"Guild electrics coming soon !" Hmmm...

[Zelja]

I was browsing the website of a local Fender/Guild dealer & went onto one of his pages which stated quite boldly & confidently:

"Guild electrics coming soon !"

My curiosity piqued, I sent them an email enquiry about this & got the following reply:

"Guild plan to make electric guitars again in their new factory but again we do not have a date or models as yet. Most likely early next year before we hear."

Now I wouldn't get too excited as this is the same guy who told me that Guild are starting production in Westerly again (another dealer told me the same thing - must be Fender Australia feeding out some mis-information).

Well, waddyareckon? Anyone else heard any rumours? Bing, you're a Guild dealer, any info?

Sure would be nice. The guys at the NH factory have plenty of top notch experience with electrics/semi-hollows after building Hamers for years so the quality would be great, of that I'm certain.

 

[SFIV1967]

Indeed, that would be great news for Guild! I have not seen anything in Europe so far, as you remember the shops in Europe had the new GAD "1" line posted some month before it was changed in the Guild web page and before it was know to the Americans.
So it is all possible that such news comes to Autralia or Europe before it is known in the US. I will be on the watch out for info from European Guild dealers.

But looking at that page here I am not sure if that is a plain wish:
http://www.electric-guitar-wizard.com/g ... itars.html
It could just means that guy wants to update his webpage with info about the old Guild electric guitars soon.

Ralf

 

[dapmdave]

Indeed, that would be great news for Guild! I have not seen anything in Europe so far, as you remember the shops in Europe had the new GAD "1" line posted some month before it was changed in the Guild web page and before it was know to the Americans.
So it is all possible that such news comes to Autralia or Europe before it is known in the US. I will be on the watch out for info from European Guild dealers.

But looking at that page here I am not sure if that is a plain wish:
http://www.electric-guitar-wizard.com/g ... itars.html
It could just means that guy wants to update his webpage with info about the old Guild electric guitars soon.

Ralf

I agree with Ralf. You may be mis-reading the intent of the page.

Dave

 

[Zelja]

I agree with Ralf. You may be mis-reading the intent of the page.

Dave

The quote I posted from the shop owner in the OP is very clear -""Guild plan to make electric guitars again in their new factory ...etc...". I don't know where he gets his information from though (as stated before, he said Westerly was opening up again). I have my doubts on it happenning - could rob sales from Gretsch & Hamer, which Fender probably wouldn't want.

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Z; You're right, any Guild electric guitar sales might come at the expense of other FMIC product lines. When FMIC bought Guild in the mid-90s, it 're-issued' the Starfire, Bluesbird, and the S-100. Any Guild re-entry into the electric guitar market, without radical re-design, would be on a re-re-issue basis.

To hit a target price point to generate unit sales, chances are they'd have to be made overseas ... as they did with the Dearmond models or, if US-made, they'd be moderately expensive like new Hamer and Heritage guitars. My recollection is that the subject of electric guitars came up at last year's LMG event and the comment from Guild was the equivalent of just showing a little leg .. 'maybe' (tee hee).

FMIC made Guild electrics ... on- and off-shore, they know what the sales were like, they know what it costs to make guitars, and they know the market. Finally, the sales model has changed; bricks-and-sticks retailers v. big-box retailers v. internet sales. If nothing else, the Guild NH acoustic models will be a 'worked example' in transitioning from one to the other.

Despite the fact that they have the Hamer shop, I personally think if FMIC thought it could make money selling Guild electric guitars, they'd be doing it now.

 

[Zelja]

Hi capn'. Someone should ask them again at this years LMG. As you allude to, it's difficult to see where they would fit in the market. If they were to make electrics again I get a feeling it would be in the jazzbox market - X175s, X500s etc.

Can't see them working the lower end of the market unless it's with offshore production. Hamers are expensive & haven't sold in great numbers. Can't see how Bluebirds or Starfires coulsd be any cheaper to make than the equivalent Hamers. Lots of competition in the high end solid body market with Gibson, PRS & the plethora of boutique builders.

 

[Telenator]

I truly hope they do start making electrics again. But I hope they do it right.

Their solid body electrics in particular seemed a little cheesey to me and not quite up to snuff with the competition.

