As a Guild fan what would be your advice to the new owners of the brand?

[refret]

I wish I was incredibly rich. I'd buy it and move it back to RI.....but, no. For that matter, I need to unload some stuff that's been hanging around to cover the GF-60 I just bought. I was supposed to be rich, I just know it. Stork dropped me off at the wrong house.

 

[dreadnut]

Don't really care any more. I have my vintage Guilds, will maybe buy another in he future.

 

[idealassets]

I mostly don't expect anyone on company pay to read all these blogs, since really there is not much here to help them. I myself hardly have the time to read all the opinions, even as much as I like the Guild brand.

 

[pjheff]

Guild was the poor mans Martin and Gibson in those days-that is why they were so successful.IMHO The boutique was a flawed concept from the beginning. They should build the m-20, d-25, d-44, d-55, f-30,f-50 ,212,412 and 512 and special order the 612 and sell them at below Martin,Taylor and Gibson prices. Then they will succeed again.

i agree with the vision but would modify the lineup. I'd consistently offer a D40 and a D50, priced competitively below Martin's D18 and D28, along with limited runs that highlight prominent guitarists of the past and hopefully present: a Nick Drake M20, a Ryan Adams D25, a Mississippi John Hurt F30, a Joan Baez / Paul Simon F30R, a Richie Havens D40, a Bruce Springsteen D40SB, a Rick Danko F50, a Dave Van Ronk F50R, a Billie Jo Armstrong D55 (sorry Tommy Smothers), an Eric Clapton GF60, a Johnny Cash D60, a Tom Petty D25-12, a Tim Buckley F212, a Roger Hodgson F412, a David Gilmour F512, a John Denver F612, and a whatever the heck he's playing Bruno Mars and a whatever the heck she's playing Avril Lavigne edition.

 

[idealassets]

Problem!:
1. The old Guild guitars were made cheaper and sold for relatively less, but many can begin to unravel when they are about 50+ years old. How do I know? I have played the vintage guitar game and found out. Who really thought of humidifying a $300 guitar in 1965, or 1975? Not anybody that I knew!

2. To maintain the New Hartford quality, the guitars have to sell for at least more than the equivalent Martin or Gibson guitar, since in reality the Martin/Gibson/Taylor equivalent quality guitar is now definitely made cheaper. How? With decals, and far less bling than a Guild. Also what about those graphite stiffening rods in the newer Guild 12 strings?

I wish the new owners the best of success, and I hope that they can produce the "guitars that built Guild" with the recent high level of quality at a reasonably competitive price.

Craig

 

[idealassets]

i agree with the vision but would modify the lineup. I'd consistently offer a D40 and a D50, priced competitively below Martin's D18 and D28, along with limited runs that highlight prominent guitarists of the past and hopefully present: a Nick Drake M20, a Ryan Adams D25, a Mississippi John Hurt F30, a Joan Baez / Paul Simon F30R, a Richie Havens D40, a Bruce Springsteen D40SB, a Rick Danko F50, a Dave Van Ronk F50R, a Billie Jo Armstrong D55 (sorry Tommy Smothers), an Eric Clapton GF60, a Johnny Cash D60, a Tom Petty D25-12, a Tim Buckley F212, a Roger Hodgson F412, a David Gilmour F512, a John Denver F612, and a whatever the heck he's playing Bruno Mars and a whatever the heck she's playing Avril Lavigne edition.

Not bad ideas.

 

[idealassets]

One more: do like Martin, and build ANY special order guitar that a buyer would like, and quote a concise cost, so you know what you are getting into. Of course it will cost a lot, but you would get what you are paying for.

 

[adorshki]

I mostly don't expect anyone on company pay to read all these blogs, since really there is not much here to help them. I myself hardly have the time to read all the opinions, even as much as I like the Guild brand.

Actually a company that was smart would read these "blogs" just like Synchro mentioned about Mike Lewis of Gretsch on the "Fender sells Guild" thread.
I think it may be no coincidence that while I was googling Cordoba today, I stumbled across the company's job openings and found a PR position and a Marketing/Customer Service position listed within the last month.
The marketing person would be the one to start following this site if they want to maintain some brand continuity.
If you're at a computer all day (like me), there's enough time, especially if it's part of your job.

 

[JohnW63]

Hmmm. they have openings for PR and marketing, eh?

I await the opening for " A room full of the best luthiers we can find. "

 

[adorshki]

Hmmm. they have openings for PR and marketing, eh?

Link here in case that's a sincere interest:
http://www.cordobaguitars.com/careers
Suspect you're well aware that just 'cause somethin' ain't posted yet don't mean they're not lookin'
:wink:

 

[SFIV1967]

My company is using job offerings as free of charge advertising, so don't get over excited about any job offerings you see anywhere...
Ralf

 

[iWood]

I would advise the new owners to provide me with an example of each model they plan to make, so that I can evaluate them. Such evaluations, of course, will take decades.

