Pre-Owned 1997 Bourgeois Martin Simpson Signature Cutaway Natural With OHSC

We just took in an amazing acoustic, this Bourgeois Martin Simpson Signature Cutaway.  Aficionados know Bourgeois as a long-time leader in the high-end boutique acoustic world.  Known for lightweight builds, hand-voiced tap-tuned tops, and incredible sustain, serious players have favored their guitars as a modern take on classic pre-war tones with excellent craftsmanship.  These are premium instruments.  Every time we get one in, we're blown away - and this one does that exceptionally well.

This model stems from a collaboration between Dana Bourgeois and British fingerstyle legend Martin Simpson. Produced during the revered "Pre-Pantheon" era of Bourgeois guitars, 1997 marked the very first year of production for this limited six-year run (1997–2003). It is celebrated for its massive, resonant, and balanced sound that excels beautifully in both complex fingerstyle arrangements and flatpicking.

Martin Simpson Signature Cutaway features a unique Grand Auditorium / Sloped Dreadnought hybrid design. It provides a deeper body depth than a standard OM/000, delivering extra power, midrange punch, and a robust bass response.  The neck meets the body at the 12th fret. This places the bridge right in the top's sonic "sweet spot," resulting in exceptional responsiveness.  To offset the upper fret limitations of a 12-fret body, it is equipped with a smooth, deep Florentine "fallaway" cutaway.  It's one of the guitar's most unique features.  This allows effortless access to the highest registers of the fretboard.  It really does make it easier.  You get a 1.75" nut width and a 25.5" scale, for optimal string separation and structural tension for alternate and dropped tunings

The guitar features a Sitka Spruce top paired with Mahogany for the back and sides.  It's a classic combination, and Bourgeois sourced premium choices for all of the woods.  The result is greater sustain, and a rich, wide-open tone that works for a variety of styles. It's warm and big, yet not boomy - this is a great fingerpicking guitar.  The mids are well balanced, with a top end that sings beautifully.  We can see why Martin Simpson chose the specs of the guitar the way that he did.

This beautiful instrument is decorated with elegant touches like an abalone rosette, multi-color herringbone backstrips, ivoroid bindings, and signature fingerboard inlays.  It has the factory pickguard as well as a strap lock on the front strap pin.  The original hardshell case is included.  

The guitar is in great condition, with normal player wear to be expected after nearly 30 years on earth being used for what it was made for.  Setup to play perfectly by the techs in our shop, it's ready to go.  This Bourgeois Martin Simpson Signature Cutaway is quite the find.