Tacoma Era Production Guilds

[adorshki]

Wow, this is quite a fabulous experience being able to hang around with you guys here! Great info in a very short time. My F-50 is absolutely mint condition as I’ve used it mainly for studio recording. My other big acoustic guitar is a Gibson Super 400 CES from 1969. But, as you can imagine, it’s for straight up Bebop.

Be-Bop: Sonny Rollins, tied with Coltrane for my favorite sax of all time.

Been thinking of getting something smaller as I had back surgery a couple of years ago and the case is even bigger than the Super 400 (so that weighs a ton)! Not 19 anymore...The F-50 is quite hefty to hold with that depth.

Next size down from F50 is F40 with 16" lower bout and which begat a whole slew of Guild cutaway acoustic electrics beginning in the early '80s with the F45ce. Hollow-body electric equivalent would be the Starfires.

I myself started getting between-the-shoulder blades fatigue pretty quickly from my dreads a few years back and began spending more and more time with my F65ce (also a member of what I call the F40 family) which is now my go-to for playing comfort. It's also only 3" deep.

Much to my dismay Oxnard doesn't offer anything in that size and shape anymore, so used/vintage is the only current option.
More F40 family background here:

F40 Lovers Unite!!

(...) OH WAIT!! I remember why I'm here.... I'd love a maple F40 (I don't get the nomenclature because what's the diff between F40 or F30?? I don't understand ANY if it!!) so if they came out with one, kinda like Al says, with a medium or even deep guitar, with a short scale and also a...

letstalkguild.com

The F40/ "GA" outline yielded more variations than any other Guild platform except dreadnoughts, but the F40 family had more combination variations in scale lengths/fretcounts/ cutaways/body wood-top wood and flat vs archback models, and even body depths.

I'm still mystified by Oxnard's complete omission of one of Guild's most important platforms over the years. Maybe they don't want to head-to-head against Taylor who pretty much dominates the segment Guild invented, now? But I still hold out a little hope.

Let us know if you want more info.

 

[dreadnut]

I fell in love with a Tacoma D50 at Elderly, but couldn't afford it at the time. It was one of the nicest sounding guitars in their acoustic room.

 

[DLF1954]

Welcome to the forum, DLF! Yes, as mentioned, your prior perception of Corona Guilds was a bit off, as exemplified by my spectacular JF30-12. I'm told its top should be AA but it certainly looks like AAA to me. And its burst actually looks a lot like your F50! Like yours, it's in mint condition. I also have a mint F50R built in New Hartford, which many (at least some!) consider the best of Guild (although none of Guild's changing plants is really hugely different from any other).

Corona's JF30-12

I believe I said there were some Corona built Guilds from 1995-1996 that were fine. Most of the ones we got were lackluster. When Benedetto had Fender attempt to make his guitars at the Corona plant, every single one that I played was a dud (and as I recall, they were $17K). Yours does indeed look like mine alright!

 

[DLF1954]

Be-Bop: Sonny Rollins, tied with Coltrane for my favorite sax of all time.


Next size down from F50 is F40 with 16" lower bout and which begat a whole slew of Guild cutaway acoustic electrics beginning in the early '80s with the F45ce. Hollow-body electric equivalent would be the Starfires.

I myself started getting between-the-shoulder blades fatigue pretty quickly from my dreads a few years back and began spending more and more time with my F65ce (also a member of what I call the F40 family) which is now my go-to for playing comfort. It's also only 3" deep.

Much to my dismay Oxnard doesn't offer anything in that size and shape anymore, so used/vintage is the only current option.
More F40 family background here:

F40 Lovers Unite!!

(...) OH WAIT!! I remember why I'm here.... I'd love a maple F40 (I don't get the nomenclature because what's the diff between F40 or F30?? I don't understand ANY if it!!) so if they came out with one, kinda like Al says, with a medium or even deep guitar, with a short scale and also a...

letstalkguild.com

The F40/ "GA" outline yielded more variations than any other Guild platform except dreadnoughts, but the F40 family had more combination variations in scale lengths/fretcounts/ cutaways/body wood-top wood and flat vs archback models, and even body depths.

I'm still mystified by Oxnard's complete omission of one of Guild's most important platforms over the years. Maybe they don't want to head-to-head against Taylor who pretty much dominates the segment Guild invented, now? But I still hold out a little hope.

Let us know if you want more info.

I really like the F-30 Jumbos from the 1960s, just saying. As to why Oxnard omits popular iconic Guild models is just beyond me and an incredibly dumb decision, IMHO.

 

[Tom O]

1995-1996 are Westerly Guilds. Guild moved to Corona in 2001 and to Tacoma in 2004. Guild dumped leftover Corona guitars after the move at reduced prices including seconds. My Corona D40 sounds great, sounded better than the Martins in shop when I bought it new in 2006. Fender sold Tacoma seconds to MIRC when they moved again to New Hartford. All new people in Oxnard, just have the old equipment set up by Ren Ferguson before he left Guild. My Tacoma CV-CE is now my favorite Guild.

 

[richardp69]

Some of the finest Guilds I owned were built in Tacoma. The Tacoma branded guitars were superb as well.

 

[DLF1954]

Obviously, the Fender sales rep gave me total bogus information at the time. Damn him. I hate wrong information period. Again, thanks for the schooling, Tom!

