Introducing Cypress to the Bourgeois Voice

We began by hand-selecting the first few tops, eager to explore cypress as a new voice within the Bourgeois lineup. With a stiffness-to-weight ratio comparable to redwood, cypress is delicate, highly responsive, and exceptionally well balanced—qualities that make it a natural fit for fingerstyle instruments. To showcase these attributes, we chose the OMSC, one of our favorite medium-sized body shapes for fingerstyle playing.

We have also continued refining our voicing techniques for cypress tops. Encouraged by the results of the earliest builds, we have pushed the concept further with the introduction of cypress bracing. Working closely with Dark Forest Cypress, we sourced brace billets from a variety of ancient logs and subjected them to extensive deflection testing before building and voicing a series of tops. The outcome was nothing short of inspiring, offering increased responsiveness, enhanced tonal cohesion, and a voice that feels both old and new.

Once braced and voiced, the first cypress top revealed its character—its tone deep and warm at the core, with a surprising breadth of overtones. To complement and elevate that natural warmth, cocobolo back and sides were selected, adding clarity and brightness to the overall tonal palette.