Please Help With Build. Bourgeois OMC

[Jack Butler]

Hi,

Across 31 years I’ve only owned four electrics and three acoustics: a Martin D, Collings OM1A, and an Alvarez. All were bought used and were fantastic guitars but none were ideal for my playing and I only have the Alvarez now. I would like to order a custom cutaway guitar but I’m unsure of some of the options, dimensions, woods. I’m definitely no expert on guitars but I play nearly every day.

My playing style is ninety percent strumming/singing/soloing with a pick. I fingerstyle some classical music. I play every type of music from all eras and would prefer only one instrument. I have long, thin fingers. Given this information what is an ideal nut/saddle string spacing?

I prefer the OM size for ease of playability. I like loud to match my singing. Is there any reason I should consider a dread for singing and strumming? or is there some other innovation/size guitar that I should consider?

Is a pyramid bridge just aesthetic or does it “hot rod” a guitar?

I’m leaning towards a torrefied Adirondack Bourgeois OM. I played a DB years ago and recall thinking the neck was just right for me. My Collings could take flat out abuse of dynamic playing, hitting it hard. The DB I played was very nice but also seemed delicate.Is a Bourgeois OM going to be able to handle that?

Regarding a cutaway. I will use the extra frets. I’ve just learned of a device called a looper where I can loop a rhythm and solo over it. All those solos I learned in my youth can finally be realized without dropping the rhythm. That said, how much will the guitar’s volume and tone will I be trading for those three extra frets?

I have no idea what back and side to go choose. I’d be willing to spend good money here but I just don’t know. I’ve heard all the Brazilian left is not good. But what do I know. Madagascar or African Blackwood are good substitutes? I want something that just sparkles (think sweet and slow) and has a power chord GROWL (think acoustic Metallica) A little reverb quality probably wouldn’t hurt to cover my singing either. I’ve played a few guitars across the years that just had this “SNAP” that I could probably describe as a very quick response, that’s what I’m looking for. What’s the best back and side tone wood these days?

I want this purchase to be worth it. I just need some insights into the questions I asked above. I live in a remote location. The closest fine guitar shop is five hours away so popping over isn’t an option. I think it’s been twelve years since I even went to guitar shop.

Thank ya’ kindly!

[Rosewood99]

If you have that many questions I would reconsider a custom build. The whole point of a custom build is to build it to your preferences. I just did my two custom builds this year after eight years of playing and going through owning more then a dozen guitars and finding out what my preferences were for back and sides, frets, string spacing etc. No one guitar had everything I wanted so that's when the time was right to do a custom build.

Find guitars you like and then you will have a better idea of what you want the build to be.

[tippy5]

I can offer a few answers but others will have more. I would go with the wider Bourgeois OM string spacing for classical lead lines up in the cutaway. I would order long scale, 25.5" for cutaway soloing and taking a strong right hand like you play. For me short scale cutaways do not play as fast way up in the top octave. The frets are too close together. Look for a side view picture of the guitar to get a guitar with less downward slope of the fretboard into the sound hole. Dana has a great neck carve and compound radius with nice size frets. I think you will love those. His compound neck carve can offer a real low string height which is really rewarding for finger style or way up soloing. If you get real low action then you will lose a strong right hand power strumming and some depth of tone. Don't know about wood choices but I just got a sweet sitka / IR non cutaway Dana dread that is very responsive. Some smaller Bourgeois guitars that I have owned and played were quiet though. But you will hear from the banjo killer lovers about the loud ones.

I really like sitka / koa Goodall cutaways for low string height and decent trebles way up on the neck where most guitars, especially dreads, the high e is weak. Plinky notes that are not balanced with the mids and lows of a dread. That tends to make us not want to play way up just because of the responce imbalance. Also why cutaway dread production models are not as popular as OM or smaller cutaways.

Now if you can swing a Kostal MOD D then the modern guitar will offer you all octaves.

[ChrisN]

If I were you, I'd call Matt Chulka at Eddie's Guitars. Guy knows his Bourgeois OMs and what they can do, relative to your needs. He can help you come up with a list and order to Bourgeois. He's here on the AGF, too, but don't know how much.