Great point about the depreciation. As for country of origin, it’s pretty hard not to buy something made in China, but $3k for a guitar that’s ship there and back again is a tall ask. Better to have a real D-18 that smells like Spanish cedar! PS: I love the volute as well. I wish Martin would do that on their 18 and 35 series.
My Bourgeois Country Boy (not a Touchstone) was a magical guitar with a high price point. I replaced it with an Eastman E10D tc at a third of the cost. Torrefied Adirondack top, beautiful Mahogany back and sides, and pretty much the same magic and tone. Love it and don't miss the Bourgeois except for the neck profile, however the Eastman neck is also very sweet, just not as sweet as the Bourgeois. Adirondack is the deal breaker for me, although I have played the Touchstone OM and it's Sitka top loses nothing compared to Adi. Folks who dis the China made Eastman line just need to play one. Nuff said
Whenever you buy a china mfg, you are just helping to close out American jobs and exporting your economic $$, Eastman will errode Bourgeois and close out the US workers.
@@richardwilson5709 Boohoo... It's old technology. Anyone can make steel string guitars. The way I see it, you can either campaign for higher wages and living standards in Asian countries, lower wages and a more Asian style living in the USA, get over it or stay miserable, while everyone overtakes you.
I agree about the “glue odor”. I had an AC322, and noticed that every time I opened the case. More pronounced when you put your nose to the sound hole. Nice fit and finish, but I want a guitar to smell like wood, not Elmer’s.
Well done informative video. The guitar sounds good as is the playing. Dana makes great stuff but his pricing on the Domestic stuff these days is prohibitive for many of us. Still IMO the pricing on the Touchstones is an ask for what is essentially an Eastman that they '" Breathed on" at the Bourgeois factory. Also my understanding is the finishes on these are PolyUrethene. The Martin ooo18 ,D18 and 0M21 are in this price range and US made. Also Larrivee makes fine US guitars in this price area. I look forward to one of these.
Great video and thoughts on the model. My major issue with this is the "cheapening" of a pricey brand known for producing nice US made guitars in the past. I know martin does similar things with their composite models (mexican made) etc. But I personally wouldn't be too excited if I was an american-made Bourgeois model owner and all of a sudden they started selling these quasi-outsourced guitar models. Just my thoughts. Great video and thanks.
I bought a touchstone OM yesterday. Did I plan on it? Nope. I did a few back to back tests with a Martin OM21, Collings OM1T, and a Martin OM28. All incredible, I almost went with the om21 until the shop owner bought the touchstone out and it just spoke to me as far as tone and feel. It’s all subjective, but you really just have to try one and find the guitar that speaks to you. I really wanted to like the Eastman offerings but they just lacked in depth and volume for me personally which is wild when they explained the touchstone was a collab between the two companies.
I put a cloth with a few drops of rosewood essential oil in the sound hole and left it a couple of weeks and the chemical smell is gone. It has not come back. The case never had the smell. Good value up front used. I own Collings and Martins and use this one as a couch guitar.
Hi, any difference with a Martin high end?....d35 and up?....because I can hear diferences.... and you?..... I ll not to tel you what diferences I heard......cheers from Antartica. Chile
I just got the OM version of this and love the playability and overtones. However, I also have a Furch Blue DLX mahogany / cedar top with the dual bevel that sounds and plays great. Solution: get both.
Last weekend I went out shopping for “the acoustic guitar. “ The plan is to sell a couple I own and replace it with one incredible guitar. Went down to a boutique store in search ofan OM. I played a Collings, a couple of Santa Cruz, Martin OM 28 and finally a bourgeois country boy OM-AT (Maine made). The bourgeois was shockingly good, with a price tag to match, even though it was a good chunk less than the Collings or Santa Cruz. It was probably the best sounding guitar I’ve ever heard. It was so well balanced, nice and full, articulate, yet very lush with a bunch of overtones. I am still thinking about it and wanted us so badly but just can’t justify that kind of price. That is where the touchstone comes in. I can get my hands on one to try it out, I am the kind of customer they are looking for. One of the guitars I’d be selling is an Eastman 80M that is wonderful, especially given its price, but definitely can’t touch that bourgeois. Unfortunately, where I live, finding any boutique Guitars at all is fairly difficult, let alone finding a touchstone. The struggle is real…
Bourgeois are meant to be no corner cut guitars. If it’s made in China and the price of a D-18 I’d rather have the D-18 anyway. But that’s just my opinion
The top is made in Maine and hand tuned like a bench... And the final QC and setup is again made in Maine..... Eastman is a well put together factory guitar... With a solid reputation. I can't believe that these tombstones are sold for the same price as a standard Martin factory guitar... With so much attention on the voicing. This is definitely a better guitar in my opinion than a standard Martin d28.
Totally fair assessment and points. I would love to see a brand like this make a few models at a much lower price. Like $500-ish. I would love to see what they could come up with at that kind of price point. They’d also get a boatload of sales. This guitar is amazing value, but it’s still unattainable for the masses. It’s a little tricky to think who the target customer might be for this sort of guitar that is an import, but still a very high price point (yet less than the US made ones).
I think it's exactly people who would love a US made Bourgeois but can't stomach the price tag. Sadly this is Bourgeois' equivalent of the $500 price point. 😂
I was on the fence about getting a touchstone. But for my money I bought a martin D18 satin and saved money. Plus the money i spent went to american workers.
@@bigmac51290 Exactly. And I doubt Dana Bourgeois is C.F. Martin-level rich, so if some of that money goes towards him keeping the lights on, it's money well spent.
How many times have we heard this, "if this Chinese made guitar had a different name on the headstock it would cost 2-3x times as much and is just as good" That's exactly what they did, I'm not sure how this business plan will pan out. Or just get an Eastman and save $1,500. Now get this on the used market for $1500 in a few years that's a deal.
