Introducing the Guild Westerly Collection

[fronobulax]

Oh and p.s. - I bought a cheap-a$$ digital alarm when I first moved to Vegas 10 years ago. It's difficult to read at night, even when you push the "light up" button, but it keeps good time, wakes me up when I set it

I may have the same alarm. I discovered that sometimes you have to press the "light up" button just right, but when you do, it lights up. If you press right and get no light, replacing the battery corrected the situation or you could just run the clock on the same battery for two or three more years knowing you would get no light but would still wake up when you were supposed to.

 

[davismanLV]

Wouldn't that be your hamstring group? Has to contract to bend the leg at the knee?
Or am I just not quite getting it?
Is it possible it became atrophied from constant use of the scooter?
Don't say I didn't try to warn you.
Better late than ever, er, never..

Al, truer words were never spoken. Bought a small compressor to run the stapler, nail gun, and pump up bike tires. The old one, a small Craftsman, was about 20 years old. The cord finally frayed and broke off and I decided to replace it rather than repair it. The Craftsman Evolve (a specific style of small compressor, that's supposedly newer and "better") lasted just over a year and stopped working. Just out of warranty. Almost as if it had electronic knowledge of how long it was supposed to run before it self-destructed. So, I bought another one of the older, traditional style. So now I have the Evolve (do not buy one of these) which needs repair, and the second one which is running like Florence Joyner (for now). Together they've lasted 1/10th the lifespan of the original small one, and if I'd just replaced the cord and done other minor repairs, probably even LESS.

As far as the heel goes, although muscle tone definitely factors into the equation, when the repair was made a "lengthening procedure" was done on my Achilles tendon, higher up the leg. This is to keep tension lower down at the heel level to hopefully prevent the same thing happening again. What I'm thinking is that now the tendon is slightly longer, the muscle has to contract EVEN MORE to get the same effect it had before the procedure. And after inactivity for so long, it's weak and atrophied. So I think I have a double problem. Range of motion with no weight or resistance is good, but add weight or resistance and ..... nothing. So I'm gonna keep after this and see what I can do.

This could also be one of those things where they just "neglect" to tell you the side effects. "We lengthen the tendon and that lowers the instances of recurrences. However, you'll never be able to lift your heel off the ground ever again." They fail to mention the "however" part, so......

 

[adorshki]

This could also be one of those things where they just "neglect" to tell you the side effects. "We lengthen the tendon and that lowers the instances of recurrences. However, you'll never be able to lift your heel off the ground ever again." They fail to mention the "however" part, so......

Time to cue up my "Dysfunctional Design" rant.
One of the favored tactics of the Front For Facilitation Of Global Economic Takeover, commonly known as "FFOGET".
See, you thought this was a veer but it's exactly what Jason was getting earlier in the thread when he told Charlie he'd be missing a lot of things....
Hopefully Elon Musk'll be able to head 'em off at the battery impasse, though.
Then the advent of home 3D printing'll at least allow us to be the masters of our own dysfunctional designs.

 

[Watasha]

Which is interesting given that the acronym was for Guild Acoustic Design and at the time it was introduced it was supposed to give the buyer a sense of connection to The Guild Guitar Company but make it clear that those instruments were not the corporate flagship. But if the name and strategy worked well then we would not have all the extra ones added to model numbers. A part of me longs for simpler times, such was when it was believed Volvo model numbers of the form XYZ were consistent and X designated a trim line or body style, Y was a 4 or 6 depending on the number of cylinders the engine had and Z was 2, 4 or 5 designating the number of doors.

I agree but I don't think it would be very Guild-like to be simple. Confusing records & designations seem to be a Guild hallmark. In that sense I guess "Westerly" designated instruments that weren't built in Westerly makes perfect "sense" for Guild.

 

[Rayk]

Time to cue up my "Dysfunctional Design" rant.
One of the favored tactics of the Front For Facilitation Of Global Economic Takeover, commonly known as "FFOGET".
See, you thought this was a veer but it's exactly what Jason was getting earlier in the thread when he told Charlie he'd be missing a lot of things....
Hopefully Elon Musk'll be able to head 'em off at the battery impasse, though.
Then the advent of home 3D printing'll at least allow us to be the masters of our own dysfunctional designs.

