Fantastic NGD: Bourgeois Vintage OM Aged Tone Adirondack - ***video clips added***

[howthewestwas1]

Originally Posted by brencat

Great playing as always! It’s wild how different yours sounds than mine, which literally is just a sized up OM. I agree that yours is more Collings like, whereas mine is like 90% Martin. You may recall I also own a 000-18 Authentic and yes the neck is very different. I prefer the deeper Martin neck but the Bourgeois neck is very good too...somewhere between the typical Martin MLO/PA and a Santa Cruz OM/PW or D/PW neck.

Kori once told me that Dana goes in a lot of different tonal directions with his builds. Not the case with other brands, certainly not Martin or Collings.

If you care to take the time, it might be cool to add another video of you playing the same thing on your Collings 0 Traditional for a head to head comparo.

Either way, enjoy that awesome axe!

I would still say my Bourgeois has the articulation akin to a Collings with a more balanced and musical mid/upper mids but also the warmth and fullness of a Martin but not as boomy and scooped.

After another 12 hours of playing the Bourgeois I can already feel myself really meshing with the guitar. Between just breaking in the top and me getting used to the scale length and how the guitar responds I find that can draw out a lot more dynamics with it now. I also feel that the volume and punch is more pronounced now.

I am in the process of improving my recording technique so I took the opportunity to record the Bourgeois and my Collings 01T back to back with the same set up. I'm using a Shure MV88+ mic with my cell phone this time and and pleased with the results. Keep in mind the Collings is much more broken in and has a crazy amount of volume for a single 0. I am super stoked so see how the Bourgeois evolves as it continues to break in. Same song as one of the initial video - fidelity and volume are much better this time around.

Bourgeois with a spcecial audio appearance by my dog


Collings


I'm going to try to do several more of these back to back vids tonight with the two guitars. Will keep yall posted!

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

Very beautiful & balanced. Really enjoyed your acoustic Mad World!

Thanks!

[MHC]

Congratulations. Looks like a great guitar. And thanks for the videos!

I've played many Santa Cruz OMs, and I've owned a Collings OM2H, and I currently own a Martin and Huss & Dalton T-OM. But I have never had the opportunity to play a Bourgeois (and I'm mad curious). So the video comparison is much appreciated. Very nice playing too.

Enjoy!

[vintage40s]

Originally Posted by MHC

... the video comparison is much appreciated...

Best direct comparison of any two guitars that I have seen. Easy to switch back and forth. I prefer the sound of the Bourgeois -- deeper and richer. And the looks of the aged top and rosewood body.

[howthewestwas1]

Originally Posted by MHC

Congratulations. Looks like a great guitar. And thanks for the videos!

I've played many Santa Cruz OMs, and I've owned a Collings OM2H, and I currently own a Martin and Huss & Dalton T-OM. But I have never had the opportunity to play a Bourgeois (and I'm mad curious). So the video comparison is much appreciated. Very nice playing too.

Enjoy!

Thank you very much! I have never played a Huss & Dalton. Would be curious on your take on how they generally compare to SC and Collings?

Originally Posted by vintage40s

Best direct comparison of any two guitars that I have seen. Easy to switch back and forth. I prefer the sound of the Bourgeois -- deeper and richer. And the looks of the aged top and rosewood body.

Thanks for listening! The comparison is very much apples (single 0, sitka/hog, short scale) vs oranges (OM, terrified adi, EIR, long scale), but it gives you general sense voicing between the two.

[brencat]

Thanks for that Collings vs Bourgeois comparo! I like the Bourgeois better, but not surprising since I prefer Rosewood dreads and as deep and dark a bass as possible. They’re both great sounding guitars though.

Enjoy!

[howthewestwas1]

Originally Posted by brencat

Thanks for that Collings vs Bourgeois comparo! I like the Bourgeois better, but not surprising since I prefer Rosewood dreads and as deep and dark a bass as possible. They’re both great sounding guitars though.

Enjoy!

Thanks for listening and for the feedback. I am really digging the Bourgeois the more I play it!

[howthewestwas1]

So I ended up recording some songs and added a few more using the new Shure MV88+ mic with my cell phone and experimenting with placement. They turned out pretty good, I think. Less muffled and compressed.

To simplify I just compiled the clips into one video:

[$ongWriter]

Nice...sounds fantastic...and love the look...there is a Bourgeois Jumbo OM out there somewhere that I still miss.

[Proclaimer888]

Sweet guitar and awesome playing sir!! Love your right hand technique...interesting to watch. Play on!

