When and how did you acquire your first Guild?

[zom-zom]

Thanks everyone. I'm still waiting for this to be resolved.

I brought the guitar to Hoffman Guitars in Mpls, a very good repair shop/luthier. $175 for the basic repair, another $100+ to make it look good.

It was packed very well, with Fragile stickers all over it. It had to have been thrown around to break like that.

 

[Jahn]

all in all that's not a bad price to revive such a bad break, so that in itself is a good break!

i was near neurotic when i had my F312 shipped here UPS Ground - had him bubblewrap the headstock and the endpin and the sides where it wasn't flush with the inside of the case, then wrap the outside neck of the case until it was the same diameter of the body, then put it in a box and foam peanut every last crack before doubletaping it up.

it took a decade to unwrap (and my kid had a field day with the peanuts) but it arrived safe and sound. oh, and had him detune the strings too to reduce tension on the headstock. never can be too careful! when i shipped my JF-30 out to someone i did the same (actually double-boxed) and added a humidifier to boot since it was pretty dry this winter.

 

[espresso1971]

Ok, here goes-

I played through high school, sitting in with different people here and there. Musicians tend to run toogether...you know how it is, this person knows that person-knows that person; etc. etc.

Anyways, marriage happens and sacrifices were made. Enough said about that. The guitar I had sat in it's case for a number of years.

Few months back I decided to pick it back up. Wasn't happy with the guitar I had, so I hit a music store and tried several brands. I had "Martin" on the brain, till I picked up a Corona GAD 30. I was blown away at the richness of tone and how freakin loud this guitar was. I think it retailed for around $650 to $680 and it shut down guitars that were selling for 4 to 6 thousand. I left that shop with one thought- gonna get a guild. Had a bonus paycheck comin up, I'm getting one.

So I put the feelers out and a friend found a D4 that I have now in a pawn shop. I consider it a rescue because it was so filthy that the MOP fret dots looked painted on. Some TLC and a trip to the luthier (bridge reset-new bone saddle and nut-and a set up) and it sings again. 8)

That's my story, retracing my steps, learning new things-relearning things forgotten. Having a blast. Good to be here.
Thanks!

 

[Graham]

Nice Brent, another case of that GAD line, with GUILD on the headstock, stopping somebody in their tracks and changing their mind.

 

[Guildmark]

I fell in love with Guild by watching Tommy Smothers.
I fell in love with 12-strings by watching John Denver and listening to Leo Kottke.
When the time came to get a quality 12 to replace my Washburn, I was living in Stamford, CT. There was a small music shop owned by two body-building brothers. I had seen them perform together as a singing-acoustic guitar-duo around town so I started my shopping in their store. They did a great cover of "House at Pooh Corner". Sorry, I don't remember their names. When I went in all I knew was I wanted a Guild 12. They gave me a catalog which I studied for several days. The dreadnaught shape was it for me. Rosewood was it for me. The G-312 was like a siren's song - there was no way to resist it. I placed my order at the brothers' shop in December, '77, with the Barcus-Berry Hot Dots option. It arrived from Westerly in April '78, and it's been with me ever since. I've told my daughter it goes to her in my will. She was thrilled. She's even asked to play it a couple of times since then.

 

[Graham]

They did a great cover of "House at Pooh Corner".

That's a great song, difficult, but great.

 

[fronobulax]

How about it, when did you first fall in love with a Guild guitar?

I taught myself bass at the end of high school because playing tuba lacked a certain coolness factor. I played a Fender Jazz and a Guild Starfire that belonged to friends and owned a no-name solid body. When I decided I was serious enough to have a "real" bass, I gravitated towards Guild. My hands are small and it was much easier to play the Starfire than the Jazz. The crowd I travelled with was also down on Fender in general because that was what every one played. I walked into the music store and walked out with a new '71 Guild JS II. It had the neck I liked. I have not been able to recall why I didn't look for a Starfire - price, perhaps? - but I realized that was my true love and so bought a used '67 SF I in '77. As I recall the appeal of Guild was that it had the short scale and it was not what everyone else was playing at the time. Somewhat suprisingly, I was not interested in emulating Jack Casady or Phil Lesh which seems to be why many other bassists at that time headed for Guilds.

 

[Graham]

I taught myself bass at the end of high school because playing tuba lacked a certain coolness factor.

Hey I played the tube, whatdayamean lacked a coolness factor? What's uncool about this?

[IMG:167:250]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r126/Graham_61/tuba.jpg[/img]

 

[fronobulax]

I taught myself bass at the end of high school because playing tuba lacked a certain coolness factor.

Hey I played the tube, whatdayamean lacked a coolness factor? What's uncool about this?

You see, my chops usually failed before the guitarist finished her solo and we could only do In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida once a month or so.

