As a shop that deals in top-of-the-line, beautiful guitars on a daily basis, it’s rare that a guitar will completely blow us away on first-sighting. We imagine our experience opening the case to this Bourgeois Slope D Brazilian was similar to how people in the Renaissance reacted to Michelangelo’s David regardless of the number of marble statues they’d seen in their lifetime.
Everything from the quality of these tone woods to the DB Signature purfling exceeds the aesthetic appeal of even the most expensive guitars. And of course, Bourgeois does not let these aesthetics compromise their high standards for tone and playability.
Luxury Elements Combine for an Organic Guitar
While some guitars’ aesthetics are dominated by intricate borders or inlays, the Bourgeois Slope D is far more subtle while still being just as impressive. Save for Bourgeois’s signature rosette, the aesthetic details are all-natural.
It’s All in the Wood
Usually, Adirondack has minimal figuring, but this acoustic guitar model has a Adirondack bear claw top with a sunburst stain. This effect is beautifully complimented by the Brazilian rosewood body. The gorgeous marble-like texture on the back and sides is probably the Slope D’s most impressive feature. Even more remarkable is that the pattern is completely authentic to the wood. Bourgeois’s only alteration is a stain to warm up the rosewood’s color. Other wood detailing includes the Bourgeois Slope D’s:
- DB signature purling
- Multicolor herringbone back strip
- Brazilian rosewood headstock veneer
- Snake wood buttons on the gold-weighted Waverly tuners
Heirloom-Worthy Details
In addition to the beautiful wooden additions, the Bourgeois Slope D has fossilized mammoth ivory diamond inlays on the fingerboard and an antiqued walrus ivory bridge pin. In fact, of all Bourgeois guitars, ivory bridge pins are exclusive to Brazilian guitars
Our Verdict
With this acoustic guitar, you still get the huge volume and comfortable short scale common to dreadnoughts. Compared to other slope dreadnought guitars, the Bourgeois Slope D is slightly warmer and richer and has better sustain. It’s a great strumming guitar, even for bluegrass musicians who usually stay clear from slope D’s. This model is versatile enough for finger picking, but to get the most out of this guitar, you may want to consider some old-school finger picks.