JF-30 (6 String) LTG Member Review

Scratch

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
6,909
Reaction score
20
Location
Canyon Lake, TX.
How long have you owned the JF-30:
Year & specific model:
Purchased new or used:
Price paid:

Owners rate 1 (least appreciated) to 10 (most appreciated) in following categories with comments as desired:

Build quality
Looks
Projection
Bass
Mids
Highs
Sustain
Playability/comfort
Dependability
Fingerstyle
Flatpick
Strum

Condition (Mint/Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor):

Favorite Strings (one selection only):

Would you buy another if lost/sold:

Overall Assessment:

Most Appreciated Characteristic:
Least Appreciated:
Favorite JF-30 Story/Moment:

Other observations/comments:
 

Aerohead

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2011
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
How long have you owned the JF-30: 16 years
Year & specific model: 1995 JF-30 Sunburst, Westerly
Purchased new or used: New
Price paid: $900

Owners rate 1 (least appreciated) to 10 (most appreciated) in following categories with comments as desired:

Build quality: 10
Looks: 9
Projection: 9
Bass: 9
Mids: 8
Highs: 9
Sustain: 9
Playability/comfort: 7 action is high. might need neck reset
Dependability: 10
Fingerstyle: 9
Flatpick: 8
Strum: 8

Condition (Mint/Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor): Good. Scratches, dents, some checking. Didn't humidify for 1st 14 years.

Favorite Strings (one selection only): Elixir Mediums .013's

Would you buy another if lost/sold: I would be looking for one the very next day!

Overall Assessment: 9

Most Appreciated Characteristic: The nice full sound.
Least Appreciated: The possible neck reset I might have to get done.
Favorite JF-30 Story/Moment: Even though the guitar is not blingy with inlays I constantly get comments about what a beautiful guitar it is by other players and music lovers!

Other observations/comments: I changed the Original Grovers with Gold Grover Locking Rotomatics. Can't wait to have the neck reset and get the action down low!
 

Tiki295

Junior Member
Joined
May 5, 2016
Messages
69
Reaction score
33
Location
Rincon Beach, CA
How long have you owned the JF-30: Since Summer 2003
Year & specific model: Early 90's, I think - Made in Westerly, Rhode Island
Purchased new or used: used
Price paid: $700

Owners rate 1 (least appreciated) to 10 (most appreciated) in following categories with comments as desired:

Build quality 10
Looks 8
Projection 10
Bass 10
Mids 10
Highs 10
Sustain 10
Playability/comfort 9
Dependability 10
Fingerstyle 8
Flatpick 8
Strum 10

Condition (Mint/Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor): Good - there is checking on the top ad neck, but I like it like that

Favorite Strings (one selection only): GHS

Would you buy another if lost/sold: Maybe

Overall Assessment: Great guitar

Most Appreciated Characteristic: The sound
Least Appreciated: The body is really big, and I have these short tyrannosaurus arms, so it's not as comfortable to play as my F47
Favorite JF-30 Story/Moment:

Other observations/comments: Biggest sound of any guitar I've ever heard.

Tele295christmas2.jpg
 

Allen Huang

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2017
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
How long have you owned the JF-30: several weeks
Year & specific model: 1998 jf30
Purchased new or used: used
Price paid: 825 USD

Owners rate 1 (least appreciated) to 10 (most appreciated) in following categories with comments as desired:

Build quality: 9
Looks: 9
Projection: the loudest i've played
Bass: 8
Mids: 8
Highs: 7
Sustain: 7
Playability/comfort: 6
Dependability: 7
Fingerstyle: 5
Flatpick: I can't play that
Strum: 10+

Condition (Mint/Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor): Exellent. But it needs reset

Favorite Strings (one selection only): R Rocco

Would you buy another if lost/sold: I'll buy another Guild jumbo, not necessarily JF30

Overall Assessment:

Most Appreciated Characteristic: Loudness and balance. And most of all, its vintage vibe
Least Appreciated: physical size
Favorite JF-30 Story/Moment: Finding old songs that this jumbo can be played on. So far, this list includes:"The rain song", "baby I'm gonna leave you", "Wish you were here", "Mother", "Lover, you should've come over", "Patience", "Don't cry", and "House of the rising sun"

Other observations/comments: jf30 is my fav among Martin 000-28, 00-18v, D28, Taylor 414ce, gs-mini, Gibson L-00, Original jumbo RI, Maton SRS70. Any of these I just mentioned sounds great when I play them. But they can't inspire me and I'll grow out of love soon. I just don't know what I can do with them. JF30 is different. It sounds boring at first. But it steadily grew on me to an extent that this sound could be the only right kind of vibe for my acoustic guitar love.
 

JF-30

Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
421
Reaction score
2
Location
VA
How long have you owned the JF-30: Had it less than a year
Year & specific model: The 93rd - JF-30 made in its first year of issue 1987
Purchased new or used: Used. Traded my LP Trad Pro II for it
Price paid: See the above comment. No money changed hands.

Owners rate 1 (least appreciated) to 10 (most appreciated) in following categories with comments as desired:

Build quality 9
Looks 8 / I hate tortoise pickguards. Black would have been sharper.
Projection 8
Bass 7
Mids 8
Highs 9
Sustain 8
Playability/comfort 7
Dependability 9
Fingerstyle 6 / To cramped at the nut
Flatpick 8
Strum 8

Condition (Mint/Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor): Ex / Had checking on the back, but is was a 31 year old guitar when I got it.

Favorite Strings (one selection only): Depends I change strings like underwear

Would you buy another if lost/sold: No

Overall Assessment: Great guitar just not the right guitar for me

Most Appreciated Characteristic: Maple Snap
Least Appreciated: Huge and Heavy
Favorite JF-30 Story/Moment: Walking out of the store with a new to me guitar and leaving a Gibson behind

Other observations/comments: None come to mind
 
Last edited:

Cougar

Enlightened Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
5,300
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Location
North Idaho
Guild Total
5
I know you're asking about the JF30 6-string, but I thought I'd add my review of my JF30-12... :tiger:

How long have you owned the JF-30:
4-5 years
Year & specific model: 2002 out of Corona
Purchased new or used: Used
Price paid: 800 (don't tell anybody)

Owners rate 1 (least appreciated) to 10 (most appreciated) in following categories with comments as desired:

All 10s:

Build quality
Looks
Projection
Bass
Mids
Highs
Sustain
Playability/comfort
Dependability
Fingerstyle
Flatpick
Strum

Condition (Mint/Excellent/Good/Fair/Poor): Excellent/mint

Favorite Strings (one selection only): EJ-something or other. 10s.

Would you buy another if lost/sold: Unlikely there's another like this one.

Overall Assessment: spectacular

Most Appreciated Characteristic: great burst, ebony fretboard, big sound, balance
Least Appreciated: [crickets]
Favorite JF-30 Story/Moment: Was going to SoCal anyway, but drove 700 miles to pick up from private party. Checked it out for two minutes, "I'll take it."

Other observations/comments: My first Guild. Not my last.

jib786.jpg
 
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