Bourgeois Guitars

Name

Bourgeois Guitars

Legal name

Bourgeois Guitars

Website

https://bourgeoisguitars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Acoustic Guitars

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)

Keywords

• Handcrafted acoustic guitars
• Boutique luthier instruments
• Torrefied tonewood guitars
• Acoustic mandolin manufacturing
• Custom shop stringed instruments

Headquarters

HQ city

Maine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Acoustic Guitar Sales: Bourgeois generates revenue primarily through one-time sales of handcrafted acoustic guitars. Guitars range from entry-level Downeast Series ($2,329+) to premium Limited Edition models ($8,999+).
2. Mandolin Sales: Sale of handcrafted M5 Series mandolins including A-style, F-style, and octave mandolin models at various price points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bourgeois Guitars designs and handcrafts premium boutique acoustic guitars and mandolins in Lewiston, Maine, sold across multiple series (Legacy, Heirloom, Professional, Touchstone, Downeast, Aged Tone) and including signature/limited-edition collaborations. Instruments are built using proprietary hand-voicing (tap-tuning), X-bracing, torrefied tonewoods, and a bolt-on neck joint, with entry-tier Downeast production handled at a Beijing workshop under Lewiston oversight. All sales flow through a 130+ authorized dealer network globally.

Product overview

Bourgeois Guitars is a handcrafted acoustic guitar and mandolin manufacturer founded in Lewiston, Maine, USA. The company produces instruments across multiple series: Legacy Series (Dana Bourgeois's stylistic models), Heirloom Series (vintage-inspired), Professional Series (stage-ready with bolt-on neck), Touchstone Series (Eastman collaboration for accessibility), and Downeast Series (Beijing-built entry point). Signature models include the Luke Bryan Limited Edition and Touchstone Edition. The company also offers M5 Mandolin Series in A-Style, F-Style, and Octave configurations, with options including Black-Top and Sunburst finishes. All instruments feature hand-voiced tops using Dana Bourgeois's proprietary tap-tuning process, the Bourgeois X-bracing system, and torrefied wood options for vintage warmth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Professional Series: A collection of versatile, professional-grade instruments designed for working musicians with bolt-on neck design and modern features.
• Touchstone Series
• Heirloom Series
• Legacy Series
• Downeast Series
• Aged Tone Series
• Luke Bryan Signature Series
• M5 Mandolin Series

