Will Guild ever make a Baritone model?

[William63]

Taylor and Larrivee have recently come out with their baritone models, today I found out that Martin is making a jumbo sized baritone model. Do you think Guild may jump on this bandwagon? I know I would love to see them produce a baritone model.

 

[alpep]

supply and demand.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I agree. Supply and demand.
If and when sales of the production guitars are doing well, I could see a baritone showing up in the line up.
I just hope that Guild Guitars will sell well enough to keep them in production.
I could even see another possible company buy out in the future.

 

[fronobulax]

I would also suggest that Guild is still working out production and distribution strategies with the current models and introducing a new model "any time soon" would probably be a distraction.

 

[Guild Dawg]

I was recently thinking it would be nice if Guild made bigger guitars, because then I would appear smaller by comparison while playing them. Guess I'll just have to stick to dressing in black for the time being ...

 

[fronobulax]

I was recently thinking it would be nice if Guild made bigger guitars, because then I would appear smaller by comparison while playing them. Guess I'll just have to stick to dressing in black for the time being ...

Take up bass and then shell out for a B-50. Huge doesn't begin to describe it. Luckily, I have put on some weight to keep up with it as well. (Link should only work for registered and logged in members).

 

[dane]

Well, personally I’m not sure that would be a good move for Guild. And before a say another word, excuse me while I don my “Flame Retardant” suit; I may ruffle a few feathers with my opinion. I will admit that I haven’t played a Larrivee BTO3 baritone guitar, but being very familiar with Larrivee’s, I could see where it could be a honey. I have played the Taylors, both 6 and 8 string models, and I have to say that I think Bob got it right. Especially the 8 string; it totally blew my sox off. It may be considered heresy by some here, but in my humble opinion, Taylor is to baritone guitars what Guild is to the 12 string. And they throw in the 9 volt Expression Systems pickup to boot. (I have one in my Taylor and love it).

The Only way I can see Guild even getting a foot hold in this niche market…and that’s all it is, a small niche market, is to build one cheaper; a GAD series baritone. No, I just can’t see them retooling for that. Not unless baritone guitars really take off in the future, and even then they will be trying to build something that they have never built before. They may have to actually start form scratch.

I have a few Guild dealers in my area, and speaking to them I’ve heard the same thing over and over, and I have to agree with them. If Guild is going to break into a different market, they need to go back to include electric guitars. They did that really well, and could do so again without hurting the Fender line at all, and at the same time make Gibson and Epiphone cringe a bit.

(Disclaimer: Gibson and Epiphone guitars are named only as examples of direct competition with Fender/Guild, and is not my intent to disparage any of the before mentioned.) :wink:

Dane

 

[GardMan]

Guild did make the G-41, a spruce-topped mahogany body dread with a 26-1/4" scale, for a few years in the mid-70s. They pop up occasionally on eBay.

Not quite as long scale as Taylor's baritone... but I have toyed with the idea of adding one to my "collection" and tuning in down a step (or two) for a couple tunes where I don't want to change the chord fingering of picking pattern, but need to lower the range a little for my voice...
Dave

 

[Graham]

I would also suggest that Guild is still working out production and distribution strategies with the current models and introducing a new model "any time soon" would probably be a distraction.

Guild will not be adding any "new" models in the foreseeable future is what I took away from LMG. Their production is very limited with the models they currently offer and there are requests to introduce further "recent" models.

 

[markus]

Nothing about baritones. The only thing they talked about (without being pushed) in October was something like "maybe F20" …
Markus

 

[Rockinb23]

I would think the fact that pretty much every Tacoma Baritone the comes up for sale used sells for about the same as the were full priced and new would warrant Fender to come up with a baritone acoustic some how. I sold my Tacoma Bari for $1200 earlier in the year. The biggest problem with the Santa Cruz, Goodall, Taylor, Martin, and Larrivee baritone guitars is the high price!! I know for me a Baritone acoustic guitar is a nice to have instrument that gets about 10% of my playing time hence I'm not looking to spend $2-$3k on one. But under $1500 seems resonable. Come up with a flat finished Guild jumbo with a long 27" or more scale and I know people will buy it!! If taylor had a 300 or 400 series baritone I'm sure they would sell a lot better that the 800 series ones they are currently making.

EDIT: I just sent an email to Fender's customer relations with most of this above info, I will post back here what they say.

 

[Rockinb23]

I just heard back from Fender and it sound like they are reevaluating the entire Tacoma line soon.

 

[fronobulax]

I just heard back from Fender and it sound like they are reevaluating the entire Tacoma line soon.

What did you ask and what did they tell you?

 

[Rockinb23]

I mentioned about the need for a high quality but yet affordable Baritone acoustic guitar and I mentioned that the Tacoma's were just that. I mentioned that they should either make like a -6 Guild version of it or bring back that Tacoma model. Like I mentioned above I told them that the Tacoma Baritones sell used for the same price or more than they were new. I sold mine for $1200 and I've seen them go as high as $1300 on ebay. I've noticed that people looking to add a baritone acoustic too their collection usually don't want to spend $3000+ on a Taylor, Martin, Goodall, Larrivee, or Santa Cruz which all make baritone guitars.

I can't quote the email from them because in the email it said I couldn't post it publically in any way. But they basically said they would pass it on to the powers that be and that they were going to be reevaluating the Tacoma brand very soon.

I know the Baritone and Papoose models seem to do quite well in the used markets also that acoustic bass was always a nice sounding instrument.

I could imagine something with the finish and trim like a DV-6 Guild but with a Jumbo body and baritone scale would do really well for them. Scale length somewhere between 27" and 29".

I've owned 4 different baritone acoustics over the years and I love them and I think they are great song writing tools. I've had 2 Santa Cruz Bob Brozman Baritones, 1 Tacoma, and 1 Composite Acoustics.

I just heard back from Fender and it sound like they are reevaluating the entire Tacoma line soon.

What did you ask and what did they tell you?

 

[DennisMiller]

I wish Guild would make a baritone. I've had the pleasure of playing the Taylor 6 string and 8 string baritone and the slightly lower register is something that fits both my voice and my love of a richer tone. Being as big as I am, I don't even feel a difference in the longer scale.

 

[fronobulax]

I mentioned about the need for a high quality but yet affordable Baritone acoustic guitar and I mentioned that the Tacoma's were just that.

Thank you.

I find it very intriguing that they are considering what to do with the Tacoma brand. I just figured it was slated to disappear and stay there.

 

[Rockinb23]

Me Too! I wonder if Fender still owns the factory in Tacoma Washington?

Thank you.

I find it very intriguing that they are considering what to do with the Tacoma brand. I just figured it was slated to disappear and stay there.