Bourgeois Touchstone D Country Boy

The latest from Bourgeois’ collaboration with Eastman is a mahogany dreadnought.

November 8, 2023

A great example of intercontinental collaboration, the Bourgeois Touchstone guitar are built in a partnership with Eastman Guitars. More specifically, the building process starts and ends in the Bourgeois shop in Lewiston, Maine, but the bulk of the construction is done in Eastman’s Chinese factory. This allows for a much lower retail price than standard Bourgeois models. Bourgeois luthiers select the Alaskan Sitka spruce used for the guitars’ tops, which are also braced (using Adirondack spruce braces) and voiced in Maine before being sent to Eastman. At the Eastman shop, the Touchstone guitars are built according to Dana Bourgeois’s design, which includes many of the features found on US–made Bourgeois guitars. Once completed, the instruments are shipped back to Maine, where they’re inspected and set up according to the same criteria expected of any Bourgeois guitar. The Touchstone line launched with the Vintage series, which is built with Indian rosewood back and sides, and now, Bourgeois has added the Country Boy series, which features mahogany back and sides. We were impressed with the Touchstone Vintage Dreadnought and OM we checked out a while ago, and in this video, Peghead Nation Irish Backup Guitar and Irish Flatpicking Guitar instructor Flynn Cohen and I demo the new dreadnought-size Touchstone Country Boy. An OM version of the guitar is also available, and we hope to feature that guitar in the near future.

Those who are familiar with Bourgeois guitars know that the Country Boy designation has long been used for what are essentially 18-style instruments with simple appointments and mahogany back and sides (though some custom Country Boys are built with other woods). On our demo guitar, the mahogany back and sides and the Sitka spruce top were of a quality that easily compares to woods used on pricier Bourgeois models. As with the two Touchstones we checked out before, the Country Boy’s craftsmanship, fit and finish, and attention to detail were on a par with the standards that Bourgeois has set.

Bourgeois Country Boys have long been favorites with flatpicking guitarists, and this Touchstone version of the instrument demonstrates why. The excellent clarity and note separation that mahogany guitars are known for was part of the guitar’s character regardless of playing style, but it was especially evident when Flynn flatpicked Peghead Nation founder Scott Nygaard’s “Exit Polska.” The guitar also has an exceptionally clear strumming voice and is lively enough for some fun fingerstyle playing.

Overall, the Touchstone D Country Boy is an excellent mahogany dreadnought at a very fair price. If you’ve been wanting a Bourgeois but haven’t been able to afford one, the Touchstone series instruments are a great choice, but anyone looking for a great mahogany dreadnought should give the Country Boy version of the guitar a close look!

SPECS: Dreadnought body with 14-fret neck. Solid Alaskan Sitka spruce top. Hand-voiced Adirondack spruce X-bracing. Mahogany back and sides. Mahogany neck. Ebony fretboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale. 1²³/₃₂-inch nut width. 2.2-inch string spacing at saddle. Nickel Schaller Grand Tune tuners. Made in the USA and China. $2,999. Bourgeoisguitars.com

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