I'm a big fan of the Blues Bird but was a bit put off by the lack of fret markers past the 15th fret and a few other appointments that would have made that guitar truly spectacular.

The quality I've seem coming out of Connecticut gives me great hope for the new line.

 

[capnjuan]

Hi capn'. Someone should ask them again at this years LMG. As you allude to, it's difficult to see where they would fit in the market. If they were to make electrics again I get a feeling it would be in the jazzbox market - X175s, X500s etc.

Can't see them working the lower end of the market unless it's with offshore production. Hamers are expensive & haven't sold in great numbers. Can't see how Bluebirds or Starfires coulsd be any cheaper to make than the equivalent Hamers. Lots of competition in the high end solid body market with Gibson, PRS & the plethora of boutique builders.

Agree: they might do better with jazzers ... make fewer of them but earn higher margins.

But, as Dire Straits said, "... we've gotta move these refrigerators, we gotta move these color TVs ... " No matter how we might venerate old and new Guilds, they're still consumer goods and it's about selling lots of units at lower margins ... As a practical matter, they might as well be toaster-ovens.

 

[dapmdave]

Perhaps they could squeeze into a niche market for jazz boxes and Starfire-style basses. Other than that, Fender has the bases covered, IMO.

Dave

 

[chazmo]

We'll see...

I assure you, this question will be asked at LMG2 for sure, guys.

 

[tjmangum]

Perhaps they could squeeze into a niche market for jazz boxes and Starfire-style basses. Other than that, Fender has the bases covered, IMO.
Dave

Dave, do you have an idea as to how large (or small) the "jazz box" market is? I know Eastman is taking a good share of the 2k and under market (and they great guitars IMHO), although I'm not quite sure as to who they are taking it away from. I know they are popular with guys who play out and want to leave their pricey Gibsons and such at home.
Terry

 

[fronobulax]

Fender just announced a bunch of new acoustic guitars being sold under the Fender brand. It seems pretty clear that FMIC sees enough of a difference between Fender acoustics, Guild "Made In New Hartford" acoustics, and the Guilds formerly known as GAD acoustics that they offer all three lines without fear of cannibalizing sales. Or perhaps they don't care about intra-FMIC competition?

So I think there is a place for Guild electrics in the FMIC stable. My guess is the "jazz boxes", M-85s, and Starfires are the most likely. They might go head to head with Gretsch but my understanding is that FMIC owns the distribution rights but not the brand, so the competition might not even harm FMIC's bottom line.

Several years ago (2005?) a couple of bassists reported that FMIC had been talking to them and measuring vintage Guild basses in their collection. Not sure whether that was mentioned on LTG or back when the Dude Pit was operating, but it suggests there has been a low level of interest in something that is both Guild and electric for several years so my sense is the question is not If? but When?

Given that the expertise to build Hamer electrics already exists in New Hartford I think the most important question is whether Guild reissued electrics could be produced at a price point where they could compete. That might not be as easy as it sounds since it seems like the biggest competition for new Guilds has been the (undervalued) vintage Guilds.

I don't see making reissued Guild electrics overseas as being especially viable. Why not revive DeArmond instead?

YMMV.

 

[dapmdave]

Perhaps they could squeeze into a niche market for jazz boxes and Starfire-style basses. Other than that, Fender has the bases covered, IMO.
Dave

Dave, do you have an idea as to how large (or small) the "jazz box" market is? I know Eastman is taking a good share of the 2k and under market (and they great guitars IMHO), although I'm not quite sure as to who they are taking it away from. I know they are popular with guys who play out and want to leave their pricey Gibsons and such at home.
Terry

No, Terry. I only bring up the "jazz box" market because that is an area where Guild has been strong historically, and I don't think I see a lot of this sort of thing coming from Fender nowadays... maybe Gretsch?

It does seem to be hard to find a semi-hollow body bass nowadays. The old Guilds command a high price and aside from the Epiphone Casady model, who else makes one? (bass guys can enlighten us, please!)

Dave

 

[fronobulax]

The old Guilds command a high price and aside from the Epiphone Casady model, who else makes one? (bass guys can enlighten us, please!)

