The Quality and Value Leader! - Saga Musical InstrumentsPhoto (top): John Jorgenson with the Desert...

BLU E R IDGE GU ITA R S

SAGA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS • www.sagamusic.com

The Quality and Value Leader!

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BLU E R IDGE M A K I NG HISTORY

1976 – The Fifth String…Open for Business! With humble beginnings , Richard Keldsen opened the doors of The Fifth String in San Francisco, California where it quickly became the epicenter for traditional acoustic music on the west coast, and a destination for like-minded music lovers and instrument aficionados from around the world.

1981 – New Saga Guitars Bring Back Traditional Design, Style and Sound! Recognizing that US manufactures were not building the best examples of their own instruments, Richard designed and began to import the Saga “HD” Series Dreadnaught Guitars and sell them through The Fifth

String…essentially opening the door for quality imports and the Blueridge

line to come!

1992 – MTV Unplugged Changed the Guitar Business Overnight! It seemed as though the music biz changed overnight when in January 1992, Eric Clapton took the stage for MTV’s episode of Unplugged. Suddenly it became really cool to play the acoustic guitar again, and Saga was ready.

1994 – Electric Models Added to the Blueridge Line to Meet Growing Demands of Guitarists Worldwide!In keeping with the growing trend of guitarists looking for acoustic instruments with added versatility and more contemporary styling, Saga adds electronics, cutaways, 12-strings, and black finish options.

2000 – After Twenty Years, Blueridge Guitars Go Back to Basics!Blueridge earned the reputation of being a great guitar all the right reasons. In 2000, Saga designers took it a step further by combining all things we learned about making great acoustic guitars into two guitars that would begin to show DNA that would become part of the design to the present day.

2007 – First to Offer Adirondack Top Guitars! Finding sources for historically significant tonewoods is our specialty and that’s why Blueridge was the first production guitar to offer guitars with solid Adirondack spruce woods in this price category.

2012 – Blueridge Logo Gets a Face Lift! After well over 30 years developing one of the best selling brands of acoustic guitar on the market, the Blueridge logo was given a facelift, offering a fresh new look in keeping with its original, and traditional design, but hinting of a fruitful and inno-vative future tocome!

2018 – Blueridge Guitars Are Played by Today’s Top Players! From Herb Pedersen, Chris Hillman and Ralph Stanley, to Marty Raybon, John Jorgenson and the legendary Paul McCartney, musicians from every genre and at the highest levels of performance recognize that Blueridge Guitars have the sound, playability and reliability one expects from the finest instrument. Whether live or on a studio recording, Blueridge guitars are firmly rooted in modern music.

2011 – A Runaway Hit…Blueridge Tenor Guitars Break Sales Records!Always looking for great opportunities to develop unique fretted instruments, Blueridge was the first manufacturer to offer a range of Tenor Guitars as part of the complete line. An immediate Top Seller!

1998 – Blueridge Reissues Popular Models from the Early Days!Blueridge guitars have become a staple for retailers across the country because they offer tone, playability and value at every price point. Further meeting the needs of all musicians, Saga reissues several popular models that helped to build the line in the early days including: the BR-0, BR-0S, BR-0MS, and BR-1M.

Beginning in the 1970s, Blueridge Guitars established itself as one of the leading import brands in the world by continually rivaling the tone and quality of some of histories’ most legendary makers. With an amazing range of instruments designed to meet the varied needs of guitarist at every level, Blueridge offers guitars with traditional Prewar specifications—features that have become legendary in the eyes of collectors and professional musicians—to more Contemporary offerings specifically developed to meet the performance, style, and budget requirements of today’s musician. Quality materials, remarkable workmanship, and exceptional tone are what define Blueridge Guitars. So when it comes to the quality of your acoustic tone…the best players will settle for nothing less than a Blueridge!

Blueridge Guitar Collections Page

Signature Series 4–5

Prewar Series 6–7

Historic Craftsman Series 8–9

Historic Series 10–11, 14–16

Contemporary Craftsman Series 18–19

Contemporary Series 15–17, 20–23

1988 – Saga Musical Instruments and Blueridge Set Sail!Now firmly operating as Saga Musical Instruments, a complete line of guitars was developed under the Blueridge brand, offering student to professional instruments that set a new standard in quality and value in the guitar making industry—each model

is the best value for your money.

