Blueridge BR-40

Same as everyone has said before me. Blueridge BR 40.

Well first of all, this guitar I have has a very respectable bass response to it. I would expect for the money that these guitars are inconsistent in quality so there are a few variances from guitar to guitar. This is not an expensive Martin, Taylor or Gibson it is a $379.00 guitar so everyone PLEASE stop comparing it to these high end guitars! It is stupid and unfair to all company's concerned so lets stop all the B.S. Now I do think that this guitar compares to some guitars costing up to $1500, but change the strings they suck! I had to file down the saddle and tweak the truss to fix the really high factory action..but hey $379. It does remind of the martin style sound and for the money that is great because I love Martins. This little guitar is just to get me through a while longer until I can afford the Taylor I want. I think that for the price it is really a great guitar in sound, playability and even looks. Play several if you can before you buy and pick the best one....not sure I would order one through the mail or buy on ebay unless there was a good return policy because of the inconsistency.

Made well enough, no flaws I could find. I is very light so I would not abuse it. Action was high as I mentioned above. Its nice to be able to take it outside with out having the worries of an all solid wood guitar, humidity and heat..cold. Considering the price I am well impressed with the construction.

I think with care it should last a while...I do wish that they would not put on cheap plastic strap buttons, I mean, come on the metal ones are cheap enough to where this should be a no brainer. 7 with the plastic strap buttons...9.5 with metal ones. Yes don't hesitate to gig with it because it does a really good job.

Have not dealt with yet.

If lost or stolen I would just do without an acoustic a few more months until I finally get my Taylor 414ce. If you can find one you really like the sound and playability of I recommend you buy it. For the money you cant beat it and if you don't believe me just go to a dealer and play some of the other garbage they have hanging on the wall to compare with. I would bet this sounds better and in some cases a lot better and will probably be several hundred dollars less to boot. I have been playing for over 25 years and I do know great guitar tone is so trust me when I say Blueridge`s are defiantly worth checking out

See below for details. I bought mine new from a little local store here. It sounded very rich and the price was right.

I had trouble with the B string binding at first, which affected the sound quality. Time and a change in string size helped this. The BR-40 is very resonant and light. Bass is not nearly as heavy as high end Martins so bluegrass and blues players may want to look elsewhere. I never cared much for booming bass on acoustics and I love the jangly mids and high end for folk music. It sustains longer than my Martins and is a lot of fun to play. The neck is a little narrow for comfortable fingerstyle if you have large hands like I do, but it is possible. It excels in strumming. Dig in hard and it doesn't wimp out but instead becomes even richer.

As I said, there wasn't adequate attention to detail with the nut. Also, it was set a little low and had some minor string buzz. A truss adjustment, string size change, and time to wear in the nut a little solved these problems. For a guitar less than $250 I don't expect perfect adjustment and anyway this is partly a matter of personal preference. The top has a fairly thick coating but it has picked up a couple of small dings. The guitar has really opened up with playing and sounds even better now than when I bought it. I would say it is overall a well made classic with a couple of flaws due to cutting corners.

It is very light. I baby it on gigs and it has done pretty well but I wouldn't want to throw it down the stairs. I don't think it would survive a lot of abuse. No one should gig without backups!

No experience with them.

For certain types of music it is superb, even beating my more expensive acoustics. It will not be everyone's cup of tea so I strongly suggest playing it live instead of ordering one blindly based upon these reviews. You wouldn't order a bride by mail (would you?!) and an acoustic guitar is like a woman. This one has a lot of personality and I feel it will become one of my favorites as the years go by and it ages more. It is a great buy for its price class and I recommend you give it a try.

..as mentioned in other reviews.
Nice features, but the wood is a bit thin, wich makes it weight very little and sound quite loud (except for the bass..)..

Sounds quite nice for a guitar as cheap as this.. The sound is bright, loud and powerful.. except for the bass wich sound a bit weak and blurry.. (I've also got a Blueridge br-260 and that one sounds extremely much better when you compare the bass-sound..). I bet the loud sound and the weak and blurry bass is caused by the thin materials used on this guitar..