Dave

Ibanez, Gretsch, Hofner and Lakland all have hollowbody models in production but I cannot say how they compare to a Starfire. When I was momentarily considering an modern replacement for a Starfire I looked at this because it had Dark Stars even though First Act doesn't have much of a positive reputation in the intro/beginner portion of the guitar market.

Just the fact that you ask the question suggests that a reissue Starfire bass would already have some traction in the marketplace, just as long as they got the pickups right. If my recollection is correct that the Starfire bass and corresponding double cutaway guitar have the same body then it would be an easy two-fer for Guild/FMIC to reissue them both. And if they made the reissue in the traditional red, sunburst, kelly green and added say a blue or a sea foam green...

 

[Default]

I would think that a classy Aristocrat with the V-block inlays would be cool. Gretschs are tacky, which is part of the charm of Gretsch, but I would go for class. Someone mentioned to me about Fender reissuing the Thunderbird, but I wasn't as enthusiastic as he hoped. Still, a big picture of Muddy and the ability to crank them out using Hamer staff seems like a safe bet for Fender/Guild. Make a run of ten and see if they sell...

 

[krysh]

well, if they'd offer a starfire bass reissue and a modern 4 & 5-string starfire bass with 34" and modern stringspacing, they'd definately cover a niche.
everybody who plays my old starfire bass says: great tone, but small stringspacing and thin neck. the art would be to make a starfire bass with dark stars and 34" and jazz bass stringspacing that is well balanced and NOT neck heavy....only lakland, dusenberg and warwick offer a real bass similar to this....I'd buy such a modern sf1 with the old pickup position at once as 4 and 5-string.
regarding the guitars, the starfires 2,3,4,5,6 should be back, as well as the reissue of the aristocrat. all other models are already available in other brands they have in fmic.

 

[jimmyl51]

I own and play old Guilds from the late 50's specifically an Aristocrat and Stuart A-500. Believe me on this day of remembering the horrors of 911 I would wish that Guild would produce such incredible models again. After remembering and seeing the poor people jumping out of the Towers reality then hits me. The reality of this economy will preclude the releases of such models given the economics of today. jim in Maine

 

[Thunderface]

When FMIC bought Guild in the mid-90s, it 're-issued' the Starfire, Bluesbird, and the S-100. Any Guild re-entry into the electric guitar market, without radical re-design, would be on a re-re-issue basis.

I'd have to agree on the re-re-issue thing. The big three mentioned are the ones we electric guys would like to see come back, and there seems to be a lot of those reissues still floating around. What everyone seems to really want are the 70s S-100s and Bluesbirds and Starfires from the 1960s and 70s. But can you make reissues to those specs and have them be commercially viable? The first S-100 reissues of late 1993 and 1994 were exact of the 70s specs, but soon were modified with wider nut widths and Seymour Duncan pickups.

I'll be curious to see what they come up with. What I would like to see is a reissue of the 1954-63 Aristocrat M-75.

I own and play old Guilds from the late 50's specifically an Aristocrat and Stuart A-500.

How's about sharing some photos of your Aristocrat and Stuart A-500?

 

[tele4tone]

Soundgarden is in the studio and there has been some mention of the S-100 in several articles. I can not think of one FMIC product that covers this guitar?

Guild gets requests for electrics quite often on the official facebook page.

Soundgarden's new album will be out next year sometime. I think it would be a good time to do it. The asking prices of S-100's have gone up quite it seems to me.

Personally, I will not buy another foreign market guitar ever again. I FMIC reads this than I want a MIA Guild S-100 without the heavy cruddy paint. I want Correct reproductions of the HB-1 pups. White, black, red, natural, and handrubbed oil finishes are good.

Jeff

 

[Hammer]

Soundgarden is in the studio and there has been some mention of the S-100 in several articles. I can not think of one FMIC product that covers this guitar?

Guild gets requests for electrics quite often on the official facebook page.

Soundgarden's new album will be out next year sometime. I think it would be a good time to do it. The asking prices of S-100's have gone up quite it seems to me.

Personally, I will not buy another foreign market guitar ever again. I FMIC reads this than I want a MIA Guild S-100 without the heavy cruddy paint. I want Correct reproductions of the HB-1 pups. White, black, red, natural, and handrubbed oil finishes are good.

Jeff

And...greeeeeen! :mrgreen: