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From: c6th
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  • Hi George,

    What do you mean "changed"? I'm an all Martin household again, but still visit the Recording King folks. I recently tried out over a couple of weekends, Recording King's new RD-316 Adirondack top model. I had the first two prototypes on two different weekends. Very nice! Like an Adi topped D-18V, spec wise.

  • Hi we haven't talked in awhile what does your collection look like now. Mine has changed quite a bit. What is your feeling about recording king now has it changed?

    George

  • I haven't played them much at all. They do not interest me at all. I'm a traditionalist for acoustic guitars and if I want a cutaway, I'll play electric.

    Any good Martin with a proper set up can play like butter.

  • What's your opinion on the new Martin Performing Artist Series? Acoustic/Elec. They say the neck is easier for a person used to playing elec. guitar to transition over to acoustic. I am def. going with Martin, problem is which one. LOL Happy Easter.

  • My ears vote for the Blueridge.

  • Google the Blueridge BR-260 for the specs and prices.

  • there is no way that blueridge is Brazilian rosewood... that would be like a 4,000 dollar guitar

  • or more lol.

  • @Sirbrooksalot well hell maybe im wrong. I just clicked on a link that showed that guitar as having braz too. Thats insane though, i thought braz was illegal to harvest anymore?

  • @Sirbrooksalot

    You are mistaken and don't do your homework. The BR-260 is indeed Brazilian rosewood and is not a cheap guitar, although the list is under 4 grand. Just under 3 grand list. You obviously know little about guitars or the laws regarding Brazilian rosewood. There are hoops to jump through and it is expensive, but it is still used in new guitars.

  • I like all of those guitars, but I definitely recommend the Martin J40.

  • I sold the RK after having it for about a year & 1/2, sold the Blueridge, too, and have returned to an all Martin home. But the RK is great, a friend bought it, so I see it periodically.

    RK just brought out a new guitar at the NAMM show (I played the prototype they took to NAMM) that is an Adirondack topped mahogany body D-18V style that is a killer guitar for a little more money. But for $425 or so, the RD-26 is a fantastic guitar!

  • How is the RK holding up, im looking at getting one just wanting to get your opnion because you know about good guitars.

  • i think your blueridge and the 000 28 sounded the best

  • @brandonch25

    agree much better than the other 2

  • I really enjoyed the video, i didn't consider it a 'comparison', rather information i need to buy the next guitar in my quest to find 'The Voice'. nice, thanks. play on

  • It does not matter that the blue ridge guitar is made over seas people are just mad that it holds its own compared to martins and gibsons. I am an american carpenter and recognize excellent wood work. The blue ridge wich i went out and bought is now my main guitar. but i still love my martin and my gibson. Under 1000 dollars but sounds like a 2000 dollar guitar. If anything quality came form over seas this is it.

  • Keep buying Chinese and Korean....better to support someone in a Foreign country than our local craftsman. I go down to 7-11 and find some guys who will do some construction for pennies on the dollar when compared to Americans. Until Americans agree to work for less than minimum wage I'll keep buying foreign.

  • I'm not sure if that is supposed to be sarcasm or what, but I've had no problem buying foreign and saying nice things when appropriate about foreign guitarmakers' products. I'm not ashamed to post them online where people can judge for themselves. That being said, for the moment, I'm back to an all Martin guitar household (which will be changing with a new Recording King in the offing in the near future probably). I do have a couple of Chinese made high end mandolins, unaffordable if US made.

  • @spyle002 actually i am a carpenter and my customers like that i am not the cheapest. Most americans know you get what you pay for. Greed is killing america not the rest of the world. We live our high lifestyles, eat excessively, buy huge suvs for our wife's to ride around in. No we charge more for our demanding over extravegant lifestyles. of course we are not going to be cheaper than people coming from mud huts.

  • Absolutely LOVE my Blueridge BG-60. Highly recommend Blueridge!

  • Man you got a good taste for guitars!

  • omg that blue ridge kicked all the other guitars asses , the tone of the blue ridge is by far the best and if you all cant hear that you are tone def.

  • Maybe your tone deaf.and you really can't compare those guitars, Different woods and brace type. The d28 Martin is standard bracing, has that aged bass sound and alot more bass then the others. I like the d28. The others are scalloped

  • @bluegrasssingingman maybe if you could not have seen the guitars you wouldnt jump on the martins dick.Martins= Over priced and the blue ridge sounds way better.

    Listen to them again and again the blue ridge has such a better sound. You can compare these guitars this video just did

  • @silentpimpsmak sorry no it don't. I own a BR60 and BR160. There very nice guitars, but my D1R Martin and D35 Martin are by far better. This video you can't compare. Very different type guitars, Your trying to compare standard bracing to scalloped. The body stlyes arn't even the same. You can only compare differance in body stlyes to your taste.

  • @bluegrasssingingman The woods arn't even the same.

  • Church Street Blues....nice.

  • holy shit! pause the camera at exactly 30 seconds and see that the back side of the gibson recording king is bent in! NO JOKE!

