NGD Bourgeois

bluemoon · #1 12-14-2019, 02:32 PM

Recently I’ve been on the hunt for a spruce top (Ad or Sitka) and mahogany back dreadnought. After looking heavily at offerings by Martin,Collings, Santa Cruz, and Bourgeois I ended up with a great deal on a Bourgeois Country boy with Ad top. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the fit and finish on this guitar which I think is outstanding, not to mention the balance without feeling sterile.

I was nervous about the Eastman news and the neck profile after doing some research. However after talking to various shops about the partnership I was put at ease. I also reached out to a few shops and asked them to measure the depth of the neck and it seems that they may have become slightly more full over the years (~2007/2008 vs 2016). This could just be the result of the person measuring, but my Country Boy falls right in around 0.83” with a slight v. So slightly slimmer than a Collings standard but slightly fuller feeling when playing than Martins mlo pa.

Also as a PSA let the guitar settling in for a few days when receiving across the country. This was a different guitar three days in vs the first 24 hours.

Thanks for all the insights from folks on the forum.

srick · #2 12-14-2019, 03:03 PM

Congratulations! I’m not sure of the age of your CB, but mine has continued to improve. It was built in 2011 and I purchased it in 2014. I got the impression that it wasn’t played very much in its initial three years. However, since I purchased it, it has continued to open up. I like its voice with Santa Cruz strings, medium or low tension. And recently, on AGFer KH1967’s advice, I tuned it to A=432 hz. Darned if it didn’t help the bass a little bit and decrease the tension of the strings! Now of course, I don’t believe it really made a difference,<LOL!> but . . . I think that maybe it did!

Enjoy the new guitar and play it hard.

Best,

Rick

PS - mine is a 00

Rosewood99 · #3 12-14-2019, 03:17 PM

Not sure why you were worried about the Eastman partnership. Any changes would not affect a guitar bought today. Congrats!

BrunoBlack · #4 12-14-2019, 03:17 PM

Very nice guitar bluemoon. Enjoy!

bluemoon · #5 12-14-2019, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Not sure why you were worried about the Eastman partnership. Any changes would not affect a guitar bought today. Congrats!

Hey Paul,

That's a good point but I just wanted to understand what was happening before I made a purchase.

Mainly the early rumors I heard were akin that Eastman bought Bourgeois which was not the case obviously. After owning it a month I'm not worried about any rumors as the guitar is an excellent example of tone and craftsmanship. I may be out of the loop, but I don't feel their fit and finish is getting the props they deserve.

bluemoon · #6 12-14-2019, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srick

Congratulations! I’m not sure of the age of your CB, but mine has continued to improve. It was built in 2011 and I purchased it in 2014. I got the impression that it wasn’t played very much in its initial three years. However, since I purchased it, it has continued to open up. I like its voice with Santa Cruz strings, medium or low tension. And recently, on AGFer KH1967’s advice, I tuned it to A=432 hz. Darned if it didn’t help the bass a little bit and decrease the tension of the strings! Now of course, I don’t believe it really made a difference,<LOL!> but . . . I think that maybe it did!

Enjoy the new guitar and play it hard.

Best,

Rick

PS - mine is a 00

Thanks Rick. I believe it's a 2016 and it's opened up a bit just since I received it. I'm excited to see where it is ends up.

Dwight · #7 12-14-2019, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluemoon

Mainly the early rumors I heard were akin that Eastman bought Bourgeois which was not the case obviously.

Why do you say that?

Enjoy your new Bourgeois, I have a couple that are excellent in every way.

bluemoon · #8 12-14-2019, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwight

Why do you say that?

Enjoy your new Bourgeois, I have a couple that are excellent in every way.

It's obviously incorrect but basically the way it was presented in passing to me. Someone was being hyperbolic I guess.

Anyone looking on their website or chatting with dealers can quickly see that's not even remotely the case. If anything I'm excited to see what's next and love the guitar more each day.

zmf · #9 12-14-2019, 03:55 PM

Good choice on the Bourgeois. I have a dread that's a keeper.

Your "balance without feeling sterile" comment is a good one. The feature I like is that they respond to a light touch, but at the same time, don't fall apart when you really lay into them.

UncleJesse · #10 12-14-2019, 04:09 PM

Beautiful! Did you find it locally or on the internet?

Dwight · #11 12-14-2019, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluemoon

It's obviously incorrect but basically the way it was presented in passing to me. Someone was being hyperbolic I guess.

Why do you think Eastman did not "buy" Bourgeois?

If you look at Eastman's partnership with the Haynes Flute Co. That's exactly what they did, and they have said that's the relationship model they have with Bourgeois.

tubeamps · #12 12-14-2019, 04:41 PM

Sweet looking guitar, enjoy!

bluemoon · #13 12-14-2019, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

Beautiful! Did you find it locally or on the internet?

I didn’t have much luck locally but found a dealer and chatted with them and they had an excellent return policy so I went with it. Unlike some online experiences it was great and like being there in person for the purchase.

Rosewood99 · #14 12-14-2019, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluemoon

Hey Paul,

That's a good point but I just wanted to understand what was happening before I made a purchase.

Mainly the early rumors I heard were akin that Eastman bought Bourgeois which was not the case obviously. After owning it a month I'm not worried about any rumors as the guitar is an excellent example of tone and craftsmanship. I may be out of the loop, but I don't feel their fit and finish is getting the props they deserve.

I still don’t get your hesitation. Suppose Eastman has purchased them. Would that had made your guitar anything less than the fine instrument you now have?

bluemoon · #15 12-14-2019, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I still don’t get your hesitation. Suppose Eastman has purchased them. Would that had made your guitar anything less than the fine instrument you now have?

Now that I have the guitar no way! Prior to ordering I was worried about a possibility of buying and then having a guitar that lost a lot of value down the road, so I sought out more info to become better educated. Ultimately I felt like it was an unlikely scenario with the brand. Additionally as all guitars are different, I found an option with a great brick and mortar shop vs working a deal with no return policy. Having played the guitar for a bit I’m so far beyond satisfied with fit and finish, responsiveness, and tone that I’m more the satisfied with this product regardless of who made it if that makes sense.