Brand New Bourgeois Odyssey D Luthiers Choice Custom Series Dreadnaught Adirondack / Madagascar

Here's the latest in dreadnaught design from Dana Bourgeois, the Odyssey D Luthiers' Choice Custom!  It's built with an Adirondack Spruce top and a beautiful Madagascar Rosewood back and side set. A few design features that are new for Bourgeois have been incorporated, such as the asymmetric oval rosette, the subtle design of the arm bevel on the lower bout, and the enlarged logo on the headstock. 

On top of these, Bourgeois has incorporated some modern design elements such as a double x - braced back (see the description below!) and an enlarged ovular soundhole for improved resonance and projection. 

At this point you should check out the attached video from the Peghead Nation review of this unique guitar, then read what Peghead's Teja Gerken had to say about it here below. Mind you, the review takes a close look at an Indian Rosewood version of the same guitar you see in this post; For a video demonstration of our Madagascar Rosewood version featured in this post, please visit our YouTube channel or message us for the youtube link.

"With details such as fully removable bolt-on necks, modified bracing designs, individual voicing, superb finishes, and more, Bourgeois guitars are among the more innovative contemporary instruments around. However, with their traditional outward appearance, most Bourgeois models look more like the vintage steel-strings that inspired them. But with the introduction of the Odyssey series of guitars, which are currently made within the framework of Bourgeois’s one-off “Luthier’s Choice” line, Dana Bourgeois has turned to a decidedly more extroverted appearance, incorporating several contemporary features.  

The Odyssey D is based on Bourgeois’s standard dreadnought body, but with the depth of an OM, making it slightly shallower than the company’s standard dreadnoughts. The guitar’s cutaway has an almost flat curve that recalls the cutaway on Selmer-style Gypsy jazz guitars and works harmoniously with the Odyssey’s oval soundhole. Speaking of the soundhole, although different in shape, it is the same size as the “large” soundhole option found on several Bourgeois models. The final modification to the guitar’s body is the armrest bevel. Though fairly common on smaller instruments, this is a rarity on a dreadnought. The Odyssey’s peghead has a slightly asymmetrical shape, and the guitar’s plain fingerboard contributes to its contemporary appearance.

Playing the guitar, it’s immediately evident that Dana’s attempt at updating the dreadnought’s ergonomic qualities pays off big time. Between the shallower body and the armrest bevel, the guitar is much more comfortable to hold, and players who have issues with their right arm or shoulder will especially appreciate these design choices. Tonally, the guitar delivers the balanced, powerful voice that Bourgeois dreadnoughts are known for, and while it excelled when flatpicked, its large dynamic range and great clarity also made it fun to play fingerstyle.

Overall, the Odyssey D is clearly a guitar that seeks to bring the dreadnought into a new era. Without abandoning the dreadnought’s fundamental design or sound, the guitar introduces a new level of playing comfort with a contemporary tonality, and its looks are bound to turn heads. Well done, Bourgeois!

SPECS: Cutaway dreadnought body with OM depth. Adirondack spruce top with Aged Tone X-bracing. Indian rosewood back and sides. Mahogany neck. Ebony fretboard and bridge. Ivoroid binding. 25.5-inch scale. 1²³/₃₂-inch nut width. Armrest bevel. Waverly tuners."

Let us try to summarize how Dana describes the innovative back brace design on this guitar: Dana has always worked to achieve a balance between a light and resonant approach (to serve as a secondary resonator which adds warmth depth and balance), and building with stout back bracing to get a punchy and loud effect. The double interlocking X brand back provides that balance that Dana works to achieve, but with greater ease and effect!

The Odyssey back braces are very light and much thinner than typical Bourgeois back bracing, but the result is a rigidity of the entire back that usually comes with much stouter bracing. The key is where you relieve the braces at the edges. The idea is to give some overall movement to the back, yet provide some rigidity to the central area.

This unique interlocking X braced back is a good deal more difficult to build, but makes for a bit of a different sound than the 'standard' Bourgeois sound! 

Built with Dana's 'Luthiers Choice' tone woods, a step above Master Grade, you see on this masterpiece a beautiful Adirondack top and a nicely book matched Madagascar Rosewood set for the back and sides.

Additional critical specs:

2.2" string spacing at the bridge
4-5/8" body depth at the end pin