Hi, I am new to the thread and am a Gretsch and Guild fan. I have the opportunity to buy a Westerly D 140 guitar and too am looking for the difference between the GAD and Westerly. The one I am looking at only has Guild on the headstock, not the Chesterfield. How can you tell the difference? All my guitars and American made. I know this one is made in China. Are they a well made guitar. Thanks Bob
HI Bob welcome aboard.
Both the GAD series and the Westerly Collection guitars are MIC.
Quite a while ago, maybe a year or so, when that series (Westerly Collection) was just starting to ship, one of our members was fortunate enough to catch a picture of a QC card accompanying one of the new guitars that was identical to those that came with the GADs, so I for one at least am satisfied that both types come from the same factory in China.
Fender never identified it (that I saw), neither has Cordoba for that matter, we discovered it through some detective work a few years back, assisted in particular by our member StarfireIV1967 (Ralf).
Recently a member presented evidence that in fact Guild in Oxnard and even Ren Ferguson himself had input into the design of the Westerly Collection instruments.
I've forgotten his name (so can't search for that thread easily) and my apologies in advance if I've "misremembered" that detail, but it was such a surprise to me that it "stuck", so I'm pretty sure of it.
The original GAD's were good enough to earn grudging respect from even some hardcore traditionalists here, and the Westerly Collection instruments have been getting similar reviews from new owners/members.
I've never tried one and I was one of the "traditionalists", but I have to respect the weight of opinion being so overwhelmingly favorable as to their price to quality value.
Hope that helps!