3 min read

Pegheads and fretboards lie on a table Tuesday before assembling a guitar at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Learn more: Bourgeois Guitars plans expansion on North Lisbon Road in Lewiston

Robby Ouellette sands a piece of wood Tuesday as he works on fitting the butt wedge on a guitar at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
The fretboard of a Bourgeois OM-45 Deluxe “Bouquet” 45th anniversary guitar is ready to be assembled Tuesday at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Tom Klose makes final tweaks Tuesday afternoon to a guitar at Bourgeois Guitars  in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Tom Klose makes final tweaks Tuesday afternoon to a guitar at Bourgeois Guitars  in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Tools hang on a wall Tuesday afternoon at the world-famous Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Everywhere there are photos of famous guitar players, including this vintage one of Lightnin’ Hopkins, the undisputed King of Texas Blues. Many current famous musicians use Bourgeois guitars, including Luke Bryan, Bryan Sutton, Andy Falco and Natalie Maines. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Bourgeois Guitars CEO Chris Fleming, left, talks Tuesday afternoon about how a guitar is made as Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, right, and Kopychayntsim, Ukraine, Mayor Bogdan Kelichavyi listen. Sheline met Kelichavyi when he was speaking at Harvard University and invited him to visit Lewiston. They toured several businesses, including the world-famous guitar company in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, left, Kopychayntsim, Ukraine, Mayor Bogdan Kelichavyi, second from left, and Bourgeois Guitars CEO Chris Fleming, second from right, listen Tuesday afternoon to master luthier Dana Bourgeois talk about the stains he is using to create a new guitar design at the world-famous company in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
The headstock of a Bourgeois OM-45 Deluxe “Bouquet” 45th Anniversary guitar is ready to be assembled Tuesday at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Bourgeois Guitars CEO Chirs Fleming, left, talks Tuesday afternoon about how a guitar is made as Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline, right, and Kopychayntsim, Ukraine, Mayor Bogdan Kelichavyi listen. Sheline met Kelichavyi when he was speaking at Harvard University and invited him to visit Lewiston. They toured several businesses, including the world-famous company in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Guitars hang Tuesday afternoon in the curing room during the final stages of production at Bourgeois Guitar in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Guitar strings are ready Tuesday to be fitted to guitars at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Canal Street in Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

A lifelong resident of Lewiston, Russ stumbled into photography as a college student working toward a career in psychology. His great-grandfather Louis B. Costello was the publisher of the Lewiston Daily...