When I first got it it the strings were set up very low and it was very nice and easy to play.. a perfect guitar for a beginner.. The neck is very thin, wich i prefer cause my fingers aren't very long..
BUT!..after a couple of months with normal and safe storage and use, the neck was bent way off!!! And it kept getting worse and worse.. it even straightened out quite much when loosening the strings.. And it didnt help enough to adjust the truss-rod..! The neck is built to poorly..it is to thin and the material used is to fresh and not suitable..

As I said: the neck is built too thin and with too fresh materials so it's totally unreliable even with little use and safe storage!! The body is also very thin so it wont handle small accidents well i guess..

have'nt used it cause I bought it from a dealer on ebay.. Allthough I should have returned it because of the bad neck..

Very cheap and easy to play guitar with ok features and ok sound.. but that was only straight out of the box.. it changed to the worse.. would't recommend anyone to buy one of these.. But I also own one of Blueridges br-260.. an at least 5 times more expensive guitar.. Sounds much better, is a bit more difficult to play, but most important of all; ..it's built to last.. buy something like that instead of the br-40.. and be careful with other cheap blueridges..it's a bit typical that cheap guitars are built with too fresh materials wich makes them bend or crack after a while..

Solid top
open tuners
super thin "electric-style" neck
ultra-glossy plasticky finish
plain black pickguard
bone nut and saddle
light bracing
tiny headstock

The sound is fantastic for this price point. It's got a very balanced sound; the lows are sufficiently bassy without being boomy, and the highs have a nice sweet sound. It doesn't have the deep resonant richness of the Epiphone Masterbilts I tested. It's got a lot of presence, which is something that the Martin DX1 guitars don't have--they tend to have a muffled, quiet sound.

I picked mine up used, but I don't think the previous owners monkeyed with the set-up much. The action was extremely low, partly due to the truss rod being adjusted for not enough neck relief. The neck was completely straight, if not back-bowed, which made the low strings rattle when strummed even moderately hard. A quick tweak of the truss rod fixed that.

The finish is that super-glossy, plastic crap factories are slopping on so many guitars these days. It tends to splinter rather than dent, so if you ding this guitar you'll have a sharp, jagged spot in addition to the ding itself. I know this because I smacked the top against my belt buckle within hours of buying the guitar, marring an otherwise perfect finish. :(

The neck is super thin--the thinnest I've ever seen on an acoustic. It's also somewhat narrow. If you have large hands or play mostly open chords, you might want to look elsewhere. The fretboard has a low radius; maybe a 9.5 or so, making bar chords especially comfortable.

One major flaw that really bugs me is the tiny headstock. Not only does it ruin the visual balance of the guitar, it makes changing strings a pain in the butt. The tuners are so bunched up that the A string actually rubs against the E string's tuning post.

There aren't any sharp frets sticking out, but the frets could use a good polishing. String bending produces a scratchy, raspy sound as the string scrapes against the fret. Even my '81 Hondo all-laminate guitar has smoother frets.

It's a very light guitar, with "pre-war bracing." Apparently Martin stopped using the pre-war bracing pattern because they had a problem with tops warping. I'm not too concerned; I never use anything heaver than light gauge strings, and even if this guitar falls apart after 10 years I'll have gotten my money's worth. This isn't the kind of guitar that you pass on to your grandkids anyway.

I bought it used, so no warranty, no customer support.

I've been playing for about 15 years, mostly acoustic. I've read reviews of, say, a $99 Squier acoustic, where the reviewer says something like "this guitar sounds better than the $2,500 Martins I played at the music store." No, it doesn't. You just don't have the experience to tell the difference.

Other guitars that I considered were:

Alvarez R20S. I tried a few; these guitars were extremely inconsistent. I couldn't find one with a balanced tone across all six strings.

Yamaha FG730. A nice bright sounding guitar. Gorgeous rosewood back and sides. This one didn't make the cut because it had sharp plastic neck binding that made thumb-fretting uncomfortable.

Epiphone Masterbilt. The best sounding under $600. The neck is rather chubby, though, and again with the plastic neck binding. It's also got an unattractive artificial orange color.

Martin DX1. This guitar gets rave reviews, but I was somewhat disappointed in it. It's got a well balanced tone across all six strings, and doesn't lean too much toward either boominess or brightness. However, it's a very quiet guitar. It also sounds kind of muffled--like you're playing a guitar with a pillow inside it. I hardly ever use a pick, so this guitar was out of the question.