[jaymarsch]

Congrats on the guitar and I really enjoyed listening to your playing.

Best,
Jayne

[packmule]

Great sounding guitar and awesome playing!

[MHC]

Originally Posted by howthewestwas1

Thank you very much! I have never played a Huss & Dalton. Would be curious on your take on how they generally compare to SC and Collings?

The Collings I owned was an OM2HG (German Spruce top) and it was the most elegant sounding guitar I've ever owned - very clear and articulate, but with a bloom on every note and super rich, complex overtone content. It was also ultra-responsive.

By comparison, my Huss & Dalton, which is a custom TOM-M (Italian Spruce top and Mahogany B&S) is a good bit earthier. It's articulate also, but with some of that Martin warmth mixed in. Being Mahogany, it has fewer overtones than the Collings, and it can sound very sweet and direct with a lighter touch and with capos beyond the 3rd fret (which I like), but you can also hear that Mr. Huss and Mr. Dalton come from a bluegrass background as it's got some bark when you dig in. Ans thankfully, it's definitely more forgiving of my imprecise and indelicate right hand technique than the Collings was.

I did love my Collings but chose the H&D because at the time I wanted a Mahogany B&S OM and I find the neck profile and string spacing to be perfect for me (at 2 7/32: it's just a hair tighter than 2 1/4").

As far as SCGC goes. I don't know, the ones I've played (12 and 14 fretters) just never grabbed me. I know that they're very customizable guitars, but the ones I've played had fairly pronounced V necks (not my favorite) and had less "personality" than either Collings or H&D. It's probably just a personal issue and lack of technique, I mean, Jamie Stillway gets amazing tone out of her SC. Also, I've never played an OM/PW which I understand are braced more toward the darker side.

Unfortunately, I've never played a Bourgeois and I'm terrifically curious to try one.

[howthewestwas1]

Originally Posted by Proclaimer888

Sweet guitar and awesome playing sir!! Love your right hand technique...interesting to watch. Play on!

Thanks! I've always found using the bear fingers the most comfortable with acoustics. I've learned a lot from folks here and online.

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

Congrats on the guitar and I really enjoyed listening to your playing.

Thank you for the listen and the kind words!

Originally Posted by packmule

Great sounding guitar and awesome playing!

Much appreciated, my friend!

Originally Posted by MHC

The Collings I owned was an OM2HG (German Spruce top) and it was the most elegant sounding guitar I've ever owned - very clear and articulate, but with a bloom on every note and super rich, complex overtone content. It was also ultra-responsive.

By comparison, my Huss & Dalton, which is a custom TOM-M (Italian Spruce top and Mahogany B&S) is a good bit earthier. It's articulate also, but with some of that Martin warmth mixed in. Being Mahogany, it has fewer overtones than the Collings, and it can sound very sweet and direct with a lighter touch and with capos beyond the 3rd fret (which I like), but you can also hear that Mr. Huss and Mr. Dalton come from a bluegrass background as it's got some bark when you dig in. Ans thankfully, it's definitely more forgiving of my imprecise and indelicate right hand technique than the Collings was.

I did love my Collings but chose the H&D because at the time I wanted a Mahogany B&S OM and I find the neck profile and string spacing to be perfect for me (at 2 7/32: it's just a hair tighter than 2 1/4").

As far as SCGC goes. I don't know, the ones I've played (12 and 14 fretters) just never grabbed me. I know that they're very customizable guitars, but the ones I've played had fairly pronounced V necks (not my favorite) and had less "personality" than either Collings or H&D. It's probably just a personal issue and lack of technique, I mean, Jamie Stillway gets amazing tone out of her SC. Also, I've never played an OM/PW which I understand are braced more toward the darker side.

Unfortunately, I've never played a Bourgeois and I'm terrifically curious to try one.

I've heard amazing things about German topped Collings but have never had a chance to play one. I probably would like it given the responsiveness and my playing style. I've played some absolutely stellar SCGC models - one that stood out was a Moon Spruce OM Grande. I've tried two OM/PW that on paper would be great for me but both left me a bit underwhelmed. But I guess that's part of the fun of all this - every guitar, every person is different.

Thanks everyone for chiming in!

[Glennwillow]

Wow! Beautiful guitar! Congratulations!

I enjoyed your video, as well! Well done!

- Glenn

[howthewestwas1]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Wow! Beautiful guitar! Congratulations!

I enjoyed your video, as well! Well done!

- Glenn

Thanks, Glenn!