The top is made in Maine and hand tuned like a handbuilt bench guitar.. And the final QC and setup is again made in Maine..... Eastman makes a well put together factory guitar... With a solid reputation. I can't believe that these tombstones are sold for the same price as a standard Martin factory guitar... With so much attention on the voicing. This is definitely a significantly better guitar in my opinion, than a standard Martin d18.
The Eastman E2D I had had a polished bridge which was a bit weird, but weirder than that was that they polished the fretboard too. I didn't mind, at that point it was the best guitar I'd ever had, but in retrospect it doesn't make sense especially given the rest of the guitar was satin.
Great video, Jeremy! I've been intrigued by these import Bourgeois guitars for a while, but like you briefly touched on, this guitar goes for D-18 money new. These Bourgeois guitars would need to blow the doors of the equivalent Martin to make me buy one at retail price. Smell aside (haha), how do these guitars compare to Martins?
I did buy a $3k classical guitar out of China. French Polish beautiful but ….. being a steel string fingerstyle I am not paying this price when a D 18 is the same price. I own a 2014 D18 with the slim neck and waverly tuners and it’s sounds awesome. Took a while to find a Martin I loved but it’s an incredible guitar. Hu t and find a Real D18. They smell great also 😂
Interesting video Jeremy. Being from the UK I don't have a states centric view of guitar building; I'm just looking for the best value guitar I can get for the money. This is also influenced by the fact that after shipping, import duties and tax, I would be paying 25-30% more in real terms for a Martin, Taylor or Gibson than you lucky folk across the pond. However, if the Touchstone is priced at the same level as a D18 (I think it is over here), I would go for the Martin as like you, I prefer more bass response. As for the glue odour - it is a bit off-putting, especially if it is at all strong. If you have to stick your nose deep in the sound hole and inhale hugely in order to detect it- I would be less concerned.
If you wish to protect your investment... Martin D-18. You can debate that all you want because of the sheer quality involved, but yes, right or wrong, country of origin is a "thing".
They are beautiful guitars : ). I had the pleasure of playing an Andy Griffith signature model D-18 last year. It had the NC state map tastefully placed on the headstock.
It has a nice looking pick guard and the case looks attractive. (Should I buy you a sound hole sniffer T-shirt? ) I suppose that the Chinese need to feed their child too. That's about all I should say. I was just playing my D-18GE when I saw this come up. If I had a guitar shop I would hope to sell them. Leave one with me and I would play it.
So the current Martin D-18 Standard gloss (100% US built) sells at the same price point? Ok, no volute. More importantly, when you have the luxury of sitting down and playing multiple versions of the same model guitar(whether it be Eastman, Bourgeois or Martin) at a local guitar shop, you'll typically find one that speaks to you! That experience is lost buying a guitar over the internet. I've gone in to a local shop and spent hours with half a dozen different brand new D-28's and they are all a bit different in sound, playability and the wood grain of course.
Jeremy, your hesitaion before saying you would buy this guitar seems to say you would not actually buy this guitar. Not ripping on you brother, the conflict between your words, face and body language say it all! Its a struggle we all have between our affections for guitar, conscience, taste and our wallet
It sounded great through my headphones. I have a Maine built JOMC, new in 2011.Fantastic sound , per folks who hear it. I think Dana wanted to move to more custom builds with the core Maine staff. They do say they hired more people in Maine to set up the Eastman versions. There is a good YT video they made explaining why they did this and what they hope to accomplish. Interestingly, they said that Eastman was using more hand labor than they do on a guitar build and they have a separate section of workers for the Bourgeois models. I think ,bass wise , my Bourgeois is more articulate in that register. Martin fans are used to that low E and A emphasis , great for bluegrass music.
I am sitting here with it. I would say more articulate all around. I had tried a number of brands side by side, including Martin , in the OM size. The Bourgeois just had more tone - it was immediately evident. I then ordered a Jumbo OM ( custom to Bourgeois) because I wanted a smaller instrument the could also have a significant bass register and that is what I got. The only fair comparison is a Martin custom shop versus a same size US Bourgeois. JUST ME, but I always found the "stock" Martins to have a somewhat muddy bass emphasis, but, again, that's just me. Bear in mind Dana braces and adjusts/carves the top bracings by hand to get the most sound and that may be the reason for the articulation increase.@@angelg8445
I like the black binding and the high gloss finish. There is no dealer in my part of the world so it isn't really an option for me. I much prefer guitars made in the U.S.
I looked today a Martin d18 is $400 cheaper than this, I don’t see the value. I know people love Eastman and I have played many but they are not on Martin/Taylor level. Eastman play similar to Alvarez and Yamaha at the same price point. (I think the Yamaha and Alvarez actually often sound better) for 1800 this would be very interesting. For 2800 that’s a d28.
This line and Furch need to evaluate their pricing structure. If this guitar was $1,899 I’d snag one immediately. Same with Furch. $5k for a brand with no name recognition (barely) is a huge ask.
I think you're assuming that their prices are wildly inflated. They might be, but I doubt you know that. I'd wager a Bourgeois Touchstone costs more than $1,899 to even make, let alone sell for a profit.
@Leidolfr Bourgeois made in Lewiston ME, yes. These are hotrodded Eastman. Which I’m sure are fine guitars. But again you’re buying a $3,000 MIC guitar.
@@reverb508 if they cost more than $1,899 to make. They are doing it all wrong. A guitar shop works on a 30-40% margin. Which would make this $1,199 to buy from Bourgeois/Eastman. Do you think they are selling them to guitar stores for under cost? Ummm nope
@Leidolfr I have no problem with guitars made overseas. I have a problem with paying American built Martin and Taylor prices for them. The name on the headstock is nice. But it ain’t $1,000 nice
Yeah, I’m that guy. It’s MIC, so no go for me. It sounds nice. Apparently doesn’t smell nice. Looks good. I’m at that age - there are some things I might buy MIC, but a guitar isn’t of them. Excellent video, tho, very well done. Your hard work is appreciated.
