Where New Hartford Guilds Are Made

[ladytexan]

Here is the complex where the New Hartford Guilds are made. It is much, much prettier than this vintage, sepia-toned photo depicts. Does anyone know the history of the building? I know a little, but not enough to feel comfortable to post anything. It is a beautiful setting and a beautiful building complex....a perfect place to make beautiful guitars.

 

[southernGuild]

:shock: Great photo there Toni. Good Find!
I Love old shots like that, and I'd love to know more about the buildings history also.

 

[Jeff]

Here is the complex where the New Hartford Guilds are made. It is much, much prettier than this vintage, sepia-toned photo depicts. Does anyone know the history of the building?

Wow, nice architecture.

Huge improvement in ambiance over the Tacoma Factory. Kudos to Fender.

 

[southernGuild]

:shock: Those are some dreary uninspiring shots.......Ahhh the modern age. :roll:

 

[ladytexan]

Wow, Jeff, the Tacoma facility is/was sorta bleak, huh? :shock:

 

[jazzmang]

Brief note from LMG: The NH facility was an old textile mill, powered by a watermill in the civil war days.

 

[ladytexan]

Brief note from LMG: The NH facility was an old textile mill, powered by a watermill in the civil war days.

Mike, that's what I remember from LMG, too. Was it mentioned when it was built? Somehow, 1849 rings a bell. Again, that's why I'm hoping others have more (better) information.

 

[chazmo]

It's prior incarnation (before Ovation took it) was as a sewing machine factory. Not sure if it was Singer or someone else.

jeff, did you actually get in the Tacoma factory????

 

[Bing k]

Wow, Jeff, the Tacoma facility is/was sorta bleak, huh? :shock:

Diamond in the ruff maybe? They built wonderful Guild guitars there. I view Tacoma as the "rebirth" of the Guild line that continues to develop today in New Hartford. It's where Fender acquired six newer model CNCs used by Tacoma Guitars that are spread throughout FMIC's Guild and Fender facilities today.

 

[ladytexan]

Wow, Jeff, the Tacoma facility is/was sorta bleak, huh? :shock:

Diamond in the ruff maybe? They built wonderful Guild guitars there. I view Tacoma as the "rebirth" of the Guild line that continues to develop today in New Hartford. It's where Fender acquired six newer model CNCs used by Tacoma Guitars that are spread throughout FMIC's Guild and Fender facilities today.

Bing, I was referring to the facility's architecture (or lack, thereof), not the guitars made there. Heck, Tacoma built some fine guitars before Guild was introduced into the mix, too. Some of the Tacoma models continue to hold their own, price-wise. Didn't know the CNCs were dispersed throughout the FMIC world.

 

[chazmo]

Wow, Jeff, the Tacoma facility is/was sorta bleak, huh? :shock:

Diamond in the ruff maybe? They built wonderful Guild guitars there. I view Tacoma as the "rebirth" of the Guild line that continues to develop today in New Hartford. It's where Fender acquired six newer model CNCs used by Tacoma Guitars that are spread throughout FMIC's Guild and Fender facilities today.

Bing, I was referring to the facility's architecture (or lack, thereof), not the guitars made there. Heck, Tacoma built some fine guitars before Guild was introduced into the mix, too. Some of the Tacoma models continue to hold their own, price-wise. Didn't know the CNCs were dispersed throughout the FMIC world.

That was my interpretation of what you said as well, Toni. Ugly facility.

I didn't know that the CNCs had filtered out of there.

Not to stir up bad feelings, but I have heard that they were having a lot of difficulty keeping up with the change orders that were being designed by Guild's luthiers. The issue primarily being tooling issues. It wasn't that they didn't build wonderful guitars (hey, my Tacoma F-512 is my favorite guitar!!), it was a question of whether they could move the brand forward there (as opposed to New Hartford).

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

If I remember correctly, didn't they say that the neck carving machine and the laser cuter both came from Tacoma?

 

[chazmo]

If I remember correctly, didn't they say that the neck carving machine and the laser cuter both came from Tacoma?

Fairly certain the monster, multi-axis neck machine was from the Ovation period. I.e., it was there already. Not sure about the laser cutter.... That does ring a bell, Kurt.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Well now that you mention it, I think you're right about the neck cutter.

 

[killdeer43]

Wow, Jeff, the Tacoma facility is/was sorta bleak, huh? :shock:

Can't judge a facility by its cover. :wink:

Joe

 

[ladytexan]

Wow, Jeff, the Tacoma facility is/was sorta bleak, huh? :shock:

Can't judge a facility by its cover. :wink:

Joe

Aesthetically ONLY, I still like the quaint, historical building in New Hartford (about which I hope to learn more). I have no direct knowledge of the Tacoma facility from a production point-of-view. From the pictures that Jeff posted, the buildings and grounds are aesthetically not that pleasing (IMHO), aka bleak...thus, my statement was in concurrence with Jeff and John.

 

[Warner_21]

Toni,

This is a link to a New Hartford Historical Society article about the Greenwoods Company. The last paragraph indicates the tennant of the their last remaining building is Ovation Guitars (on Greenwoods Rd)

http://newhartfordcthistory.org/2012/07/04/an-introduction-to-the-greenwoods-company/

This should give you some additional information.

 

[ladytexan]

Toni,

This is a link to a New Hartford Historical Society article about the Greenwoods Company. The last paragraph indicates the tennant of the their last remaining building is Ovation Guitars (on Greenwoods Rd)

http://newhartfordcthistory.org/2012/07/04/an-introduction-to-the-greenwoods-company/

This should give you some additional information.

Thanks, Bob! Great article!

 

[killdeer43]

From the pictures that Jeff posted, the buildings and grounds are aesthetically not that pleasing (IMHO), aka bleak...thus, my statement was in concurrence with Jeff and John.

It's all good, Toni.
As Jeff probably knows, everyone in Washington state likes to poke fun at Tacoma for any number of reasons; e.g. the "Tacoma aroma," etc.

Joe

 

[Jeff]

........

jeff, did you actually get in the Tacoma factory????

Chaz,

Technically I did get inside the Tacoma facility, I walked in the front door unannounced, explained I was on a mission from LTG & offered to do a free PR photo shoot :wink: . They turned me down, as Fender in those days had a "No civiliains in the plant policy". On my way out I sneaked a couple shots from the parking lot.

The Tacoma guitar forum was invited to the factory a couple times, prior to or early on after the Fender takeover. I'm not a member of the Tacoma Forum, but somewere in their archives are Factory tour threads & pictures of the Tacoma operation. As I recall the pics of production inside the plant were much more interesting & appealing than the utilitarian building exterior.

http://forum1.aimoo.com/tacomaforum/err ... mtips.html

Homely as the Tacoma plant was, they built some sweet guitars there. In particular, Tacoma era F30's are nice little guitars, IMHO. Ted Brown music in S Tacoma stocked them sporadically & I came close to buying one a couple times, Ended up buying a CO1 instead.

At the time I had a cousin working at a power plant across the road from the plant. He could tell "quittin" time at the Tacoma factory from the sound of Harleys firing up & leaving the facility.