Played New Hartford Guitars today

[12stringer]

My Local guitar shop got a bunch of new Guilds in and I had only a short time to play them while someone else was banging away on a Rainsong :roll:

F50R...wow...beautiful and deep sound...just as it should be!...The open tuners were a bit unusual looking to me but they work fantastic...very smooth and the string responded to any tiny movement of the tuning knob.

D55...nice and smooth... very even tone across all spectrums.

D50 Bluegrass Special...my favorite...bigger sound than the D55...sounded like a guitar that had already been aged and had that big open sound to it.

One of them had very wide grain on the top (about 3/8")...I think it was one of the D50's

This was a very brief encounter with them but just thought I would pass it on...I was very impressed and think the fit and finish was top notch and the necks were easy to play.
It's nice to see this kind of sound and quality being made available again.

 

[Bobby McGee]

Wow, I must have just missed you. I was at 'The Guitar Shop' from 4:00 to 4:45 today. I talked to Brent and he said he was at the summit and he got to hand pick those 6 beauty's (F50, F50R, D-55AB w/ DTAR, D-55, D-50BGS/AB, D-50BGS) from a wall of about 300. Of course, they all sound different in their own way, but overall they are stunning guitars. The D-50s did have a more open sound, one of them looked like Adirondack, the other (AB) had some nice monkey clawing on the spruce top, the loudest one of the bunch. Brent said that they were rejecting some of the woods (I asssume that they got from Tacoma) and were real picky on the woods that they are using. He was very impressed with the shop and the enthusiasm of all involved (he was at the Taylor shop earlier this year for comparison sake). I'm almost willing to refinance the house at this point... Oh, the GAS. :mrgreen:

Check out some of their inventory:
http://www.gbase.com/stores/the-gui...0=0&sf1=12&sd1=1&sf2=7&sd2=0&make=guild&grp=5

Bobby.

 

[12stringer]

Sorry to have missed you Bobby...I left there at about 3:30...We are spoiled aren't we? Those guitars are great! I bought my GAD25 from Long & Mcquades because they financed it for me...otherwise I would have given the business to Brent...He's a great guy. That's a great store to make comparisons at as they have plenty of Taylors, Martins, and now they have the new Guilds!
Maybe our paths will cross yet...although it is getting a bit chilly for busking lately...was hoping for an Indian summer, but so far...Brrrr :lol:

 

[chazmo]

I suspect that the New Hartford folks are going with Adirondack soundboards on the D-50, as was done in Tacoma. This was the case on several models. Most Adi tops these days are wider-spaced grain than you normally find on Sitka. Younger-growth harvesting of the Adi spruce trees, perhaps?? I don't know.

Glad to hear the good news. Indeed, we made note of the fact that the Guild website has been updated for the new product line coming from New Hartford.

 

[12stringer]

Because of the price I fear the day when that shop get's an F512 in...MAJOR GAS ATTACK PREDICTED! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Beal]

Yes, they are making great guitars in New Hartford, I may have mentioned that before......
Glad to have it verified.

 

[southernGuild]

:shock: I DO LIKE the SOUND of THAT STUFF!!! Lord KNOWS I wont be seeing ANY of those guitars anytime soon down here!.......But I enjoy at least hearing about them, and hearing GOOD STUFF!! Keep it coming!! :wink:

 

[stclrob]

Each New Hartford I've played has been very nice....except for the new prices. :shock:

 

[EddieZ]

For what it's worth...

A local shop, GuitarRez, just got in a F512. I haven't been by to check it out though... don't want the temptation, hehehe

http://guitarrez.com/aginventory/guif512.html

EddieZ
Austin, TX

 

[chazmo]

Thanks for the pointer, Eddie.

So, it looks like there are four (minor) differences between the New Hartford F-512 product and the last of the Tacoma-built product:

1. Abalone or paua ring in the soundhole rosette (Tacoma just used tortoise-shell plastic ring);
2. Open-back Gotoh tuners rather than Grover Rotos;
3. Pickguard;
4. walnut center strip rather than maple in the 3-piece neck.

I think someone else said they'd continued with the 2008 Tacoma practice of using a single truss rod flanked with fixed carbon rods for the neck, and they've continued with the side-mounted strap button. Also, solid white pins. So, yeah,4 differences is all I can see.

 

[drive-south]

I like the feel of the new 12-string necks and am perfectly content with a single truss rod.
I don't like the strap button through the side though. Boy am I picky!

regards, Mark

 

[jazzmang]

Here's the first NH 12-stringer I've seen on the bay: http://cgi.ebay.com/GUILD-F412-12-S...QQptZGuitar?hash=item439ac967e6#ht_2450wt_939

Street sounds must be a pretty large retailer of Guilds, no? They've always got new Guilds listed for sale. IIRC, they were one of the first to get the NH D-55s when they first started trickling out of the factory...

 

[JerryR]

:Lord KNOWS I wont be seeing ANY of those guitars anytime soon down here!.......But I enjoy at least hearing about them, and hearing GOOD STUFF!! Keep it coming!! :wink:

I've only seen one out my way - in Vintage and Rare Guitars in Bath. It was a Monday and the shop is shut Mondays but through the window in th eback corner stood a D55 on a stand - no price tag. So wondering if it was an older one (I have GAS for a Westerly D55) I looked up their website. Turned out to be a new one - though possibly still a Tacoma rather than a New Hartford. They are asking £1,650 from memory which is about $2,600 current exchange rates :shock:

 

[12stringer]

Went to the shop again yesterday and the D55 was sounding the best to my ears...got to hear it without any other guitars being played nearby...very rich tone...just loved it!