That's a great sounding guitar, and it looks incredible. I'm not sure I would spend that much buck on it when I'm in the range of a good Martin at that point, but it's still good.
Nothing wrong with it, but I just don’t like it. It’s kind of like a Yamaha to me, in that sense. Actually, now that I think of it it sounds like a Yamaha to me. I think I’d rather have a regular Eastman. I guess I’m not a Bourgeois guy.
I owned an Eastman guitar for a little while. I bought it off of Patrick Meyer. He won it at a fingerstyle competition. I paid him $500 for it. It was an OM it sounded really good. But when I tried to resell it it was difficult to even get $450 for it even though it was an immaculate condition. All due to country of origin. I think if you buy a Chinese guitar you're basically supporting communism. These Touchstones don't sound much better than Eastman's to my ear. I would never purchase another Chinese guitar ever again.
My local dealer thinks these guitars are not worth the money . I havent played one so I cant comment . If you are competing with Martin at the same price range, I would choose Martin any day of the week .
Everyone keeps saying they’d rather have a D-18…. If outs only about them being made in China fine but anyone who says a NEW d-18 sounds as good as this is lying to themself.
I don't see how they can sell that guitar for that kind of money you can buy a Gallagher or really nice d28 for that kind of money that's a Chinese guitar period if I was goin to buy a Chinese guitar I would buy a Alvarez for a quarter of the price.
They might be great sounding and well built, but I (especially as a veteran) really couldn’t bring myself to buy a guitar that had anything to do with China. Too many things, that used to be made here, are now made in China. I would happily pay $2K-$3K more for the same guitar if it were made here in America.
@@natemink572 you’d have a point if any of that stuff were manufactured in the US. And when I can, I most definitely buy American made products. Buy whatever you want, but I’m only buying American made guitars from now on.
You'd pay 5 grand for this exact guitar because it was made on America dirt? Man, nationalism is wild. Do you also research who makes the tuners, bridges, strings, knobs, paint, primer, inlay material, truss rod steel, pickup covers, bobbins, wiring, and case latches on your "Made in America" guitar?
@@reverb508 I would absolutely pay $5K+ for a guitar I wanted that was made on, “America dirt,” as you put it. It’s worth it to support an economy that I live in, ESPECIALLY as an aspiring luthier. And I make absolutely no apologies for my patriotism and/or how my purchasing power can help support that. Again, it’s a free country and, you can buy whatever you want; I will be buying American (at whatever percentage is possible) whenever I can.
I hate to break it to sir but your phone, tv, computer, carpet, clothes and just about everything from Walmart, target, apple,and Amazon are China made at least in some part. But we never had a war with China and the US of A sent more soldiers to die off and polluted the environment more than China ever has. There’s ppl in America that get paid nothing and while China does have child and sweat shops, America is their biggest market. We are inextricably linked 😅
For everyone saying they’d rather have a Martin D18… does Martin still tune there tops or just machine it to a controlled dimension? I didn’t think they did and if these are tuned then I’d say this is the superior instrument not sure.
Martin has never “ tuned” their tops. They grade off visuals (grain lines). Tuned tops doesn’t equate to better guitars. I’ve played bourgeois that were fantastic and have played some not so fantastic ones. At the end, the overall build is what gives the instrument its tone.
@@sc12100 I’d have to disagree. If you’re just looking at visual and thicknessing to a dimension you’re not optimizing the potential of the top wood. Many martins I’ve played recently don’t sound that great compared to boutique guitars that are tone tapped to get a thickness. At least for pre war martins based on dimension that have been taken it seems the tops we’re definitely individually thicknessed and the braces were all uniquely scalloped as well which suggest they voiced each top. The cosmetics of the woods doesn’t give a good indicator of how thick the board should be
@@adamfusco3479 There is no record of Martin ever giving a unique top it’s own thickness for tone purposes - ever. If you can find a video of a Martin employee ever showing this or even explaining this, I’d love to see it. Braces and scalloping would be considered unique due to individual workers and their own techniques at performing this type of work. But they weren’t tapping the top at any point. It’s the same regarding neck thicknesses as well and no neck from the 30s, 40s, up until the early 90s would ever be exactly the same. And there’s an argument regarding neck thickness as it relates to affecting tone. Again, I’ve played many Bourgeois, Collings, Santa Cruz, and many others as well as Martins. Every builder has dogs - Martin and Bourgeois being no exception. And Martin grades purely on visuals - that’s a fact. Visuals of course meaning grain lines and any other cues like silking. Things of that nature. They’ve never tone tapped their tops prior to builds. More information about Martin is found on UMGF.
@@sc12100 If Martin did this it was for a short time and not recorded. The fact that many early Martin guitars have been measured after the fact and had unique braces and top thicknesses suggests individual luthiers at that time were doing something. Whether that was tone tapping or something else may be lost information that was just tribal knowledge at the time. Either way there is variation among early Martin guitars that suggests they were making some changes from one guitar to the next we just don’t know why for sure. Also Martin was descendant from violin makers who definitely tune there instruments so it would not be surprising if that tradition extended into early Martin practice. Also not saying tone tapping will fix a shit piece of wood there will be just significantly less bad apples and more superb examples over a large sample size
@@adamfusco3479 Violin makers ? They were cabinet builders. Where did you read about CF being a descendant of violin makers? He was trained by Stauffer who built guitars of that period. Curious about the violin connection. Regardless- this is nothing more than speculation about how they built their guitars in the 30s and 40s - assuming this is the era you’re discussing. I’m pretty sure there would have been at least one photo of an employee back then tapping the top - if this was the case at all.
