Bourgeois Archtop Guitars

[SuperB23]

I recently purchased this beauty from Gryphon Stringed Instrument shop.

https://www.gryphonstrings.com/1999-bourgeois-a-500/

The Carved European Spruce top is incredible and really adds to the tone of the guitar. I've owned and played some pretty great arch top guitars from Collings, Campellone, Benedetto vintage Gibson stuff (30s 40s and 50s L7s L5s and Super 400s, vintage Epiphone stuff, Zimnicki and a few others and I can tell you this is the best sounding arch top I've touched. Ultra lightweight and responsive and really special in terms of materials as well!! The only arch top I remember playing that was a bit better than this one was a vintage style A D'Angelico from the early 40s that a friend let me play.

I'm amazed that these Bourgeois arch top guitars come as affordably as they do and then Collings Archtops can fetch over 20k at times. These Bourgeois models are for sure on par. I'd be curious what Bourgeois would charge for these now if they made them today.

I'll try and post a video of it soon and share it on this thread.


Here's a video of it, I recorded.
https://youtu.be/OzTSDLDucVk

[kayakman]

Sweet archtop.. good luck with it.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by SuperB23

...I'd be curious what Bourgeois would charge for these now if they made them today...

I'd be even more curious if a collaborative Eastman/Bourgeois archtop series (analogous to the forthcoming flattop line) could be produced in the $4-6K range - the capability is there, the market is there, and virtually nobody else is doing it...

[Richard Mott]

Hi Bobby—Just listened to that YouTube video, and Wow what a great sound! So forward, so much punch, and yet very full and mellow when you play it like that. I remember when Dana was building these, and I went out to play one in an Annapolis music shop. At the time, it disappointed me a little—very dry and hard to play. I now wonder how much of that was the individual guitar, or simply my own inexperience in getting good sound out of an archtop. Or maybe these guitars have just aged super well. Likely some combination, but that is truly a great sounding guitar, and beautiful to look at as well! —R.

[Charlie Ayers]

I almost bought one of those at Gryphon in the 1990's. Played one and loved it while I was in the area visiting, then went back a week later, and the price had gone up 1K so I passed on it, regrettably.

[icuker]

Wow, that is very nice sounding. Great playing also.