Deciding on a Guild.

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Hello All,

First, if this is not in the proper place to post this, I apologize. This is my first attempt at a forum.

I am looking to buy a Guild. I am looking at the following:

1970s CE-100D
1970s X-170
1970s X-175

1990s X-150D (Westerly confirmed)

Early 2000s X-500 (Corona).


I know all the basic information (body types, depths, how they compete with ES-175s, neck profiles, and so forth). What I am looking for is some honest feedback (no pun!) on which of these are preferred and why. I know this is purely subjective, based on skill level, amps, and overall personal preference. This is precisely why I am asking: I want to know what folks think honestly about these, recognizing there are differences. This will help me in my deliberations.

I think they are all great options, but I can only get one (now...he said sheepishly). I'm normally a tele player (jazz), but really want to get a Guild.

Thanks in advance for looking and responding.

All best,
Greg
 

GAD

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They are all very different guitars. The X500 is thiker than the rest. Maybe not the X175? I forget. No coffee today...

the CE100 is a thinline, so it's thinner than all of them.

What do you want from this guitar? That's the best place to start. If jazz is your thing The X500 will be hard to beat depending on the pickups.

The '70s guitars will have smaller necks with 1 5/8" nuts. The '90s and 00' Guilds will probably have 1 11/16" nuts with a little more meat though I was bummed to discover that my '01 X500 had a 1 5/8" nut. Here's my review of a 2001 X500T which was a monster: http://www.gad.net/Blog/2017/01/22/2001-guild-x-500t/
 
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The Guilds of Grot

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The X-500 and X-175 are the same superstructure. The difference is the X-500 has gold hardware and more binding. The CE100 is a full bodied guitar and not a thin line. The T-100 is the thin line. I believe the X-170 is also a thin line.
 

AcornHouse

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Another consideration is how you will play it. If you plan on playing amp’d in a group, I’d say go with the X-500 or X-170, depending on whether you want thin body or full size. They both have some sort of block under the bridge to combat feedback.
If you are going to play solo, then the CE-100 is a nice one. I’d say the X-150 too, but the later Westerly ones trend to be more heavily built than the early one (I love my ‘60 X-150, but it’s a different animal than the later ones.) They will be more prone to feedback in a group situation, but you can generally control them pretty well solo.

i cant speak about the X-175, since I’ve never had that one.
 

GAD

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X-170 is a 2.5" deep. Little bit thinner than the X175. Unless there's actually a '70s model that'd different than the Manhattan. I didn't know that about the 175/500 - cool.

The CE100D is like a Starfire III, no? Isn't that the Capri? Or is the Capri a thinline version of a CE100D?

My head really hurts. I should lay off the Internet a while...
 
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jp

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The CE100D is like a Starfire III, no? Isn't that the Capri? Or is the Capri a thinline version of a CE100D?
Hey, Greg! The CE-100 and the Capri are different names for the same guitar. It's a thicker-bodied guitar with a florentine cutaway very similar to a Gibson ES-175. They feel and sound different, though, depending on the pickups. You can find youtube vids with examples to hear how they sound. The 70s models had Guild HB-1 pickups which are fantastic. I have a '68 Hoboken with an absolute perfect neck and the mini-humbuckers. I love this guitar to death, but I honestly think I prefer it over the X-models purely because I like the florentine cutaway.

In the 50s and 60s, I think the X-150 (Savoy) and X-175 (Manhattan) were the same guitar with a rounded cutaway, but the X-175 had two pickups and the X-150 had one. Both were full-bodied guitars. I'm not quite sure how the X-170 and X-175 differed in the 70s, but I think the X-175 had fancier appointments and sometimes nicer electronics, like a master volume, whereas an X-170 was a more basic two-pickup version.

I'm also not quite sure how the 90s X-150D differed from the X-175 so someone with more experience will have to answer that. The same with the X-500. I know you mentioned that you know about the styles, depths, and body styles so the differences will probably be in the slight build and feel differences of the eras, which again, I cannot answer. Every Westerly archtop I've played has been solid and consistent with a slightly more heavier build than the Hobokens I own, and my experience with the Corona builds is the same -- also slightly heavier in build, but not lacking in quality by any means.

That's all I'm able to contribute. Welcome the forum!
 

mavuser

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man, if you are a tele player, make sure you want a guitar with one of those crazy azz floating bridges! I have an 80s Starfire 4 which came with the bridge drilled into the center block from the factory. Mine also has a Guildsby (Bigsby)- which is usually on a SF-5, not SF-4...anyway I prefer the Bigs to the "archtop tailpiece" as much as i prefer the drilled bridge to the floating bridge. this guitar also has the neck mounted at the 18th fret- which is super cool in a short scale, as well as 1 5/8" nut width...so it is the perfect SF for me (and I like teles- alot!) good luck!
 

SFIV1967

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1990s X-150D (Westerly confirmed)
Welcome to LTG! There wasn't any other Guild factory in the 90ies, so all 90ies guitars are from Westerly (until 2001). (EDIT: Except a few from the Nashville custom shop...)

Ralf
 
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GAD

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Exactly when you should go to the library and get Hans' book out from the bookshelf! :victorious:
Ralf

Yeah no joke. I should just not talk about guitars I haven't written about.

Do you think if I walked into a coffee shop and just did some deep breathing my headache would go away?
 

mad dog

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Let's see.

1970s CE-100D
1970s X-170
1970s X-175
1990s X-150D (Westerly confirmed)
Early 2000s X-500 (Corona)

The only one I've not played is the X-150D. I owned an early 2000s X-500. Have played and lusted after the '70s X-175. Tried out several X-170s. I don't think these were even available until the late 80s, so not likely to see one from the 70s. The CE-100 I've been after for a long time, but the one I want is earlier, with the Franz p/us.

They're all great in their own way. I've found a real learning curve with larger, archtop hollowbodies. Took me awhile to get comfortable. The X-500 just felt too big to me. I know now that 17" lower bout archtops work for me only if they're not full depth. So lesson learned. The 75 X-175 I tried several times was one of the most comfortable, best sounding hollowbodies ever. Full depth, but 16" lower bout. I just couldn't afford it. I've wanted to like the X-170, but so far, no luck. Can't really say why. Maybe it's the not that inspiring p/us. (Compared to the wonderful 70s HBs that is ...)

What I've learned is that this archtop thing is really a moving target. The more comfortable I got with them - especially after starting jazz lessons - they start to make a different kind of sense. The other thing is that surprises abound, and expectations/opinions only take you so far. My favorite Guild by far turns out to be a humble '62 X-50. It's low on the model food chain, but has some kind of sound and soul I can't even explain. If you follow your ears and just keep trying different models, you might be surprised at what works best for you. I would love to try the X-150D, would love even more getting my hands on a Franz equipped CE-100.
MD
 
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