Imagine having to explain the asterisk about this guitar every time someone asks what it is. “It’s a Bourgeois but it’s built in China.” No thanks. I’m sure it has a great profit margin. I’d rather have a straight Eastman for 1/2 the price. You’re definitely paying for a logo with this guitar.
Man the hypocrites really come out of the woodwork on these Touchstone reviews, don't they? Dudes sitting around in their chinese made clothes at their chinese made desk typing on a chinese made computer are just too pro-America to buy a guitar that was primarily made in Maine. I have a feeling that the anti-touchstone crowd have zero intention of actually buying one, they just want to bitch about something.
Your objections come off as quite silly and indulgent. Their is an ego factor about quality in guitars that like Trumpism just denies that the world will change. Rather than ride and help accept/direct the change, people will refuse to budge in their assessments. I will never be in the market for a Series 7 BMW nor a $10K Bourgeois. I am joined by millions. You owe it to yourself to not calcify your stances so as to become another living fossil. People once shunned digital watches in Switzerland too. They died rather than seek a new paradigm forged from acceptance and a new consensus. Get a $20 latte and you'll feel better. Me? I'll dream about this guitar or a Guild D40 Traditional and never look back.
The sound of this guitar is a major con along with it being essentially an import guitar... It sounds like a typical Asian built guitar...metallic sounding, lacking bass/bottom end, lacking balance, lacking woody tone. Sounds similar to an Eastman dreadnought.. For me, I would never spend $2799 on an imported Asian guitar as there are too many better sounding quality instruments made in the USA. I can understand Bourgeois intent of supplying only the voiced top and leaving all else to the very low wage workers in Asia to capitalize on the low cost to manufacture which enhances overall profitability of Bourgeois. But, I believe the $2799 is way to high for this instrument which should be priced closer to say an Eastman E10d/E6D/E1D. Not a good look for Bourgeois and it former respective reputation.
I tried different OM guitars 2000-3000 euro range at a great guitar shop in Europe; Martin, Furch, several Eastmans including TC MR, I walk out with a touchstone. The hard choice was mahogany touchstone or rosewood touchstone.
I can’t help but think Americans could be trained to assemble those guitars and get paid a living wage, almost as profitably as you could train Chinese workers to do it, while having to pay for two-way shipping, tarriffs, etc. Running to China for cheap exploitable labor is a short-sighted money-grab, IMO. 14:20 That’s not a judgement on anyone who chooses a Chinese made instrument. They give you a lot of bang for your buck and they make fine instruments like Eastman mandos. Just not for me.
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Great point about the depreciation. As for country of origin, it’s pretty hard not to buy something made in China, but $3k for a guitar that’s ship there and back again is a tall ask. Better to have a real D-18 that smells like Spanish cedar!
PS: I love the volute as well. I wish Martin would do that on their 18 and 35 series.
My Bourgeois Country Boy (not a Touchstone) was a magical guitar with a high price point. I replaced it with an Eastman E10D tc at a third of the cost. Torrefied Adirondack top, beautiful Mahogany back and sides, and pretty much the same magic and tone. Love it and don't miss the Bourgeois except for the neck profile, however the Eastman neck is also very sweet, just not as sweet as the Bourgeois. Adirondack is the deal breaker for me, although I have played the Touchstone OM and it's Sitka top loses nothing compared to Adi. Folks who dis the China made Eastman line just need to play one. Nuff said
as a former eastman skeptic this is true
Whenever you buy a china mfg, you are just helping to close out American jobs and exporting your economic $$, Eastman will errode Bourgeois and close out the US workers.
😂😂😂😂😂@@richardwilson5709
@@richardwilson5709 Boohoo... It's old technology. Anyone can make steel string guitars. The way I see it, you can either campaign for higher wages and living standards in Asian countries, lower wages and a more Asian style living in the USA, get over it or stay miserable, while everyone overtakes you.
The guitar sounds very good, and your playing is excellent. Having said that, I's buy a D-18 instead.
I have been waiting for a mahogany OM with a volute. Holy moly, this is it
I just got the OM version and love it.
I keep struggling with the idea of this over an American made D-18. Not sure I would pick the Country boy.
I agree about the “glue odor”. I had an AC322, and noticed that every time I opened the case. More pronounced when you put your nose to the sound hole. Nice fit and finish, but I want a guitar to smell like wood, not Elmer’s.
I played the OM model last week, and can only say WOW!
The sound and feel are incredible!
Now i want one...
Get it!
@@TheSingingDoctor325 I tell my wife you gave permission! 😁
@@RT-xq3df Good answer, lol
Well done informative video. The guitar sounds good as is the playing. Dana makes great stuff but his pricing on the Domestic stuff these days is prohibitive for many of us. Still IMO the pricing on the Touchstones is an ask for what is essentially an Eastman that they '" Breathed on" at the Bourgeois factory. Also my understanding is the finishes on these are PolyUrethene. The Martin ooo18 ,D18 and 0M21 are in this price range and US made. Also Larrivee makes fine US guitars in this price area. I look forward to one of these.
Great video and thoughts on the model. My major issue with this is the "cheapening" of a pricey brand known for producing nice US made guitars in the past. I know martin does similar things with their composite models (mexican made) etc. But I personally wouldn't be too excited if I was an american-made Bourgeois model owner and all of a sudden they started selling these quasi-outsourced guitar models. Just my thoughts. Great video and thanks.
Great video as always Jeremy! Thank you. I look forward to your videos throughout every week.
Recently sat down with one of these, a Martin, a taylor, a Gibson and wound up walking out with a new Yamaha fs5. Zero regrets.
