Introducing the Guild Westerly Collection

[Default]

I had some Foo on FB tell me that the Westerly branded Chinese guitars were made of American wood. <eyeroll>

 

[Neal]

They are partially correct. The tops are North American sitka, I believe.

Neal

 

[Default]

Partially is the best kind of correct! So the tops are American or Canadian?

 

[Rayk]

I think ... Don't shoot ! I believe it comes from Alaska unfortunately though guitars require a very small percentage export over seas (China ) if I read right are again have been over cultivating and supplies once again are dwindling.
To me I'm seeing a lot more Engleman tops being promoted Yamaha is a good example, though it actually costs more I wonder if it's a faster growth tree .

 

[Rayk]

Hi everyone new to the forum here. Past owner of a F-412 which I had purchased new in '78 and later a Guild D-35 (currently Guild-less presently). I have been looking for a 12 string for about 6 months. Of course, there is only one real consideration for me when it comes to 12 strings..Guild. I have several Epiphone Masterbilts, which are marvelous instruments (so I have no issue with solid wood instruments manufactured outside the USA) but I never warmed up to the whole GAD line. I just came across the Westerly Collection and wanted to get some honest opinions on the line based on sound and build quality (only). I've read the rest of the thread and I understand the displeasure that some of the members have with the name. At my age, I really have no desire to drop the $$$ on a new 412 or 512 when it will get just occasional use. Thanks and I look forward to hearing your opinions.

I like them just try different ones till it screams take me home .

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr1lJjT0V8o

 

[Neal]

Sitka grows in the Pacific coast rain forests, from Northern California to Southern Alaska.

It has also been transplanted to similar environments in Norway and New Zealand.

Neal

 

[fronobulax]

I had some Foo on FB tell me that the Westerly branded Chinese guitars were made of American wood. <eyeroll>

uh... At LMG II the Fender reps said they were buying the wood that was then shipped to China for use in what was then the GAD line. They defenitely mentioned the USA as one of the sources of wood.

 

[adorshki]

uh... At LMG II the Fender reps said they were buying the wood that was then shipped to China for use in what was then the GAD line. They definitely mentioned the USA as one of the sources of wood.

I always remembered that, but "that was then, this is now" (and you do imply that).
I think many of us have jumped to the conclusion that Cordoba is still dealing with the same factory that made GAD's, and that's understandable.
Even if they were it doesn't neccessarily follow they're still doing it by the same rules.
Nowhere have I seen any confirmation from Cordoba that the Westerly Collection comes from the same place as the GAD's, (if it's on FB, well, I still don't go there), and I can't see any compelling reason for them to disclose the source, in the same way Fender never disclosed the actual specific factory(s) where GAD's were made.
And we know there's a lot of Chinese instrument factories.
I always wondered if Cordoba and Fender actually hooked up because they actually did both utilize the same factory, but it's never been answered in the couple of threads in which I mentioned it.
If they were using different factories, then it's entirely possible Cordoba's making the W. collection in the place where their original steel flat top line was made. After all, they have an existing relationship.
It probably matters to us here more than any other market demographic they have, but I don't actually expect an answer any time soon.
Anyway, the bottom line is, I don't think anything we know about GAD's should be assumed to be true of this new line.
Counterpoint:
Last I heard China's desperately short of wood of quality suitable for these kinds of applications. They can't even make high-quality paper, they have to import pulp to make paper at all, and it's my business to know this stuff.
So use of US grown wood in Chinese built guitars is not improbable.
In fact when I got into the paper business 20 years ago, the Pacific Northwest was still (like now) one of the world's best sources of high-quality (read: old growth) wood for construction and fine furniture use (includes instruments).
At that time it was explained to me that the Japanese were buying up so much of it they practically cornered the market.
It was one of the reasons I decided I better get an American built guitar while there was still good wood to be had.
Hello, D25.
At least, 20 years later, the option still exists.

 

[Neal]

Sitka is being over-harvested. It takes more than 150 years for a tree to grow to a size suitable for guitar tops.

But guitar manufacture is a tiny fraction of the old-growth sitka market. Most, as Al says, is going overseas for construction, paper, furniture and other uses.

Here in Virginia, we build with Southern Yellow Pine, which is worthless to the guitar industry, but great for studwalls, floor joists, rafters, flooring, treated decks, you name it. And it grows to harvest size fast (relatively speaking.