1997 – Blueridge Guitars...the Well- Established, Value-Leader Focuses on Premium Models!Even as musical tastes continued to evolve, the acoustic guitar etched out its place in history, not only as a traditional form of musical expression, but more importantly found its rightful place in all forms of popular music. While other manufactures followed trends toward other styles of guitars even back to the electric scene, Saga remained true to acoustic music and continued to offer premium models in the Blueridge line. It was at this time in history that a Dalmatian tortoise pickguard is used and would become a characteristic feature of modern Blueridge line.

2002 – An Industry First…All Solid Spruce and Rosewood Dreadnaught for under $800!Always the leader when it comes to innovation and design, Saga trumps the market by introducing the BR-160… the first all-solid spruce and rosewood guitar at a retail price below $800—immediately making traditional design and tone available to everyone!

2003 – Line Expands to Include the Historic and Contemporary Series! Because of the immediate success of the BR-160, the Blueridge line expanded to include five more models at various price-points, rep-resenting the most popular combinations of tonewoods available. At this time the Historic and Contemporary Series began to take shape.

2005 – Blueridge Remembers Bluegrass Legend Carter Stanley with BR-1060P!

The ten-year period beginning in 2004, Blueridge guitar line experienced a period of unbelievable growth and achievement. Already long established as a value leader in the market by offering a wide assortment, Blueridge began to offer Commemorative and Artist Specific models to the line. The first being the

BR-1060P White Dove Commemorative Blueridge dreadnaught guitar, followed by BR-2060, BR-3060 and BR-4060.

Photo (top): John Jorgenson with the Desert Rose, Circa 1987Photo (left): John Jorgenson playing BR-5060 at the IBMA 2016


SIGNAT U R E SER IESThe BR-5060 John Jorgenson Signature Desert Rose dreadnaught guitar combines beauty and elegance, with a rich and powerful tone in a high performance guitar that was made to be played! This world-class instrument will easily stand up to the demands of a player who is often considered the Guitarists’ Guitarist. With multi-platinum and Grammy winning collaborations with guitarists like Brad Paisley and Peter Frampton show his versatility and firmly position John as one of the world’s very best!

BR-5060 JOHN JORGENSON DESERT ROSE DREADNAUGHT• Select solid Port Orford cedar top

with scalloped bracing in the prewar style forward-shifted X pattern provides bright and crisp attack

• Santos rosewood back and sides for rich, well balanced sound and projection

• Exclusive-designed larger soundhole, engineered for an extremely balanced, rich tone with exceptional carrying power

• Slim mahogany neck offers fast, easy action and long-lasting stability

• Premium ebony fingerboard gives extra durability and striking good looks

• Nickel-plated 14:1 tuners are smooth and precise to always keep you in tune

• Ebony peghead overlay with Blueridge logo in mother-of-pearl and Signature Desert Rose inlay in abalone

• Dalmatian tortoise body binding and matching pickguard

SIGNAT U R E SER IE S

BR-5060

JOHN JORGENSONJohn Jorgenson is perhaps best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and the Hellecasters. He is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bas-soon and saxophone. Jorgenson, known for his blistering guitar and mandolin licks and mastery of a broad musical palette, has earned a reputation as a world-class musician, as evidenced by his collaborations with Earl Scruggs, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Dylan and many others.

“I’m so happy with the unique combination of tonewoods and features in this guitar. They all combine to make a warm, full-voiced guitar that works equally well in an acoustic bluegrass context as in a studio environment. It’s become my “go to” guitar when I need a full flat top sound.”

John Jorgenson

Photo: Melvin Goins with BR-280A at the Grand Ole Opry

“High on a mountain, tell me what you hear.A Blueridge Guitar ringing in the air.So grab yourself a banjo a mandolin too.Just to be sure it’s Blueridge made especially for you.”

Willia Goins


PR EWA R SER IE SPR EWA R SER IE S

PR EWA R SER IESThese flagship models of the Blueridge guitar line are no doubt the best we have ever built! Each guitar is individually handcrafted to prewar specifications—from the finest, most expensive tone-woods using the time-honored construc-tion methods that helped give those fabled originals their legendary tone and present day collectors’ value!

