Blueridge

Vintage Soul. Modern Price. Serious Guitar.

The BR-163 is Blueridge’s take on that mythical pre-war 000 guitar: compact, comfortable, beautifully balanced and capable of producing a surprisingly big sound. Think vintage American acoustic without the need to sell your car, your vinyl collection and possibly a kidney to pay for it.

Built around a solid Sitka spruce top and solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, the BR-163 has the classic tonewood recipe for a reason. You get warm, woody lows, clear mids, sparkling trebles and plenty of sustain, with a wonderfully responsive dynamic range. Play it gently and it whispers. Dig in with a pick and it politely reminds you that small body does not mean small sound.

And then there’s the bracing. The forward-shifted, scalloped X-bracing is very much in the pre-war tradition, allowing the spruce top to move freely and efficiently. The result is a guitar with plenty of air, punch and tonal complexity — particularly impressive when you start exploring fingerstyle.

The sweet spot

The 000 body is one of those designs that makes you wonder why acoustic guitars ever became enormous pieces of furniture. It sits comfortably against the body, feels wonderfully balanced and gives you plenty of room for fingerpicking without sacrificing projection.

The slim mahogany neck adds to the modern playing experience. Comfortable, quick and refreshingly un-chunky, it makes the BR-163 equally happy accompanying a singer, playing delicate fingerstyle or getting properly enthusiastic with a flatpick.

And visually? Blueridge clearly raided the best bits of the 1930s.

There’s herringbone trim, a tortoise-style pickguard, vintage-style open-back tuners and tasteful abalone/snowflake inlays, all finished off with that slightly aged vintage look. It has the appearance of a guitar that has already spent 80 years in somebody's attic — only without the smell, structural problems and questionable family history.

The verdict

The BR-163 is one of those guitars that makes perfect sense the moment you play it.

It has the feel of a vintage instrument, the construction of a serious modern acoustic and a price that doesn't require a lengthy conversation with your bank manager.

For fingerstyle players, singer-songwriters and anyone who simply appreciates an acoustic guitar with character, the BR-163 is a particularly tasty proposition.

Vintage attitude. Solid woods. Big tone. Comfortable body. No vintage-guitar mortgage required.

That's a pretty good recipe.