Blueridge BR-183 Historic Series 000 Guitar

I own two Blueridge guitars the BR 180 and the 000243. Ten years old and eight years old respectively. They are flawless and the equal of products from Martin and Gibson - I know because I have one each of those too and I've played a lot of others. All I can tell you is that after playing for 40 odd years these are superb instruments. I understand the quality control , tone woods etc are all US sourced and controlled and even if secretly we'd really prefer a made in the USA label, the craftsmanship of the Chinese factory has been widely praised. Pick a top end one made of solid woods and it will improve with every passing year. You'll spend four or five times as much on an equivalent US built instrument. and if you can afford it then go for it after all they are iconic and you'll love being the owner of one. But don't kid yourself that it will sound any better. I'd happily sell my icons if I had to and be more than content with my Blueridges.

great looking guitar no flaws very well packed and arrived on time sound quality not up to the standard of Martin or Gibson but you pay your money and take your choice, with this being a new guitar it will take time to open up and be more responsive always been skeptical of Chinese guitars but I am disappointed with the sound quality I have played guitars at half this price which have sounded better .

First of all, this is not a Martin 000-42; that is a $6,000 guitar and deservedly so. Having said that, this is a faithful attempt to replicate the 000-42 (sonically and aesthetically), and omg they came up with an awesome instrument. The copy I got has an A++ grade for the spruce and rosewood (at least to my evaluation) -- I'm comparing it against my Martin HD-28, and this one seems to have a better tonewood. The sound also has more coloration and complexity than my HD-28 (which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on what you play). Given the size, the volume is loud -- not as loud as my HD-28 dreadnought, but louder than my Seagull S6 laminated-back dreadnought guitar. More than worth the $910 I paid for it during Amazon's Labor Day Sale (Thanks Amazon!). The build quality is high above average, though not as perfect as the high-end guitars from the likes of Martin, Taylor, and Larrivee. I use Martin's monel (nickel alloy) strings (Tony Rice Medium) to make the sound even warmer and to subdue the tonal complexity/coloration of this guitar which can be quite overwhelming sometimes.

I already had an old first run one of these that was pretty beat up that I had picked up off of craigslist for really cheap that badly needed fret work. I'd been using it for the last 4 years! Loved the sound and feel so much that I figured at the price these sell for, I might as well get a new one if I found the right deal rather than sink a bunch of money into the old one. Amazon sent me an email for a crazy good price on one around Christmas time and I jumped on it. I even got a really nice soft case with it. At any rate, I'm in love all over again. The finish looks great and this guitar was super close to being set up perfect for me as is. Threw some Elixer Nanoweb Bronzes on her and added a tiny bit of relief to the neck with the included allen wrench and haven't looked back! My Martin MMV is great with a nice bottom end but these things are mid range cannons that really cut through. I like it better for most solo singing/playing with my voice and it sits nicely in the mix when recorded too! Thank you!

I don't endorse anything: I like what I like and will tell you I do. My review is of my own experience. A friend who's a gigging musician by night and avid guitar collector has a Blueridge BR-163 and I noticed it on some of his music videos and he uses it on some of his music tracks. I did a search on Blueridge and one of the sites it brought me to was Amazon.ca where I reviewed the offerings. I was very skeptical about buying a Chinese-made dreadnought (styled after a great American guitar) on Amazon.ca for CAN$703+tax+shipping. My friend said for the price I had nothing to lose so I made the purchase and began worrying if I was going to pay dearly for my impulsiveness. That was then... This is now: I love this BR-180! I have had it 2 months and it keeps impressing me with its ornate visual styling (even if it's not all true inlay), seemingly solid construction and a great sound. I have made a couple of recordings in my amateur studio but I am very much impressed on how well this guitar records. Time may very well tell if it was a great investment for the price. I am still surprised (somewhat shocked even) that such a guitar can look, feel and sound almost on par with higher end instrument but right now I am savoring every moment I strum and finger-pick my BR-180.

This guitar is outstanding. Abalone borders the entire body, sound hole, and neck joint. Beautifully matched Adirondack spruce top, and Indian rosewood back & sides make for a striking appearance. Gorgeous, clean snowflake inlays on a dark ebony fretboard are very reminiscent of a Martin om 42 style inlay. The neck is extremely comfortable, and with it's 1 3/4 nut width, playing finger style or with a flat pick is extremely easy. The action was set up perfectly for me out of the box. So how does it sound? The tone coming out of this guitar was immaculate the minute I started tuning the strings, so I knew I was in for a treat once it was tuned up. This guitar sustains for ever! I am hearing rich overtones, almost like a piano. Conclusion: I was considering saving my money for a Martin 00015 m, or one of their lower end, all solid wood guitars. In the end, amazon had dropped the price down on this one, so I decided I would purchase it and if I didn't like it, I could always return it and go with the Martin. I have learned from this experience that it is so important to not judge a guitar solely by the name on it's headstock. I am so happy with this wonderful guitar, and I would encourage anyone teetering on the fence between purchasing a Martin or a Blueridge, to give this outstanding guitar a try.

Très belle guitare, bien faite je conseille