BR-280A & BR-283A ADIRONDACK & ROSEWOOD• Solid Adirondack spruce top with

scalloped braces provides you with superior note clarity and volume to spare

• Premium solid rosewood back and sides for a strong bass response and focused treble

• Slim mahogany neck offers fast, easy action and inherently long-last-ing stability

• Quality natural bone nut and saddle for best tone transmission

• Gold-plated 14:1 tuners are smooth and precise to always keep you in tune

• Dreadnaught or 14-fret 000



• Premium solid rosewood back and sides for a strong bass response and focused treble



• Distinctive herringbone marquetry, tortoise style pickguard and snow-flake position markers evoke vin-tage 30’s beauty


BR-240A & BR-243A ADIRONDACK & MAHOGANY• Solid Adirondack spruce top with


• Solid premium mahogany back and sides for a warm, rich tone





BR-280A BR-243A

BR-260A


BR-183A



• Solid Santos rosewood back and sides guarantees deep bass and strong cutting power


• Distinctive herringbone marquetry, tortoise style pickguard and snowflake position markers evoke vintage ’30s beauty



BR-140A & BR-143A ADIRONDACK & MAHOGANY• Solid Adirondack spruce top with


• Solid mahogany back and sides for robust, warm resonance


• Distinctive tortoise style pickguard recreates that ’30s vintage look



HISTOR IC CR A F TSM A N SER IESThe Blueridge guitars of the Historic Craftsman Series possess a tone un-equaled by any other brand and the reason is the use of the legendary tone-wood—Adirondack spruce. Each guitar in this series has a top of this exclusive, costly tonewood—graduated to just the right thickness to allow the best tone and volume.






• Abalone purfling, diamond volute behind the headstock, and snowflake position markers give this the perfect vintage touch



HISTOR IC CR A F TSM A N SER IE SHISTOR IC CR A F TSM A N SER IE S

BR-143A

BR-160A

Photo: Cody Farrer (Breaking Grass)


BR-160 SERIES SPRUCE & ROSEWOOD• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped

braces gives you clean articulation and a crisp, bright tone



• Choice Santos rosewood fingerboard ensures silky smooth playability

• Distinctive herringbone marquetry, tortoise style pickguard and snowflake position markers evoke vintage ’30s beauty


• Dreadnaught, 14-fret & 12-fret 000 • Models with cutaway body and

pickup also available

BR-140 SERIES SPRUCE & MAHOGANY• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Solid mahogany back and sides for robust, warm resonance




• Dreadnaught, 14-fret & 12-fret 000 • Models with cutaway body and


HISTOR IC SER IE S

HISTOR IC SER IESThe classic vintage style and modern improvements in playability and con-struction of the guitars that make up the Historic Series have all the traditional features found on pricey vintage guitars, but at an amazingly affordable price! Taking cues from guitars produced in the years after WWII, the Historic Series combines more readily available tonewoods from Canada for an already seasoned, vintage flavored tone.





• Abalone purfling, diamond volute behind the headstock, and snowflake position markers give this the perfect vintage touch


• Dreadnaught, dreadnaught with cutaway & pickup or 14-fret 000

HISTOR IC SER IE S

BR-143CEBR-180CE

BR-160

BR-183

Presys Blend onselect models!

Photo: The Tora Bora Boys

GU ITA R S FOR EV ERYON E!

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Matsuo SasabeYokohama, Japan

Cody Farrer (Breaking Grass)Marietta, Mississippi

Clancey FergusonMountain View, Arkansas

Sam Kim (Korean Idol)Seoul, South Korea

Dale Ann Bradley Band

Williams Branch, Kentucky

Summer Brooke & The Mountain FaithSylva, North Carolina

Ron Artis II & The Truth

Oahu, HawaiiPhoto by Carlos Mo

zo

Isaac Moore

En Route

Dawn LandesBrooklyn, New York

Blueridge in the CrowdEverywhere!

Danny and Ryan Paisley(Danny Paisley and The Southern Grass)

Landenberg, Pennsylvania Jolina Carl

Neuss, Germany

“The Unbroken Circle: Hamiltons and Blueridge Guitars.”

George Hamilton V


HISTORIC SERIES and CONTEMPORARY SERIES SLOPE SHOULDER GUITARSStraight out of the 1950s, Blueridge Slope Shoulder dreadnaught guitars offer a unique look and added player features. The distinctive body shape—with gently sloping upper bouts—and a shorter scale length, both combine for a rich tone and an ease of playability that really makes these guitars something special.