 

[DLF1954]

Some of the finest Guilds I owned were built in Tacoma. The Tacoma branded guitars were superb as well.

Very true!

 

[DLF1954]

If anyone is interested my F-50 is going on the block…..it’s up for sale.

 

[davismanLV]

I think Cougar replaced his blue JF30-12 with this burst one. A few years back.

 

[Br1ck]

I often wonder how many Guilds you will have had to own to have even a cursory knowledge of all the different permutation Guilds have had through the years. Just owning a 70 D 35 does not give me a clue as to what they were like in 78, 84, 90, or later. I do know all the Westerlys I've played after 72 or 73 have been heavier and sounded different. I do know every D 55 I've played, all three or four, have been fabulous. Ditto for the 12 strings. But I'd need to have owned 25 or 30 Guilds to even begin to offer an opinion. I know there are quite a few here who have.

I have to be content with what little I know, witch is if I needed a gigging instrument, I'd go looking for a D 25. Any Guild 12 string will do, ditto a D 55. That isn't a whole lot of knowledge.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I think Cougar replaced his blue JF30-12 with this burst one. A few years back.

ah I think I remember some photos of that blue 12er, Tom. Guild was always willing to stretch the envelope with colors and hues and about-face-180 designs and bracings, even sometimes year to year. Compared to say Martin or Gibson which appeared to build more consistently the same models and keep them where they were at.

 

[fronobulax]

All new people in Oxnard, just have the old equipment set up by Ren Ferguson before he left Guild.

To be more nuanced, only one major piece of equipment is known to have travelled across the country, an archback press that had actually been in Westerly. There is a possibility that a dual wide belt sander also travelled but I can't recall any confirmation that it was in a previous Guild factory. But when Ren was discussing his plans and vision it included new equipment or at least not having to reuse something just because it had been in New Hartford. Ren hinted he had been asked to stay on and decided to do it because he wanted to build a new factory from scratch. There was one New Hartford employee who went west and still works in Oxnard but I don't think they moved until the new plant was actually operating.

 

[adorshki]

To be more nuanced, only one major piece of equipment is known to have travelled across the country, an archback press that had actually been in Westerly.

Pilzer said the press was the only tooling that was kept from Tacoma, as the other stuff was basically too old and worn out and better tooling was already in place in NH.

 

[fronobulax]

All new people in Oxnard, just have the old equipment set up by Ren Ferguson before he left Guild.

Pilzer said the press was the only tooling that was kept from Tacoma, as the other stuff was basically too old and worn out and better tooling was already in place in NH.

I was clarifying what "old equipment" was (or was not) set up in Oxnard. We know the archback press made it to Oxnard by way of New Hartford. We don't know with certainty of any other equipment used in New Harford that was moved and set up in Oxnard. There are hints from discussions circa 2014/5 that we won't find anything else. We doubt, without confirmation, that there is any equipment that was stored in New Hartford - or anywhere else - that was used on a Guild factory floor and is now being used in Oxnard.

 

[SFIV1967]

We doubt, without confirmation, that there is any equipment that was stored in New Hartford - or anywhere else - that was used on a Guild factory floor and is now being used in Oxnard.

You might want to read this:

Which piece of Guild machinery?

Saw this pic in a Facebook Guild ad. Anyone know what the piece of equipment that is the background for this shot is used for?

letstalkguild.com

Also here you see parts of the many machines that moved from New Hartford to Oxnard:





Ralf

 

[Rusty Chops]

…My other big acoustic guitar is a Gibson Super 400 CES from 1969. But, as you can imagine, it’s for straight up Bebop

Nice!
When I moved to California I wanted to learn jazz in the worst way!
Went to the local Junior College, and they taught jazz in the worst way!
I’m no smokin’ Bebop guy, but love hearing it.

Pursuant to D-40’s, I had one with an Adirondack spruce top that was tremendous sounding.
Can’t remember which era. Might have been late nineties/early 2000’s.

 

[adorshki]

I was clarifying what "old equipment" was (or was not) set up in Oxnard. We know the archback press made it to Oxnard by way of New Hartford. We don't know with certainty of any other equipment used in New Harford that was moved and set up in Oxnard. There are hints from discussions circa 2014/5 that we won't find anything else. We doubt, without confirmation, that there is any equipment that was stored in New Hartford - or anywhere else - that was used on a Guild factory floor and is now being used in Oxnard.

Oh, I was just corroborating that according to Pilzer at least, only one piece of "legacy" equipment even made it to NH.

 

[fronobulax]

You might want to read this:

Which piece of Guild machinery?

Saw this pic in a Facebook Guild ad. Anyone know what the piece of equipment that is the background for this shot is used for?

letstalkguild.com

Also here you see parts of the many machines that moved from New Hartford to Oxnard:





Ralf

I did see the referenced thread and I even linked linked to it in my post. If I am truly Rafl'd then it is because I did not find anything in the thread that made a definitive comment about where the sander came from. I just reread the thread and I still can't find where it explicitly claims the sander came from New Hartford. Apparently I need more than that thread to jump to the conclusion that if it is old equipment and in Oxnard then it came from New Hartford.

 

[gjmalcyon]

I often wonder how many Guilds you will have had to own to have even a cursory knowledge of all the different permutation Guilds have had through the years.

All of them.

And I am pleased and proud to watch as several members of this august institution make serious efforts to do so.