ladytexan said:
Whether it's GAD or 100 + something, the Asian mahogany is still some of the ugliest, cheapest looking stuff....next to plywood.
Please note: I would like to change "Asian mahogany" to "mahogany used in the production of the GAD models". It's the look of the tiger-striped (streaky) mahogany, not the country of origin, that is keeps it out of my 'like' category.
I'm pretty sure it's 'African Mahogany', better known as Ribbon Mahogany. I wouldn't discount the sound of the GAD series Guilds. I have a couple: M-20 & a 30R. They both sound pretty good...imo. Far better than the '80 D-50 & 90's D-30 I once owned. The striped wood doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like it & the bride went completely gonzo over it.
I got lured back into the Guild fold 2 years ago when I went looking for a smaller sized guitar for my Grand Daughter. I came across the GAD M-20 at a local music store & was awe-struck at how good it sounded & how well it projected. So I copped it for $5 bills from the store owner. Needless to say, my G daughter hasn't shown any interest in it, as it's still a bit too big for her to hold...let alone play. So it's been hibernating in a closet for the last 2 years, until a couple of months ago when I took it out to restring & give it some playtime. Yikes, what a fabulous sound, esp when playing it w/ my fingers. Only problem is, the nut width's to tight for my fingers.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/ ... M20003.jpg
Plan B: I had heard about the GAD-30's & how some player's initially took to them. So about a month ago, I bought one of the 1st edition GAD-30R's w/ a 1 3/4" nut width in Rwd. What's not to like? Solid woods, 1-piece mahogany neck, dovetail joint, maple binding, pearl inlay, ebony board & bridge, scalloped bracing, exclt playability, pkgd...meh! I did upgrade the tuners to 18:1 Sta-Tites for better tuning. The poly finish is very durable. A little thick but doesn't seem to affect the tone. A little bright sounding when flat-picked, but when played finger-style...I'm duly impressed. This is what I wanted it for. It's a keeper.
Of course economic's played a part in these acquisitions as my other half & the current economy, have put a dampener on spending. With that, I'm giving some thought about the other 7 acoustics I have that aren't seeing much playtime lately, except for one Collings SJ.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/Rnbguitars/SJ-101.jpg.
I'm new here & have been an on & off lurker, mostly trying to get a grasp on the Guild nomenclature. Still can't figure it out? :roll: ...& I thought Martin's naming was difficult. From what I've gathered thus far here, is that the USA Guilds are the top dogs & the GAD series Guilds are kinda swept under the carpet? ....Say it ain't so!
Happy New Year
~Rich
Geo said:
You know, George, it's easy enough to replace those awful GAD pickguards with the traditional Guild pickguard. Like so.....
GAD 30
Joe
[/quote]
Joe: Where/how does one acquire a pickguard like that for a GAD-30R...?