BG-180RW, BG-160, BG-140, BG-60 & BG-40 SLOPE SHOULDER GUITARS• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Santos rosewood or mahogany back and sides guarantees deep bass and strong cutting power (solid back and sides on BG-140 and above)


• Premium ebony or Santos rosewood fingerboard gives extra durability and striking good looks

• Gold-plated 14:1 tuners are smooth and precise to always keep you in tune (BG-60 & BG-40: nickel-plated)

HISTOR IC & CONTEMPOR ARY SER IES SLOPE SHOULDERSHISTOR IC SER IE S PA R LOR GU ITA R S

HISTOR IC SER IES PA R LOR GU ITA R SCelebrate the past with the line of Blueridge Parlor Guitars—the classic, small-bodied guitars originally built around the turn of the century. Some of these classic originals are among the most highly sought and highest priced collectibles on the present market.

BR-371, BR-361 & BR-341 PARLOR GUITARS• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Models available with solid Santos rosewood back and sides guarantee deep bass and strong cutting power or mahogany for a warmer, mid-range tone


• Diamond volute behind the headstock, and snowflake position markers, all give this the perfect vintage touch

• Gotoh vintage slotted peghead style tuners provide smooth and precise tuning

• Abalone or herringbone top purfling available on select models

BR-341

BR-361

BR-371

BG-40

BG-180RW

Photo: George Hamilton V with BR-183 and George Hamilton IV with BR-341 on the Grand Ole Opry stage


CONTEMPORARY SERIES GRAND AUDITORIUM GUITARSFor guitarists looking for a slightly larger guitar than a typical 000, but with the added volume and tonal ver-satility of a dreadnaught, a Blueridge Grand Auditorium Guitar is the perfect choice. Available in a full or cutaway body option, with either Santos rosewood or mahogany for the back and sides, and with or without a premium on-board pickup system, this guitar is perfect on any stage, or pickin’ at home!

BR-65, BR-65CE, BR-45 & BR-45CE GRAND AUDITORIUM GUITARS• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Back and sides are made of Santos rosewood or mahogany for a robust sound and resonance




• Cutaway body with on-board pickup system available on select models

HISTORIC SERIES and CONTEMPORARY SERIES SUPER JUMBO GUITARSPopular with singer-songwriters and just about any guitar “Strummer” out there, Blueridge Super Jumbo guitars have that big rich voice that can be heard even in the back rows! The distinctively larger body, and purposefully chosen tonewoods, make them perfect for any style of music and continues to be the choice of some of the world most famous musicians.

BG-2500 & BG-1500E SUPER JUMBO GUITARS• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Flamed maple back and sides for huge, booming sound and volume (solid back and sides on BG-2500)

• Maple neck for a comfortable feel and increased sustain (flamed neck on BG-2500)

• Ebony or Santos rosewood fingerboard gives extra durability and striking good looks

• Blueridge original Art Deco bridge design

• Art Deco on fingerboard and bridge inlays on BG-2500

• Precise gold- or nickel-plated 14:1 machine heads with Keystone buttons tune easily and keep you in tune

• Fishman Presys Plus pickup system on BG-1500E

CON TE M POR A RY SER IE S M EDIUM J UM BO GU ITA R SHISTORIC & CONTEMPORARY SERIES SUPER JUMBO GUITARS

BG-1500E

BG-2500

Presys Plus onBG-1500E

BR-45CE

BR-65

Photo: Isaac Moore


BR-60A ADIRONDACK & ROSEWOOD• Solid Adirondack spruce top with






• Dreadnaught in natural finish

BR-40A, BR-40AS & BR-43AS ADIRONDACK & MAHOGANY• Solid Adirondack spruce top with


• Mahogany back and sides for a robust sound and resonance




• Dreadnaught or 14-fret 000 in sunburst or natural finish

CON TE M POR A RY CR A F TSM A N SER IE SCON TE M POR A RY CR A F TSM A N SER IE S

CON TE M POR A RY CR A F TSM A N SER IES Blueridge has designed a line of quality guitars that will especially appeal to the modern player—while remaining true to traditional design. The Contemporary Craftsman Series features distinctive inlays and appointments and a lovely shaded top finish that is instantly recog-nizable. Tonal excellence is guaranteed by the choice of select, solid Adirondack spruce for the top of every guitar.

