We now play Yamahas

[banjomike]

That's interesting. I wonder if it's a cultural thing, i.e. - Americans are more likely to listen to Americans.

It could be.
I never met or even saw any of them. Some of the crew were unhappy with the changes, but others not at all.
Many of Montana's worst problems came from the Nashville head office, and it never changed.

 

[twocorgis]

Well where's the other one?

From article:

"The geographic center of the United States is a point approximately 20 mi (32 km) north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota at 44°58′2.07622″N 103°46′17.60283″WCoordinates:

44°58′2.07622″N 103°46′17.60283″W. It has been regarded as such by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) since the additions of Alaska and Hawaii to the United States in 1959."

 

[JohnW63]

Fingers crossed.

And for the Silent Guitar comment above...They are a lot of fun. I take mine on trips where something has to go in the overhead bin. It fits pretty easily. I wait until there are som other bags in it first, because it would disappear over the edge that nobody can see over but NBA players.

 

[DeArmond Hammer]

Since US is soooooo much larger than Finland - do you have many competing "Center of US" places ?

Even though our country is about 1,5XMinnesota - we have at least three competing places of "The Spot"

They are all within maybe 20 miles from each other. Calculated by East-West & North-South cordinates - or the gravity point of the map - including or excluding the sea area - etc etc - main purpose naturally is to lure the imaginary tourist to empty his/hers wallett at your shop . . .

The US has government agencies to provide exact answers to such indeterminate questions.

 

[DeArmond Hammer]

But Yamaha ditched the Ampeg's guitar amp line. Sure, Ampeg is better known for their bass amps, but they made some nice guitar amps, too.

I'm a fan of Ampeg guitar amps, but I think Ampeg had already discontinued its guitar amps when Yamaha bought the business five years ago.

From what I've seen, Yamaha has been a good steward of the Ampeg brand. Product quality is high, and the new product line introduced since Yamaha's purchase, the Rocket Bass combo amps, pay homage to Ampeg's vintage look and sound.

I'm excited to see what Guild can do with Yamaha's financial support.

 

[Guildedagain]

I need some Yamaha financial support

;[]

I'd part with a Guild for this Yamaha

 

[Westerly Wood]

I need some Yamaha financial support

;[]

I'd part with a Guild for this Yamaha

I could rest my BR in the basket

 

[GGJaguar]

I need some Yamaha financial support

;[]

I'd part with a Guild for this Yamaha

If they had an electric version with a bigger basket, they could use it to ferry parts around the Oxnard factory.

 

[adorshki]

I need some Yamaha financial support

;[]

I'd part with a Guild for this Yamaha

Now if only Ferrarri would build guitars:

 

[SFIV1967]

Now if only Ferrarri would build guitars:

Not Ferrari but our friend Ron:




Ralf

 

[jeffcoop]

Most days, I don't even know why Cordoba decided to buy Guild.

Me either, but, given that the likely alternative was the end of the line, I'm glad they did. And now, hopefully, there are better days ahead.

 

[banjomike]

Most days, I don't even know why Cordoba decided to buy Guild.

Cordoba bought Guild for the same reason the others did; the brand has immense sales potential.

The problem with Guild has always been the company needs to be a really good fit for any other company that buys it.
That may not seem like much of a problem, but it's the most common reason why guitar companies and the holding companies that own them go bankrupt.

 

[chazmo]

I think that the situation with Yamaha will be quite similar to the situation with Fender -- a (relatively) small business in a (relatively) large one.

What's kind of different, in multiple ways, about Yamaha is that it's a HUGE conglomerate, and the Japanese have proven that they do that better than pretty much anyone else. What's unique about Yamaha among the other Japanese corporations is that they are a real brand name in music. I don't think there's an instrument they don't make under their own brand (well, maybe double reeds, not sure??). It will be very interesting to see how that "fit" that Mike mentioned works here.

I have to say I'm delighted to see Guild featured in Yamaha's web pages so soon after the acquisition. That says something to me that they plan good things! Cross your fingers.

 

[MartyG]

Not a Ferrari, but I work for Boeing (retiring at the end of March!) and a while back we did a custom Strat with Fender using fuselage material from retired 747s for a pick guard. One of my colleagues ran the licensing group, and he was an avid guitar player so I suspect that prompted the idea. They made a bunch of different colors. I think the retail was something like $4500.00. Looks like there is one on Reverb now for #3,500. I get an employee discount if anyone is interested!