I bought the BR-40 on ebay, having never even picked one up before. Overall I'm pleased with the guitar. The neck is a little thinner than I'd like, and don't get me started on the headstock, but when you're on a budget you have to take what you can get.

These guitars seem to be something of well kept secret. The brand name isn't one that most people recognize, so used ones go for 50-60% of street retail. Good if you're buying used--not so good if you're selling.

Copied straight from the website of the dealer I purchased this guitar from five years ago:
" * Select, solid Sitka Spruce top with hand-carved parabolic braces in the authentic prewar forward X-pattern
* Mahogany back and sides
* Natural high-gloss finish
* Black 5-ply body binding (B/W/B/W/B)
* Carved Mahogany, low profile neck with Mother-of-pearl dot position markers
* East Indian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge
* Dovetail neck/body joint
* Ornate mother-of-pearl peg head inlay
* Bone nut and saddle
* Black pick guard
* Accurate vintage-style 14:1 ratio nickel-plated open-back tuners with butterbean-style buttons
* Shop adjusted"

I give it an eight only because I wish it did not have laminate sides and back. The inlays are incredible, and the parts seem to be high quality.

I love this guitar's sound. I play mostly classic rock, a bit of country and really love to jam on the blues. It has a really nice bright sound, though isn't tinny. Warm and rich lows, but maintain clarity. I currently use nano-webbed strings, which play more smoothly and are supposed to last much longer - I personally love the way these light gages sound on this instrument, but everyone has to play with their own setup to get it how they like.

I've played this next to fender acoustics, classic martins, ibanez, yamahas and songbirds. I apologise, I do not know the model numbers of the guitars, only that their price ranges were all $500-1,200 CDN. This guitar destroys them all - its sound overpowers them with its incredible tone and clarity. Some of my friends who I jam with regularly are sold on this guitar, and have or are soon switching to the blueridge line.

Again, this guitar blows all others out of the water. I bought it from Andrews Family Music in 2003, and it came shop adjusted, so I cannot comment on the factory setup. After four years, and an unfortunate amount of abuse (no humidifier, no climate control in the summers, stuck in a basement for storage for a year when I lived abroad, me being young and reckless, etc.) it took four years before it needed a few adjustments. I took it in to my local guitar shop and $40 later, it's in the best shape of its life. The bridge is well routed, the frets are well polished, the action is second to none, a few buzzes but not too many (normal for the winter season when house-heating drys the wood a bit), perfect intonation adjustment. The grover tuners keep the thing in tune better than anything else I've seen, though I've only been playing for 7 years.

I'll give it a 9, because mine does have a few buzzes resulting from the winter climate, but rest assured, this thing plays and handles damn well.

I have had no serious issues with this instrument. As I mentioned, four years of improper storage and the harsh changes between the dry winter and humid summer did interfere with this guitar's sound and playability. However, this would be true for any guitar, especially newer instruments that have not yet settled. A $40 trip to the local luthier every four or five years will keep this thing in good-as-new condition. It came with a hardshell case, which has endured many trips on buses, trains and cars. Taking good care of this guitar (nowadays), it is giving me no problems.

The guitar is very well put together. I do not know much about detailed guitar construction, but simply looking on the inside of the body, its binding and workings look much more solid than the more expensive and inferior-sounding and playing brands I have mentioned above. Very solid instrument.

Given what it has been through, I give this a 10 on reliability/durability - it is a very solid and well made instrument.

I have not had any dealings with the Blueridge company. I never needed to use the warranty, and have always had very friendly support from the original dealer and luthiers since. All work on this guitar has been done by myself or locally.

I am not even going to say that this is the best bang for your buck - this is simply the best. Its sound pales to none, its action is seamless and it is solid as a rock. Granted, I've only been playing for seven years, but in the five years I have owned this instrument, I have not found one fellow player who is not shocked and awed by its amazing tone and playability. For those on a budget, you will find nothing better than this. For those who are prepared to spend more, I would recommend seriously looking at the Blueridge line - you just might end up saving yourself a lot of money and end up with a better guitar.

