Bourgeois owners check in.

[tnfiddler]

After owning nothing but Taylors for nearly 13 years, I just joined the Bourgeois family and I’m highly impressed. Fit and finish is top-notch, the neck really feels very similar to my 1995 810 and the tone is out of this world. If you own one, let me know what you have and how you like it. Mine is a mint 2014, short-scale Slope D Custom Adi/hog.

[Jersey tuning]

Don't own one, but I eyeballed a 2011 OM Madagascar/Adirondack for 6 months.  Loved playing that guitar at a Staten Island NY dealer, would have bought it if my wife hadn't treated me to a custom Sinker/Rosewood GC by Taylor

[Strumming Fool]

Don't own one, but I've been tempted on many an occasion. One Bourgeois memory comes to mind:  at my FLGS, I played a vintage OM model with and Adi top and Macassar ebony back/sides that was perhaps one of the top five best sounding guitars of any brand I've played in my 45-year guitar playing experience. I was looking for something flashier at the time, but when it sold, I was crushed. I should have bought it! There's another one at my FLGS right now - a slope shouldered dread standard model - what a voice! I'm just not into the dread thing anymore, but if anyone is, that's the one to beat!

Cherish that beautiful guitar!

[Earl]

I came real close to buying a Country Boy once in Fairbanks, AK while on a business trip.  Ultimately, I passed on the deal because it was going to have to fly home the next day as checked baggage, and I did not want to risk the "tender mercies" of airline baggage handling system.  A couple of months later I was up there in my vehicle, but that guitar was long gone.

[Coco Kid]

Have owned two Bourgeois in the past (Mahogany dreadnought and Rosewood OM) - sold them both for the same reason. Never felt I could really "dig into them" as much. They were suitable for light playing but were a bit too "sweet" to be aggressive on, unfortunately, as if something was holding them back. Reminded me a bit of Engelmann Spruce tops, limited by headroom. Part of it may be due to their single sided scalloped bracing and straight bracing on the other side (at least for the dreadnought), just felt like the guitars sounded a bit tight once you reached their ceilings.

[tnfiddler]

Have owned two Bourgeois in the past (Mahogany dreadnought and Rosewood OM) - sold them both for the same reason. Never felt I could really "dig into them" as much. They were suitable for light playing but were a bit too "sweet" to be aggressive on, unfortunately, as if something was holding them back. Reminded me a bit of Engelmann Spruce tops, limited by headroom. Part of it may be due to their single sided scalloped bracing and straight bracing on the other side (at least for the dreadnought), just felt like the guitars sounded a bit tight once you reached their ceilings.

I played mine this past Saturday about 14 hours at a bluegrass festival and I don't see that with mine.  It gives what you ask of it.  If you want to play easy, it just rings out so nice and if you want to have at it with a good hard rhythm part, it lets it rip.  The tone is what blows my mind the most!  It's perfectly balanced anywhere you play at. 

[Jersey tuning]

Had the pleasure of meeting Dana Bourgeois at this past season's Woodstock Invitational Luthier Festival

[Coco Kid]

It gives what you ask of it.

Perhaps that may be it. Perhaps I'm just expecting something from it that I can get out of a Collings guitar, for example, when a Collings may be built differently to the purpose a Bourgeois is built for (maximum responsiveness versus like you say, giving back what you put in). With Collings, I find even light strumming can make them sound projective and medium strumming can make them roar. With Bourgeois, I always feel like I have to put in more effort to get the volume I want out of them.

[tnfiddler]

It gives what you ask of it.

Perhaps that may be it. Perhaps I'm just expecting something from it that I can get out of a Collings guitar, for example, when a Collings may be built differently to the purpose a Bourgeois is built for (maximum responsiveness versus like you say, giving back what you put in). With Collings, I find even light strumming can make them sound projective and medium strumming can make them roar. With Bourgeois, I always feel like I have to put in more effort to get the volume I want out of them.

That’s totally opposite of one of the first things I noticed about my Bourgeois. I was practicing one afternoon and a friend of mine called me. I had the phone held up to my ear by my shoulder and was lightly playing and it was just ringing out. I had NEVER had that happen with any of my Taylors and it blew my mind. Maybe our difference is I’ve never really played anything but Taylor acoustics and you’ve played different high-end models and Bourgeois doesn’t fit you. To me it’s such a step-up tone and volume-wise that I’m super happy with it. That’s the beauty of all the different makers!  Everyone can find their niche.