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Post subject: GXD
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:18 pm
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Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 2:14 pm
Posts: 2561
Guitar Exchange Day that is…

I am disappointed to report that my new Blueridge BR-160CE didn’t work out.

Let me say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS GUITAR!

It has fantastic Tone and is the closest to a Martin I’ve ever heard without it actually saying: C.F. Martin & Co. on the Headstock. The inspiration for the Historic Series is the pre-war Martin, so it’s not surprising that it would sound Martinesq, what is surprising is that they got so close to the real deal.

The craftsmanship is amazing and the materials are all top-knotch (Solid woods, scalloped bracing, Bone nut/saddle, Rosewood fingerboard, Mahogany neck, Grover tuners, Fishman electronics). The action was great and intonation was consistent at the octave.

But, it seems as if it just didn’t fit me. I played it several hours/day and after the 2nd day, my left elbow was sore. I shrugged it off, but on the 4th day my elbow was so stiff and painful I couldn’t play it at all. It had the semblance of Tennis Elbow. I switched to another of my guitars and the pain went away and I was able to play for hours.

So something in the geometry of the angle of the neck and the length of my forearm caused my elbow to rotate to this uncomfortable position, something I wasn’t able to determine when trying out the guitar at the store pre-purchase. Not surprising though because while I am of avg. height/build, I wear a shorter shirt sleeve (forearm length is shorter than avg.). So it’s simply the dimensions of the guitar, which cause this. This would affect a very small number of people.

Anyway, my Git shop has a 21-day exchange program on new guitars. So, I went there and asked to see the Martin GPC4R Performing Artist guitar I had tried before settling on the Blueridge. Unfortunately, it had since been sold. The owner said that he would try to locate another. I expressed concern saying that I hadn’t actually tried it and so may not end up wanting it. He said he’d get it in anyway.

The next day he called and told me that they discovered an NOS 2008 Martin DC-1E at their off-site, climate controlled, storage - an error had removed it from the books 2 yrs. ago. Said that Martin had created the 1-series to bring the Martin brand into the hands of those who couldn’t afford, or justify a Martin’s price in hopes of having them graduate to the higher-end models in the future. That it was a few-frills guitar made in Nazareth, PA using the best Martin had while meeting a certain price-point (thus a Stratabond Neck). Until 2009, the DC-1E was made of solid woods w/ Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, but in 2009, Martin switched to a composite fingerboard and bridge. He was told that Martin discontinued the guitar after 2009 because they lost money on every one they produced, and to simply up the price defeated the purpose of the model line. They reintroduced it later as the X series, and to hold price point, production had been moved to Mexico and body/sides were made of HPL w/ fingerboard & bridge made of composites, though these have also received good reviews.

He said he brought it to the shop in case I wanted to try it out. So I went on over and saw it, still in the factory box w/ the plastic still on the pickguard and all the case candy. It looked great and played wonderfully. Solid Sitka top, Solid Sapele back/sides (all beautifully book-matched), Indian Rosewood fingerboard and Bridge, the same Fishman electronics that were on the Blueridge and Martin OHSC. He told me that it came with a new, full warranty from Martin and that the shop would do a setup, replace the strings and throw in a new spare set on a straight exchange for the Blueridge.

The only thing, which gave me pause, was that it had a Stratabond neck, something I knew nothing about. I said I had to think about it and would let him know the next day.

Went home and did a lot of research on this Martin and on Stratabond necks. It is a low-pressure resin impregnated quarter-sawn birch ply using a 30-ply piece to form the neck, and was originally invented to produce consistent propellers for WWI aircraft, so it has been in use nearly 100 years.

It is used on a variety of high-end guitars as well as Banjos and other stringed instruments. Those who own one were almost unanimously in favor of them citing their tone, strength and stability. Seems the nay Sayers out there, who by and large never owned or played one, were coming from either a purist or guitar-snob point of view, not realizing that a 2,3 or 5 piece neck is essentially the same thing albeit less complex.

Anyway, I decided to go for it and picked up the guitar last Friday. I’ve played the crap out of it since then and it plays great… and no sore elbow !! I still have the same 21-day exchange available if it doesn’t work out, but I think it will.

But, just because the Blueridge didn’t work out for me doesn’t mean my opinion of them has changed one bit and I would encourage anyone looking for a quality acoustic to check them out. I honestly believe that it’s the best value in the mid-priced acoustic market. Someday, I may try one of their Contemporary Series; these may not effect me in the same way as the Historics did.

Cheers!

_________________
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'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele


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