Chris Fleming, CEO of Bourgeois Guitars, gives Edward Little High School students a tour Tuesday of the facility in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. Bourgeois Guitars was one of three local businesses the Auburn students visited during a school-sponsored manufacturing tour. Fleming encouraged the students to find their passion. “The key to my life has always been doing what I love to do,” the former merchant marine said. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Edward Little High School student Lamar Bovan takes a close look Tuesday at the neck of a guitar during a tour of Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. Bourgeois Guitars was one of three local businesses Auburn students visited during a school-sponsored manufacturing tour. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Guitar necks dry Tuesday after the first of 36 finish coats at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. The finish cycle alone takes four weeks. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Chris Fleming, CEO of Bourgeois Guitars, shows Edward Little High School students Tuesday the various types of wood used at the Lewiston shop in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St.  Fleming said some of the finest wood used to make guitars, such as red spruce, is found in Maine. The company has plans to operate its own sawmill so it can use even more wood harvested in Maine to make guitars. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Students from Edward Little High School in Auburn look Tuesday at the fine details that go into making musical instruments at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. Holding the piece is CEO Chris Fleming. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Just about everywhere at Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill on Chestnut Street in Lewiston is a rendering of a guitar-playing icon, including this print of Jimi Hendrix. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Edward Little High School student Aleigha Gooding takes a close look Tuesday at the neck of a guitar during a tour of Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Edward Little High School students take a look Tuesday at a handcrafted mandolin during a tour of Bourgeois Guitars in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. Known for its acoustic guitars, Bourgeois craftsmen also make mandolins. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Chris Fleming, CEO of Bourgeois Guitars, shares guitar-making details Tuesday with Edward Little High School students Jaden Baril, left, and Lamar Bovan during a tour of the Lewiston shop in the Hill Mill on Chestnut Street. Bourgeois Guitars was one of the three local businesses the Auburn students visited during a school-sponsored manufacturing tour. Eleven guitars are made during every nine-week cycle by Bourgeois luthiers. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Bourgeois Guitars founder Dana Bourgeois built his first guitar in his dorm room at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. He now has 33 employees who make guitars in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Chris Fleming, CEO of Bourgeois Guitars, shows Edward Little High School students Tuesday a near complete handcrafted guitar at the facility in the Hill Mill at 41 Chestnut St. in Lewiston. The average price of a guitar made by Bourgeois luthiers is $8,000. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal