Blueridge BR40T -so much better second time around!

[Tim N]

I don't know why I just didn't like my 1st BR 40. It was the only tenor I'd laid my paws on at the time, back in early 2016, and it arrived very poorly set up, which didn't help. It's flat botton (when viewed from the front) offended me, and I wasn't really expecting it to sound like it did, tuned CGDA. I guess it was a bit of a shock to the system.

Well, anyway, I've been spending the year persevering on my Osark, which I opted for instead, learning to love CDGA, and then recently decided I'd like to buy a longer scale, robuster tenor that could handle GDAE and a bit of heftier strumming. I asked around on the forum here about the Goldtone, but was warned off about it's "quiet" design, so I felt myself inevitably coming round to the BR 40 once more, especially since everyone enthuses about it, with never a bad word.

And lo and behold, on German Amazon (I live near Bonn) was a second hand (new condition) BR40T going for 400 euros (+ 3 euros postage!) This is less than 350 pounds, so I'm thinking it was quite a bargain, since the new ones were almost 600 euros. I think it had been there quite a while, but I don't think there's much of a market for tenors in Germany. Well, I snapped it up of course, and it's as though I'm seeing the instrument with new eyes and ears! It rings like a big guitar and looks just fine, and the seller even included a bag and a promise of some new strings.

I'm tuning it DGAE, trying to follow Fox's recommendation of 13-20w-30w-45w, but it's hard getting the desired acoustic strings seperately, so I'm presently using 12-18w (from an Eagle so-called Irish set) at the high end, then 30w and (wait for it...) a rather chunky 47 in the bass because it's the nearest I could find at Cologne's masive musicstore. That certainly irons out the problem of poor intonation which occur with lighter G strings, but I'd like to find a 45w and a 20w (phospor bronze) if I can. Any suggestions for this side of the pond, preferably? I'm not too worried about putting excess strain on the guitar since Fox has often pointed out that the body is braced for 6 strings, but 47 feels just a little oversized. Or does anyone else go that big?

I'm considering lowering the saddle (or is it the bridge?- well the bone thingy) a little bit by sanding - what grade sandpaper should I use? Will I regret trying to do it myself?
Anyway, all in all I'm much more enthusiastic the 2nd time around about this guitar, and am wondering if I ought to sell something to maintain the equalibrium....

[Interestingly the previous owner had bought it with the idea of stringing it as a ukelele (which he plays), but it didn't work out. It arrived tuned GCEA, with a strange-looking selection of strings on, with the wounds and the plains all in the wrong place to my eyes. The promised new strings have yet to arrive, but I'm guessing they'll do for my Osark]

[fox]

Great news, I am very happy you like the BR40 second time around.

I think it is possible to get used to various gauge strings & make them sound fantastic.... I am a bit obsessed about getting the best set up! I know I should spend more time practicing than faffing around with strings & bits of bone!
My LMS is only small but the owner will order any single strings I desire.

I quite like a 0.018 plain steel string for the A & I use a 0.018 wound on several custom 23" scale tenors.
You may actually prefer the 18 to a 20? 44 45 46 47 48 are all worth trying for the G, I find the G the most challenging.

[Tim N]

Yes, I was wondering how low you can go with the G before it starts being a problem. I suppose it's also to do with set up, seeing as the Br40 is probably factory set up for CGDA.... but it seems that if you go large enough on the G string it covers a multitude of sins.
The lighter strings all seem fine. I realised that the Osark actually tapers out a little more up the neck, so that I can get a nice Em up at the 9th/10th (if it were GDAE), wheras on the Blueridge I barely have room for my fingers.
I'll try my LMS.The owner was really taken by the tenor when I took it in last. I think I could have sold it to him !

[Steve Zawacki]

Congrats on the 40T. I got one a couple years ago in a trade and have never regretted the deal. I have gone back-and-forth GDAE-CGDA several times, but CGDA is my favorite. Doing a decent set-up makes a difference. Have had a couple offers for my 40T, but haven't found anything better to justify replacing it.

[colorado_al]

I think it will handle the larger strings with no problem. I converted my Blueridge tenor to an octave mandolin and it is handling 8 strings with no problem.

[Tim N]

I've now got a PB 45 string on - my small local music shop did well there, but getting a PB wound 20 is tricky. At the moment I've got a nickel wound 18 A string (GDAE) It's definitely better with the 45 G rather than the 47. I find I can now finger that Em at the 9th/10t after all.
Trying to psyche myself up to sell my Martin 6 string. It's hard, cos it's a lovely mellow sound, and you can't deny that 2 more bass strings give you more breadth when picking. But I'm trying to move to lighter instruments - and I also told my wife that's how I was going to finance the new tenor - with a bit over, I should hope. BTW has anyone put a pick up in a BR40T, and if so, how did it sound. My friendly luthier generally favours the Fishman Sonitone. I'm thinking of having that done.