I bought a almost new Bourgeois LDBO-12 a couple months ago. American made . Love it.
I bought a touchstone OM yesterday. Did I plan on it? Nope. I did a few back to back tests with a Martin OM21, Collings OM1T, and a Martin OM28. All incredible, I almost went with the om21 until the shop owner bought the touchstone out and it just spoke to me as far as tone and feel. It’s all subjective, but you really just have to try one and find the guitar that speaks to you. I really wanted to like the Eastman offerings but they just lacked in depth and volume for me personally which is wild when they explained the touchstone was a collab between the two companies.
Same here!
I put a cloth with a few drops of rosewood essential oil in the sound hole and left it a couple of weeks and the chemical smell is gone. It has not come back. The case never had the smell. Good value up front used. I own Collings and Martins and use this one as a couch guitar.
Hi, any difference with a Martin high end?....d35 and up?....because I can hear diferences.... and you?..... I ll not to tel you what diferences I heard......cheers from Antartica. Chile
love my two Furchs & thinking about getting a Vintage 2 SR, but those Bourgeois sound pretty good, whaddya think ???
Furch. All day long. I looooove my vintage 2 OM
I just got the OM version of this and love the playability and overtones. However, I also have a Furch Blue DLX mahogany / cedar top with the dual bevel that sounds and plays great. Solution: get both.
Last weekend I went out shopping for “the acoustic guitar. “ The plan is to sell a couple I own and replace it with one incredible guitar. Went down to a boutique store in search ofan OM. I played a Collings, a couple of Santa Cruz, Martin OM 28 and finally a bourgeois country boy OM-AT (Maine made). The bourgeois was shockingly good, with a price tag to match, even though it was a good chunk less than the Collings or Santa Cruz. It was probably the best sounding guitar I’ve ever heard. It was so well balanced, nice and full, articulate, yet very lush with a bunch of overtones. I am still thinking about it and wanted us so badly but just can’t justify that kind of price. That is where the touchstone comes in. I can get my hands on one to try it out, I am the kind of customer they are looking for. One of the guitars I’d be selling is an Eastman 80M that is wonderful, especially given its price, but definitely can’t touch that bourgeois. Unfortunately, where I live, finding any boutique Guitars at all is fairly difficult, let alone finding a touchstone. The struggle is real…
I say get it.
Bourgeois are meant to be no corner cut guitars. If it’s made in China and the price of a D-18 I’d rather have the D-18 anyway. But that’s just my opinion
I agree. It should cost 1800 $.
The top is made in Maine and hand tuned like a bench... And the final QC and setup is again made in Maine..... Eastman is a well put together factory guitar... With a solid reputation. I can't believe that these tombstones are sold for the same price as a standard Martin factory guitar... With so much attention on the voicing. This is definitely a better guitar in my opinion than a standard Martin d28.
You guys have no idea what you're talking about!
I'm more of an Alvarez/Yairi guy. How would a Yairi stack up against this?
would you consider doing an A/B test with this vs. D-18? Same strings/set-up/EQ...
I made that video but it never went public, it was just for patrons. Send me an email and I can send you a link. Jeremy@jeremysheppard.com
Totally fair assessment and points. I would love to see a brand like this make a few models at a much lower price. Like $500-ish. I would love to see what they could come up with at that kind of price point. They’d also get a boatload of sales. This guitar is amazing value, but it’s still unattainable for the masses. It’s a little tricky to think who the target customer might be for this sort of guitar that is an import, but still a very high price point (yet less than the US made ones).
That would be Eastman ! 👍
Guild already does this with the westerly collection. Especially the ds-240.
I think it's exactly people who would love a US made Bourgeois but can't stomach the price tag. Sadly this is Bourgeois' equivalent of the $500 price point. 😂
I was on the fence about getting a touchstone. But for my money I bought a martin D18 satin and saved money. Plus the money i spent went to american workers.
I mean, the money spent on this also goes to American workers.
@@bigmac51290 Exactly. And I doubt Dana Bourgeois is C.F. Martin-level rich, so if some of that money goes towards him keeping the lights on, it's money well spent.
How many times have we heard this, "if this Chinese made guitar had a different name on the headstock it would cost 2-3x times as much and is just as good" That's exactly what they did, I'm not sure how this business plan will pan out. Or just get an Eastman and save $1,500. Now get this on the used market for $1500 in a few years that's a deal.
How would you compare it to a comparable priced Furch?
Too buzzy for me. Does it need more relief or higher action? Lots of rattles at times. I'm a no.
Seems price is not far off from a similar Martin. Any preference one way or the other, or just how the wind blows that day?
@Leidolfr I get that, but this one seems to be hybrid (handmade and factory) right?
@Leidolfryou might want to rethink that about the CNC. Lol the regular production Eastmans are just as handmade as a Martin.
I don’t care we’re that thing was made it sounds and looks amazing 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Jeremy, I think I would buy a used Huss and Dalton TDM for $3000 then a guitar that was made in China or at least part of it.
cool tones, a little plasitcky but varied. It looks like it feels good!
Seeing as how this is about the same price as the Yairi DYM60HD dread - which one between them would you have?
Yairi all day, every day.
I’d go with the Alvarez because you’re getting an Alvarez. With the touchstone series - imo, it’s not a true Bourgeois. And that’s all I’ll say.
The top is made in Maine and hand tuned like a handbuilt bench guitar.. And the final QC and setup is again made in Maine..... Eastman makes a well put together factory guitar... With a solid reputation. I can't believe that these tombstones are sold for the same price as a standard Martin factory guitar... With so much attention on the voicing. This is definitely a significantly better guitar in my opinion, than a standard Martin d18.
Looks like an amazing guitar. So what if is assembled in China. The whole package is what counts.