Dreadnought--gloss finish--no-name, open tuners (don't care for the look of this style tuner, but the tuners hold tuning very well)--hard shell case included (case seems durable, I traveled with this guitar for 2 months in Ireland without any damage to the guitar)--made in China--built in December 2004, bought in April 2006--solid spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides, rosewood bridge and fretboard, bone nut and saddle--guitar has a smaller headstock than most other brand guitars, but I have not found that to be a problem when changing strings--I rate this guitar as an "8," only because it is a basic acoustic guitar--tuners, pickguard, wood, strings, etc. But it sounds like a "10" to me.

Have owned this guitar for 5 months--A/B'd this guitar against the big names--chose the BR-40 over Martin DX1, DM, D-15 Custom, D-16GT, D-18--also A/B'd the BR-40 against the Blueridge BR-60, BR-140, BR-160, and BR-240, and chose the BR-40 (sound, NOT the price was the only factor in my decision)--great sound out of the box w/perfect setup from factory--after about 8 weeks of daily playing, this guitar really opened up--it now produces the much discussed "Martin thump," clear highs and distinct, clear bass, plus great volume.

Giving the guitar a "9," only because I know that there are high dollar guitars out there that are "10s," (e.g., legendary Martin D-28s and D-45s), but, for $350, my BR-40s are "10s." They sound as good to me as any of the other models listed above that I A/B'd this BR-40 against.

For me, a perfect setup from factory (1/2 inch at the bridge and 3/32 inch at the 12th fret on the low E string)--I found no flaws in the guitar's construction--beautiful wood in this guitar, top and back--the top is a tight-grained, solid spruce (NOT orange, as in other Blueridge models), and the back is beautifully bookmatched, striped mahogany--the no-name, open tuners hold tuning very well--I could find no glue drips or wood scraps inside the guitar's body--I give this category a "10," because I have not seen cleaner, more tightly constructed guitar at any price.

This guitar will comfortably handle live playing (gloss finish all around, so beer wipes right off)--seems as dependable to me as any other well-made guitar--no-name, open tuners hold tuning well during extended playing time--strap button on the end of guitar seems solid, and I use a Martin strap button above the guitar's nut (no drilling for me)--have gigged without a backup, because I am confident nothing will break on this guitar except an occasional string (cannot recall the last time I broke a strong)--but most players will always want to have a backup.

Saga Music offers a 1 year warranty on the Blueridge guitars--not much of a warranty, but the guitar seems well built and very durable to me, so I'll take my chances--I have emailed questions to Saga Music at their website, and they have responded quickly.

Have been playing (badly) since 1963--also own 1977 and 1996 Guild acoustics, 1969 Gibson SG, and a Tele copy--my 2 Guild acoustics are for sale, replaced by my BR-40--as noted in my comments in the "Sound" section of this review, I A/B'd the BR-40 against many other dreadnought guitars--none of the others sounded better, so I bought the BR-40--liked this BR-40 so much that I bought a second BR-40 (that way, if lost or stolen, I can just pick up my second BR-40 and keep on playing)--my 2 BR-40s were made a year apart 12/04 and 11/05, but the excellent sound is consistent between the 2, so I do not think my first, great sounding BR-40 was a fluke--(I repeat that sound, NOT the price was the only factor in my decision)--always wanted a Martin, but no more--my Blueridge D-18 clone has ended my desire to own a Martin, at 1/5 the price (although I emphasize that price was not the issue in my decision, sound was)--if you buy a BR-40, put some Martin Marquis or SP light strings on it and play away!

I repeat that I could not hear any significant difference between the BR-40 and any of the other guitars I A/B'd the BR-40 against (see my comments in the "Sounds" section).

CAVEAT: Of course, impressions of a guitar's sound IS subjective. And, I may be totally deaf. But every day I play one or both of my 2 BR-40s, and the sound just keeps getting better. I'm still amazed each day that this much sound can come out of a $350 mahogany laminate guitar. Amazing!

