Blueridge BR-280

Dreadnought body with all solid fairly straight-grained Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, tight-grained solid spruce top, ebony fingerboard, abalone inlay everywhere, ivoroid binding on top, neck, bottom - really a gorgeous-looking instrument, very similar to a D-45 in appointments. Made in China, but, man, if this is part of the fruit of globalization, I have no complaints. This was the first Blueridge I bought (why not start at the top?), and I am completely blown away by its features.

Very rich, balanced tone suitable for picking, strumming or lead (yep, very bendable notes with some mid-range Elixirs). Can go from muted to thunder with just a little push. I got mine used and the previous owner put a slightly wider nut than the factory, which makes the finger-picking easy. This guitar has no weaknesses I can find in terms of its sound, and my wife described it as "the best sounding guitar" she's ever heard. And, after 22 years of playing/collecting, she's heard a lot. The best part is the guitar sounds great at only 3 years old, so it hasn't even opened up yet! This one is definitely a keeper.

I am the second owner of this gem, and there are no finish flaws. It is perfectly built and solid from what I can tell. Totally straight neck, well dressed frets, no buzzing, nothing...

The ONLY flaw I see is a design flaw that might or might not cause tuning problems, but it has a simple fix. The low and high e strings are at an acute angle from the post to the nut. However, the previous owner came up with a perfect solution: wind the two strings in the opposite direction and they go straight in line with the nut! Problem solved and no issues...

This guitar looks very durable. I don't plan to gig with it, but wouldn't see any problem doing it. Very solid feel to it.

No opinion on this one. Have only owned it for about a month, and would probably take it into a local luthier if it needed repair.

Been playing 22 years, currently own 7 guitars (which can increase up to 15 with what my wife calls "alarming" speed) including a Gibson CL-40, which does not quite have the breadth of tone and playability of this instrument. I love the appointments, the tone, the ease with which it plays, and the promise of it sounding even better as it ages. My favorite feature is definitely the Brazilian rosewood, which is straight and true. If it were lost or stolen, I would most definitely replace it, and will probably buy a couple more of these as collectibles. BTW, the VALUE of these guitars is amazing because they are produced in China, and I am convinced that, after years of making these, the craftsmen/women there have got it down to a fine art. This instrument, to me, seems on par with any US made guitar in this feature range, and will only appreciate over time.

My opinion is pretty much the same as others. This is just a great guitar. I wish the nut was just a tad wider for finger picking, but it will do. The Brazilian Rosewood on my guitar is just stunning to look at. And, if it is stump wood, as some jaded reviewers in other forums have stated, well, bring on the stump wood! It is so deep in color that it looks like you could fall into it. The bone nut gives it a very solid look.

I own over 30 guitars. Many Gibsons, A Taylor 510CE, a Heritage, etc. This guitar is by far the best sounding. Very complex sound when strummed soft, but still clear and well defined when given the hard blues pounding that I often get into. It needs medium/light strings, and sounds better with 80/20's than with phosphorous bronze. And, when I push it, it's a cannon.

I bought this used but, from the look of it, it wasn't used much. It had original strings on it. I lowered the action just a fraction to suit my particular taste in set up. The fit and finish is about flawless. Everything lines up like you would expect on a high end guitar.

So far so good, but it's really too early to tell. I will say that I also have a Blueridge BR-160 that is 2 years old and it is just as solid as the day I got it. I really love it and I expect the BR-280 to be just as good.

No opinion

I basically stole this guitar. I got it on e-bay for $1400 right after Christmas, which is a great time to bargain hunt for guitars. It gets my highest rating. I have been playing for 38 years. As I said, I own many high end guitars and this is the cream of the crop. It has a wonderful feel that, to me, fits right between the Martins and Gibsons of the '60's. I would definately replace it if it were stolen.

The other reviewers have spoken accurately about the particulars of this guitar. Best looking Brazilian I have ever seen on a guitar. I've had two other Brazilian guitars and the grain on them was more like Indian.

Fabulous sound with great volume and sustain. extremely well balanced, best I have ever heard.

Action, fit a nd finish are flawless although,like other reviewers, I would have preferred a wider nut.

I bought this used from Gruhn and it is in mint condition even though it is an older model. Blueridge changed out the way they put labels inside the guitar so I'm guessing mine goes back a few years.

I've heard good things about Saga but I've never had to use them.

Been playing a long, long time and this is one of the best sounding guitars I have ever heard, let alone owned. I have a washburn 3/4, a Goodall, a couple of high end classicals, a Morgan Monroe and another blueridge BG-40. The Morgan and the BG-40 are very close in sound quality to the BR-280. Blueridge and Morgan build fabulous guitars and the price is icing on the cake.

Features on this amazing instrument are as follows:Solid spruce top, solid brazilan rosewood back & sides, abalon all over the darn place! Ivoroid bindings,Etc. Etc. You could go to Saga or musicians friend to get the full specs.. Nevertheless, A work of art here people, No pick ups, thank god, as this is LOUD!!! Martin eat your heart out,For the prices they are these days ,I hope BLUERIDGE guitars puts all those thiefs out tof bueisness.. Any way to the sound of this ax..

The sound is to die for really, Not only does it sound better than My HD-28, and Guild D-55, its much louder and more alive, and has an aged sort of tone, My Martin is 2 years old and is somewhat broken in, the BR-280 is a couple of days old, and is KILLER out of the box, Think Neil Young, Paul Mccartney, Floyd, and all the older stuff, That real woody tone, with added presence and brightness, no Martin I ever had or heard could come close to.. Martin guitars these days sound dead, The tone dosent transend past the sound hole, fear not thats where the BLUERIDGE shines ,Vintage Martin tone, With more prescence and resonence... AHHHHH finally a good guitar that speaks to your sole...PEOPLE PLEASE: Give these guitars a chance, they will not let you down, Very consistent to all that Ive played sounded GREAT... Even there lower line stuff I also have the BR-40.. Amazing guitar as well..

Oh my god, not a flaw to be found.. PERFECT.. Intonation dead on.

Take care of it: It will last a life time IMO.

I really dont know, if there as good as there guitars, then thats GREAT!

You no what, just read above again.. I want to go play my BLUERIDGE BR-280 BR-1060 BR-240 BR-40, And put my Martin and guild on E Bay.. Bye BYe....PRACTICE ALL!1

I purchased this baby six months ago so I've had time to play it before submitting this review. Mine is a 2005 model, the specs are the same as the other reviews, it is very well built, feels solid and it is light as a feather. I cant find any flaws to complain about. It is a beautifull guitar but I did not buy it for the looks. I was'nt sure of the tuners at first, I have never owned a guitar with vintage tuners before but they are doing the job fine, the guitar stays in tune perfectly.

Now this is what I bought this guitar for. I own alot of good quality guitars and this one is my favorite for sound. The sound is full, rich and well calibrated. It projects very good, it sounds great when you play soft and it is loud when you need it, very loud!
This is what I was looking for in an acoustic guitar. When I start a song, play a soft intro and softly begin to sing, the guitar sounds beautifull and when I it the chorus and need more volume, the guitar has all the volume I need and the beautifull sound is still there but much louder, this thing does not break up at loud volume like other guitars I have. I should point out the sustain also carries on extremely well. If you like a guitar with that special wood tone like when listening to Neil Young or Cat Stevens, this is it!
Describing sound is not an easy thing, I hope my review helps...

The set up was higher than what I like and the guitar tech at the store did a wonderfull job setting it up, it plays with little effort.

So far so good, as of now I see no problems in the futur.

N/A

I've been playing for 22 years. I own a Gibson Hummingbird, Takamine LTD Edition, Norman, Fender AD Strat, Yiari, Godin. I can honestly say this is my favorite acoustic, it sounds like a guitar should.

