Members wrightwrjr Posted February 14, 2016 Members Share Posted February 14, 2016 I played a Collings for the first time yesterday. I own a Blueridge BR-160A and I'm just being honest, the Collings didn't have the sound the Blueridge has. Especially on the lower end the Collings was inferior. IMHO for the difference in price there is no comparison at all. When I bought my Blueridge a few years ago I actually went to buy a Martin D-18 and the dealer who is a friend of mine said, "Come back here, I want you to listen to something", and he took me to another room and handed me the Blueridge. I played it and said, "WOW!" Needless to say I left the store without the Martin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted February 14, 2016 Members Share Posted February 14, 2016 First, Wrightwrjr, welcome to HCAG. Second, for a long time I have felt that Blueridge was one of the unsung alternates to many of the traditional guitars that we hold in esteem. They make clones of many of the popular Martin models for significantly less money, and certainly if you don't care about the name on the headstock, they make a lot of sense. Maury's music sells both Martin and Blueridge and has a bunch of comparison sound clips - I always send people there if they are shopping for a Martin style guitar. I also have the highest respect for Collings (as well as SCGC, Huss and Dalton, Greven and many other small guitar companies and builders who build in the traditional style). I think Bill Colling's instruments are stunning but like all manufacturers there are some models that don't fit my playing style. A friend has a small bodied all mahogany Collings - it is one of my favorite guitars in his collection (which includes an OM-45 and a Brazilian parlor). I'm sorry you were disappointed in the one you played but I'm very glad that you like your Blueridge Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wrightwrjr Posted February 14, 2016 Author Members Share Posted February 14, 2016 Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed. The thing is I just didn't think it topped the Blueridge, especially considering there was a $3500.00 difference in price. I think the Collings is a fine instrument, but I just don't believe it is any better than the Blueridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted February 14, 2016 Members Share Posted February 14, 2016 Just out of curiosity, what style acoustic was the Collings? There are a lot of different styles of acoustic and not all of them are designed to have a huge loud low end like the BR-160A. Was the Collings a dreadnought and did it have electronics? My main stage guitar sounds great through a PA, but would never be my unplugged choice. I also don't like the sound of fingerstyle on the dread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MePeel Posted February 14, 2016 Members Share Posted February 14, 2016 I've had a BR-143 for 8 years now, and I'd put it up against any Martin 000-18. It's that sweet. Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted February 15, 2016 Members Share Posted February 15, 2016 I think if you played 10 Collings guitars, 8 would sound great. If you played 10 Blueridge guitars.....maybe 3 or 4 would sound great. That doesn't mean that on some given day, a Blueridge might by chance sound better than a Collings. Especially when you take into account these are subjective judgements. My experience with Blueridge (and Epiphone Masterbuilts) is that sometimes they are "underbuilt" in the bracing of the soundboard. This will often make them sound great new in the showroom....but after a few years aging the top gets too soft and floppy. The balance shifts too heavy to bass. Sustain drops off. The guitar actually sounds better with extra light strings, than with lights or mediums. Less volume but at least the sustain, balance and tone is there. And then there's that need for a neck reset in just 5 years or so. But yes I've played some old Harmony acoustics that sounded better than a 60's Martin D-18 valued at thousands more. It's not an exact predictable science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted February 15, 2016 Members Share Posted February 15, 2016 The Collings acoustic I have played were a bit tight sounding, but they were also newer. I think as said over time they will be winners, but ya never know. Ya kind a got to buy what you like the sound and feel of. If it make you wants to play the guitar, that's what counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted February 15, 2016 Members Share Posted February 15, 2016 Compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Dreadnoughts to dreadnoughts. New strings to new strings. Subjective viewpoints of players to subjective viewpoints of players. I'll paraphrase a previous post a bit. If you played 10 Blueridge guitars, maybe 1 or 2 would sound great, 7 or 8 would sound meh, and 1 or 2 would sound crappy. If you played 10 Collings guitars, maybe 7or 8 would sound great, 1 or 2 would sound meh, and none would sound crappy. Maybe you just like the sound of a Blueridge guitar. Nothing wrong with that if you're happy, and you saved a bundle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted February 15, 2016 Members Share Posted February 15, 2016 I've also found a tendency for some cheaper builders to under-brace their guitars. So they sound big and bold in the shop but end up bellying and or sounding compressed after a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted February 16, 2016 Members Share Posted February 16, 2016 The Collings acoustic I have played were a bit tight sounding, but they were also newer. I think as said over time they will be winners, but ya never know. Ya kind a got to buy what you like the sound and feel of. If it make you wants to play the guitar, that's what counts. Different things about different guitars appeal to different people. The current AG magazine has an interview with Robert Earl Keen. Keen had a bunch of different (vintage) Martins but is currently a Collings player - C-10, OM-2H, some customs. The Collings ad in the same mag featers Julian Lage (I know all about endorsements but rarely will a player endorse something he/she doesn't like). I've played a few Blueridges, I thought they were all pretty decent, especially when you look at the price - that's why I recommend them to folks who want a Martin sound but pucker up when they see the price. I've played a lot of Martins, some are wonderful, some leave me cold. I currently own two old Martins but I rarely play them. I've only played a couple of Collings but they were simply stunning - if I was in the market for a boutique guitar they would sure be on my list. I think it is pretty wonderful that we are in the second true Golden Era of acoustic guitars. There are so many great choices that any player should be able to find one that is perfect for his or her style, needs and budget. Glad you found yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted February 17, 2016 Members Share Posted February 17, 2016 I recently tried a BR-40 (I was made a very good offer on it). It sucked. I know it is their bottom of the line model, but I'd read so many good things about it. The sound was big--but boxy; it seemed to have been dipped in polyurethane; the sitka top was kinda grey-ish, and there were some fret issues. Ok guitar for a beginner, I suppose, once a setup was done. Can't speak to the higher-end models, but I had an Eastman E10D. I ended up selling it because something didn't quite feel right, and I couldn't put my finger on it. Eastman, imo, is the best of the Pac-Rim acoustic instrument makers, and, imo, I don't think they are quite 'there' yet with the QC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted February 17, 2016 Members Share Posted February 17, 2016 Do you include Japan in that category? I'd say in most grades they're probably the best in the region, possibly the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members panhandler Posted February 17, 2016 Members Share Posted February 17, 2016 Different strokes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted February 18, 2016 Members Share Posted February 18, 2016 No. Japan is a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delmont Posted February 22, 2016 Members Share Posted February 22, 2016 Setup also makes a huge difference. I've played high-end guitars that I hated simply because the strings were heavier than I liked and the guitars were set up for hard bluegrass or jazz flat-picking. A lot of times, we blame the guitar when we should be blaming the set-up. I'd rather play a mediocre guitar with light strings and low action than a great guitar that's set up to feel stiff and resistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wooglins Posted February 22, 2016 Members Share Posted February 22, 2016 I have played quite a few blueridges and they are not in the same league as a Collings. Some examples are exceptional guitars in there price range. The reality is the amount of time spent building a guitar is directly reflected in the quality of the instrument. An 800 dollar blueridge does not have a build time of 80 to 300 man hours. This example of course assumes that the builder is accomplished and not a student or neophyte builder. All of that being said a blueridge can be and are exceptional instruments for many people. I once owner an inexpensive all solid guitar center exclusive Martin and I was convinced it sounded superior to any other Martin made. The reality was I was not good enough to play a d18 or d28 to have and exceptional tone. As my skill increased I realized the a style Martin did not have the complex tone that a d18 or d28 possessed. I had been playing some cowboy chords and because the inexpensive Martin was light and loud I though it was superior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted February 25, 2016 Members Share Posted February 25, 2016 No-name nylon plugged FTW. I had a rather circuitous route take me from shitay gits up through the ranks of the less than shitay, to the unshitayest and back again. If you can think in these terms and abide by them, get your skills up to where you're pretty happy with yourself and then focus on the guitar you want. You'll probably have already decided which one it is prior to that and chances are it will have changed many times. The idea is to plateau your skills. That doesn't mean you won't get better. It means your learning curve has flattened out and will bet better on a more gradual basis. This is the time to reward yourself with the git that best suits who you are as a player. Your skills will also be in good company with the wisdom to make some pretty sound judgement by that point. You'll save a boodle. Until then, you're making backwards decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted February 27, 2016 Members Share Posted February 27, 2016 I played a Collings for the first time yesterday. I own a Blueridge BR-160A and I'm just being honest' date=' the Collings didn't have the sound the Blueridge has. Especially on the lower end the Collings was inferior. IMHO for the difference in price there is no comparison at all. When I bought my Blueridge a few years ago I actually went to buy a Martin D-18 and the dealer who is a friend of mine said, "Come back here, I want you to listen to something", and he took me to another room and handed me the Blueridge. I played it and said, "WOW!" Needless to say I left the store without the Martin.