Unexpected NGD - Guild content.

Aahzz

Aahzz

Habanero Evangelist
So I had my PRS S2 Custom 22 up for sale on Craigslist, looking to finance stuff to move forward with my budding solo acoustic career. Mainly a column PA of some sort, and perhaps a preamp.

Got an email today, though asking "would you be interested in a 1980 Guild D40 built in Westerly?". Why yes, yes I would. She's in phenomenal condition for a 42 year old, and sounds amazing. HUGE neck, but very playable.

I've always had a thing for old Guilds, but have never owned one. Now I do :).

I'm not positive that I'll get along with the neck in the long run, but we'll see. Right now I'm enjoying the living heck out of her.

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Mrs Aahzz is generally pretty "meh" when I bring home new gear. To be fair, I've done it rather a lot over the years. She came home last night and looked at it like "nice guitar". Then I strummed an A Minor and she said "OH!". Played a little bit and she said "Well that's just beautiful".

This guitar has clearly been played quite a bit in the 42 years that it's existed, and just sings with all of the openness one would want from a nicely aged all solid wood guitar :grin:.
 
Aahzz said:
Mrs Aahzz is generally pretty "meh" when I bring home new gear. To be fair, I've done it rather a lot over the years. She came home last night and looked at it like "nice guitar". Then I strummed an A Minor and she said "OH!". Played a little bit and she said "Well that's just beautiful".

This guitar has clearly been played quite a bit in the 42 years that it's existed, and just sings with all of the openness one would want from a nicely aged all solid wood guitar :grin:.
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Guitars like that are typically "lifetime" instruments. Mine is nowhere near as old (1998 DV52) but there is just something about the Westerly-built guitars. Definitely hidden and under appreciated gems. I bought mine until I could afford a "real" Martin D28 and it turns out I didn't need one at all. My DV52 does everything I need and records great.
 
Guild's version of the D28....with a bigger neck. I've heard nothing but great things about the US made versions. Very nice!
 
Mark Wein said:
Guitars like that are typically "lifetime" instruments. Mine is nowhere near as old (1998 DV52) but there is just something about the Westerly-built guitars. Definitely hidden and under appreciated gems. I bought mine until I could afford a "real" Martin D28 and it turns out I didn't need one at all. My DV52 does everything I need and records great.
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IMO that something is simply they maintained some higher quality standards while most big mfgs were looking to cut production costs to increase profits.
 
Lerxst said:
IMO that something is simply they maintained some higher quality standards while most big mfgs were looking to cut production costs to increase profits.
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I'm pretty sure that is exactly right. Once Guild was moved out of Westerly by FMC they quit being so cool. It's the Fender Musical Instruments effect....buy a brand, get everyone excited and then eventually neuter it in the name of the bottom line.
 
Mark Wein said:
I'm pretty sure that is exactly right. Once Guild was moved out of Westerly by FMC they quit being so cool. It's the Fender Musical Instruments effect....buy a brand, get everyone excited and then eventually neuter it in the name of the bottom line.
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The whole thing post FMC purchase has been a strange trip

FMC's Corona plant was only making electric guitars so initially they had this period were Guild was shipping parts to Corona to be assembled and finished there. Eventually full production moved to Corona.
Then FMC bought Tacoma guitars and moved production there...then moved to Hartford, CT after FMC bought Kaman
FMC later killed off that facility and sold Guild to Cordoba who moved them to Oxnard, CA

Guild's had import guitars for several decades but as FMC fucked around with domestic production, the imports became most prevalent.
 
Well, it is an amazing guitar, and as Mark said, a lifetime guitar - for someone else. I really wanted it to be mine, but I'm reminded that I just prefer something other than a dread, so it's on Reverb.
 
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