Will Guild Make a USA F-30 Again?

[Wellington]

I've never been able to play one of these but it's something I've wanted for a long time. I played a OM-150 that was pretty nice and would consider, the wiser string spacing at the bridge is nice for finger picking.

But I was wondering why Guild stopped the F-30 production and if anyone knows if they plan to bring it back to the USA line up?

 

[HeyMikey]

I asked a few times, got the “great idea, I’ll pass it on to the design dept” line. Wised up and found some great used ones. In other words, don’t hold your breath.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Not sure their reticence. The F30 is nearly as iconic a Guild model as a D40. I’m not saying they produced nearly as many but it’s just a very standard Guild option.

 

[jedzep]

If you don't make a 000 size guitar, you're missing a pretty large market, I'd say. I see where Mikey is coming from, though. Look for the ones that are out there to be had, broken in, with likely better quality tonewoods and build, not cutting corners, like I feel Oxnard is doing.

 

[HeyMikey]

The closest you will come in the current lineup is the M40 series which has slightly smaller bouts than the F30’s, short scale but at least has a 1-3/4 nut width. Nice looking guitar though.

Guild Guitars | M-40E Natural (DISCONTINUED)

The M-40 Troubadour’s timeless appointments include a vintage style rosette and Guild’s peak logo inlaid on the headstock.

guildguitars.com

 

[jedzep]

Had one, Mike. Also had a Hoboken F-20. I moved on from the OK, but a little small sounding F-20. The M-40, however, seemed quiet and character-less.

Overpriced, at any rate.

 

[donnylang]

Odd they don’t make an F30. Probably one of the most iconic Guilds.

 

[Jahn]

Absolutely Agree. They should finally reach out to Paul Simon and get an official signature model going. It would be amazing. Plus, it's a legit alternative to a Martin 000 or a Taylor Grand Auditorium.

 

[D30Man]

I've never been able to play one of these but it's something I've wanted for a long time. I played a OM-150 that was pretty nice and would consider, the wiser string spacing at the bridge is nice for finger picking.

But I was wondering why Guild stopped the F-30 production and if anyone knows if they plan to bring it back to the USA line up?

Well that’s a good question. It has certainly been a fairly popular model made by several of the plants over the years. I owned a NH, CT F30RCE and it had a nice voice and agreed it was a finger picker for sure.. For a reason to start making these again one could make a pretty good beef, Wellington..

 

[HeyMikey]

Absolutely Agree. They should finally reach out to Paul Simon and get an official signature model going. It would be amazing. Plus, it's a legit alternative to a Martin 000 or a Taylor Grand Auditorium.

It could be that Guild doesn’t believe they can compete against the dominance of Martin and Taylor on that US-made OOO/OM size. Whereas Guild is well known for their US 12’s and jumbos.

 

[donnylang]

Absolutely Agree. They should finally reach out to Paul Simon and get an official signature model going. It would be amazing. Plus, it's a legit alternative to a Martin 000 or a Taylor Grand Auditorium.

I assume they can’t afford Paul Simon.

“hey guys, I appreciate your offer … free guitars might have worked in the ‘60s, but my endorsement costs $10 million today. Lemme talk to Al or Mark …”

They could always do a “F30-R PS” model “for that cool S&G ‘60s sound you might have heard on The Graduate soundtrack!!!***

***Guild guitars is in no way affiliated with anything resembling Paul Simon and/or Art Garfunkel”

 

[adorshki]

It's gotta be about economics. I have the same misgivings about their failure to produce a "True F40" (16" lower bout F-body).

Relatively speaking, Oxnard's still pretty young and I actually still hold out a small glimmer of hope that eventually they'll produce both of these, even if only a relatively small run of each. I'm positive they have tooling, it's more about allocating current production to the most popular models in the current lineup, and as we all know production ain't that big, is it even 5000 guitars a year yet?

