Bourgeois Guitars uses only the finest master grade tone woods available, and every set of wood used on Bourgeois' guitars is meticulously chosen by the experienced hands of Dana Bourgeois personally. Every once in a while they receive a shipment of wood that is of extraordinary tap tone quality, whether it be a set of spruce, rosewood, or even figured mahogany of exponential beauty, ideal age, weight and stiffness, and tonal qualities that far surpass their normally high expectations. Dana sets these extraordinary tone woods aside so that they can be paired appropriately with other tone woods of equal quality to build a very special guitar, these guitars are referred to as his "Luthier's Choice Custom Series".
Here is what Dana had to say about The Luthier's Choice Custom series - "Though I've been building for quite some time now, I'd like to think my best guitars are still in front of me. The Luthier's Choice Custom series offers an opportunity to expand my creative horizons, unencumbered by everyday constraints. I'm looking forward to making a few really spectacular guitars, not to mention having a lot of fun."
Showcasing Dana's incredible craftsmanship with superb tone woods these guitars have a real personal feel that elegantly displays Dana's love of fine woods and his personal sense of visual style. This particular "Luthier's Choice Custom" or "LCC" features an Adirondack Top that is one of his finest pieces of private reserve Adirondack that has come through our doors. Paired with a set of Brazilian Rosewood that was hand picked to compliment the red spruce, this instrument has the looks and feel of "old soul"!
Brazilian Rosewood has become significantly more rare in the past several years, and provides the deep bass and brilliant trebles that was used on the famous pre-war vintage guitars we have all grown to love. An international embargo on trade on Brazilian rosewood products guarantees that the relatively few number of sets remaining in this country will continue to spiral in price as the supply dwindles.
This Bourgeois Vintage D was also built with Adirondack bracing, as are all of Dana's guitars. The Adirondack bracing was painstakingly glued by hand in the old fashioned assembly method with hot hide glue. Unlike modern day man-made polymer glues, Hide Glue sets up very hard, like glass, allowing more efficient energy transfer through the bracing. Hot Hide Glue adds increased string responsive & a broader, more articulate tonal spectrum. For centuries this type of assembly method was used on guitars, but phased out in daily production applications due to the time required to use it, (not to mention the challenging work environment it creates). The sonic benefits can't be ignored, adding not only responsiveness, but a new level of detail and clarity. The Adirondack Bracing helps also to stiffen the top, making it more powerful, with added volume (or as we guitarists say "more headroom").
The finish is a thin oil based varnish, which pushes the tone to another level. According to Dana, "The closest thing to the sound of a 70 year old nitrocellulose lacquer finish isn't a new lacquer finish, but a thin oil varnish finish. Properly applied, oil varnish smooths out the "jangly" sound of a new guitar in much the same way that lots of playing seems to accomplish." This makes the guitar sound more "broken in" from the start, not to mention the deep golden hue the varnish imparts on the finish is simply gorgeous.
Adding to the vintage vibe, this guitar features a cut through saddle, the first we have seen on any Bourgeois guitar. Historically, cut through saddles were used on vintage Martins, Guilds, and even early Gibson models. Additional features include a 1 23/32" nut width, Mammoth Ivory bridge pins, and a Master Grade Mahogany neck.
This guitar possesses everything we love about our favorite Vintage Guitars, however in Dana's masterful hands, he has transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. The Varnish has added another dimension to the sound, further contributing to the "old soul" feel of this one. The highs are a bit mellower than a new guitar with a lacquer finish. The guitar is incredibly responsive, balnced and even sounds great played with bare fingers. The clarity and definition we find on all of Dana's guitars is right there... Add the vintage like appearance, appointments and feel of this guitar and you have something nearly impossible to put down.
Browse our fine selection of Bourgeois Guitars.
Learn more about the history of Bourgeois Guitars Bourgeois Guitars.
Updating...