The Eastman E2D I had had a polished bridge which was a bit weird, but weirder than that was that they polished the fretboard too. I didn't mind, at that point it was the best guitar I'd ever had, but in retrospect it doesn't make sense especially given the rest of the guitar was satin.
Great video, Jeremy! I've been intrigued by these import Bourgeois guitars for a while, but like you briefly touched on, this guitar goes for D-18 money new. These Bourgeois guitars would need to blow the doors of the equivalent Martin to make me buy one at retail price. Smell aside (haha), how do these guitars compare to Martins?
Become a patron and you can see my blind comparison between those two
If i dont have the money for à touchstone what eastman would you recommend
The E6 OM is excellent. The E10 OM would be half or a third of this price and very similar.
@@JeremySheppard so for à dread à d6 or d10 thank you
does it sound good, does it play well, does it stay in tune... top 3 criteria
Sounds very nice, a little on the bright side to my ear than let's say, a D18.
I did buy a $3k classical guitar out of China. French Polish beautiful but ….. being a steel string fingerstyle I am not paying this price when a D 18 is the same price. I own a 2014 D18 with the slim neck and waverly tuners and it’s sounds awesome. Took a while to find a Martin I loved but it’s an incredible guitar. Hu t and find a Real D18. They smell great also 😂
Interesting video Jeremy. Being from the UK I don't have a states centric view of guitar building; I'm just looking for the best value guitar I can get for the money. This is also influenced by the fact that after shipping, import duties and tax, I would be paying 25-30% more in real terms for a Martin, Taylor or Gibson than you lucky folk across the pond. However, if the Touchstone is priced at the same level as a D18 (I think it is over here), I would go for the Martin as like you, I prefer more bass response. As for the glue odour - it is a bit off-putting, especially if it is at all strong. If you have to stick your nose deep in the sound hole and inhale hugely in order to detect it- I would be less concerned.
It’s an Eastman at a Martin price
I'm dead lol
If you wish to protect your investment... Martin D-18. You can debate that all you want because of the sheer quality involved, but yes, right or wrong, country of origin is a "thing".
They are beautiful guitars : ). I had the pleasure of playing an Andy Griffith signature model D-18 last year. It had the NC state map tastefully placed on the headstock.
It has a nice looking pick guard and the case looks attractive. (Should I buy you a sound hole sniffer T-shirt? ) I suppose that the Chinese need to feed their child too. That's about all I should say.
I was just playing my D-18GE when I saw this come up. If I had a guitar shop I would hope to sell them. Leave one with me and I would play it.
What pick did u used in That video
Primetone 1.5mm triangle, there are links in the bio.
Love the lady may sprinkled in there!
So the current Martin D-18 Standard gloss (100% US built) sells at the same price point? Ok, no volute. More importantly, when you have the luxury of sitting down and playing multiple versions of the same model guitar(whether it be Eastman, Bourgeois or Martin) at a local guitar shop, you'll typically find one that speaks to you! That experience is lost buying a guitar over the internet. I've gone in to a local shop and spent hours with half a dozen different brand new D-28's and they are all a bit different in sound, playability and the wood grain of course.
I love the Country Boy I bought 20 years ago new. I don't love that they undercut their own brand's value.
Jeremy, your hesitaion before saying you would buy this guitar seems to say you would not actually buy this guitar. Not ripping on you brother, the conflict between your words, face and body language say it all! Its a struggle we all have between our affections for guitar, conscience, taste and our wallet
It sounded great through my headphones. I have a Maine built JOMC, new in 2011.Fantastic sound , per folks who hear it. I think Dana wanted to move to more custom builds with the core Maine staff. They do say they hired more people in Maine to set up the Eastman versions. There is a good YT video they made explaining why they did this and what they hope to accomplish. Interestingly, they said that Eastman was using more hand labor than they do on a guitar build and they have a separate section of workers for the Bourgeois models. I think ,bass wise , my Bourgeois is more articulate in that register. Martin fans are used to that low E and A emphasis , great for bluegrass music.
Would you say Bourgeois is more articulate overall than Martin or less so in bass?
I am sitting here with it. I would say more articulate all around. I had tried a number of brands side by side, including Martin , in the OM size. The Bourgeois just had more tone - it was immediately evident. I then ordered a Jumbo OM ( custom to Bourgeois) because I wanted a smaller instrument the could also have a significant bass register and that is what I got. The only fair comparison is a Martin custom shop versus a same size US Bourgeois. JUST ME, but I always found the "stock" Martins to have a somewhat muddy bass emphasis, but, again, that's just me. Bear in mind Dana braces and adjusts/carves the top bracings by hand to get the most sound and that may be the reason for the articulation increase.@@angelg8445
I suggest you measure the depth and width of your guitar. You might find it is more articulate because it is smaller than a standard Martin D18.
I like the black binding and the high gloss finish. There is no dealer in my part of the world so it isn't really an option for me. I much prefer guitars made in the U.S.
If I had the $$$ I definitely would buy one.
I looked today a Martin d18 is $400 cheaper than this, I don’t see the value. I know people love Eastman and I have played many but they are not on Martin/Taylor level. Eastman play similar to Alvarez and Yamaha at the same price point. (I think the Yamaha and Alvarez actually often sound better) for 1800 this would be very interesting. For 2800 that’s a d28.
This line and Furch need to evaluate their pricing structure. If this guitar was $1,899 I’d snag one immediately. Same with Furch. $5k for a brand with no name recognition (barely) is a huge ask.
I think you're assuming that their prices are wildly inflated. They might be, but I doubt you know that. I'd wager a Bourgeois Touchstone costs more than $1,899 to even make, let alone sell for a profit.
