Bourgeois guitars made in Lewiston, Maine are pure American acoustics, built with unparalleled attention to detail: from the selection of woods to the hardware, each guitar is unique, and no two guitars of the same model receive the highly personalized attention that gives them a unique quality. The small team of craftsmen bring these instruments to life, matching the sound of each guitar to its size and shape. They are hand-carved, and each benefits from the involvement of Dana Bourgeois himself at many stages of production, and who performs quality control on each piece.

We were pleased to receive this Bourgeois folk guitar from the Heirloom Series, which is dedicated to making guitars that replicate the feel and sound of pre-war instruments. The one we have chosen here embodies the famous Dreadnaught with great precision and creativity. While the design and materials are faithful to the style of the originals, the precision of the craftsmanship and the quality of the materials used - even directing the glue making process! - are out of this world. This Bourgeois HS D Vintage has, as its name suggests, a strong vintage character in sound and elegance, but a reliability and build quality that far exceeds that of the original models.

Specifically, it is a 25.5" scale guitar with an Adirondack spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides, Honduran mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and Indian rosewood veneers and mother of pearl inserts for a simple and refined elegance. The Adirondack spruce top and bracing impose a strong articulation of the sound projected by this guitar, which is made to be heard distinctly in a mix. The Indian rosewood back and sides, however, balance the expressive range with their characteristic warmth, creating a round, harmonically rich envelope that fits easily into a band, as it blends with all vocal, guitar, and wind tones.

On this particular model, we noticed a strong midrange presence that fades a bit in the bass and a bit less in the treble. This produces an impression of great brilliance of sound when played alone, and the guitar really fills the room with its resonance with great breadth. When picked up by a microphone, the sound is easily tamed, which makes this guitar absolutely right in all situations, from the studio to the stage.

2 years warranty from our workshop.