  • That's the way it's made genius.

  • @takacs778 UHH, you don't know your guitars too well because it's not a defect or "bent in" as you say. That's how the guitar is constructed,LOL. And looks beautiful and sounds pretty darn good as well.

  • Why does the Martin beat all the rest ever time! Gibson Recording King sounds too tinny.

  • im sry guys but there is nothing to me that sounds like a martin!

  • I like the Recording King the best.

  • blueridge guitar sound good.....The price is a lot cheaper than martin d28...reason: blueridge made in china,blueridge brand name is not as famous as martin...that it....My opinion is,u can get pretty decent guitar which is china made and damn cheaper than those american guitar...i have to be honest to say,some china made guitar is suck too...

  • thats the best way to spend it playing music

  • Nice guitars. They all sound great but i really liked the tone of the blueridge. It sounded really loud. I am looking at buying a new guitar in the $500-800 dollar range. I thing i have it down to a taylor 110, this recording king or a blueridge br140, I like to flatpick mostly. I have played the taylor and it sounded really good, But the guitar stores in my area dont carry blueridge or recording kings, so if I buy one of these i will have to order it. Any suggestions?

  • I owned a taylor 110 and I loved it. Now I have an 810 and its so beautiful!!

  • Buy American. Support American craftsman. Save for up for another year if you have to. It will be worth it.

  • Dude,

    I buy what I want. That includes 7 Martins, 3 of which I currently own. I wanted to try a Blueridge in solid Brazilian. Getting a Martin in Braz is something I will eventually have, but not right now and not with just another year's savings... The RK I bought just to see how good a solid wood Chinese guitar could be for less than $500. VERY good... Has nothing to do with American craftsmen since they are not competing in that price point market anyway.

  • @c6th well, from the video, i say the two foreigners sound better. i admit, some foreign companies do manufacture some really poor instruments. but not these two. they make quality instruments. kudos to you c6th, for not being a homer and actually giving something than the bandwagon a try. i plan on getting a Blueridge BR-70. it's a beautiful instrument, and the sound is magnificent.

  • They have a their own personality and all sound great.

    I have a 1958 D-28 and it's no comparison to my other two.

    Of course it's not fair to compare since they're all unique. Somedays you feel like a D28 and others, maybe a 0000.

  • Good comparison except it makes you want to kill yourself when the player plays the same thing on four guitars :D

    Otherwise, I'd probably pick the first Martin.

  • I like your collection and comparison but a little more detail should be used like diffences in strings which can make a guitar sound totally different I love Recording King but it depends on what model you are comparing I spent 4 hours A/B playing my Recording King rd-227 with a martin d-41 and only found the difference that one martin would have to another . Recording king is one of the best buys in guitars you must like them I think you have an rd-26 and rd-27.

    Regards George

  • Hi George,

    Thanks for the comments and suggestions. All my guitars use medium phosphor bronze strings, either Martin SP4200 or EB Power Slinky PB Acoustic.

    The RD-26 is a keeper. The RD-27 was not, so it is gone.

    Thanks,

    Dave

  • what was it about the rd-27 that you didn't like My rd-227 is wonderful that model is sika top indian rosewood sides and back with a1 3/4 nut with v back neck

  • This RD-27 was a factory second. I am normally a rosewood guy, but this one just did not have the sound. I put new strings on it, gave it a good setup, but the sound wasn't there. I've played a lot of the Recording Kings, including many prototypes at The Music Link (parent company) headquarters. I am very impressed overall with their products. That one was just a lemon, and as I said - a second.

  • thanks

  • I'm a D28 owner and prefer the tone of your old D28. That's a nice collection you've got there!

  • i got a martin hd-28 its amzing go to mah page and ull see and hear it

  • I love those 0000 Martins.  Hope to try one out someday!

  • Howdy, I am having a little trouble finding information on the Blueridge guitar company? Do you happen to know how long they have been around? And perhaps where their guitars are manufactured? Thank you for your time, and quite a nice collection by the way!!

  • Blueridge Guitars are made in China. Saga Instruments is the parent company and they are based in South San Francisco. Greg Rich, with Gibson for years, designed the current incarnation of the Blueridge guitars and brought them into respectibility about a decade ago or so. They were around before that but I don't know how long. There is a Blueridge Guitar Forum on Yuku. Greg Rich, btw, now designs guitars from Recording King & Loar. Hope that helps some.

  • @c6th LOL Greg Rich worked with Gibson, and designing guitars that copy Martin guitars. Beside Gibson mandolins, Gibson suck. Gibson banjos have dropped in construction to.

  • big D-35 fan. In college everyone had D-28s and i love those 2, but i like the fullness of the D-35; my '75 needed a neck reset - Rauen Guitars did it and it sounds unbelievable now. Then i have a 69 full Brazilian all original, still sounds sweet. I have a J-45 and Dove (Gibsons) and then an old Alvarez 5025? 4? wow i am blanking on model. But it still sounds great, i still record with it. Sorry to those who have none. I'm old, and greedy. Also have Les Paul and Old Kraftsman :)

  • I liked the Martins. c6th, what do you feel about the Martin D-35? Do you like the mellow sound? How do you find it as a picker say, compared to the Gibson Dove? Thanks.