Consider also NH put out a fair volume of F30's that are relatively young yet, CMG may consider the market for US F30's specifically to be saturated momentarily, besides which the Westerly Series has an answer which is better for the corporate bottom line.

It is what it is, just spitballin' here.

 

[SFIV1967]

I definitely would look into a Tacoma or New Hartford made F-30, those were great guitars!

Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

Since CMG bought Guild and probably saved it from disappearing or becoming an offshore only brand neglected by FMIC, LTG has been littered with discussions concerning decisions CMG has made. Many of those decisions don't make a lot of sense to us because most of us know the history and tradition better than CMG does or place a higher importance on those factors than CMG does. When trying to make sense of what CMG is doing the most rational explanations follow the money. When CMG opened production at Oxnard my recollection is that they made "feel good" type of statement that they wanted to offer all of the traditional models eventually. That was not a promise but did shift the question from "will they make?" to "when will they make?". The generic answer to that is they will make something when they believe they can make money doing so. So if we really want to know and CMG won't commit, we should look at the market.

Tangentially Paul Simon is not going to help Guild sell F-30's. The small sample of people young enough to be my kids or grandkids that I have queried don't listen to him. If they have heard of him it is because their parents/grandparents played Simon and Garfinkle recordings from the 60's and 70's or they are Star Wars geeks who know he was briefly married to Carrie Fisher. The generation that remembers him with fondness seems just as likely to buy vintage F-30s than new ones. Once again the biggest competition a new MIA Guild has is a vintage MIA Guild.

IMO. YMMV.

 

[D30Man]

Agreed. You can find a good vintage for a reasonable range of prices depending on condition etc. A new MIA is going to be a pretty set price point both new and used. Unless you get lucky like me and find a scratch and dent for $1500 off of street price..

 

[D30Man]

It's gotta be about economics. I have the same misgivings about their failure to produce a "True F40" (16" lower bout F-body).

Relatively speaking, Oxnard's still pretty young and I actually still hold out a small glimmer of hope that eventually they'll produce both of these, even if only a relatively small run of each. I'm positive they have tooling, it's more about allocating current production to the most popular models in the current lineup, and as we all know production ain't that big, is it even 5000 guitars a year yet?

Consider also NH put out a fair volume of F30's that are relatively young yet, CMG may consider the market for US F30's specifically to be saturated momentarily, besides which the Westerly Series has an answer which is better for the corporate bottom line.

It is what it is, just spitballin' here.

Yes sir! I hope Al they get crackin on a properly sized F-40 sir. And truthfully if they would go with a nice gloss and chesterfield as opposed to that satin finish and Formica looking headstock overlay..

 

[D30Man]

It could be that Guild doesn’t believe they can compete against the dominance of Martin and Taylor on that US-made OOO/OM size. Whereas Guild is well known for their US 12’s and jumbos.

Yeah the OM / 000 / Auditorium model market is pretty flooded of late. And why not? Compact, loud and versatile. Personally I think some of the MIC brands like Eastman and Blueridge are at the top of the segment. My AC122 is easily the best OM I have owned sonically.

 

[GGJaguar]

I doubt they will build an F-30 anytime soon, but if they do, I worry that it will simply be a downsized version of the current F-40 instead of having the proper 1960s body shape. I'm glad I snagged my NH F-40 (with the proper body shape) when I did. I think people are hanging on to them now and you don't see them too often.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I really have no right to complain about Guild-Oxnard or CMG. I have not bought one of their guitars. I am not helping their brand. I realize I like the Westerly, RI acoustics, for various reasons, but that does not help them today .

I think it's great they felt the brand was worth purchasing and keep going. Cheers!

 

[HeyMikey]

I don’t think the used market is to blame. If so that would be true for other manufacturers as well. Plenty of people buy used Martin’s, Taylors, Eastmans, and plenty buy new. There are a lot of players who don’t want the “hassle” or risk of buying used.