3D printing ?! Awesome sauce ! Never gave it a thought. I see new plastic guitars in the future ! Move over Rainsong now we truly have a camp fire all weather guitar .

 

[SFIV1967]

3D printing ?! Awesome sauce ! Never gave it a thought. I see new plastic guitars in the future !

The future is already reality: Here is one company, move over the pictures to see the details of the models: http://www.odd.org.nz/guitars.html or http://cubify.com/store/oddmusic
They were shown at NAMM in January 2013 already: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?175766-NAMM-2013-Pictures-that-don-t-fit-elsewhere
Ralf

 

[Big-Al]

Wow . . . interesting discussion here.

My only "Guild" is an earlier GAD model. Personally, I currently have no plans to buy a vintage USA Guild and I don't want to spend the money on a new USA Guild right now either. I've got a great sounding, relatively inexpensive guitar that serves my needs very well. As a bonus, it has a recognizable and credible American name on the headstock. If people ask me where it was made, I'll tell them. If I was selling it, I'd be up front about it too. But if someone just sees me playing it and they automatically assume it's a USA-made guitar . . . well . . . I can live with that. :friendly_wink:

I think a lot of people are in my boat.

 

[billymo]

Strange to introduce a product line that only has a new name, but not new products.
Stranger to use a name that is known for superior products, on a product line that is admittedly inferior (although value "could" be there, because pricing is much lower).
But the masses of guitar buyers won't see the above strangeness, won't recognize it, and might with a little research find that Westerlys had a great reputation, so this line or brand might be good as well.
Martin sells a ton of lower end guitars, Martin is number one in the world for number of guitars sold, Taylor is number one in the world for total sales dollars from guitars.
I'd say Guild is trying to chase more of those Martin low end buyers types, but I can't see how this marketing move would help in any way, but they're probably smarter than me, maybe.

A side note, the 2 GAD-50s that I've owned (dread/Sitka/rosewood) were great guitars, yet their replacement the D-150 (newer GAD Series) are I'd say just nothing special, as is the 1512 (China's cousin to the F512)

 

[adorshki]

I think a lot of people are in my boat.

Which one is you?

 

[Big-Al]

Which one is you?

Ouch. That wasn't very nice.

 

[adorshki]

Ouch. That wasn't very nice.

Apologies, I thought the "Lifeboat" metaphor would be humorous since GADs have been seen as a lifeboat for the brand, before. NO snark intended, just a "miss", I'll even take it down if you prefer.

 

[Rayk]

Man that went right over my head . I was gunna say Gilligan but he's not in the boat !?

 

[Big-Al]

Apologies, I though the "Lifeboat" metaphor would be humorous since GADs have been seen as a lifeboat for the brand, before. NO snark intended, just a "miss", I'll even take it down if you prefer.

OK, now I understand. I guess I wasn't here for the first part of the conversation.

 

[adorshki]

OK, now I understand. I guess I wasn't here for the first part of the conversation.

No sweat, glad to have a chance to make it right. A little gentle hazing for newbies is one thing but we don't believe in outright hostility except towards moderators when they get out of line.
NOW you're gettin' the hang of it!

 

[davismanLV]

Holy CRAP, Al!! Is that Tallulah Bankhead in that Lifeboat?? Wowza!!

Personally, I LOVED the post but.... you already knew that, didn't ya?? :encouragement:

 

[D30Man]

Wow . . . interesting discussion here.

My only "Guild" is an earlier GAD model. Personally, I currently have no plans to buy a vintage USA Guild and I don't want to spend the money on a new USA Guild right now either. I've got a great sounding, relatively inexpensive guitar that serves my needs very well. As a bonus, it has a recognizable and credible American name on the headstock. If people ask me where it was made, I'll tell them. If I was selling it, I'd be up front about it too. But if someone just sees me playing it and they automatically assume it's a USA-made guitar . . . well . . . I can live with that. :friendly_wink:

I think a lot of people are in my boat.

