Bourgeois Country Boy -- how does it compare to similar dreadnoughts?

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by AMW

To the OP, your initial impressions are pretty in line with what we hear between the brands...

Martin - the original design, voiced to favor the bass, scooped out mids, very warm and woody.

Huss & Dalton - slightly less bass than the Martin, appreciably more articulate, better string to string balance.

Bourgeois - ever so slightly less bass than H&D on average, impeccable string to string balance, almost sounds like a fat version of their OM. Very consistent tone up and down the neck. Hide glue and/or torrefied Adi top takes it a long way toward a more powerful vintage sound. Very comfortable, fast satin neck.

Collings - the most hi-fi interpretation, very hot in the mid-range, perfect playability and fit/finish. If you can handle a fatter neck, the Traditional series is probably the best of all worlds, with regard to the positive qualities listed above.

That is a very interesting and informative summary, and I'm not arguing!

Thanks!

[ataylor]

Thanks for the feedback and insights, folks! I wish there was a dealer that carried Bourgeois around here so I could get some first-hand experience. The one posted in this thread is beautiful -- thanks for the photos!

Some good suggestions for other guitars to try in addition to those I've played and enjoyed -- I'll have to check out the other Martin D-18 offerings, as well as the new traditional series Collings D1. I'm also curious about the Huss & Dalton road series guitars.

[phavriluk]

I've had the opinion that Bourgeois' guitars are in great part 'bespoke' instruments, built to honor the preferences of the person who commissioned it. If so, then generalizing about them might be problematic, as there will be intentional differences and emphases applied to individual instruments. I don't have any idea of how many of Bourgeois' guitars are made for open-stock sales by dealers or how their performance might be shaded.

[aguynamedben]

Originally Posted by auggie242

I can't speak to neck size nor feel, but if you're interested in tone, listen in on anything Guy Clark's partner Verlon Thompson plays. He's used a Mahogany back/sided Bourgeois D shaped Country Boy for years.

... 7 years later, but holy crap, Guy Clark's song "The Guitar" was inspired by a Country Boy, check this campfire video of Verlon Thompson telling the story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f0AgUFDg1k

Thanks for sharing, I love Guy Clark but didn't know Verlon Thompson