Beautiful guitar. Very well built. High quality for the money. Solid Brazilian back and sides. Solid Sitka top. Craftsmanship is flawless including the pearl inlay. I was very pleasantly surprised. Only issue I have with it is it's a little narrow at the nut. I would also like to see them go to a better looking pickgard and use a little less of the aging toner. But that's a personal taste thing. Some people happen to like them the way they are. I personally like the headstock and I've heard many people say they don't care for it.

Unbelievable. This is the best sounding guitar I've ever owned. All of the good reviews I've heard about Blueridge guitars are true. I've owned and played many Martins in my lifetime and I have to say none of them sounded any better than this guitar. Most didn't sound as good. I've also notice a difference between IRW and Brazilian. I find Brazilian to be more clear with crystal clear bass, not muddy like IRW sometimes can be. It's not major, but I can tell the difference.

The action was perfect right out of the box. No buzz. Perfect playing height. I've never bought a new Martin that wasn't too high and needed to be lowered.

I can't see where it wouldn't last over time. The quality craftsmanship is most certainly there.

I hope to never have a problem but I must admit, a 1 year warranty is not very much.

Best bargan for the buck.

Imported from China for Saga Music. Beautiful guitar. Flawless craftmanship. Solid Brazilian back and sides. Perfect matchbook grain. Solid Sitka top also with a perfect wood grain. Unbelievable for the price. Outstanding quality for the price. Completely flawless. I've owned several Martin's over the years and I find the quality of this guitar to be as least as good as any Martin I've every owned or played. And I've played many of them over the years.

The best sounding guitar I've ever owned or played. I've played and owned guitars made by all of the major manufactures including Martin and Gibson. This guitar is a step above all of them. I am a true Martin fan yet this guitar has more of the true Martin sound than most new Martin's I've played. Full rich bass yet not at all muddy. Crystal clear mid's and high's. This guitar has it all when it comes to sound.

The action was great right out of the box but I did lower it a little. It did not change the tone and there is no fret buze. The action is the best I've every had on and acoustic guitar. Everything on the guitar is truely flawless. Simply unbelievable for the cost.

Perfect finish work. Perfect craftsmanship. This is no backup guitar. It's the star of the show. I believe it will last a lifetime.

I don't know much about Saga but I must admit a 1 year warranty is not very comfortable. But I don't really think I'll have any problems with this guitar.

Best guitar I've every owned. It's a beautiful work of art and the tone is the best I've ever heard. I've finally found my guitar for life.

Bought new. Solid Brazilian back and sides. Sika spruce top. Outstanding craftmanship. Pre-war D45 appointments. Very nice guitar. Unbelievable quality for the price. A Martin Brazilian of the same quailty would cost 5 times as much. Very good long term investment considering how rare Brazilian has become and the outragous price most guitar makers are charging these days. Only issue I have with this guitar is the string spacing at the nut is a little small. The 6th string could have been spaced a little wider. I will rate it a 9 only because to the nut spacing. Everything else on this guitar is flawless.

I have never played or owned a better sounding guitar. My last 4 guitars were Martins. CEO-4R, D40, HD35, and a DM. All were outstanding sounding guitars but this guitar does have a better overall sound. I can tell the difference between Brazilian and Indian rosewood. It's not a dramatic differnce but Brazilian is better to my ears. Brazilian seems to have have a clearer and cleaner tone to it. The bass is not muddy at all and the the highs are crisp and clear.

The action was perfect right out of the box. This is a first. Most of the time guitars are set up too high new. But not this one. I could tell they spent a lot of time properly setting up this guitar. It is however their top of the line guiar and they seemed to treat it accordingly. The action and intonation are perfect.

I would say it will last a life time but only time will tell. They only have 1 year warrenty but looking at the craftsmanship I'd have to say it will hold up over time. I'll give it a 9 simply because they are not time tested yet.

I've not dealt with Saga direct yet but Centsible Sounds is who I purchanse this guitar from. Centsible Sounds was fantasic to work with. 9 only because I'm not sure what to expect from Saga.

I've been playing 20 years now. I've owned 4 Martins and 1 gibson hummingbird. This guitar is the best sounding guitar I've owned. I extremely pleased.