Bourgeois OM-V

Same as previous description. As good as any of it's competitors (Collings, H&D, Santa Cruz) at a better price. And it comes with a Adirondack top of exceptional grade which is a hefty upcharge with anyone else. Not crazy about ivoroid pins but most others use ebony which isn't any better. Bone would be a better choice. Pickguard is not bevelled as well as it could be. Otherwise, a perfect guitar.

I left an unresponsive, somewhat muddy Collings dreadnought for this. Dreadnoughts are just plain big, uncomfortable, and boomy and I knew I could get all I needed from a OM. I was extremely picky and tried everything out there for OMs. Martin OM-28, Santa Cruz, and Collings, to name a few. Nothing compared to this Bourgeois.

Slightly warmer than a Collings but more focused and a articulate, this guitar really does it all. I play singer/songwriter, fingerstyle, flatpick, praise and worship, pretty much anything that catches my ear and this thing does it all. Makes me practice more than I really have time for. Now if you are jamming with dreadnoughts, you probably won't be heard. But if you are solo, or with other respectful musicians, this is absolutely the best you can get.

Perfect. I don't think these guys would let anything out the door that wasn't. For my style, with the hard attack that I have, the medium setup from the factory is ok but I should have higher. Even a moderate attack would find this setup perfect.

As durable as they come. Bolt on neck is sturdy and strong. Nothing flimsy about it.

Customer support is top notch. Bonni at Pantheon is awesome to deal with. When the guitar was first delivered, the case had some imperfections. Bonni sent me a new case and allowed me to inspect it before I sent the other one back. Then they reimbursed me for the shipping! No concerns that they would honor every honest claim under their lifetime warrantee.

Please, please, when you are looking for a small shop builder guitar, make sure you try a Bourgeois. In my opinion, there are none better. I've been playing for 12 years and have not played a better guitar than my Bourgeois OM. I don't need to own another guitar, but if I was going to, it would have to be a Bourgeois. Again, I have played many high end guitars including Martin, Santa Cruz, Collings, and Goodall. All good and you couldn't go wrong with most, but I have yet to find anything that outplays this guitar.

Modern recreation of a vintage Martin OM28. What is different from an old Martin? An easily removeable (bolt-on) neck. Also, a very solid double action truss rod. The bolt-on design (used by numerous modern builders), assures that if and when a neck reset is necessary, it will be a quick and painless job. It doesn't detract from the sound quality. The truss rod is similar in mass to the old Martin T-bar, which was not adjustable. Adirondack top and braces. Quartersawn (beautiful) rosewood back and sides. Waverly tuners--used by many of the top manufacturers. All in all, these features add a lot to what is a simple, classic design.

Many fine guitarists consider the OM size to be nearly ideal. It doesn't have the weight or size of a dreadnaught, but it's very well balanced, both for fingerpicking and for flatpicking. The 1 3/4" neck width at the nut is excellent. The tone of this guitar is clear, resonant,and loud, with great depth. I know it will improve with age. I play folk, country, and even swing stuff on it. It sucks for AC/DC.

Bought secondhand but unused, the setup is fine. No buzzing, medium action that could probably be lowered, but I don't want to. The wood is really great. Beautiful red colored rosewood, Adirondack top has some silking in it, lovely mahogany neck. Super clean work. No visible imperfections in the construction of this instrument. The ivoroid parts have fine lines in them which so resemble real ivory. The bone nut and compensated saddle are flawless.

Although the Vintage OM is a relatively lightweight guitar, is seems as though it would stand up to the kind of gigs it would logically be used for. In other words, hootenanny at a biker bar--NO. Acoustic gig at a club--YES.

New, lifetime warranty. Used no warranty. No experience.

I have been playing for almost 40 years, pro and for fun. Folk, country, jazz, rock, blues, swing. I flatpick, fingerpick, and do both at the same time. I own great instruments--Collings, vintage Gibson and Epiphone, vintage Fender amps and Tele, Japanese Fender Tele and Strat. I'm lucky and a little spoiled. The Bourgeois Vintage OM rivals anything I own in build quality, including my Collings. I have no regrets about buying this instrument. It's practically new, but sounds broken in, and it's only going to get better.;

Bourgeois guitars are made in Lewiston, Maine and are made available through Pantheon Guitars. I purchased this guitar directly from Pantheon in 2001 right after they started making guitars again (Bourgeois shut down briefly in 2000). The OM-V is a vintage-style version of a pre-war Martin OM. The craftsmanship on this guitar is superb. Incredible detail even in the scalloped bracing. I've never seen such delicate and equisite bracing in any guitar. The top is Sitka spruce with Indian rosewood back and sides. There is a herringbone trim around the top of the guitar which gives it a really classic look. Nut is 1-3/4-inch with Ebony fingerboard and bridge. The Waverly nickel tuners are great - they should be used on all vintage-style guitars IMHO. The headstock is bound in ivoroid binding with a MOP logo.

The guitar had a nice dry sound when I first received it - good, but not outstanding - although the bass and treble were really well balanced. However after about 8 months, the top opened up and the "grand piano" effect really kicked in. The guitar sounds really great fingerpicked, but it can also be flatpicked or strummed without any problems. The balance in the bass and treble is unbelievable. Overall the sound is a bit trebly for flatpicking and strumming, but it projects single notes very well and is really well-suited for it's intended purpose (fingerpicking). This guitar can be heard in a group situation better than any of the Martins I have owned.

The guitar was extremely well finished. The frets are nice and high, and the neck angle was just right. The action was set a little high upon receipt, but I was easily able to adjust the saddle and tighten the truss rod to create the feel and action I wanted. The top is premium Sitka, with a tad of cross-grain (not bearclaw) near the pickguard, and unfortunately it detracts from the perfection of the top somewhat, but otherwise it doesn't affect the sound quality. The back is well bookmatched, and the center stip is a nice touch. The neck of the guitar feels great with only a hint of a "V" contour. The fingerboard is bound in ivoroid binding and it gives the guitar a classy look and feel. I can play this guitar for hours without experiencing discomfort due to Bourgeous' neck design. The quality of wood and overall design and construction are outstanding.

This guitar will last a lifetime and improve with age, as I plan to treat it properly. The top has already darkened a little due to the aging of the lacquer. The tuners are Waverly's, so they should last a long time.

Witin about 10 days of ownership, I had to ship it back after some slight finish damage occurred due to a minor encounter with a cheap guitar stand. Dana and the Bourgeois folks fixed it very nicely. The service was prompt and courteous, although I did have to pay for it.

I've been playing over 30 years and I own two other Bourgeois guitars, a Slope D and an OMC. The OM-V and OMC are really similar, but the top on the OMC is European spruce, and has a bit of dryer, less voluminous tone and a cutway, which is nice. I also have a Collings OM2H Cutaway that is very nice, but I prefer the Bourgeois guitars overall due to the feel of the necks and spacing of the strings - for whatever reason it is right for me. I have owned Goodall, Larrivee, Collings, Martin, Guild, Norman, and Lowden, and for my money, Bourgeois guitars are clearly some of the best for playability and sound quality.