bourgeios guitar's

[drewgrass]

first off i dont want to break rules about asking about guitar's. im a mandolin player/guitarist. like many on this site. this is pretty much the only site i get on. i was wondering if any of you have played or jammed with someone or heard bourgeios guitar's. and what was you opinion of them. they are aimed at the bluegrass crowd. im looking at buying a banjo killer model. but it will be done online as most of my purchases due to my location. again im sorry for asking and if i need to take this down i will.(not trying to turn this into guitar cafe). but im sure some of you have played them.

[sunburst]

I've seen them, been in jams with them, played them, and repaired them. They are well made, small shop type guitars that compete favorably with other small shop guitars. If you can, play some, and if you like the sound, feel and price compared to other similar instruments, buy one!

[Mandolin Holm]

Well, I must say I prefer proletarian guitars.

(sorry, had to)

[Douglas McMullin]

I have played several and they were excellent. I think like anything else, try them out and see how they compare sound wise. In terms of quality, I think they will stand up very well to any of the smaller builders like Collings or Santa Cruz.

[Schlegel]

My mother is very picky about guitars and has a rosewood bodied Solist model for bluegrass. It's an excellent guitar, no fancy decoration, the work all went into build quality.

[allenhopkins]

Echo the above posts. Really good sounding, the three or four I've played at the dealers. I tried to talk a friend of mine whose Martin M-36 got damaged in a car accident, into buying a Bourgeois rather than getting the Martin repaired with the insurance money. However, she was a "loyalist" to her Martin, so the M-36 got fixed instead.

If I weren't really "into" Martins (and my lonely Taylor XX-MC), Bourgeois would be right up there with Huss & Dalton and Santa Cruz as a possible acquisition.

[barney 59]

Dana is particularly noted for his ability to voice instruments. He voiced guitars for Schoenberg that were built by Martin some years back. I played a recently built one at Mandolin Bros a few months ago that was kind of a plain jane dreadnaught (other than the fact that it was Brazilian) compared to the eye candy in that shop. I might have passed it by but I saw the name and tried it.To me tone wise it was the best guitar in a very exclusive room.

[Big Joe]

Dan is a good friend and I have played a good number of his instruments. He has certainly changed my mind about bolt neck guitars, though he does it a bit different from other builders. He is a fine man with incredible knowledge on building guitars. I had a guitar made by him for several years and absolutely loved it. He does build some of the best acoustic flat tops on the planet. When guys like Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, Brad Davis, and many other top notch acoustic guitar players are using his product it speaks very highly of the instrument. I will also say this, they don't get them for free. They buy the guitar. Artists will play what they like, not what they get for free.

If I were going to buy a new guitar today, I would certainly look at one of Dana's guitars without question. They perform as well as anything being made today. Just as in the mandolin world, there are numerous great builders, there are also a number of good builders in the acoustic guitar world. That being said, I can't think of anything I prefer over what Dana is doing.

[jswag]

Hey Drewgrass, I have owned one of Dana's guitars for about 5 years now, I bought it new, it's a Slope D", Stika top, Mahogany B & S, sunburst finish. It is a "banjo killer", but also you can finger pick it and it sounds wonderful. I also own a 36 year old Martin which I also play, and a Epiphone Texan (1965). They all have their own unique sound, but the Bourgeois has the most balanced sound, and I think, the best overall tone and volume, and it will probably just get better with age!....Hope that helps. PM me if I can answer any other questions!
Jeff

[Rex Hart]

I would definately recommend. The only other builder that compares in my book would be a Collings. Now if we are talking vintage D-18's.......The thing that really stands out to me is how well they record. I can run the EQ flat. This might have to do with the "voicing" that Barney talked about.

[drewgrass]

alright. thanks guys. i think im gonna make my offer for it. great to hear it records good. because i will be doing alot of recording with it.

[kyblue]

Love mine. Had to have it when I heard the tone.

