Dana Bourgeois Vintage Dreadnought Guitar Demo @ House of Musical Traditions

House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park, MD (just outside of Washington DC) is a dealer for Dana Bourgeois acoustic guitars. Here we have Mark Sylvester, one of our guitar teachers, demonstrating the Vintage Dreadnought model--Bourgeios' most popular. It features an Adirondack Spruce top (the legendary topwood used on most pre-war American-made guitars), Indian Rosewood back & sides, Ebony fingerboard & bridge, Ivoroid herringbone binding, B/W vintage rosette and Waverly Tuners.

List Price on this model is $4,195 and includes a hardshell case. For availability and price, please contact HMT directly at hmtmail@hmtrad.com or 301-270-9090, or visit our website at www.hmtrad.com.

Bourgeois guitars are handcrafted in an 1840's mill in Lewiston, Maine by Dana Bourgeois and his fellow craftsmen. It starts with the wood selection by Dana, a foremost authority on the voicing, selection and utilization of fine acoustic tone woods and ends with each guitar "singing" usually while the entire shop crowds around to hear the pure and balanced tone of another great Bourgeois guitar. These great instruments have become a favorite of many professional country and bluegrass players such as Ricky Skaggs, Bryan Sutton, Martin Simpson, Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek, Steve Earle, Ron Block, Dan Tyminski, and Marshall Crenshaw.

To find out more about Mark Sylvester, visit www.marksylvester.net. Inquiries on lessons with Mark (he teaches guitar, banjo, mandolin and bass) can be made to House of Musical Traditions.

On this video Mark is playing two original selections from his CD "Music For Solo Guitar." The first is called "American Gypsy Pt 2;" the second is "I'll Not Be Weary." Tab for these songs is available at www.marksylvester.net.

Video produced by Glenn Tucker with audio engineered by HMT's in-house engineer and pro audio repairman Trevor Higgins.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bourgeois
• dana
• acoustic
• guitar
• vintage
• dreadnought
• house
• musical
• traditions
• takoma
• park
• lewiston
• maine
• mark
• sylvester

[harrylegthigh]

You can get a real wood guitar with similar specs for half that price, I just don't see the point in paying 4-5000 dollars for some of these guitars.

[musicaltraditions]

True, you can get a guitar w/the same type of woods/body size for less. But comparing a boutique, handmade guitar like this to a factory-made Taylor, Alvarez, etc is apples to oranges. Dana Bourgeois builds 30 guitars a month in a small shop and puts many hours of handwork & setup into them. All woods are handpicked and are of the highest grade. You don't get that quality from a factory.Sound difference & playability are very obvious in person. Try one in person and then see what you think :-)

[jamesfrancis5]

wow this song is amazing? is there a name for it!? :D

[musicaltraditions]

Mark is playing two original selections from his CD "Music For Solo Guitar." The first is "American Gypsy Pt 2," the second is "I'll Not Be Weary."

[popoaggie]

@harrylegthigh I just recieved a Bourgeois Vintage D and have owned Taylors and Blueridge guitars and I'm here to tell you there is no comparison. Tkae a mirror and peak inside a Bourgeois, Collings, Merrell or other high end guitar. They're perfect, clean, no traces of glue or ill fitting wood. And 10 years from now if I choose to sell it, I'll get top dollar for it. Try getting half your money back with a Taylor or Blueridge

[GameLevelEditor]

For future reference I'd like to take a page from Dana's school of lutherie. After scouring the net for info, reviews and his website I think I'd learn alot about making a quality guitar someday. His level of expertise of tonal woods and attention to simplicity and detail of whats important is what I find intriguing and wonderful. I've always been a fan of the older j45's and Martin build quality and he seems to have adapted their knowledge and soar into another layer of quality and sound!

[EmoreButts]

I prefer the Goodall Dread. More clarity and balance less mud. Listen to Mark playing same tune in next video on Goodall Dread.

[syncopater999]

This is so true - McIlroy and Lowden guitars are made close to where I live and you can see just how much work, craft, care and quality goes into them compared to factory built guitars. That said some factory built guitars are surprisingly good. It depends what you want and what you can afford. The costlier Bourgeois might just be a better investment even if it costs twice the price but when you choose a guitar like this you won't ever want to sell it. I certainly wouldn't.

[andivax]

mmmm. nice and balanced sound.

[backporchgrass]

you would see the point if you played one on the road and the cheap ones fly all to pieces from the constant stress. I tried the cheaper route with a blueridge and now I own to two Bourgeois guitars and like the comment below it is apples to oranges. It is all in what you want and need. My wife does not see the point either!

[manof84]

I have to agree. I have been playing for 27 years and have played all sorts of guitars. When the time came that I could finally own something really nice I did a lot of searching. In my opinion nothing could beat the Bourgeois. I bought the Vintage D like this one. I love it. However, I don't think you have to own an expensive guitar in order to enjoy playing. If that were the case I would have missed out on a lot of enjoyable years. My son is learning on a $300 Alvarez. He plays it every day.

[GoodieGoodboy]

Wow, what such a beautiful guitar. I want one!