Blueridge BR-73

The tuners are simple and a bit stiff, so it's not a 10. Neck is great, even with my pipefitter hands. Touch is light. I have Parkinson's disease, so it's a big deal to me. Easy to play. Woods are attractive, bookmatched, and dealer gave me a really nice hard case. Not the regular case, but one I'd like to be buried in.

Bright, balanced, and authoritative sound for a OOO.

I bought it from a music store in Mountain View, Arkansas, so I had time to play it and think about it and play it some more. Luthier set it up for me and restrung it, measured string height, and generally treated me like I'd bought a multi-thousand buck axe. I see no flaws in the guitar

guitar seems tough enough for gigging. should be protected, though.
hardware looks good
finish looks good
strap button is solid. I use a Bruce Walker patented strap. Google it.
seems dependable.
Backup for this is a Mossman. NEVER gig without a backup.

don't know yet.

Been playing pro for 43 years. Have owned many brands, all price ranges, and am fond of saying I'd buy a Mattell if it played like I wanted it to play. This is no cheapo box, and keeps up in tone, volume, and voicing with my lead-player's two Taylors, as well as the Mossman he's loaned me for the past year. If it were stolen I'd replace it with one just like it. I mike it with a Neumann-clone mike and sometimes use a soundhole pickup for a bit of punch. Not too much, though, since I want it to be heard as it is, hence the microphone.

Acoustic guitars don't tend to have features other than their "bling." This guitar has nice abalone trim. It's cleanly done, and largely irrelevant.

I agree that this guitar excels with finger picking. The sound of this guitar is very clear. Each individual note is articulated very well. Since finger picking (I use my bare fingers without picks) tends to lend a rather muffled, dead sound (due to the softness of flesh), the clearness of the sound is quite welcome.

This isn't to say that using a pick creates too harsh a sound. It is, again, clear. However, if you're looking for a guitar on which to play rhythms that will blend in with a band, this is not the guitar for that.

Keep in mind, though, this is not a fault in the guitar. It is simply a characteristic of an 000 or OM body style. They're meant to be heard through instruments rather than blending with them. That said, if you play a lot of solo acoustic music, this body sytle is quite enjoyable.

As far as the "loudness" issue that has been on the burner throughout the reviews of this guitar, it is loud for its size. If you compare it to a dreadnaught that is even somewhat well-made, it won't be as loud. However, if you compare it to another 000 or OM style guitar, it will be noticably louder, with a much punchier bass (perhaps my favorite part about the sound of this guitar).

My rating is dependent on the fact that the guitar is new and has yet to age. I expect it to open up quite nicely, but I cannot rate it based on expectations.

I have yet to find any flaws in the finish of the guitar. It is quite attractive. The frets and neck are impressively consistent. I can understand a previous reviewer's concern that the headstock is too small, but I've yet to notice a real problem with it.

The tuners are the weakest part of the instrument. They function in that the guitar does not go out of tune to an unacceptable degree (I can't blame a guitar for changes in weather). However, the tuners are not as smoothe as I like. I would also like a higher gear ratio.

I can't expect that for the price, though, so I'm more than willing to deal with it.

The action was at a reasonable level when I got it. There appears to be enough room to adjust it higher or lower.

The neck has a gloss finish, which I don't particularly like. I'm a fan of matte finishes. They end up getting worn into a gloss finish through playing. Gloss finishes (at least at a reasonable price level) need to be eroded to a comfortable playing surface. It's a minor complaint since polishing and playing will alleviate it.

Luckily, guitars don't seem to built with "planned obsolescence." While I would suggest against using this guitar as a door stop or a makeshift automobile brake, it should last a while. It's not the kind of guitar you can disregard, though. You do have to at least keep it in its case and not put it in the trunk of your car with an old battery rolling around to beat the crap out of it.

I will give it a 10 regarding its construction (glue, etc.).

I will give it a 7 regarding its composition (it is a hollow box of wood, after all).

My overall rating is a conservative average between the two.. don't beat the crap out of this kind of guitar.

I have no faith in customer support from any company.

Getting a good small body guitar for a good price has always been a bit of a pain. Dreadnaughts are easier since they're such a popular style. OM's and 000's, on the other hand, aren't very popular so you usually have to pay a significant sum of money (in college/young person terms) to get a decent one.

This guitar, though, opens up this guitar size to more people. Don't think of it as a replacement for a dreadnaught, and vice versa. These guys are a different breed.

A good understanding of the basic sound of this style can be found in "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton, or by pretty much anything by "James Taylor."

I don't meant to say that any music you make will sound like their music, but those are two well known examples of guitars of this sort.

Compared to my Taylor, this guitar doesn't feel quite as nice, but it is undoubtedly a better bang-for-the-buck. It was less than half the price yet is 90% of the guitar that the Taylor is. (I've noticed in the guitar world that those extra 10%'s cost a lot of money).