@Leidolfr Bourgeois made in Lewiston ME, yes. These are hotrodded Eastman. Which I’m sure are fine guitars. But again you’re buying a $3,000 MIC guitar.
@@reverb508 if they cost more than $1,899 to make. They are doing it all wrong. A guitar shop works on a 30-40% margin. Which would make this $1,199 to buy from Bourgeois/Eastman. Do you think they are selling them to guitar stores for under cost? Ummm nope
@Leidolfr I have no problem with guitars made overseas. I have a problem with paying American built Martin and Taylor prices for them. The name on the headstock is nice. But it ain’t $1,000 nice
Yeah, I’m that guy. It’s MIC, so no go for me. It sounds nice. Apparently doesn’t smell nice. Looks good. I’m at that age - there are some things I might buy MIC, but a guitar isn’t of them. Excellent video, tho, very well done. Your hard work is appreciated.
I'd still say I'd take a Furch.
That's a great sounding guitar, and it looks incredible. I'm not sure I would spend that much buck on it when I'm in the range of a good Martin at that point, but it's still good.
Compare it to that d18 on the wall for us please. Their both in the same room right Sir.
Become a patron and you can see that exact video
i'd want a dana bourgeois guitar
Prefer my Furch Vintage 2 dread, in looks and sound, which I bought for under $2100 new
Oh Jeremy, your so Bourgeois...LOL
These play better than new Martin D-18s
There's a channel member only video that is a blindfolded comparison and the results are shocking.
It is still a Chinese import guitar
Nothing wrong with it, but I just don’t like it. It’s kind of like a Yamaha to me, in that sense. Actually, now that I think of it it sounds like a Yamaha to me. I think I’d rather have a regular Eastman. I guess I’m not a Bourgeois guy.
I owned an Eastman guitar for a little while. I bought it off of Patrick Meyer. He won it at a fingerstyle competition. I paid him $500 for it. It was an OM it sounded really good. But when I tried to resell it it was difficult to even get $450 for it even though it was an immaculate condition. All due to country of origin. I think if you buy a Chinese guitar you're basically supporting communism. These Touchstones don't sound much better than Eastman's to my ear. I would never purchase another Chinese guitar ever again.
It's an Eastman import and this video is "Sponsored by Bourgeois". Says it all.
I've actually never smelled a guitar. I probably have a really poor sense of smell from too many years smoking.
It shouldn’t have Bourgeois on the headstock in my view
My local dealer thinks these guitars are not worth the money . I havent played one so I cant comment . If you are competing with Martin at the same price range, I would choose Martin any day of the week .
I would buy one for 50% off.
Everyone keeps saying they’d rather have a D-18…. If outs only about them being made in China fine but anyone who says a NEW d-18 sounds as good as this is lying to themself.
I don't see how they can sell that guitar for that kind of money you can buy a Gallagher or really nice d28 for that kind of money that's a Chinese guitar period if I was goin to buy a Chinese guitar I would buy a Alvarez for a quarter of the price.
“Should you buy it ? “
Buy it used. I would never pay that money for a new import.
This is $2799? Pretty sure a made in Nazareth satin d-18 is $2499.
You're right.
@@JeremySheppard As cool as many guitars are, it's hard to beat a D-18...!
Bring the the total supply chain back to No America
They might be great sounding and well built, but I (especially as a veteran) really couldn’t bring myself to buy a guitar that had anything to do with China. Too many things, that used to be made here, are now made in China. I would happily pay $2K-$3K more for the same guitar if it were made here in America.
Time to throw out your computer, TV, phone, appliances, and just about everything else in the garbage then.
@@natemink572 you’d have a point if any of that stuff were manufactured in the US. And when I can, I most definitely buy American made products. Buy whatever you want, but I’m only buying American made guitars from now on.
You'd pay 5 grand for this exact guitar because it was made on America dirt? Man, nationalism is wild. Do you also research who makes the tuners, bridges, strings, knobs, paint, primer, inlay material, truss rod steel, pickup covers, bobbins, wiring, and case latches on your "Made in America" guitar?
@@reverb508 I would absolutely pay $5K+ for a guitar I wanted that was made on, “America dirt,” as you put it. It’s worth it to support an economy that I live in, ESPECIALLY as an aspiring luthier. And I make absolutely no apologies for my patriotism and/or how my purchasing power can help support that. Again, it’s a free country and, you can buy whatever you want; I will be buying American (at whatever percentage is possible) whenever I can.
I hate to break it to sir but your phone, tv, computer, carpet, clothes and just about everything from Walmart, target, apple,and Amazon are China made at least in some part. But we never had a war with China and the US of A sent more soldiers to die off and polluted the environment more than China ever has. There’s ppl in America that get paid nothing and while China does have child and sweat shops, America is their biggest market. We are inextricably linked 😅
For everyone saying they’d rather have a Martin D18… does Martin still tune there tops or just machine it to a controlled dimension? I didn’t think they did and if these are tuned then I’d say this is the superior instrument not sure.
Martin has never “ tuned” their tops. They grade off visuals (grain lines).
Tuned tops doesn’t equate to better guitars. I’ve played bourgeois that were fantastic and have played some not so fantastic ones.
At the end, the overall build is what gives the instrument its tone.
@@sc12100 I’d have to disagree. If you’re just looking at visual and thicknessing to a dimension you’re not optimizing the potential of the top wood. Many martins I’ve played recently don’t sound that great compared to boutique guitars that are tone tapped to get a thickness. At least for pre war martins based on dimension that have been taken it seems the tops we’re definitely individually thicknessed and the braces were all uniquely scalloped as well which suggest they voiced each top. The cosmetics of the woods doesn’t give a good indicator of how thick the board should be
@@adamfusco3479
There is no record of Martin ever giving a unique top it’s own thickness for tone purposes - ever. If you can find a video of a Martin employee ever showing this or even explaining this, I’d love to see it.