  • Zant,

    I'm not a D-35 fan. I didn't like the idea behind them when they first came out. The only reason they were introduced was to use smaller pieces of the dwindling Braz rosewood supplies. I'm generally not a Gibson acoustic fan, although some individual guitars sound great. The best all-round picker IMO is a good D-28. If I got rid of all other guitars, the D-28 (which I've had for 38 years) would keep me happy, as it has in the past when it was the only one.

    Thanks,

    Dave

  • yeah the first and last, the martins win hands down

  • Martin Wins hands down!

  • I vote for the shorts x

  • I arrived at this video looking for a sample of the Recording King guitars and man, that Blueridge sounded killer!

  • i know the comparison cant be made very well on a computer, but the last one was the warmest i think

  • The recording king sounded great.

  • For me,,,i love the sound of the 0000-28 Martin..but they all sound awesome,,great guitars

  • mmm and the d28 is not scolliped mm and it sounded about the same as a scolliped blueridge, need u say more

  • Do you have any low end starter guitars lying around? I'd love to hear a comparison between something like a $99 Epiphone vs. a Martin.

  • Nope, sorry. To be honest, the difference would be more apparent live. Computer speakers usually aren't that great to compare things with, this test included.

  • Hi Dave,

    Thanks for the nice posting. How do the prices compare amongst the four? (Relative to which you bought new and used of course) And have you played/heard the Recording King RDJ-27? I heard one at Beanblossom bluegrass fest and it sounded sweet. Just looking for some advice - thanks again my friend!

  • Thanks. The guitars vary tremdously. I bought the D-28 new for $475 (38 years ago). Now the list is $3000 and street around $1800 new. The 0000-28H is not in production, but in the late '90s went for around the same price as a HD-28, around $3200 list, so a couple grand street. The list on the Blueridge is around $3400 and online for $2200 new (which is probably the best you'll find a Brazilian rosewood guitar for anywhere). The Recording King new with case online can be had for $425.

  • what do you think about recording king guitars?

  • I haven't played the RDJ-27 yet, although I'm supposed to go by their offices and look at a bunch of new stuff and prototypes sometime soon.

  • That BR-163 will mature nicely.

    Standard tuning, standard pitch. About the only tuning I ever use is Drop D once in a while.

  • I'm quite new here, but just got a BR 163 and am impressed. Will it sound better with age?? Mature??

    By the way, what tuning you got those in Dave. Its very "Banjoesque".. now theres a new word!!

  • Thanks folks!

    The quad (0000-28H) gets the most play these days. The old D-28 is really getting to need a neck reset and the Blueridge doesn't have a pickup yet. The RK is mahogany, and while it sounds good, I'm basically a rosewood guy, but I do take it out to jams and bang away just to help break it in.

    Thanks again!

    Dave

  • Nice comparison, thank you. It would be a tough choice between all those nice instruments.

  • WOW, they all sound incredible but, the Blueridge made me smile!!!

  • I bought my wife the same Blueridge 2 years ago and it has opened-up beautifully, as yours will.

    I have a friend who used to do luthier work on Martins and he was blown away by it.

  • John,

    I've become very enamoured of the 0000-28H. It is a great concept. As you said, it doesn't lose much in square inch frontage, and the scalloped braces help with volume and bass. It is also a 9 year old guitar that's been played a lot it seems (I've only had it a few months). The imports are new and brand new with minimal playing time, so there's a lot of opening up room on them.

    Thanks for all the comments,

    Dave

  • What is most amazing to me is the extreme similarity between the two Martins. It does make sense that the jumbo 0000 would sound so close to the dread--similar square footage on the top. Some nice flatpicking there, by the way! The imports have their own sound--not as "mature" sounding as the others, but nice in their own right. Nice stable of instruments there!

  • Don't you love that kind of weekend! Damn, i got one of those goin already this weekend. Sweet playin. Check mine, would dig the feedback.

    Cheers!

  • Hey Secret,

    I've done that before on the Martin & Blueridge Guitar Forums. Very interesting mixture of comments - all favorable, but with mixed preferences and perceptions.

  • Hey PBR,

    Which Martin?

    Dave

  • MARTIN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

  • real test is to hide guitar then play sounds. people can be bias to martin NAme

  • You have way too many guitars. Just send me three and there wont any more confusion on which one sounds better. I'll pay shipping. Thanks

  • @resoblues Dude, would you tell John Mayer he has too many guitars? I myself own 15, including an original Martin OM-45 Deluxe, a Gibson Super 400, and a 1940 Epiphone Emperor.

  • The martins seemed to have the best overall balance and volume, but the RD-26 had a nice mellow tone, more sweet than dark. The BR, nice high end sound, good for lead or fast pickin'.

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