I recommend the Oasis humidifier/hygrometer system and monitoring, if you're in an area where the relative humidity drops in the winter. I learned the hard way. (I knew this, just got careless about leaving it in the stand, and got a cracked top as a result.)

Paula

[Rob Gerety]

I own three. JOM Cedar, Vintage D and Vintage OM. Spectacular guitars. Really really nice. Bluegrass for sure - but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

[Paul Kotapish]

I've played several over the years and they have all been excellent guitars.

Flatpick wizard Scott Nygaard has been playing a 2004 Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe as his primary guitar recently, and it is a knockout. It's definitely a banjo killer, and it would be outstanding for pretty much any kind of music.

[Bill Van Liere]

Like many others on this site I am primarily a mando player with a stash of Martin guitars. My main Martin is a 46 D-18 with non scalloped bracing, wonderful, big, dry, woody tone. I came to a point where I really wanted a more replaceable guitar to take out of the house so I began checking out Collings, Huss & Dalton, Santa Cruz, you know; the usual suspects, all great builds. I ended up with a Bourgeois mahogany OM built for IBMA. Kind of a County Boy Deluxe model built to OM specs. I gotta say that the Bourgeois gives the old 18 a run for the money with it's full fill the room up with sound character.

I'll also give a recommendation to Rockbridge Guitars, the ones I have come across were tops and could added to the above list of high quality flat-tops.

[Keith Erickson]

Well, I must say I prefer proletarian guitars.

(sorry, had to)

I was thinking the exact same thing!!!! Glad I'm not the only one

[schubs]

Well, I must say I prefer proletarian guitars.

(sorry, had to)

Do the proletarian guitars get exploited by the bourgeois guitars?

[RBMB]

The soloist is his fingersyle model designed with Schoenberg. It is a fantastic guitar.

The various D's are played by lots of bluegrass players. I think Bryan Sutton used to play one. Scott Nygard played a Country Boy when I saw him play with Republic of Strings.

I suggest you go to the Bourgeios website (http://www.pantheonguitars.com/) and look over the models, as there is quite a variety to choose from. The website used to have a section that showed which stores had certain models in stock.

[Geoff B]

I opened up a show for WPA, and noticed *I'm pretty sure* that Sean Watkins was playing a Bourgeios, and made it sound pretty good...

[Mandolin Holm]

Do the proletarian guitars get exploited by the bourgeois guitars?

Of course, haven't you read Mao's Little Red Book On Guitar Theory?

[trevor]

I have been selling Bourgeois guitars for nine years. I can't recommend them highly enough. Great guitars from a great builder and his small team.

[fiddler37]

Regarding your interest in buying a banjo, I am not in the buying and selling business, but I have 4 banjos and 3 are for sale. I will be happy to keep what is left. They are a Rich & Taylor Terry Baucom Model, a Rich & Taylor J. D. Crow model, a brand new Gibson re-issue, pre-flood Mastertone, Wreath Pattern, and a brand new Gibson re-issue, pre-flood Earl Scruggs Model Mastertone, Hearts and Flowers pattern. I can be reached at: fsls@comcast.net

Harry Smith

[Chunky But Funky]

Hey Drewgrass,
I have two, a rosewood Vintage D and a mahogany Slope D. I bought the Vintage D first and sold anything / everything I could to buy a second within months. I play the Slope D more than the Vintage D. Very versatile. I have the advantage / disadvantage of living 1/2 hour from Acoustic Music Works in Pittsburgh. (The disadvantage is purely an economic one. I have 2 Bourgeois' and 2 Collings Mando's since discovering Steve's store!)

Doug

[BBK]

Dana builds a world class instrument. Bourgeois dreadnaughts are right up there with Collings, Huss & Daltons, Santa Cruzs, and Merrills. Each of these guitars have their own tone signature with the Merrill being the most vintage of the group. IMO any of the previously mentioned guitars are a cut above the modern day Martins.

[Jim DeSalvio]

Glad to read this kind of support for Dana. I have several Huss & Daltons, and Santa Cruz guitars, and will one day try something from Dana too. I enjoy supporting the smaller builders.