Braces and scalloping would be considered unique due to individual workers and their own techniques at performing this type of work. But they weren’t tapping the top at any point. It’s the same regarding neck thicknesses as well and no neck from the 30s, 40s, up until the early 90s would ever be exactly the same. And there’s an argument regarding neck thickness as it relates to affecting tone.
Again, I’ve played many Bourgeois, Collings, Santa Cruz, and many others as well as Martins. Every builder has dogs - Martin and Bourgeois being no exception.
And Martin grades purely on visuals - that’s a fact. Visuals of course meaning grain lines and any other cues like silking. Things of that nature. They’ve never tone tapped their tops prior to builds.
More information about Martin is found on UMGF.
@@sc12100 If Martin did this it was for a short time and not recorded. The fact that many early Martin guitars have been measured after the fact and had unique braces and top thicknesses suggests individual luthiers at that time were doing something. Whether that was tone tapping or something else may be lost information that was just tribal knowledge at the time. Either way there is variation among early Martin guitars that suggests they were making some changes from one guitar to the next we just don’t know why for sure. Also Martin was descendant from violin makers who definitely tune there instruments so it would not be surprising if that tradition extended into early Martin practice. Also not saying tone tapping will fix a shit piece of wood there will be just significantly less bad apples and more superb examples over a large sample size
@@adamfusco3479
Violin makers ?
They were cabinet builders. Where did you read about CF being a descendant of violin makers? He was trained by Stauffer who built guitars of that period.
Curious about the violin connection.
Regardless- this is nothing more than speculation about how they built their guitars in the 30s and 40s - assuming this is the era you’re discussing. I’m pretty sure there would have been at least one photo of an employee back then tapping the top - if this was the case at all.
Imagine having to explain the asterisk about this guitar every time someone asks what it is. “It’s a Bourgeois but it’s built in China.” No thanks. I’m sure it has a great profit margin. I’d rather have a straight Eastman for 1/2 the price. You’re definitely paying for a logo with this guitar.
For that money, just go find a great sounding D-18.
Man the hypocrites really come out of the woodwork on these Touchstone reviews, don't they? Dudes sitting around in their chinese made clothes at their chinese made desk typing on a chinese made computer are just too pro-America to buy a guitar that was primarily made in Maine. I have a feeling that the anti-touchstone crowd have zero intention of actually buying one, they just want to bitch about something.
Just like you. You just want to bitch about people having a different opinion than you.
We're only using our Chinese made luxury items so that we can afford American made luxury items.
An American made hog/spruce Martin D-18 Vs a Chinese made hog/spruce Eastman with a fancier name for the same price…
@Leidolfr awful lot of those factory built Martin guitars that sound amazing, and have recorded great music for 100 years
#soundholesniffer haha!
I would not pay that much for Chinese guitar
Y’all just try the guitar and stop being keyboard warriors🤦🏾♂️
Sounds a bit thin to my ears. Id take a D-18 over this any day. Im not sure who is paying 3K for a chinese guitar, but it will not be me.
Your objections come off as quite silly and indulgent.
Their is an ego factor about quality in guitars that like Trumpism just denies that the world will change. Rather than ride and help accept/direct the change, people will refuse to budge in their assessments.
I will never be in the market for a Series 7 BMW nor a $10K Bourgeois. I am joined by millions.
You owe it to yourself to not calcify your stances so as to become another living fossil.
People once shunned digital watches in Switzerland too. They died rather than seek a new paradigm forged from acceptance and a new consensus.
Get a $20 latte and you'll feel better. Me? I'll dream about this guitar or a Guild D40 Traditional and never look back.
3k for a Chinese guitar? Oh hell no.
Yet the morality of product parts criss-crossing the planet to allow manufacturers to avoid regulations and proper wages is highly questionable.
Nope!
I'll stick to USA made acoustics.
I tolerate no slaver content.
No CCP for ME!
Which device did you post this from? 😂 😉
lol covid killered the smeller. no problems here.
The sound of this guitar is a major con along with it being essentially an import guitar... It sounds like a typical Asian built guitar...metallic sounding, lacking bass/bottom end, lacking balance, lacking woody tone. Sounds similar to an Eastman dreadnought.. For me, I would never spend $2799 on an imported Asian guitar as there are too many better sounding quality instruments made in the USA. I can understand Bourgeois intent of supplying only the voiced top and leaving all else to the very low wage workers in Asia to capitalize on the low cost to manufacture which enhances overall profitability of Bourgeois. But, I believe the $2799 is way to high for this instrument which should be priced closer to say an Eastman E10d/E6D/E1D. Not a good look for Bourgeois and it former respective reputation.
Nah. This guy's playing style and his recording is not doing this guitar any favors.
I tried different OM guitars 2000-3000 euro range at a great guitar shop in Europe; Martin, Furch, several Eastmans including TC MR, I walk out with a touchstone. The hard choice was mahogany touchstone or rosewood touchstone.
How long before we get the global warming crowd whingeing about the carbon footprint of this guitar? 🙂
It's because they used substandard glue and polyurethane
Can buy a real bourgeois made in usa used for $3,000
I can’t help but think Americans could be trained to assemble those guitars and get paid a living wage, almost as profitably as you could train Chinese workers to do it, while having to pay for two-way shipping, tarriffs, etc.
Running to China for cheap exploitable labor is a short-sighted money-grab, IMO. 14:20 That’s not a judgement on anyone who chooses a Chinese made instrument. They give you a lot of bang for your buck and they make fine instruments like Eastman mandos. Just not for me.
No thanks. Can find plenty of boutique guitars used under $3,000. I wouldn't spend more than $200 on some junk chinese guitar