not-quite-vintage-correct touch that conjures images of Prince’s legendary Hohner
T-style in the very best way). But elsewhere,
the Blueridge embraces the D- 18’s recipe
for elegance with great reverence and
restraint. The back and sides are a beautiful
reddish mahogany, with a rather deep and
striking grain. The top is a distinct mixture
of wide and fine-grained Adirondack that
gives this particular BR-140A a very individual appearance. And the same reddish
hue that distinguishes the Blueridge’s back
and sides from the other guitars in our test
group is plain to see in the mahogany neck
as well. Open-back butterbean tuners, bone
nut and saddle, vintage toner in the finish,
and a D-18-style rosette further clarify the
guitar’s vintage-minded intents.
For the most part, the Blueridge is a very
well-crafted instrument that reveals a lot
of attention to detail. Bracing and kerfing
cuts are, with very few exceptions, super
tidy. The only other real discernible lapse in
quality control is visible where the fretboard
meets the body (where the finish is a bit
too thick) and at the end of the fretboard,
where the finish is irregularly applied and a
little blotchy.
Like the guitar’s outward appearance,
the BR- 140 plays like a vintage instrument
with a twist. The string spacing at the nut
is a more fingerstyle-oriented 1 3/4", which
makes the somewhat flat-radiused fretboard
and slim D-profile neck feel a bit wide. If
you’re used to narrower, traditional dreadnought spacing and the fatter profile of a
vintage Martin-style neck, the BR-140A can
take a few sessions to get acclimated to. Not
surprisingly, it proves to be a great guitar
for fingerstyle work—and it’s pretty cool to
have a guitar this strong in the midrange be
that responsive to fingerpicking dynamics.
However, it could use a little more sustain
for the purposes of open tunings that rely
on the harmonic interplay of doubles and
octaves. But this also sounds like a guitar
that’s bound to open up as it ages.
The BR-140A’s suitability for fingerstyle
doesn’t make it any less worthy as a country,
rock, or bluegrass cannon. The Adirondack
top makes it feel lively and responsive to
flatpicking dynamics. And while the softer
tones of the mahogany back blunt the
BR-140A’s capacity for volume a tad, resulting in some harmonic wash when you really
cut loose, this also lends the guitar a very
controlled and nuanced feel.
Tones
Playability
l Butterbean tuners 1 3/4" string spacing at nut
[The Blueridge] proves to
be a great guitar for fingerstyle
work—and it’s pretty cool to
have a guitar this strong in the
midrange be that responsive
to fingerpicking dynamics.
RATINGS
Blueridge BR-140A
$779 street
sagamusic.com
Pros: Distinctive blend
of vintage-correct and unique
styling elements. Warm,
balanced tone and wider
string spacing make it
fingerstyle friendly.
cons: Lacks the
volume traditionally
associated with
an Adirondack-
topped dread.
Solid Adirondack
spruce top
Solid
mahogany
back and
sides