[colorado_al]

My BR-40TCE has the Fishman Sonicore/Sonitone built in from the factory and I think it sounds great!
http://www.sagamusic.com/products/pr...?item=BR-40TCE

[fox]

Trying to psyche myself up to sell my Martin 6 string .... NOOOOoooo!

[Steve Zawacki]

Trying to psyche myself up to sell my Martin 6 string .... NOOOOoooo!

Don't. It will haunt you

https://youtu.be/TMacYkNJWaQ

[John Flynn]

Something you might think about. That Blueridge has a 22.9" scale, which is about the same as my Mendel OM. If you want to go GDAE, you might consider either:

• Using half an octave mandolin set, like D'Addario J80's and adding brass "ball" ends to them. John Pearse makes a "String Wizard" for doing this, but you could probably salvage ball ends from old guitar strings and do it yourself.
• Just mimic the gauges of the J80's, buying single guitar strings in 46-32-22-12.

As to lowering the bridge, my advice would be:

• First, make sure the rest of your setup is good: Proper nut and neck relief.
• Then, see what your string height is versus what it should be. Advice I have seen online is 3/32 inches on the bass side and 1/16 inches on the treble at the 12th fret. If you are near that, I wouldn't mess with it.
• If you do need to lower the saddle, linked is an article on how to do it. I would go slowly. If you get it too low, you will get fret buzzing and you will either have to shim the saddle back up again, or fit a new one.
• If you don't have confidence you can handle all that, don't be self-conscious about it. Just take to a repair luthier and have it all done. Sometime do-it-yourself is overrated.

http://acousticguitar.com/checking-a...saddle-height/

[Tim N]

I'm getting the message about the 6 string, and you're probably right! Interestingly, I popped into my local music shop, and the owner was still enthusing about the Osark which I'd shown him, so I'm hoping I might be able to sell him that, and keep the Martin. Reckon I'd cover my costs for the Blueridge. Unlike many here....( ) I reckon 3 instruments is about enough (there's also a bouzouki.) I'v got three guitar hooks on the wall, and aim to keep it thus.

[Steve Ostrander]

I acquired a BR40T about six months ago and immediately changed over to GDAE. I bought a set of John Pearse GDAE tenor guitar strings at Elderly and had them file the nut slots for the larger gauge strings. I know that purists prefer CGDA but this is what works for me.

[WillFly]

Unlike many here....( ) I reckon 3 instruments is about enough

Oh Tim - wash your mouth out!

When I got to 5 6-string guitars, a tenor guitar, a lap steel guitar, a mandolin, a fiddle, an Appalachian dulcimer, a box of blues harps and a keyboard, I swore that was enough. Well, I kept that vow until about 4 weeks ago, when I snapped up a s/h Martin OM Concert Model.

But now I've got 6 guitars, etc., I know I won't need any more...

[Tim N]

Oh, I forgot about the bag of blues harps! But it's fine to have plenty of those :-) I suppose it was rather a dangerous comment to make here... but I was speaking purely for myself

[fox]

I also like to have three.... in every room.

[Chip Stewart]

After selling an acoustic 6 string and an electric 6 string, and giving my other electric 6 string to my daughter, I'm finally down to three (electric bass guitar, electric tenor guitar, and acoustic tenor guitar). My conversion from 6 string guitar to tenor guitar is complete.

[mahakalaka]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.

I just got one of these myself and like it too. One oddity, the fingerboard is radiused, but not the nut and saddle, so the strings are completely parallel to each other through out the scale.

I emailed Blueridg/Saga and was told the radius on the fingerboard is 300mm (just short of 12") and the saddle and nut should be the same.

Just curious, do yours have a flat or radiused nut and saddle?

/M

[fox]

Well anyway it sound like you need a better set up, might as well take the opportunity to get it done

[mahakalaka]

Well anyway it sound like you need a better set up, might as well take the opportunity to get it done

Yes you are right and I will at some point, but I'm still kinda curious how others are in this regard.

[fox]

I don't really know, I bought mine second hand but I seem to remember it had a curved saddle, the nut might well have a flat top but the strings slots could be cut to match the fretboard curve.
I would be surprised if the saddle was not shaped as standard!

[Tim N]

An interesting point. I just had a look at mine. The nut is radiused, but the saddle is flat. I hadn't really consciously thought about it until now, but had felt that it looked a bit prominent... I'll probably take it for a set up sometime, and mention this aspect to the luthier. The set up's not too bad, but could be a smidgen lower, and until now I was only thinking of the bottom of the saddle. But I don't build guitars...

[mahakalaka]

Thanks. The rest of the guitar is so nicely put together, I find it odd if this is just a mistake, especially since more than mine is like this. Oh well, I'm still enjoying it nonetheless.

M

[Tim N]

As I mentioned right at the start of this thread, my first Blueridge was poorly set up - barely playable in fact, and I'm sure that must have had a flat nut. But as people have pointed out elsewhere on the forum, you have to reckon with getting a proper set up if you buy online. Hope you get it sorted satisfactorally.