A few thoughts after spending some quality time with the JF55. I wanted to put fresh strings on the guitar right away - I thought I had a set of medium Elixirs at home but alas, I did not. I've never claimed that Elixirs have the best tone, but I'm used to them so they can at least serve as a benchmark. Anyway, the strings on it are D'addario phosphor mediums. They don't look too old but it's sometimes hard to tell by looking. I'm interested to see what a string change might accomplish.
In terms of volume, the Guild lags my other guitars a little bit. That's not too unexpected, TMG told me that was his experience with it. The Guild really seems to have a lot of sustain, compared to my other guitars (hog, maple, and laminate). I would expect that with the rosewood and the jumbo body. When I fingerpick it in dropped-D tuning, that low bass D note seems to hang out there for a long time, which is really nice.
The action is fine for me - no need to mess with any setup for the time being. The neck is a good size, definitely chunkier than the Taylor neck, but what isn't? That's not a bad thing for me, I have some real meaty paws.
Most of all, I'm just struck by how beautiful the thing is. It is such a classy looking guitar. Plenty of bling, but not too much. I have always loved the look of the Guild "style 55" appointments. The neck inlays are just beyond gorgeous. And I have to think the Guild headstock with the G-shield and binding is the best looking headstock ever. It just strikes you when you walk into the room.
Also, the case is in such good shape, it makes me wonder if it's original to the guitar. It's a TKL hardshell case with black pebble texture and a Guild "Made to be Played" brass tag on it. The inside is green plush. Doesn't have a single scratch on it. For some reason, I can't seem walk through a door without banging my case on the door frame, so my cases tend to show some wear. Regardless, you couldn't ask for a nicer case.
Will update when I get some fresh strings on it.