Actually if I had heard what Freebo was doing with tuba on Bonnie Raitt's recordings or just found people who played Dixieland I might have stayed with tuba.

 

[Graham]

I taught myself bass at the end of high school because playing tuba lacked a certain coolness factor.

Hey I played the tube, whatdayamean lacked a coolness factor? What's uncool about this?

You see, my chops usually failed before the guitarist finished her solo and we could only do In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida once a month or so.

Actually if I had heard what Freebo was doing with tuba on Bonnie Raitt's recordings or just found people who played Dixieland I might have stayed with tuba.

OK then, I thought you were slagging all of the cool tuba players.
[IMG:500:332]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r126/Graham_61/tuba1.jpg[/img]

 

[sfIII]

This such an interesting topic.and with many new people on the board one can be added to endlessly. I don't think I've ever fessed up about my first Guild and my drillers are a bit sluggish today here in KY.

So:

Back in 2002, I started working on the Saluda Dam - which holds back Lake Murray near Columbia, SC. I had moved in to a fifth wheel camper near the dam (but uphill). I didn't have TV, Phone, or Internet. Now, I had known Bill Schultz all of my life, and he had gotten me my first guitar back in 1969 when he worked for Yamaha. It was a low end classical with tuners from hell and a way too wide fret board for me. I knew he worked at Fender, but really didn't have much of an appreciation for what he had done to revive the company nor that he was the CEO. He was just someone who I visited when out west and who visited me and my family when he came east. I happened to be talking to him, and mentioned that I might like tod try playing a guitar in my new somewhat primitive living arrangement. I had not played guitar since the 1970. He told me that he had recently bought this Guild company and I should look at the web and pick something out. Well I didn't know anything about woods or jumbos vs dreadnoughts or much more that two or three chords.. But I did manage to pick out a F47RCE, called Bill and told him that B-stock would be fine and he should send me a bill.

Well shortly afterward a big box arrived, and I got a very nice Corona made guitar, which I plucked around on for a year or so, until I bought a Strat (89 HM) off of ebay. Suddenly, guitar playing was much easier, but a HM strat is not my type of guitar, and I traded it for a Guild T-50... and was and still am playing every day. Along the way I have become fascinated with tone, and now have several arch tops, a handful of chambered solid bodies (NB, BB and Teles) and a Rosewood, Maple, and Mahogany, of both Dreadnoughts and Jumbos. Plus a few others.

So I have an addiction to Guitars in general and Guilds in particular thanks to Bill Schultz.


Howard

 

[Default]

Bought my first Guild, a d25 M back when I was 20 or so, 25 years ago. I helped that I was taking lessons at a Guild dealer. :lol: Got my '67 Starfire III a little bit later, when I walked into a hole-in-the-wall music store. Hanging up next to the cheap Hamers and Squires was this RED singlecut hollowbody with the Bigsby handle missing. Being a George Thorogood fan at the time, I managed to convince the shop owner to take a pathetically small down payment to hold it, and I paid it off a paycheck at a time. It cost me about $250, or so. I picked up my Astro Jet Gretsch the same way. Later I stopped into another hole-in-the-wall and picked up a T100D for $400. Had the original case and Bigsby, it was so clean and original that you could still smell the lacquer. It was like it had come right out of the inspection area.

Hit me. Hard. Multiple times.

I went through a tough stretch where I was out of work and sold the T100 and the D25 for peanuts. After I sold them, I got a job the next month, and when I went back, they had both been sold. Later on, I was convinced to sell my Starfire to a friend on the condition that I was given first chance to buy her back if he ever sold it.

I did get her back, so I did have a partial happy ending, but I think of the ones that I could have gotten for fairly cheap, like the Starfire bass (fretless!) or the SF4, or that Thunderbird I could have had for a song.



















Dumbass. :evil:

 

[JerryR]

Hey

I've just noticed this old thread and read all your life histories - so many of you playing since you were in diapers (even West, so he must be really good despite what he says :!: ) I avoided the whole guitar thing in my teens and din't even start until I was about 30 (which is why I'll never be any good). I got roped into a folkie band then as a singer. Great, but I wanted to try open mic solo at places and tried to learn a couple of chord on a classical guitar strung with metal strings I'd borrowed from someone in the band. Soon after, I bought the Epiphone Texan from new (around 1980), and used this exclusively until May this year. I always found it difficult to paly - put it down to my own lack of skill, but since getting the D35 in May realised the 'action' of the Epi was up the creek. I've taken it to a luthier the good guitarists I know use - he said the Guild could have a couple of minor improvements (I'll take it to him when I get the Epi back, or just before I vacation in Mexico in November), but he didn't know how I'd managed to play the Epi at all :!: This is now having major surgery (he's already had it well over 2 weeks).