Marty

 

[chazmo]

That's wicked cool, Marty. Is it just the PG that's got stuff from an old plane?

Good luck with your retirement plans too. I was recently laid off from high-tech where I was employed for 38 continuous years. I thought I was going to make it to 40 years, but I'm considering this as an early retirement. I'm enjoying it! Anyway, best of luck. Were you at Boeing for your whole career?

 

[GGJaguar]

Not a Ferrari, but I work for Boeing (retiring at the end of March!) and a while back we did a custom Strat with Fender using fuselage material from retired 747s for a pick guard.

Well, that's one way to recycle.

 

[MartyG]

Yeah - just the pick guard. I was hoping for a bit more Boeing in the end, but that would have been complicated. I spent the last 13 years of my career with Boeing, following 9 years with Caterpillar, 18 years with Black & Decker, a few with Honeywell before that. 44 years in all, but I've worked continuously since I was 11, so 55 years in all. (7-day a week paper route in Wisconsin from age 11 - 16 is WORK) Half of my "corporate" time in Industrial Design, and the back half in brand management, advertising, research etc. This will be the only time in my career to voluntarily resign. All other jobs ended in a layoff, and I got very close to the same fate at Boeing a year ago.

Speaking of recycling, it's a big business for Boeing with the "Custom Hanger" shop. Check it out:

Custom Hanger

 

[beecee]

I stopped reading around page 11 so if this has been said before...shoot me!

But I'm happy.

Cordoba was over it's head. Yamaha is deep. They've excelled in every area they compete. Loved one of their receivers that powered a pair of LaScalas before I dove into the McIntosh pool

I have a Yamaha generator and outboard- excellent! Not cheap either. I have owned a Turbo Seca and an RD 350. Superb, cutting edge tech for the turbo model and world champs with the frame of the RD line. Their wind instruments are good, their guitars span a wide price spectrum. Their pianos are very good.

I hope this doesn't come off wrong but I've dealt with Japanese buyers of commercial real estate for over 30 years. They don't think short term. I'm optimistic they will be a good steward of the brand and have the resources to do so.

Frankly I hope they kill off the alphabet soup range of MI Asia Guild imports, stick to a few good ones but my goodness I don't recognize the majority of models anymore. Focus on the good Cordoba stuff and ramp up the MIA....win/win.

One other thing: they have the clout to tell GC et al to start carrying their MIA guitars.

I'd rather have Guild be owned by Yamaha than a hedge fund.

That's all.

domo arigatou!!!!!

 

[Guildedagain]

Domo

They don't think short term.

Some crazy history going on here, going back to The Imperial Cruise. Has to be read/researched to be understood. We're all still living the consequences.

As an Avid Nikon lover, the rangefinders, F's, F2, F3, I really wouldn't have to tell anyone that they make the finest stuff on earth.

Their lens coatings, much origination in Germany, history again, are the best.

Yet Nikons came out of nowhere as the best press cameras ever made in conflict zones, and they were not accepted at first, but couldn't be denied.

Next, their handed the Brits their motorcycle industry on a plate, the Suzuki X-6 Hustler, a 250 that blow the doors off a Triumph 650, didn't last long before BSA/Triumph/Norton were done and eventually GSXR's and eventually Hayabusas ruling the streets of America.

Then the American car/truck industry.

I feel to for people who drive Chevys/Fords, poor people like us who drive the old ones.

Only the down and out drive these things in the county here, down and out after 3 transmission overhauls in as many years on a Ford F250, etc.

Subaru is king here. All mail people drive them. Posers drive big SUVs, still Japanese, and the bubbas drive big loud jacked up Chevys/Fords.

Everyone in family all up and down West coast drives Subaru, a conclusion we all came to separately around the same time.

So to me, its kinda neat seeing this happen, and they deserve it.

The stories of American owned and passed around music companies is a tragic one, what CBS did to Fender, what Norlin did to Gibson, just to name two, the potential has always been there for the worst to happen, and this is so far from the worst.

 

[GGJaguar]

Subaru is king here.

And they have an assembly plant in Indiana (my Tribeca and Ascent were made there). It's reasonable to assume that Yamaha will continue to use Oxnard to make guitars (Guild, Yamaha(?), Cordoba). When Yamaha closed their woodwind facilities it was not good for the local workers, but I doubt it hurt Yamaha's reputation because no one thinks of Yamaha (or Subaru) as an American company. But Guild is an American company and moving the current Oxnard models to a Yamaha facility in Asia-Pacific could (would?) hurt the brand's reputation.