Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I N O . V M A R C H 9 , 2 0 2 0 20 M A N U F A C T U R I N G F rom an 1850s mill in Lewiston, Bourgeois Guitars owner Dana Bourgeois and his team of 20 employees produce nearly 400 steel- string acoustic guitars a year. Each is custom built using "tone- woods"—species that lend the guitars a tonal quality — like mahogany, rosewood and spruce, some sourced from Maine's forests and others from around the world. "Mahogany has a woody, rich, sweet tone and rosewood has a more bell-like tone," he says. "And there are lots of woods in-between." Known for his high-quality work, Bourgeois commands prices ranging from $7,000 to $30,000. Since open- ing in 1992, the business experienced steady growth that lately attracted the attention of Eastman Music Co., a large instrument manufacturer headquartered in Pomona, Calif. Last October, Bourgeois finalized a part- nership with Eastman that's expected to expand Bourgeois's production by creating lower-cost models to attract a larger customer base. e initiative will draw on Eastman's global manu- facturing, sourcing and distribution capabilities. e partnership comes, Bourgeois says, at a time when worldwide demand is booming. He already ships some of his guitars abroad, and fore- sees further potential in places like China. Kick in the pants "e Chinese musical instrumen- tal market is a huge growth market," he says. "Small companies like ours have a hard time exporting one or two instruments overseas. But Eastman distributes worldwide. ey've already given us a good kick in the pants because they have a worldwide distri- bution network." at burgeoning demand is sup- porting a robust instrument-man- ufacturing sector in Maine, and it's expected to reverberate into the fore- seeable future. Bourgeois maintains more of a factory model of production that supports mentorship, but Maine's instrument makers are mostly one- person shops, perhaps with a part- time helper or apprentice. Although small, most sell well beyond Maine and have backlogs of orders. As a live- lihood, the profession works out well: the cost of materials might be several thousand dollars for instruments selling for as much as $30,000. In some instances, Maine's remote location can be tricky: Not everyone wants to travel to Maine to try out these hands-on products. But in gen- eral, makers find that word-of-mouth and dealerships generate national and even global sales. Indeed, these are products made to be heard, so when an instrument is used in performance, that often entices new buyers. "e way this business works, it's almost all word-of-mouth," says Toby Rzepka, who makes classical guitars and violas da gamba in Portland. "People have heard my guitars. Or, say, a guitar teacher in a university program will recommend me to a stu- dent. It's old-school marketing." F O C U S Toby Rzepka Toby Rzepka makes classical makes classical guitars and violas da gamba at guitars and violas da gamba at his Portland studio. He is part his Portland studio. He is part of a robust sector of instrument of a robust sector of instrument makers in Maine. makers in Maine. The music makers Instrument manufacturers, often one-person shops, serve a global market B y L a u r i e S c h r e i B e r P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY

• Cover