Anyway, back in May this year I wandered into Vintage and Rare Guitars in Bath - loads of Martins, some Taylors, even some Gibsons - but only one Guild D35. Back in the 80s people in the band spoke of Martin, Gibson and Guild as 'the acoustic guitars', so I asked to have a go on it - and that was it. Had to buy it, even though it was £850 ($1,700). Since when it has been greatly admired in the Folk Clubs, and generally reckoned to improve the sound of my attempted accompaniment no end

 

[Scotter]

Back in the very late 70's, the best guitar teacher I ever had played a Guild dreadnaught and that was the best guitar of that type I had seen. Someone in this thread mentioned Hondo, and that’s what I was playing, too. It was a Hondo II Les Paul Junior copy.

In a later period (mid 80's) I had a fascination with big band comping rhythm style and was looking for an ES-175 type instrument. These were very expensive at that time (I was still in college), but I ran across a '65 Guild CE-100D that sounded good, but was a bit beat. It needed a refret and a good home. My first archtop!

I had it refretted and have been playing it on and off ever since. It has worked great for numerous big band gigs, but it’s also cool for rockabilly and jump blues if you don’t turn up too loud.

I’m now in the process of replacing the worn-out pots, and looking into trying out the GFS NYII single coils. More life for the old girl!

Scottie

 

[The EH Man]

I picked up my first Guild, the S-200 Thunderbird, at a yard sale in Mitchell, IN in 1986 or 87. I saw it from the street as I drove past and made a quick U-turn. I had to borrow the money from my mom to buy it, but I couldn't pass it up for $75.

You can see it here: http://www.ronsound.com/jetstar.html along with my later acquired Jet Star bass.

 

[Carol]

In 1976 I had purchased a beautiful, handmade, SL Mossman Tennessee Flattop. It was an outstanding instrument -- and I cherished it. I say "was" because in 1980, a friend of mine dropped it -- smashing a large hole in the side. He felt quite upset about it. We were in a band at the time, so I left the Mossman in our practice room. I couldn't bear to look at it. Over the weekend, my friend "fixed it" by patching the hole using a mixture of the lose chunks of wood and about three pounds of wood glue. He was quite proud of his repair job. I thanked him.

Of course, it sounded dreadful. There was no life left in it. And it broke my heart to even look at it, much less play it.

So I sold it for $100. And headed to the music shop for a replacement. I wasn't sure I'd ever find anything I loved more. I knew Martins weren't for me. To this day, I can't stand the sound of them. I'm sure some of the very expensive models are nice, but anything in MY price range is awful.

The shopkeeper handed me a Guild D-35 NT. I handed him $468 and walked away with that guitar in its hardshell case. I still think about that Mossman and the accident that lead me to my Guild. I think she gave her life for a very worthy cause!

Carol

 

[marcellis]

Henry Kissinger had signed a Cease-Fire agreement in Paris in January 1973. I was enjoying myself, a SP4 in Saigon. At any rate, my unit was promptly ordered home.

I wasn't used to driving a car. Outside of Denver, a drunk ran a red light and smashed the front-end of my car. It was in Limon, I think around March 1973.

My EKO 12 string was destroyed in the collision. The car was totaled. Insurance covered the car & the guitar. I went shopping for an Ovation like Glen Campbell had.

A music store around St. Joe Missouri had a cherry red guitar hanging on the wall. It was a "Guild". I'd never heard of the brand. I played the Ovation Balladeer. Then I played a few others before I got around to the Guild. I strummed it once or twice and was damned impressed.

I went home maybe 2 days to think about it. Couldn't get the sound of the cherry-red 1972 Guild D-25 out of my head. I went back and bought it.

That was around the middle of March, 1973. I'd just turned 21. When I had just turned 51, 30 years later, I had the neck reset and gave the little red dread to my son. In 2006. I had it restored for his birthday present.

 

[Scratch]

I wasn't used to driving a car. Outside of Denver, a drunk ran a red light and smashed the front-end of my car. It was in Limon, I think around March 1973.

My EKO 12 string was destroyed in the collision. The car was totaled. Insurance covered the car & the guitar. I went shopping for an Ovation like Glen Campbell had.

Marcellis, time to shop for a Guild 12er...

 

[capnjuan]

+1

 

[marcellis]

Marcellis, time to shop for a Guild 12er...

[/quote]

I know Guild makes the best 12's. But that EKO was my last 12 string.
My music partner, Peter Streit, who is keeping my D-40 and F-65 until I come back
from Asia later this month, has at least two Guild 12 strings. He's got a JF-55,
Taylor 814CE, Collings and a cheap Mexican Strat.

Great guitarist BTW.

I've evolved (or devolved). I hate 12 strings now. I just hate the damned things.
I sometimes used to string the old D-25 with the high strings off a 12. It's called
"Nashville tuning". I like that sound better than the sound of a 12.