Neal

Neal

 

[fronobulax]

I think many of us have jumped to the conclusion that Cordoba is still dealing with the same factory that made GAD's, and that's understandable.

I'm willing to jump to that conclusion because there was no interruption of product through the transitions, but point noted and I have been wrong before.

 

[geoguy]

Welcome to LTG, HarleypsychRN. (My wife also works as a psych nurse, btw.)

I haven't heard that anyone here has played a Westerly Collection instrument . . . they are simply too new. The video example posted by rayk is from several years ago, & may (or may not) be representative of the new Westerly Collection instruments.

 

[Rayk]

Ok so unless I missed it and someone posted it my super secret contact told me the Westerly line is being made at the same Chinese plant as the Gad line . He could not tell me where that plant was only because he did not know lol .

 

[chazmo]

Yeah, Ray, no doubt. We got the lowdown on the GAD series and all the Fender oversight a few years ago at the Let's Meet Guild events. "Westerly" series is just the next iteration.

 

[fronobulax]

Ok so unless I missed it and someone posted it my super secret contact told me the Westerly line is being made at the same Chinese plant as the Gad line . He could not tell me where that plant was only because he did not know lol .

I have been accused of jumping to conclusions as my only form of exercise but there is no reason to believe that Cordoba changed overseas factories when they bought Guild and very many good reasons to believe that they continued production at the same place.

That said, as a consumer I have a hard time understanding why guitar companies are so secretive about where (overseas, since I am in the USA) production occurs. I guess they are afraid if it becomes common knowledge that one factory makes multiple brands consumers will assume it is that factory that is important and not the brand and buy a competitor's product.

See this article about "craft whiskey" and the likelihood that most of what is sold in the US originates at one distillery regardless of what the brand owners are trying to get people to believe.

 

[merlin6666]

That said, as a consumer I have a hard time understanding why guitar companies are so secretive about where (overseas, since I am in the USA) production occurs.

Why do even assume that there is a specific "plant" in China where guitars get assembled. Even in Japan, which is a few orders of magnitude smaller than China, there are several large plants where production of multiple brands is accomplished simultaneously, but shifted around as needed. It is most likely that FMIC, Cordoba, etc have long-term contracts with huge Chinese corporations which in turn will operate a multitude of facilities and production will get shifted among them depending on many factors. I doubt that there is an attachment to individual craftsmen or individual locations such as Westerly, new Hartford etc at all but rather an anonymous and dispersed mass production process applies.

 

[Neal]

So, conceivably, necks could be made in one factory, bodies in another, fretboards in a third, rough assembly in a fourth, poly applied in a fifth and final assembly in a sixth?

Neal

 

[chazmo]

Neal, I don't think that actually happens. My recollection, hearing from the Fender folks who oversaw this stuff, is that GADs were built in one place. The workers change constantly, though. Whether or not some components are jobbed out I don't remember, but I would be surprised to find out if it's done that way.

 

[Rayk]

I posted that because I thought some where unsure . To as where guitar is made ? ...... I think having it all in one house would be easier on QC nothing like have a massive shipment of necks tilted of 8 degrees of center LMAO

but we have things made from multiable sources these days it is what is and if not send it back !

to go off brand I was digging up some info on Chinese guitars and it seems ( you may have known this ? ) but you can order direct from a manufacture now I can't tell you who that is yet but it is interesting because you can order the type of quality you want ! you can get neck's body wood's and top wood spec'd to your preference along your name on the head stock .... BLISS! LOL

now it would be interesting to know and hear from someone who has done this but from what I'm reading you get a darn good custom guitar or you send it back ! and get another LOL might be worth a small gamble ....... Wow Ray that's an awesome guitar ! .... nah ! it just looks good sounds like crap ... But ! it has my name on it ! Awesome sauce !

 

[merlin6666]

The chinese shopping websites e.g. alibaba have more stuff available than my little brain could ever think about ... it's almost scary. It also has a branch with factory direct items.

 

[Neal]

At the extreme opposite end of the international guitar-making continuum are two boutique makers in my own community: Huss and Dalton (Staunton, VA) and Rockbridge (Charlottesville, VA).

They will make you exactly what you want...for a price. But every single piece is hand-crafted in the same place by the same people for an honest wage. I have resisted their tractor beam, so far.

Neal