Hey Big Al! I am new to this group as well.. I love these conversations / threads... So interesting to see everyone's opinions.. I am with you, though I own 2 USA guilds, I have owned two GADs over the years and they were great guitars.. My GAD50 (which I traded with some cash for a D50 ) was really a dynamite sounding guitar and if I came across another one for the right price I would probably grab it.. I agree with some earlier comments that the earlier series is better than the more recent D100 series.. however, honestly I am intrigued to hear what the Westerly Collection will sound like and I will visit my local Guild dealer in June to check them out.. If I like what I hear, I may get one.. And to me, it will be a Guild... No not a Westerly Guild. Not a new US Guild.. But a Guild none the less.. I feel the same way about what Oxnard will produce when they actually start producing acoustics..

 

[mario1956]

As a Fender snob, I have to say - some of the Squier offerings have been FANTASTIC.

Totally agree. My son bought a Squier Strat in 2001 and still has it. He did change out the cheap buzzy electronics for some good stuff and still has less in it than one of those overpriced USA Strats.

The Chinese made Guilds have nothiing to do with anything else but being an import guitar obviously. All of the imports from China are all made in a few factories and with some small easily done appearances differentiate between models. The Eastmans, Blueridges, Guilds, and other better quality Chinese guitars are more similar than we'd like to admit. I have a Blueridge BR260 that except for the type of wood used plays, sounds, and feels very much like a Guild or Eastman. And it sounds pretty good. Eastmans do have nitro finishes beyond a certain point and people tend to like the "feel" of the guitar. You can go to DHGate (Chinese Ebay) and see all of those similar looking instruments for sale by the hundreds. Most copy Martin suppose that's the benchmark (for some reason).

 

[D30Man]

Totally agree. My son bought a Squier Strat in 2001 and still has it. He did change out the cheap buzzy electronics for some good stuff and still has less in it than one of those overpriced USA Strats.

The Chinese made Guilds have nothiing to do with anything else but being an import guitar obviously. All of the imports from China are all made in a few factories and with some small easily done appearances differentiate between models. The Eastmans, Blueridges, Guilds, and other better quality Chinese guitars are more similar than we'd like to admit. I have a Blueridge BR260 that except for the type of wood used plays, sounds, and feels very much like a Guild or Eastman. And it sounds pretty good. Eastmans do have nitro finishes beyond a certain point and people tend to like the "feel" of the guitar. You can go to DHGate (Chinese Ebay) and see all of those similar looking instruments for sale by the hundreds. Most copy Martin suppose that's the benchmark (for some reason).

On the Squier front, I would put a classic vibe series Tele or Strat up there among some of the better guits coming out of Fender these days. Those things are a treat to play and cost a good clip less than what you would pay for an MIM.. I have bought CV necks and put them on partscasters... Love em'...

 

[fronobulax]

All of the imports from China are all made in a few factories and with some small easily done appearances differentiate between models. ... Most copy Martin suppose that's the benchmark (for some reason).

<veer>
I am not disputing your statement because I just don't know, but this, for example, listed over 1400 Chinese guitar manufacturers. If we pull a number out of the air and say each factory supports 5 manufacturers (New Hartford supported 4) that could be 280 factories. If we pull a number from somewhere else and say 10% of those make guitars for export that is 28 factories and I'm pretty sure there are less than 28 factories making guitars in the United States. So I'm not sure the lack of diversity can be attributed to the number of factories although it may be due to "borrowing" designs rather than making new ones. I seem to recall that Gibson (Epiphone?) makes a big deal about the fact that the factory that makes their instruments is 100% devoted to their instruments and makes no other product lines.

I do know that when a US company contracts with a Chinese company to make a product based on a US design or other intellectual property it is usually expected that the Chinese company will legally or otherwise produce more items than contracted for and those will end up in the internal Chinese market. I'm aware of some electronics that are not made in China for exactly that reason even though the costs are higher.

To finish the veer, last time I looked several Martin trademarks are owned by Martin (in Nazareth PA) in the US but that company does not own them in China. So there are reproduction or counterfeit Martins made in China and no laws are broken until someone tries to bring one of those into the US and sell it.

</veer>

 

[Ronald Reagan]

Which one is you?

that is funny as hell (can i say that on this forum?)