The BR-40 Dreadnought acoustic guitar uses the same wood selection as its higher-priced counterparts. Features a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany back, sides, and peghead overlay. Gorgeous accoutrements like 5-ply body binding, mother-of-pearl inlays, and nickel-plated Kluson-style tuners. Authentic pre-war bracing ensures tone and volume just like the finest vintage guitars. Mine caame with a real nice hard shell case.

Have been playing for 2 years but am still a beginner. Has a real nice sound and a booming base. It is amazing the sound that you can get out of this sub $300 dollar guitar. As far as I can tell it sounds as good as or better than my friends who play a Guild or a Martin. Compared to $2,000 Taylor there is noticeable difference

I bought this off of e-bay. First thing I did was take it to the local guitar shop. They said it was perfect and needed no adjustment. I think the action is high for a beginner but may guitar instructor says that the action is perfect and it contributes to loud sound that it gets. The finish is beautifull especially the Mahogany back.

This guitar is so solid you can not even imagine. I have five small children under 10. They have stomped on the case and it has held up. I have banged this thing into walls and chairs repeatedly and have rubbed it against my belt buckle and pager. My kid scratched all over it with a guitar pick. I have also played it regularly for two year. It looks brand new out of the box and the sound has gotten better. There is not one noticable scratch on it. Every week I tune up with instroctor and stay in perfect tune.

Haven't had to use it.

I have been playing for two years and frankly I am not very good. For a sub $300 guitar with a solid wood top and a sturdy hardshell case I don't think that there is anything else out there except a Washburn or a Yamaha. My only reservation for a beginner is that the action is not low like an electric, so it takes some getting used to. I'm not sure that I would call this a beginners guitar as it looks and play so nice. If it were lost or stolen I would move up to a solid wood acoustic electric as I have the money to spend and a quality guitar holds it value and lasts a lifetime. If you don't want do a lot shopping around and you are on a budget, you definitely can not go wrong with this guitar.

I think they have been described already....One point I like the small head...it reminds me of my Martin Backpacker...

Wow...this sounds great. It has a very bright sound...

The neck is the real suprize...it reminds me of my Les Paul...kind'a. 14th fret gives you plenty of room...this is a great lead guitar. The set-up was fine...size I think one of the guys at the guitar store said it was his favorite...I didn't notice any flaws...over craftmanship was very good for a factory line guitar.

This guitar is for song writing and acustic jammming...I'm not sure about live applications yet...maybe. I wound't hessitate to use it.

N/A

Ok...I'm more of a blues Strat kind'a of player. I guess if I were a real blue grass/country/folk player I would go for something more traditional like a Martin or a Gibson, but this guitar does the trick for me for the money. Excellent buy...

Made in China 2003, Solid Sitka Spruce top. Laminated Mahogany back and sides Mahogany neck. Gloss finish, Drednought body style. Rosewood bridge with bone nut and saddle. Rosewood fretboard and 25.5 scale. Forward shift parobolic bracing.

Bluegrass in my music style. Loud, rich and full sound with great sustain. Own this guitar for over a year now and it gets better every day. Top is opening up.

Action is nice and low with no fret buzz. Well made guitar with no flaws. Stays in tune. I added Ebony bridge pins.

Solid Guitar! Owned it for over a year with no problems.

Have not delt with Saga, but have a great Dealer. One year warranty from Saga, but lifetime from the dealer.

Own a Gibson and a Fender drednought. If it was lost or stolen, I'd cry like a baby and buy another.

Thin neck, which is good for small hands like mine. Butterbean-remake tuners are probably not the best, but seem to be fine. Bone nut & saddle? On a guitar of this price? Get outta here!!

This was also my knockaround guitar, but the big sound of this thing is a continuous marvel. It keeps bringing the best out of me - my wife now lets me play in the house. :-)

Nice, even GLOSS (not @#!# satin) finish. Seems like it will wear fine. Nice, consistent work throughout.

I've only had it for a month.

I did a lot of research to get the best I could for under $400, and I palyed a bunch of guitars in this price range before I went to Carmine St., my favorite store. Rick always has stuff for every budget & honest opinions. I played the BR40 & he started laughing at my expression. Apparently, a lot of people react the same! I preferred this to its bigger brothers, and it's going to make me a better player. Weird for less than $400.00! It'll be agood friend. Just wish it didn't have to be made in China to get this kind of guitar.