Are they really worth?

[tennisplayer]

Recording King, Stanford, Eastman, Blueridge are four guitar companies which their guitars are made in China. I have heard nothing, but good things about them. Especially the guitars are usually in lower prices but with high quality comparied with other mass producation guitar companies of Nothe America.

 

But the problem is, they have few dealers in North America, especially in Canada. People mostly order them online without playing them. I am convienced that they are good, and really want to try every brand to select the best model(s) to me.

 

My question is: anyone knows what their tones and sounds like. Can you give some examples to clarify?

 

If playing their guitars side by side, not consider the $, which company you think has made the best guitars in terms of tone and playability??

 

 

Big Thanks!

[beedlesw]

this might not be super helpful, but these guys sell recording king and blueridge, and before they ship them they set them up and everything, and they have a good return policy, AND they have clips of some models being played.

 

http://guitarhut.net/

[sixgunner455]

I don't know what they are really worth, or how they hold up. The only one of the group I have played is a Recording King. It has a very nice action, great neck shape, and tremendous sound.

 

Sounds great, right? Well, that's all based on 15 or so minutes of playing it one day in a shop. It was gone the next time I came, and they haven't had another one to compare it with.

 

Hope somebody else has more to offer.

[roger33]

I bought my Blueridge from Maury's since no local dealers sells them. I had no choice but to go with the reviews and recommendations here and on other guitar forums. Best purchase I ever made. I wouldn't hesitate buying another Blueridge without playing it.

[UltimateGuitar1]

Blueridge offers 2 major lines of acoustics, their Contemporary Series and their Historic Golden Era Series. The difference between the 2 lines are many, but the major differences are:

 

Contemporary is laminated back and sides and a much lower price point.

Historic Goldern Era is solid wood and quite a bit more expensive.

 

There is a music shop about 30 minutes from my home that stocks a lot of them and I have played many in his shop. I like all of the Historic Golden Era guitars, but my personal preference would still be a Martin, Taylor or Collings, which are at similar or a bit lower price points. All of these solid wood guitars will age well and should sound much better as time passes. The Contemporary would make a good beginning to intermediate guitar and I thought they all played well and sounded quite nice.

 

I would not hesitate to buy one of these from one of the large on-line retailers such as Musicians Supply, especially if there is not a dealer near you. They do have a good return policy as long as you are careful with packaging, invoices and return it in like new condition.

[Chordchunker]

Saga makes great stuff imo. I used to carry Blueridge in the music store I ran in the 1980`s. Great guitars then and now. Their guitar kits are very nice too! I`m dying to try an Eastman as 2 friends of mine swear by them for trad. Jazz.

[rhythmguitar28]

I own 4 of the Stanford dreads because to me they are the best of the bunch. I have various sound clips recorded (mp3 and Video) although I'm not that great a player. I recorded this demo back in the winter. It's my Sitka-Mahogany PSD-21 vs Sitka-EIR PSD-28. The 21 is first in each part of the clip. Both of these guitars are "cannons" (very bold voicing and nice low end) ala Martin D-18, HD-28 etc.....

 

If you venture on other forums you may have seen this already. Apologies if so....

 

http://s537.photobucket.com/remix/player.swf?videoURL=http%3A%2F%2Fvid537.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff333%2Fsoundman117%2Fa8e3a9c3.pbr&hostname=stream537.photobucket.com&fs=1&os=1&ap=1

 

I'm a Blueridge fan too BTW......

I own a BR-70 and a BR-60AS (Adi top)

[Melodeous]

Played a Blueridge BR73 with a K&K PWM installed today at my LMS and was impressed by that thing's voicing. It's a very nice little guitar for fingerstyle.

[Pascal]

Is it just me or does the OP start the same thread every other day?

 

 

 

Edit: apologies, it's probably just me (selective memory).

[kwakatak]

Today it's cheap guitars.

[tennisplayer]

I own 4 of the Stanford dreads because to me they are the best of the bunch. I have various sound clips recorded (mp3 and Video) although I'm not that great a player. I recorded this demo back in the winter. It's my Sitka-Mahogany PSD-21 vs Sitka-EIR PSD-28. The 21 is first in each part of the clip. Both of these guitars are "cannons" (very bold voicing and nice low end) ala Martin D-18, HD-28 etc..... If you venture on other forums you may have seen this already. Apologies if so.... http://s537.photobucket.com/remix/player.swf?videoURL=http%3A%2F%2Fvid537.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff333%2Fsoundman117%2Fa8e3a9c3.pbr&hostname=stream537.photobucket.com&fs=1&os=1&ap=1 I'm a Blueridge fan too BTW...... I own a BR-70 and a BR-60AS (Adi top)

 

oh, thanks for your video. they are indeed very nice Stanfords. I can tell they are worth every penny.