[/quote'] -- The poster uses his very first post at HC to sing the praises of a specific made-in-China guitar. He asserts it is superior in the low-end and for unspecified other reasons to a once-again, unspecified model of Collings. He does not tell us if he bought this awe-inspiring Chinese-made Blueridge or not. He also devotes his very first post to telling us he went shopping for a ,D18 once, but bought a Chinese-made B160 instead because it also - for unspecified reasons was superior to the Martin D18 at that shop (I presume he's limiting it to that shop and not speaking about every D18 on earth.). On his first post, does he introduce himself or tell us about his music? No.His entire post is devoted to lavishing praise on a certain Chinese-brand of guitar and telling us it is better for the price than either Collings or Martin. I've seen a lot of posts like this in non-music forums. Posters who write posts like this are known as 'Wu Mao'. It looks like the Wu Mao may be branching out into guitar forums. He's made a sale here with me. Any future guitar I buy - sure as Hell will not be MIC and especially won't be an MIC Blue Ridge. BTW, I own quite a lot of east Asian gear. I try to avoid gear made in Mainland China. I try not to buy from there. I just bought a mixer a few weeks ago. It was made in Indonesia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted February 27, 2016 Members Share Posted February 27, 2016 Yeah - it's pretty obvious that he/she is a shill. The only logical response is to keep the thread going so we can share some of our experiences with Blueridge acoustic guitars. I remember trying a Blueridge acoustic guitar and it sounded and played like it was made by school children chained to a work station. It was HORRIBLE!!!!!!!! No highs, no lows, low output, warped neck. I played an entry level Maton next to it and the Blueridge sounded like a rubber band stretched across a loaf of bread by contrast. AVOID!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted February 27, 2016 Members Share Posted February 27, 2016 When the OP posted the original post I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I think Blueridge are acceptable guitars for the money, as good as most of the PacRim guitars that I've played. Certainly if you want a Martin and can't afford one, Blueridge has more or less equivalent models (size and shape at least) and are worth of looking at. I'm also willing to accept that for some reason the OP didn't care for the particular Collings he played - Collings makes lots of different sized guitars, maybe he played a small body that didn't meet his expectations. Its possible that it had really bad strings, its possible that it was a dud (but I doubt it). I can also accept that he preferred his Blueridge to the D18 that he tried - again, different people hear different things. I seriously doubt that he did double blind testing on any of these guitars and there are all kind of psychological effects of comparisons. Whether he is a Blueridge shill or not I don't know - I think Blueridge is a reputable company who doesn't need to stoop to this kind of thing. If he is, he did a pretty poor job of it. I'm going to let my original opinion stand - Wrightwrj hears something entirely different that I do and I hope he is happy with his guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sdelsolray Posted February 27, 2016 Members Share Posted February 27, 2016 OP appears to be a hit and run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted February 27, 2016 Members Share Posted February 27, 2016 Yeah - it's pretty obvious that he/she is a shill. The only logical response is to keep the thread going so we can share some of our experiences with Blueridge acoustic guitars. I remember trying a Blueridge acoustic guitar and it sounded and played like it was made by school children chained to a work station. It was HORRIBLE!!!!!!!! No highs, no lows, low output, warped neck. I played an entry level Maton next to it and the Blueridge sounded like a rubber band stretched across a loaf of bread by contrast. AVOID!!!!!!!!! I laughed. The visual alone. Italian or French? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted February 28, 2016 Members Share Posted February 28, 2016 -- The poster uses his very first post at HC to sing the praises of a specific made-in-China guitar. He asserts it is superior in the low-end and for unspecified other reasons to a once-again, unspecified model of Collings. He does not tell us if he bought this awe-inspiring Chinese-made Blueridge or not. He also devotes his very first post to telling us he went shopping for a ,D18 once, but bought a Chinese-made B160 instead because it also - for unspecified reasons was superior to the Martin D18 at that shop (I presume he's limiting it to that shop and not speaking about every D18 on earth.). On his first post, does he introduce himself or tell us about his music? No.His entire post is devoted to lavishing praise on a certain Chinese-brand of guitar and telling us it is better for the price than either Collings or Martin. I've seen a lot of posts like this in non-music forums. Posters who write posts like this are known as 'Wu Mao'. It looks like the Wu Mao may be branching out into guitar forums. He's made a sale here with me. Any future guitar I buy - sure as Hell will not be MIC and especially won't be an MIC Blue Ridge. BTW, I own quite a lot of east Asian gear. I try to avoid gear made in Mainland China. I try not to buy from there. I just bought a mixer a few weeks ago. It was made in Indonesia. Err, Marc, you are speaking about the average noob poster here, y'know? I think you're over-thinking the person insomuch as ascribing a hidden agenda where I think agenda is probably not the case, hidden or otherwise. He strikes me as the average noob without the ear or nuanced skill set to make a sound hardware judgement, much less a convincing plea for his own, and with a below average scope of experience in hand he cavalierly expects us to credit him his due and day. If he is truly a shill, fer crissake, he isn't exactly going about it right. I mean, if I had the gumption to do that I'd pick a believable product and not "a rubberband stretched across a loaf of bread" (frickin sig worthy right there). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted February 28, 2016 Members Share Posted February 28, 2016 French, for the haunting mids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted February 28, 2016 Members Share Posted February 28, 2016 His first post? He'll be back. But I smell Wu Mao. The good news, they're not important. I recognize the style. That's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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