 

[fronobulax]

Given recent developments, CPG is already following some very good advice - engage the community of Guild enthusiasts. The fact that people there are aware of LTG and answering email is a very hopeful sign. So the advice is to keep reading LTG ;-)

 

[steverok]

I think I mentioned this on another thread, but please bring the mother-of-pearl Chesterfield logo back to the standard series like D50, F212XL, etc. I'll go further and say I also prefer it on the black headstock face. To me, that is the signature of a Guild guitar, and I expect to get that when I purchase a USA-made Guild. Even my GAD has the Chesterfield logo on it.

 

[tommym]

I think I mentioned this on another thread, but please bring the mother-of-pearl Chesterfield logo back to the standard series like D50, F212XL, etc. I'll go further and say I also prefer it on the black headstock face. To me, that is the signature of a Guild guitar, and I expect to get that when I purchase a USA-made Guild. Even my GAD has the Chesterfield logo on it.

There are many periods in time when the Chesterfield was not available on the headstock on a variety of standard models, for a variety of reasons. Some of the headstocks only had a silk screened "Guild" script, others had a water slide decal of the Guild peaked logo such as on my 70s F-30 NTs. So though I do really dig the Chesterfield logo, I would still like to see a variety of headstock logos / styles. As far as the black headstock face goes, I'm OK with that too, as long as it doesn't shrink and delaminate......:highly_amused:

From what I see on the Guild Guitar website, the Chesterfield is no longer available on the GAD either. Seems to be a Guild tradition to do so in any case.....:witless:

I wouldn't even mind seeing the old "lip" headstock every now and then. Hell, I'm still bemoaning to demise of the horse / horseshoe pickguard on the old F-47. I thought with Ren Ferguson (from Gibson) on board at NH, that surely that old decorative horse / horseshoe pickguard would somehow find its way home on the F-47. Oh well.....


Tommy

 

[Walter Broes]

I'm still bemoaning to demise of the horse / horseshoe pickguard on the old F-47. I thought with Ren Ferguson (from Gibson) on board at NH, that surely that old decorative horse / horseshoe pickguard would somehow find its way home on the F-47. Oh well...

That makes two of us!

 

[crank]

My $0.02... What Guild was never focused on or willing to pay for was artist endorsements. Face it, kids see their guitar heroes playing Gibsons, Taylors, Fenders... YOu want to sell guitars, get them up on stage and on TV. Lots of you guys mention John Denver's Guild as something that got you interested in the brand. Publicity and visibility matter more than any model or sound or price point. My advice to the new owners - pay some up and coming artists to play Guilds. Doyle Dykes may be good but they need a lot more guys of his ilk and some high profile popular artists to really build the brand.

 

[SFIV1967]

I wouldn't even mind seeing the old "lip" headstock every now and then. Hell, I'm still bemoaning to demise of the horse / horseshoe pickguard on the old F-47. I thought with Ren Ferguson (from Gibson) on board at NH, that surely that old decorative horse / horseshoe pickguard would somehow find its way home on the F-47. Oh well...

The liptop headstock design rights are with Gibson now as far as I know, that's why Guild was not even able to use it for the Newark St. series!

Regarding the horseshoe pickguard:

That makes two of us!

Really ?? I think that was kitsch...Might be cool in the right band setting, but probably not for the general public... http://twangcentral.com.au/Vault/A00002/content/images/large/037.jpg
Ralf

 

[Sal]

crank, I'd say you're right about lining up popular players to the Guild brand and more than anything I think that means the youngsters!


My $0.02... be careful with the aesthetic treatment of the acoustic line. You can get a little adventurous with electrics but the acoustics need to designed more carefully. The logos, pickguards, rosettes and such, can't get clunky or awkward. Tasteful and smart is going to appeal to more buyers. Personally, I thought the Guild logo molded into the tuner buttons was way over the top.


I'd like to see the lipstick headstock design brought back for some reissues too. Guild used it for their first 10 years. If it wasn't contested then it's gotta be too late to make an issue or it now.

 

[chazmo]

I wish I had useful advice for Cordoba Music Group as it embarks on Guild stewardship.

I'm sure this is all basic stuff, but I think if I were running the show, I would want really want to know two things from Fender...

First, I would like to know which models have been the best sellers in recent years. I think that's kind of how New Hartford decided to focus on their initial model launches -- the D-55 being the Traditional line heavy hitter.

Second, I would want to ask current Guild dealers what they want. Of course it'll be a mixed message, but what do they want and what can they sell?

Perhaps the biggest thing for CMG to figure out is whether foreign Guild production should be planned / continued. This is complicated, of course, and bears on those two questions. As traditionalists, we've often expressed our opinions about MIC and MIM Guilds (and now MIK electrics)... My local store owner told me a few years ago that if he hadn't had GADs to sell he probably wouldn't've sold any Guilds at all.

Again, I wish I had some advice, but all I really have are questions. I can only hope that CMG puts a lot of thought into what they want as the Guild brand identity (as others mentioned earlier), and ultimately executes accordingly.