Products and services

• Legacy Series A collection of acoustic guitar models showcasing Dana Bourgeois's stylistic sensibilities fused with traditional design, including DB Signature, Victorian, One-Fifty, Soloist, L-DB, Banjo Killer, Whyte Rabbit, Panama Red, The Champ, Odyssey, and Nova. Targeted at players seeking Bourgeois' signature design vocabulary.
• Heirloom Series Premium acoustic guitar series paying tribute to vintage American guitars that inspired generations of players. Models include The Artist, L-DB2, Advanced, Style 45, Style 42, The Standard, Vintage HS, and Country Boy HS. Aimed at collectors and players seeking vintage-inspired tone and aesthetics.
• Professional Series Versatile, professional-grade acoustic guitars built for working musicians, featuring the proprietary bolt-on neck design, select tonewoods, precision-voiced bracing, and satin or gloss finish options. Models include The Natural, Bourgeois Blues, Hog Top, Vintage, and Country Boy (MSRP $4,399-$4,599). Aimed at performing musicians.
• Touchstone Series Hand-voiced acoustic guitars produced in collaboration with Eastman Music to make Bourgeois tone and build quality accessible at lower price points. Models include Signature/TS, Vintage/TS, Country Boy/TS, The Standard/TS, Soloist/TS, Hawaiian Country Boy/TS, and Luke Bryan Touchstone Edition (MSRP $3,149-$4,199).
• Downeast Series Entry-tier hand-voiced acoustic guitars built at Bourgeois' second Beijing workshop under the guidance of the Lewiston, Maine team, designed in Lewiston and built to Bourgeois standards. Models include Soloist OMCE/DE, Hogtop 0014/DE, AT Sitka/Walnut Slope D/DE, Koa/Sitka GAC/DE, Hawaiian GAC/DE, and Hawaiian Bourgeois Blues LDB/DE (MSRP $2,329-$2,879).
• Luke Bryan Signature Limited Edition Limited-edition short-scale Slope Shoulder Dreadnought acoustic guitar built from Eastern Black Walnut harvested on Luke Bryan's Flint Rock Farms in Tennessee, with a torrefied Maine Adirondack spruce top. Limited to 30 instruments worldwide, each individually numbered and signed (MSRP from $8,999). Aimed at collectors and country-music enthusiasts.
• Luke Bryan Touchstone Edition Touchstone Series Luke Bryan Touchstone Edition acoustic guitar inspired by the Lewiston-built original, featuring an antler-inspired inlay theme and distinctive sunburst finish. Aged Tone Sitka spruce top with walnut back and sides. Limited to 100 instruments worldwide (MSRP from $3,879).
• Touchstone Signature Newest Touchstone Series model featuring torrefied old-growth Alaskan Sitka Spruce top and select Madagascar Rosewood back and sides, designed to deliver Bourgeois hand-voicing at a more accessible price point.
• Aged Tone Series Acoustic guitars featuring aged tone Adirondack spruce tops, aged tone Adirondack spruce bracing, animal protein glue construction, and proprietary Aged Tone finish, engineered to deliver vintage-like tone out of the box.
• Luthier's Choice Custom Series One-off custom acoustic guitars built exactly as Dana Bourgeois wants, inspired by unique wood, novel design features, or customer specifications. Custom options include wood types, finishes, bindings, inlays, and more.
• M5A Mandolin (A-Style) Fully torrefied A-style mandolin with an Aged Tone Adirondack spruce top and Aged Tone maple back and sides, custom engraved Bill James tailpiece, Golden Age tuners, and ivoroid binding. Designed for bluegrass and acoustic instrumentalists.
• M5F Mandolin (F-Style) Bourgeois' first F-style mandolin, fully torrefied with an Aged Tone Adirondack spruce top and Aged Tone European maple back and sides, featuring a Bill James tailpiece. Targeted at bluegrass and traditional mandolin players.
• M5 Sunburst Mandolin Vintage-inspired hand-built mandolin in A-Style and F-Style configurations with a traditional hand-applied waterbased sunburst stain, torrefied Aged Tone Adirondack spruce top, and European maple back and sides. A-Style MSRP from $2,829, F-Style MSRP from $3,669.
• M5A Black-Top Mandolin A-style mandolin with gloss black Adirondack top, vintage ivoroid binding, custom Bill James tailpiece, and European maple with cordovan red stain. Fully torrefied construction throughout.
• M5F Black-Top Mandolin F-style mandolin with gloss black Adirondack top, vintage ivoroid binding, custom Bill James tailpiece, and European maple with cordovan red stain. Fully torrefied construction throughout.
• M5O Black-Top Octave Mandolin Versatile octave mandolin accommodating mandolin and guitar players alike, with an Aged Tone Adirondack spruce top and cordovan finish on European curly maple back and sides; 21-inch scale length.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guitarist Magazine awarded Touchstone Vintage 10/10 review
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Eastman Music CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Partnership with Eastman Music Company announced in October 2019. Bourgeois collaborated with Eastman to produce the Touchstone Series guitars, with Eastman manufacturing certain models using Bourgeois voicing techniques and quality standards under Dana Bourgeois's close supervision. This partnership extended Bourgeois' reach and made their signature sound more accessible to players worldwide.
• Luke BryanflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLuke Bryan Signature Limited Edition collaboration using Eastern Black Walnut harvested from his Flint Rock Farms in Tennessee. Only 30 instruments worldwide, each individually numbered and signed. This collaboration represents a flagship product line leveraging Luke Bryan's status as a major country music star.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Santa Cruz Guitar Company: Small-batch boutique acoustic guitar builder in California, with comparable hand-voicing philosophy, similar price points, and a similarly strong artist endorsement roster. A direct head-to-head competitor in the boutique acoustic segment.
• Collings Guitars: Handcrafted boutique acoustic guitar maker in Austin, Texas. Closest direct peer: similar headcount, similar price band ($2,500-$10,000+), similar artist-grade positioning, and similar dealer-led distribution model.
• Huss & Dalton Guitars: Small Virginia-based boutique acoustic and mandolin builder. Highly comparable: similar headcount, handcrafted voicing approach, similar price band, and an active mandolin line, with overlap in the bluegrass/folk player community Bourgeois serves.
• Breedlove Guitars: Premium acoustic guitar maker founded in Oregon with a strong boutique identity. Comparable in price band and craft positioning, with broader product breadth and a larger dealer footprint; competes for the same professional/semi-pro player.

Broad incumbents

• Taylor Guitars: One of the two largest premium acoustic guitar brands in the US, with broader product breadth and larger scale than Bourgeois. Overlaps in target customer (professional and serious amateur players) and in premium price positioning, but operates at materially higher volume.
• Gibson: Iconic American guitar brand with a wide portfolio spanning acoustic and electric. While its acoustic lines (J-45, Hummingbird) overlap with Bourgeois's professional-musician segment, Gibson is a much larger mass/premium incumbent rather than a boutique specialist.
• PRS Guitars: Premium US guitar maker with a growing acoustic line. Overlaps with Bourgeois in the high-end, professional-player segment and uses a similar combination of artist endorsements, premium materials, and brand-led pricing.
• C.F. Martin & Co. America's most established premium acoustic guitar manufacturer. Martin is the broader incumbent whose collaboration with Dana Bourgeois and Eric Schoenberg helped revive the OM in the 1980s; directly comparable in product category, premium pricing strategy, and professional-musician target customer.

Others

• Eastman Music Company: Strategic manufacturing partner producing Bourgeois's Touchstone and Downeast series. Also a builder of its own premium acoustic and archtop guitars, overlapping in product category and premium price points, and uniquely tied to Bourgeois through the 2019 co-development partnership.

Emerging players

• National/Resophonic Guitars: Boutique builder specializing in resonator and archtop acoustic instruments, with partial overlap in Bourgeois's hand-voiced, premium-priced category and dealer distribution model. Differentiated by resonator focus rather than flat-top dreadnought/OM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bourgeoisguitars
• Xx.com/bourgeoisguitar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bourgeois Guitars