 

You are a Blueridge fan, also owned several Stanfords, may I ask how they are in comparison? and which company you like the best in terms of guitar sounds and playability?

[revive]

Like any typical noob (such as myself), OP's mind is "playing tennis" from cheap gits to expensive ones to cheap replicas to cheap gits again and so on...

[Bridgepin]

 

I own 4 of the Stanford dreads because to me they are the best of the bunch. I have various sound clips recorded (mp3 and Video) although I'm not that great a player. I recorded this demo back in the winter. It's my Sitka-Mahogany PSD-21 vs Sitka-EIR PSD-28. The 21 is first in each part of the clip. Both of these guitars are "cannons" (very bold voicing and nice low end) ala Martin D-18, HD-28 etc.....)

 

 

I am always blown away when I hear those stanford guitars, you are very lucky to have found 4, you just can't find them, there is only one dealer that I know who carrys them and they go out just as fast as he gets them in

[RizinRico]

my BR163 is over 2 years old. gets better all the time...played it in a store then bought one online. no probs and i would do it all over again

[rhythmguitar28]

 

oh, thanks for your video. they are indeed very nice Stanfords. I can tell they are worth every penny. You are a Blueridge fan, also owned several Stanfords, may I ask how they are in comparison? and which company you like the best in terms of guitar sounds and playability?

 

 

 

Very true and your welcome. One thing I really like about the Stanford Performers is a fuller neck profile and 1-3/4" string spacing as opposed to the narrower (1-11/16") and skinnier neck profile on the Blueridges. Soundwise Blueridge has a big open tone and nice low end too, but the Stanford tone is cleaner and more refined if that makes sense. I think the Stanfords are better balanced. I may have a demo of one of my Stanfords vs. a Blueridge. If not I can make a quick one up tomorrow.

[tennisplayer]

Very true and your welcome. One thing I really like about the Stanford Performers is a fuller neck profile and 1-3/4" string spacing as opposed to the narrower (1-11/16") and skinnier neck profile on the Blueridges. Soundwise Blueridge has a big open tone and nice low end too, but the Stanford tone is cleaner and more refined if that makes sense. I think the Stanfords are better balanced. I may have a demo of one of my Stanfords vs. a Blueridge. If not I can make a quick one up tomorrow.

 

I appreciate

by the way, where did you get your Standfords and Blueridges? I didn't see there are any Standfords dealers in NA.

[garthman]

I've not seen Recording King, Eastman or Blueridge in the UK. Stanford have recently started to appear and the couple I've tried were very good.

 

The Far East made guitars we see most commonly in the UK are Cort, Crafter, Tanglewood and Vintage. All these are excellent quality well-made instruments - I've played several models of each brand and all have been good.

[rhythmguitar28]

I appreciate by the way, where did you get your Standfords and Blueridges? I didn't see there are any Standfords dealers in NA.

 

 

 

I spotted the Blueridges in 2 different Ebay auctions. I got 3 of the 4 Stanfords from here in Tennessee http://www.gypsyjazzguitars.com/guitar/acoustic/stanford/stanfordpics.html. The other one (PSD-10) I acquired used recently through a classified ad (forum member) on another forum. I couldn't pass up the price he was selling it for ($400 plus shipping).

[rhythmguitar28]

 

I've not seen Recording King, Eastman or Blueridge in the UK. Stanford have recently started to appear and the couple I've tried were very good. The Far East made guitars we see most commonly in the UK are Cort, Crafter, Tanglewood and Vintage. All these are excellent quality well-made instruments - I've played several models of each brand and all have been good.

 

 

 

I played a special edition Crafter (no idea on model #) dread at a local retailer yesterday. It was selling for just under $900. Seemed very nicely made and sounded excellent. A lot of fun to play.

[Pascal]

 

I've not seen Recording King, Eastman or Blueridge in the UK.

 

 

Eastman is actually distributed (although confidentially) in the UK. Ivor Mairants in London or Foulds Music in Derby usually have a few in stock (for example, I also remember seeing some in a shop around Manchester). The last time I was at Foulds to buy an amp, I remember their guys being absolutely enthusiastic about the first Eastman Flat tops they had just received.

 

Foulds music tends to specialise in Jazz guitars/amps, both main salesmen are jazz players, and both own Eastman archtops/semi hollows. It might mean something.

[garthman]

Well - we are a bit behind the times up here in darkest North Wales.

[Pascal]

Mojo.