Guild 12 Strings VS. Taylors

[taabru45]

Hi C.S. I had the pleasure of playing a Larrivee O3 12 string in a music store the other day, it was used but just so sweet sounding, and comfortable, as much as I love my F512R, its a huge guitar, and while it does sound as sweet as a harpsichord, it is smaller. :lol: All Larrivees have that ebony fingerboard which must help strengthen it as well as carry all that lovely tone to where it belongs, in the listeners ears. I really was smitten, but they do hold their price, this was $1500. and was a hog. (mahogany) in slang. Without a doubt, Guilds and Larrivees rule....and at the lower end, I don't think you can beat a Seagull, for the price.. :wink: Steffan

 

[Beal]

Just to set the record straight. Ovation pacemakers the 1115,1615, 1118, 1618 models just used a single truss rod.
When the models switched to 14 frets they used the K-Bar system with a tension rod. The K-Bar was a large piece of aluminum that acted as an I bean down the centre of the neck to help keep it straight.
On the Adamas models that had the fingerboard extend over the body there were two strips of grafite in the upper portion of the fingerboard (frets 10-18) to help hold it flat.
The Deacon solid body 12 strings did have two pieces of grafite under the fingerboard and one down the back of the neck (like the Magnum basses) and these functioned like an I beam. Maybe this is what the guy was thinking about when he said Ovation 12s use grafite.

 

[count savage]

taabru, you're right Larrivees are sweet sounding alright and play incredibly well. As a brand particularly their entree level guitars are an incredible value. I'd snap up one of those L-03 12s if I could afford to. They're really a great compliment to Guilds, too, because they sound so different. But there are so many great guitars out there. I can think of any number of custom guitar makers I'd love to have build me a 12-string.

 

[Appalachian Blues]

Welcome to LTG

I'm far from an expert except eating and sleeping, but I'm the proud owner of the GAD JF30-12 and have owned a Taylor 855. I play lefty so the Guild had to be converted but the Taylor was made lefty. The 855 had a great neck and good tone, but when I dug in, it washed out, got muddy. From my experience of owning a '74 lefty Guild D-40 since '75, and having played very percussively on it, I wasn't surprised the first time I dug into the JF30-12. It just got louder and never lost clarity.
The JF30-12 is a keeper.
Congrats on having G.A.S. and I don't mean that bloated feeling either.
Billy

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I have 2 Guilds F-212XLs and a Taylor 355 and these are the only brands of 12-string I care to own...every other 12string I've ever owned/played were simply less wonderful...and some were considerably so.

Life's too short, ya know? 8)

 

[killdeer43]

Welcome aboard, Glenn. I've owned/played all kinds of 12ers; I kept the Guilds... Have fun...

What he said.

Joe

 

[6L6]

Taylors are well made instruments and both 6 and 12 string guitars are very easy to play with their factory setups.

However...

As a previous owner of four high end Taylors I can tell you that they are WIMP MACHINES when it comes to volume and TONE.

There, I said it.

Ain't nuthin' like a Guild!

6

'06 F-412
'06 D-55
'06 D-40BJ
'74 D-40

 

[chazmo]

Taylors are well made instruments and both 6 and 12 string guitars are very easy to play with their factory setups.

However...

As a previous owner of four high end Taylors I can tell you that they are WIMP MACHINES when it comes to volume and TONE.

There, I said it.

Ain't nuthin' like a Guild!

6

'06 F-412
'06 D-55
'06 D-40BJ
'74 D-40

6, you crack me up. I've always really liked the Taylor maple jumbo 12s (655 series). I still own one of them, and I've played quite a few. They've all been consistent and have a very sweet, dry sound. Not as much volume as, say, the JF-30-12, but "tone" galore.

 

[Roman]

As a previous owner of four high end Taylors I can tell you that they are WIMP MACHINES when it comes to volume and TONE.

I beg to differ . . . Volume? depends on the aggresivness of the picker. Tone? You might want to get your ears checked.

Different strokes for different folks.

My D-55 is in a class by itself . . . along with my various other instruments.

I know this is a Guild site (that's why I'm here) but these types of "characterizations" is pure BS.

 

[Graham]

I know this is a Guild site (that's why I'm here) but these types of "characterizations" is pure BS.

I agree!

 

[dogberry]

Welcome to LTG, Glenn. As you've seen by now, you'll get all kinds of opinion here, but universal support for GAS.

I thought 'Strang's observation that Guilds and Taylors are pianos and harpsichords, respectively, is a great description, in my experience, of the difference in sound/tone. I've played a few Taylors that had amazing overtones and tops that just sang. That said, I'm still stuck on Guilds, but if money were no object I'd probably own a Taylor and Martin or two, too. And a whole lot more Guilds.

 

[irishjohnny]

Hello Glenn.

I'm in the UK, and I have - like yourself -just recently bought a JF30-12.

I've been amazed at the wealth of knowledge on this forum and the willingness of people to share that knowledge - my thread is here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14156

IJ.