Bourgeois OMs - Your Opinions?

[BrunoBlack]

Originally Posted by sabatini

I like Bourgeois Guitars, but I think it was Eric Schoenberg who prompted Martin to return to OMs in a big way.

Interesting account here.

https://www.om28.com/custom/history.jsp

[Kh1967]

Originally Posted by Haasome

Interesting account here.

https://www.om28.com/custom/history.jsp

Thank you! Very interesting, indeed.

[llew]

So...whatcha getting Kori? I'm sure it will be special!

[vintageom]

My bet is that a Bourgeois Vintage OM is in your future. They are special out of the gate, and they "break in" very nicely with play time. Some guitars take years to peak, not the Vintage OM. The sustain gets even better quickly.

Enjoy whatever you choose. Bourgeois Guitars are very nice instruments, made by very nice people.

[stevecuss]

Bourgeois Vintage OM is one of the finest.

And of course, in that price range there are many outstanding builders, but Bourgeois holds his own against any and I think the OM is one of his finest builds.

[rc3797]

I owned a 1998 OM Sitka/mahogany. Essentially it was a Vintage OM before they were separated into series. I’m a dread guy, through and through, and have always found OM’s to be a bit lacking in power for me, personally; however, I spent about 5 minutes playing that Bourgeois before deciding to go ahead and make the trade for it, and it truly just blew me away. “Responsive” doesn’t even begin to describe how great it was.

[jrb715]

Originally Posted by Haasome

I think your description is pretty close to what I hear. They don’t have quite the power or crispness of a Collings. However, the balance is retained with a slightly darker tone profile.

Paul describes precisely what I have heard. They live in a pretty seductive sweet spot among other choices, and I've found them truly compelling guitars.

[Lonzo]

I have 3.
the first one I got is torrefied Adi over quilted hog that Matt at Eddies had them make as sort of a replica to the wonderful 40th anniversary model ( 15 made out of which ~ half were OM‘s, half dreads) .. the torrefied top, the hot hide glue construction and the quilted hog in combination with Dana‘s tuning of the tops individually, make for a typical hog sound, even across the range but with a lot of extra shimmer and nuance on top of it. Very rich, strong, sustaining.. ear candy ;o) on top of the wonderful craftmanship and execution.
It is very lightweight, a nice comfortable size to hold. Mostly used for fingerstyle but takes a pick very well.

.. a little later one of the anniversary OMs became available and I had to get it.
The 3rd one is an all Koa one with breathtaking flame and a wonderful burst on the top, that one took a little longer to open up and blossom.. but it keeps getting better with a different overall characteristic.
The adi hog is my most played guitar and creates a smile every time but I love them all

[Dustinfurlow]

My first handmade guitar was a Vintage OM (Adirondack/East Indian) I got from Reverb for a steal price of $2300.. at the time I bought it I had a Martin OM-28 and there just wasn't any comparison, at least to me....I immediately realized that extra bit of attention and expertise in Dana's shop was worth the extra dough.

I eventually sold that Vintage OM for a Lowden but funny enough, there's a Bourgeois OM almost exactly like my old one at the Guitar Center 5 mins from my house right now and it firmly reminded me how much I love Dana's guitars. I don't hear the same "soul" in Collings, Huss and Dalton, and other Martin-inspired makers. Dana's have a fat treble and warmth that I like a lot, leans equally to the modern sound as it does the vintage Martin camp, IMO.

[Kh1967]

Originally Posted by Dustinfurlow

My first handmade guitar was a Vintage OM (Adirondack/East Indian) I got from Reverb for a steal price of $2300.. at the time I bought it I had a Martin OM-28 and there just wasn't any comparison, at least to me....I immediately realized that extra bit of attention and expertise in Dana's shop was worth the extra dough.

I eventually sold that Vintage OM for a Lowden but funny enough, there's a Bourgeois OM almost exactly like my old one at the Guitar Center 5 mins from my house right now and it firmly reminded me how much I love Dana's guitars. I don't hear the same "soul" in Collings, Huss and Dalton, and other Martin-inspired makers. Dana's have a fat treble and warmth that I like a lot, leans equally to the modern sound as it does the vintage Martin camp, IMO.

Thanks, Dustin!

I agree...they do seem to land in between a more modern tone and a more vintage tone. That must be what drew me in. That is the spot that my ears like to hear. I always have looked for the "outliers" in Collings and Martin...the ones that seem to land more in the middle - of the Bourgeois guitars that I played, many seemed to be right there.

[sgarrity]

I had an earlier DB Sig OM with the maple binding. Should have kept that one! One of the better guitars I've played. But my ear really likes the Collings tone.