I suggest this guitar for anyone who is into finger picking or simply wants a smaller-bodied guitar.

I should note that my girlfriend likes this guitar alot because of the size. Music is unfortunately dominated by men (whose voices aren't nearly a sweet as the average female voice), and instruments reflect this. It's difficult to find a good-sounding, easy-playing instrument that a female can play, and this guitar fits the bill.

Triple 000 specs. Laminated rosewood (brazilian?- looks more like slab cut Indian- but still pretty) lots of abalone- kind of like a D-42. Solid spruce top.

I mostly play classical but also enjoy steel string finger style. I have owned literally dozens of guitars- several Taylors, Martin D35, D28HB, Martin 000's, Martin 016NY- others. I would say that the sound of this guitar is remarkably good- by any standard, not just in consideration of the price. Very well balanced , rich, loud.

Fantastic for the price- or for quite a bit more than the price. Lovely abalone inlays- almost too much bling to be comfortable with.

I've been playing for 40 years and have owned so many guitars that I've lost track. This guitar is unbelievable to me in its quality/price ratio. I wouldn't want to compare it to upper end American guitars because it's apples and oranges but if I were Taylor or Martin I'd be breaking out in a cold sweat and hurling if I thought I had to compete for the price. If it were stolen I'd replace it right away. I've already bought a BR 160 because this was so much more than I expected for the money- I'll review it next. ( like this site needs more reviews on that model)

This a Solid Top sitka spruce guitar with amazing lush tone

The guitar plays really well and has a amazing tone although lacks a little in the bass

great

knocked it against things a few time on accident still holds strong

dont know nver needed it

Purchase this guitar and dont let the price tag fool you. I have played other blue ridge guitars and this is the best

Brazilian (laminate) sides and back and a Solid Sitka Spruce top. Carved Mahogany neck with an East Indian rosewood fretboard. Gold vintage Kluson-style Butterbean tuners and Abalone prufling. Gorgeous headstock inlay! Inexpensive black hard shell case included but it gets the job done.

I've always wanted a 000 size acoustic and a Eric Clapton Martin is a bit out of my price range. I've played a lot of different guitars including the Clapton Martin as well as the lower end 000-X1. This thing sounds great! After reading several reviews I decided to take a chance with this guitar site unseen and I'm thrilled I did. Great for finger picking.

Absolutely no issues other than that strings that came on it sucked and were dead in less than day?s worth of playing. But this isn?t really an issue. I normally restring and newly acquired guitar with my personal preference of strings right away anyway. Very lightweight and easy to play. Great finish and setup.

While it's too early to tell I doubt I'll have any issues this this beauty. It appears as solidly built as my Martin D-15 Rosewood and Gibson SJ-200.

Never dealt with Saga Music. To be quite honest I'm not even sure what kind of warranty this guitar has. No paperwork other than a tag on the hard case was included. I'm giving this a 8 because of that. Musician's Friend has a 60 day return policy but I don't think it's going back anytime soon!

I've been playing for over 25 years and have a nice assortment of 6 and 12 stringed friends much to my wife's chagrin. I've read some reviews of these guitars and took a chance an am very happy plus you can't beat the price for the quality of guitar you get. Yeah it's made in China and nothing beats an American made Martin or Gibson but this is pretty close and it's not made with HPL. May be time for the big boys to take notice. You can get quality and craftsmanship for way under $1000!

i love this guitar. the style of it is very thin and is so much easier to play. the inlay looks pretty cool as well. it has 22 frets, solid top with laminated sides. i believe its a mahogany neck,im not quite sure.

the sound of this guitar is incredible. personally to me it sounds better then alot of the martins ive played that were in the $1000 range. i play a lot of folk music on it. an all around excellent guitar.

the action on mine was not high at all it was perfect. ive played my other friends acoustics and all of their actions seemed a lot higher. the finish is glossy and looks amazing.

ive played this thing for about 6 months now and it has only gotten better. this guitar is very durable and dependable. ive used this for a couple of gigs without backup n just sounds great.

no need

wat else is there to say? if your looking to buy a great acoustic u need to check out this guitat . also mine came with a case.

2004 made in China 000 style . Very light , solid spruce top with laminated rosewood sides . The back I'm not sure about , but nicely fiqured and bookmatched . The neck is very thin . The string spacing is OK for me , no problems fretting chords . Neck is Mahogany with old style open tuners in gold metal . Frets are really nicely finished , best I've seen on a guitar of this cost ,no sharp edges . Real bone saddle and nut . Very nice abalone and mother of pearl work .

