't played the BR-180, you should. I don't know how the others sound, but if this is any indication, I may be looking this way again. It is so exciting to energize your playing with a new instrument once in a while. I had to share the experience and try to remain as objective as I could, but I give this one a big thumbs up for price to performance, it would be REALLY tough to find an equal in the market right now. If you read the last issue of ACOUSTIC GUITAR magazine where the builders were interviewed and said that it is hard to compete with the level of guitars coming out of asia right now, I can see their point. I just don't find anything wrong with it that is not politically motivated--it is just that good.

Admittingly, I was sceptical of instruments made in China. I take note that some very tallented musicians play excellent stringed instruments, such as cellos, that are made in China. The Blueridge BR-180 is no exception. I bought this guitar yesterday and I am sure that it will become one of my favorites. This guitar shows quality in terms of the raw materials, workmanship and finish. It does have a orange tint to the finish, which to me is not so much an issue. If I had to pick one thing out of this guitar that appears to be of lesser quality than the rest, it would be the tuners. Otherwise, I have looked this guitar very carefully and can not find a flaw - impressive.

I own 11 guitars and I need another guitar like I need a hole in the head. I took one of my guitars to a trusted luthier, and he showed me this instrument. Although the wood and the workmanship initally caught my eye, it was the sound that closed the deal. The sound is well balanced and rings like an instrument three times the price.

I had the luthier do some minor tweeks, but out of the case it played and sounded great. The fretboard was finished very nicely and the action was fine from the manufacturer.

I have not owned it long enough to rate this category, but as with most acoustics, it is really dependent on how they are taken care of.

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I have been playing for nearly 30 years, not that it means a damn thing to someone else. I guess that I have learned what sounds good, at least to me. I don't buy into all of the hype, if it sounds good to my ear, that is the main thing. I would not have bought yet another guitar if I did not think that it had something very special to offer, this guitar does. Before you buy a similar guitar at 3 times the price, you owe it to yourself to check out the BR-180.

I received my BR180 last week after waiting several months. U nyst say that the wait was well worth it. The guitar is beautifully constructed, and does not seem to have any of the problems that I have been reading about. The gold tuners seem solid and well built. They look like they are cast and not pressed. The pick guart is well attacted to the top, and the fit and finish are stunning. I can find now flaws in the construction. The inlay work is beautifully done and the toner is not nearly as orange as i expected. In fact it is an almost perfect match to my 71 Guild D40

The sound that this guitar puts out is wonderful. Lots of depth and sustain with a great balance between highs and lows. I love it

The guitar played beautifully right out of the box. The neck has an excellent feel. I love playing this guitar and have a hard time putting it down!

I try to take good care of my guitars and always keep them in their cases. I suspect that this guitar will stand up well over the years

I have found people at Saga to be courteous and prompt with their replys. I called with questions concerning the BR180 before I purchased, and a rep phoned me and we had a very nice discussion. He answered all my questions. I would like to see a longer warantee, but honestly I have never had a problem with a guitar in the past

I purchased a 2004 Blueridge BR-180. The guitar includes all solid woods, rosewood back and sides and spruce top. The soundboard has a toner with an orange tint. Personally, I don't find it overbearing. In fact I believe it gives it that antique look of aged wood. The spruce top was not as fine-grained as some of the reviewers found, but this did not seem to detract from the great sound. The abalone trim was stunning except for the fretboard where some of the markers were dark. Nut and saddle were excellent. No problem with fit and finish.

This is why I originally bought the guitar. I purchased the guitar unseen or unplayed except for reviews I had read on the internet. Out of the box the guitar's sound was loud and clear on every fret. No buzzing. I did a sound test with my wife by bringing out the d-45, the hd 35, the Taylor 810, and the Larivee d-09. The br-180 won hands down. The tone is even between bass and treble much like the Taylor 810, only louder. It does not have the heavy bass of the 35, but then I tire of that muddy sound. My wife was pleased of course because I only spent $800 on the guitar. You can't lose and believe me I was nervous about the purchase. I had seen the guitar advertised in a bluegrass magazine I subscribe to which usually only showcases the usual American Guitar Companies. I couldn't believe the price. Too good to be true. It is true.

The action was perfect. It is one of the few guitars I have had that I won't have to adjust the action. However, this is a personal choice for all of us. I play all types of music but concentrate on bluegrass and rhythm, some fingerpicking. I could find no flaws in the finish. The nut and saddle were fine. I did not find the frets to be unfinished-the same as my more expensive guitars.

I've only had the guitar for 5 months. I have had no problems and don't expect any.

To be honest, I've never had to deal with warranties with any of my guitars. If you take care of them, they take care of you.