BR-70A, BR-70AS & BR-73A ADIRONDACK & ROSEWOOD• Solid Adirondack spruce top with


• Abalone rosette and top purfling• Santos rosewood back and sides

for rich, well balanced sound and projection


• Choice Santos rosewood fingerboard with outlined hexagonal abalone markers ensures silky smooth playability


• Dreadnaught or 14-fret 000 in natural or sunburst finish

BR-43ASBR-73A

BR-60A

BR-70AS


BR-60E

BR-42

CONTEMPORARY SERIESThe Blueridge Contemporary Series offers guitarists instruments priced easily within the means of the serious student, but have all the features that the pro player demands. A solid top of close-grained spruce, braced with the time-honored forward-X bracing pattern, offers tone and volume that you won’t find anywhere else at such an affordable price!



• Abalone rosette and top purfling• Santos rosewood back and sides

for rich, well balanced sound and projection


• Choice Santos rosewood fingerboard with outlined hexagonal abalone markers ensures silky smooth playability


• Dreadnaught, 14-fret 000 • Models with cutaway body and








• Dreadnaught, 14-fret 000 • Models with cutaway body and


BR-40 SERIES SPRUCE & MAHOGANY• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Mahogany back and sides for a robust sound and resonance




• Dreadnaught, 14-fret & 12-fret 000 or 12-string

• Left-handed and models with cutaway and pickup also available

CON TE M POR A RY SER IE SCON TE M POR A RY SER IE S

Presys Plus onselect models

Presys Plus onselect models

BR-73CE

BR-70

Photo: Clancey Ferguson


CONTEMPORARY SERIES WORSHIP GUITARS There’s never been another guitar series like our Worship Guitars—and Saga had them first! The Blueridge Worship Series features beautiful original designs in white pearl and abalone in the peghead and distinctive Trinity inlaid pearl position marks on the Santos rosewood finger-board. These stunning collectors’ pieces feature the traditional dark, Vintage Sunburst on body and neck as well as black binding with multiple black/white purfling accents.

BR-340, BR-343, BR-343CE WORSHIP GUITARS• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Mahogany back and sides for robust, warm resonance


• Cross and Chalice peghead inlay with Trinity position markers in beautiful pearl and abalone make this a true original


• Dreadnaught, 14-fret 000 or 14-fret 000 with cutaway & pickup

CON TE M POR A RY SER IE S WOR SHIP GU ITA R S

CONTEMPORARY SERIES TENOR & BABY BLUERIDGEThe tenor guitar is one of the hottest selling instrument categories today and Blueridge leads the way with its line of high-quality, great sounding instruments. Unique to the Blueridge line, we also offer the same body size with a 6-string neck called the Baby Blueridge! It may be small in size, but it is big on tone, making it the perfect travel or songwriter’s guitar.

BR-70T, BR-60T, BR-40T & BR-40TCE TENOR GUITARSBR-41 BABY BLUERIDGE• Solid Sitka spruce top with scalloped


• Santos rosewood or mahogany back and sides for rich, well balanced sound and projection



• BR-70T features abalone rosette and top purfling, along with outlined hexagonal abalone markers on fingerboard

• Fishman Sonitone on-board preamp system on BR-40TCE

• BR-41 is a 6-string guitar with tenor body size

• Gold- or nickel-plated 14:1 tuners are smooth and precise to always keep you in tune

CONTEMPORARY SERIES TENOR & BABY BLUERIDGE GUITARS

BR-343CE

BR-160

Presys Blend onselect models!

BR-41

BR-40TCE

BR-70T

Sonitone onBR-40TCE

The Quality and Value Leader!

Visit us at www.sagamusic.com • Instagram.com/BlueridgeGuitar • Facebook.com/BlueridgeGuitars Instagram.com/SagaTheSource • Facebook.com/SagaMusic • Youtube.com/SagaMusicVideo

The Quality and Value Leader! - Saga Musical InstrumentsPhoto (top): John Jorgenson with the Desert...

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Transcript of The Quality and Value Leader! - Saga Musical InstrumentsPhoto (top): John Jorgenson with the Desert...