Guitars

[Edward]

What can I say, I love music! I wish I could play more instruments like banjo or mandolin

Easy fix for both of those.... six string banjo (basically a banjo with a guitar neck), and 12 string mandolin (which is basically a mandolin with the neck of a 12 string guitar from the twelfth fret up).

 

[Romy Overdorp]

I will just have to go to the music shop and try it

 

[Atticus Finch]

I Just Ordered One Of These From Elderly...

Its a Blueridge BG-160. Essentially, its a Chinese made copy of a pre-war Gibson J-45. I played a Blueridge D-28 copy (a BR some number) last week and it really impressed me. It got me wondering if they sold a round-shouldered dreadnaught and they do. In fact, as I understand it, Blueridge is basically in the business of copying classic American Acoustic guitars...mainly, of course, Martins and Gibsons.

Anyhow, I've already got a vintage J-50 and a newer HD-28, so I'm kinda hesitant to plop down the three grand they want for a J-45 True Vintage. Maybe this knock off will be a good enough substitute. At worst, it can be my porch guitar. Anybody here have any experience with Blueridge Guitars?

AF

 

[Edward]

Be interested to hear how you get on with that, Atticus. I've had my eye on a Blueridge for quite some time. Any of them I've ever seen in person have been as nice as the photos suggest.

 

[guygardner]

Lawsuit-era Tokai Silver Star, MIJ:

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[Atticus Finch]

In my post above, I mistakenly wrote that the Blueridge BG-160 is a knock-off of a J-45. Well, after doing further research, I've found that I was a little wrong and I was a little right. The BG-160 is based on a National guitar that was partially made by Gibson in the early 'fifties.

Evidently, the popularity of National (who mainly made resonator guitars) began declining as soon as the amplification of musical instruments became common. By the forties, the company was in trouble. In an attempt to save their business, National began producing flat tops, arch tops and even some electrics. Often, they would buy unfinished bodies from other guitar companies, place National necks on them and sell them as National guitars. Apparently, Gibson provided them "Jumbo" (as in Southern Jumbo) guitar bodies in the 1950s. Here's a photo of two such National/Gibson melds.

The rest of the story is that National finally did go out of business. Happily, the name was purchased and the firm was reborn a few years later and is doing well today...selling resonator guitars.

AF

 

[scooter]

So i finally broke down a few days ago and bought a guitar, something I've always wanted to do. My daughter said I was fulfilling my "bucket" list, and asked if I had cancer or something but wasn't telling them. Jeez, cynical, or what!

By the way, I bought a Takamine GS330S acoustic.

 

[splintercellsz]

I rarely play anymore, but here is what I have.

DEAN VMNT1 (I actually recieved this from Dave Mustaine himself. That's a different story though!):

And my first guitars:

 

[Edward]

So i finally broke down a few days ago and bought a guitar, something I've always wanted to do. My daughter said I was fulfilling my "bucket" list, and asked if I had cancer or something but wasn't telling them. Jeez, cynical, or what!

By the way, I bought a Takamine GS330S acoustic.

Nice - the Japanese really do build a great guitar (as do the Koreans these days, whichever produces yours. Takamine are hard to beat in their price range).

 

[Edward]

I rarely play anymore, but here is what I have.

DEAN VMNT1 (I actually recieved this from Dave Mustaine himself. That's a different story though!):

And my first guitars:

Mustaine? That does sound like an interesting story....

 

[Atticus Finch]

The Blueridge BG-160 arrived and I thought some folks here may be interested in my first impressions.

It is...by far...the most beautiful guitar that I've ever owned. I have no idea how the Blueridge people build such a beautifully crafted instrument for such a reasonable price. There is decorative inlay all over the neck and headstock and the workmanship is excellent. The tuners are cool-looking but I must say...they kinda suck. They are a tad stiff. In all fairness, they are copies of vintage, open-gear tuners from the forties...which also sucked. The deep, liquid-like finish on the guitar is flawless and the quality of the wood in the guitar appears first rate. Again, I don't know how Blueridge can build such a nice guitar out of solid rosewood, mahogany and spruce and sell it for only 750 bucks.

And I have to keep telling myself it only costs $750...as opposed to the $3500 dollars that Gibson wants for an Advanced Jumbo or a J-45 True Vintage. But after playing higher end, long scale guitars my whole life, I'm having to adjust a bit to the Blueridge.

It has a very narrow neck and a short scale...both of which have caused me to have to re-learn the way I play some songs. I'm not saying the short scale is a bad thing. It actually helps on some songs that require long pinkie finger reaches. But I have large fingers...I wear a size 12 ring...so it also causes me to "scrunch" some chords...especially above the fifth fret. And it causes me to miss notes on fast runs...especially below the fifth fret. I would have never believed that six tenths of an inch over the length of the fret board would make such a difference in feel...but it does to me. I do think a big part of the difference also comes from the narrowness of the neck. It has a truss rod to take the stress, so Blueridge has made the neck very thin. Also, short scale guitars have less string tension, so the neck can be thinner, still. And it is.

The guitar's sound is nice and loud. It has excellent bass and midrange. It is still a little tinny on the high end, though. I've read that Blueridge guitars...especially rosewood Blueridge guitars...have a significant break-in period. So I'll reserve judgment about the high end until I’ve played the thing hard for a year or so. I have to say, I've been playing the heck out of it since I got it...and I do think it is already beginning to sound better.

I don't think this Blueridge will ever replace my HD-28 or my old J-50. And it isn't a lead guitar player's guitar the way the HD-28 is. But I think it is going mellow into being a good singer and player's guitar. And truthfully, that's the kind of playing I do now, anyhow.

AF

 

[Edward]

Sounds great. If it has a solid top, at least, it will of course have a break in period where the tone will gradually "open up". I love the aesthetics of Blueridge - hope to own one myself some day.

 

[splintercellsz]

Yeah, I won this contest a few years back (one of those just enter your name and pray type deals). Flew me to Hollywood, and I got a lesson from him. Pretty good chapter in my life I'd say, but sadly, I rarely pick up my guitars now, haha. I guess I have moved on to other musical things.

 

[Silver Dollar]

Friday, I got myself a new toy, something unresistable that had to be bought without a doubt. The deal was just too good to turn down. It's a 1996 18" wide Gretsch Synchromatic 400/Eldorado that was ghost built by the Heritage Guitar Company when they were helping out Gretsch in the mid 90s. It has a solid carved top and back and solid maple sides with a floating pickup. It sounds fantastic acoustically as well as electrically. Here she is.

 

[Edward]

Gorgeous!

 

[Dinerman]

Just picked up a fender tc-90, but with an aftermarket Fender branded bigsby and roller bridge. Kind of an odd model- double cutaway thinline tele, with a set neck and p-90s. A very un-fender fender.

 

[splintercellsz]

Awesome colors, Dinerman!

 

[Dinerman]

The previously mentioned fender and a "new" Peavey T-60.

 

[nice hat dude!]

I posted this pic of my 79 Guild G37 Blonde on the vintage guitar site so I thought I'd also post it here.She's not
a real pretty girl but she can sure sing.

 

[nice hat dude!]

Here is my everyday banger it's a J&D Brothers made in China much prettier girl than the Guild but doesn't sing as well.