For the money this is a beautiful guitar. I smile everytime I think about the "deal" I got on this purchase. At some point the price has to go up when more people find out about them. I am 51 years old and have been playing for about 35 years. I've had many guitars and although I would stop short of saying this is the best one I've ever played, I would wholeheartedly say it's the best guitar for the money. When I purchase a guitar I look for two things-playability and tone. This definitely has both in addition to being a very attractive guitar.

2004 blueridge BR-180, 20 frets, all solid quality wood construction, solid sitka top tight grained. mahogany neck with volute, genuine albalone inlay, pre-war forward shifted x-bracing(martin d-45 specs) parabolicly shaped scallopped. Finish is high-gloss aging orange toner. dreadnought shape. tuners are butterbean klusons. ebony bridge and fretboard. bone nut and saddle.These features were a consideration in purchasing a Blueridge

Sound suits my style very well, hard strumming, hard picking, soft fingerpicking, folk, punk blues, country, neil young style.The sound is rich, full, and bright all at the same time. The bass response isn't as big as some of the Martins i compared it to(hd-28, hd35) I actually breifly owned these 2 Martins, but sent them back because I was dissapointed in the sound for the price. The Blueridge is More focused, More woody midrange, more sparkle in the high end. To the untrained ear when I played the Martins for friends they said that it sounded that the bass sounded trapped in the guitar(hd-28), and better bass, but brittle high-end(hd-35). Now a lot of my friends don't know the diiference between a Martin and a Blueridge, they just know they liked the sound of the Blueridge better. They would say thing like warmer, clearer, woody sounding. I have to say That the Martins I've tried and had feel great and I like the quality of the woods and construction, the smell, but I feel that compared to some of the older Martins, they feel and sound over built. Maybe with different string and set-up and a year to break in I would feel different. I friend of mine told me if you like the sound of the guitar now, you'll love it in years to come. If you not blown away by the sound now, there's a good chance you won't be blow away by it later. My Blueridge sounds a little better day by day. Very happy with BR-180's sound, felt that the marginal difference you get with some of the Mrtins that are $1,000's more wasn't worth the money.

Set up was great, the action wasn't too high or too low. It was right in the middle where I wanted it. I immediately change the strings(d'addario lights) too bright and brash for my taste. I put on Vintage bronze med's. Vast improvement, louder, bassier, clearer treble. (Try not to judge the Blueridge on the strings it is shipped with). I have heard that the nut on some of the Br-180's is cut too close, but mine seems perfect. I must have got lucky. Also, I am having none of the tuner problems that people have talked about. Even with the strings off the tuners stay tight and so far are not falling apart. As a matter of fact even after throwing the guitar in a gig bag it still stays in tune. As with all guitars no matter how good you can always pick out faults. I wish I had a little more saddle height to work with, like the Martins give you. However, I have talked with other Blueridge owners who have had there guitars for years say the even with harsh temperature changes and humidity they have only had to shave off about a 32'd on the saddle. We'll see what the future brings.

So far so good. i have had a lot of guiatrs in my years and have done some heavy touring and this guitar seems like it will hold up. As I said before the tuing hardware on my guitar seems solid. Maybe I got lucky or they improved on this? A luthier I talked to said that the amount of glue/type that China uses on thses Blueridge will hold up really well through the years.

Been playing for on and off for 20 years, seriously with touring and atleast a 100 shows a year for the last 10 years. I own gibson, martin, guild. Have owned many other brands. If it was lost or stolen I would be heart broken and i would immediately get another one. Blueridge BR-180's went up a hundred dollars and they are getting more popular they are getting harder to find. Every place I've called are sold out and have been for weeks. My suggestion is get one while the quality control is good. I really think thses guiatr will go up in value over the years. Proof is in the pudding and they sound awesome!

The Br 180 and 183 are truly great guitars. Like all instruments a picker can find problems. I have owned almost everything on the market and at this time have the top end of most makers. I also am a Luthier with 28 years of experience and do repairs. These Blueridge guitars of mine are really great not only for the price but materials and workmanship. Try to build your own with these materials and try to beat them at what they do and you will be a sick puppy.I had to do minor fret work and neck adjustments on mine but I only paid $800. with a HSC. I have never owned a Martin that I didn't have to do some adjustments on.Yes I have owned or repaired several thousand instruments in my 30 yrs. I find that most of the instruments are actually better than the people playing them. I learned this while studying Classical guitar and Violin.In a way the Blueridge instruments are cutting at my market but I still have to be honest and say they are very good instruments. I wish they would install the neck after applying the finish so there would not be a build up of finish around the heel. They need to watch their neck sets I would like more saddle above the bridge. This is very hard and the best American Luthiers miss this sometimes. I also would like less toner on the top but that is just a personal thing.I think they will be a good investment and I believe most of them if treated properly will hold up under time.I have lost more $$$$ on high end guitars than the well made cheaper instruments.However, They don't sound like my 36 or my 39 D-18 but the new Martins don't either.I don't believe they can continue building these for the price.If you have one I hope you enjoy it.