Being very light and comfortable fitting you can play this guitar all night without getting tired . Very nice for finger picking , this is where this guitar excels , very balanced sound . I would like it to be a little brighter as bass is a little on the dull side when played with a pick , maybe new strings will help . My finger tips ended up black after playing for a little while and strings were scratchy on the frets when bending . I suspect the strings are old or of not very good quality . A nice set of Martin SP's should fix this . I don't find it as loud as some say .

Action was excellent out of the box . I wasn't sure of the very thin neck , but it plays really well . Nicely finished .... no flaws whatsoever , even the inside looks great . Top is very white (bleached ?)excellently matched , with a really glossy finish.
I would prefer a yellower antique type finish. Fret finishing was excellent . The string spacing which a lot of people point out as very tight fits me well .

Looks really well made . No complaints here . I 've only had it for a day , but have already put 6-7 playing hours on it . I suspect it will be bullet proof .

I've only found one dealer carrying Blueridge guitars within 200 miles of here , but I usually take care of things myself or find someone local .
I have no idea what the company support is like , but e-mails sent for information went unanswered , so who knows .

Been playing 35 + years or so . I own too many guitars , I've bought 5 in the last 6 months .It amazes me the quality of guitars available in the $400 - $1000 range . I'm 52 years old and when I started the only playable guitars available were Fenders , Gibsons and the occasional Guild or Gretsch . Beginners are lucky now because there are so many very good guitars available these days . Although I like this guitar a lot , the jury is still out if I would replace it or not. It's a very good value for the money .The BR73 plays well ,sounds very nice and looks great, and is a good value for the money , whats not to like . I'm comparing this one to my Crafter TA-050 which is an exceptional guitar ,in a similar price range , that is why I rated it an 8 .

A very surprising China-made concert size (think Martin 000) little gem. Short scale, solid spruce top with abalone purfling and rosette, laminate rosewood bound body, bound low profile neck with 1 11/16" nut width, old style tuners, book matched 2-piece top and back. Very nice abalone headstock inlay, a beautiful little guitar. The case was included in this deal.

to hear it, you'd never guess this is a low-end guitar; very bright, clear tone with excellent separation between lows/mids/highs, wonderful sustain and projection (this sucker is LOUD), remarkable bell-like quality. I've owned high-end Gibsons and Martins that don't sound this good. The intonation on this one is perfect.

I didn't have to adjust a thing on this guitar when I got it new. I bought it primarily to use for delta blues and slide work. It more than does the job. The action is a tad high but you won't beat yourself to death to play it.

Reliable? I don't know since it's new. It does, however, seem quite sturdy and well crafted. I'd definitely use this at ANY gig but playing without a back up is a rookie mistake; I don't recommend it.

I don't have a clue here. Haven't needed them.

All I can say is get one. These are badly underrated guitars and WAY more bang for the buck than you'd expect. I'd gladly have a collection of these Blueridge guitars and I've been a guitar snob for over 30 years. Retail is $695 and the case is $119; I got it all for $400, not bad. This BR-73 is very easy to play and is so comfortable to hold you'll not want to put it down. To my fellow guitar snobs everywhere: give this thing a try before you turn your nose up at it.

Made in China, concert size small bodied, solid spruce top with abalone perfling and rosette, I suspect the rosewood is a laminate, old-style tuning keys (not very smooth), bound body and neck, 1 11/16" nut width on a low-profile neck, gloss finish, very nice appointments.

For a small bodied guitar this sucker BARKS!! Remarkably loud with nice bell-like tonal quality, very bright with good bass/treble/mid separation, good sustain, intonation is perfect on this one. Pretuned and played with a slide this guitar will take your breath away; standard tuning is great, too.

The action is just a tad high from the factory but I got this to use exclusively for playing delta blues and slide work. I didn't have to make a single adjustment, nothing. It plays very comfortably and is also easy to hold for long periods of time.

I can't say yet because I've only had it a couple days. It does, however, seem sturdy and well constructed. I would use this to play live without hesitation. Of course, no backup is a rookie mistake, I don't advise it.

No experience with customer support.

This is a fantastic guitar for the money, just like a Guild, badly underrated. Retail is $695 and the case is $119; I got it all new for $400, not bad and I'd do it again in a heart beat. I've owned Gibsons and Martins that didn't play or sound as good as this guitar and this is a low-end machine. Believe me, you don't have to spend a ton of money to get a nice guitar and I've been a guitar snob all my life.

000 Style guitar
Solid top with abalone inlays
Old style tuners
Great hard case

I love Parlor or 000 style guitars; easy to handle and with a very balanced sound between highs, medium and lows.
Very loud and very balanced.
These guitars are unbelievable from a price performance standpoint

Strings action just a bit high, but easy to adjust.
Everything else is perfect !!
No flaws of any kind!

It seems pretty strong, but time will tell

Not needed

I will most probably buy other Blueridge as they are IMHO the best value out there.