Introducing the Guild Westerly Collection

SFIV1967 · May 17, 2015

mavuser said:
Not sure who the target market it.

Guild stated that they first market the Westerly Collection in Europe and afterwards introduce them in the US. There are plenty of people who like and bought various GAD models, so I believe at those price points they will find their buyers. Not everyone can spend the money for a US made Guild, and not everybody wants an "old" guitar.
Ralf

jcwu · May 17, 2015

fronobulax said:
I am continually amused by the sense of entitlement some folks have when it comes to telling Guild how to market a product they they personally would never buy.

Where I work, we have old-timer clients who will not let go of the past, and will not accept any kind of change. No thought whatsoever to living in the present, to adapting to changing environments, to looking to the future. No thought of what works and what doesn't - just the mantra, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, I'm sorry, but it's broke, and we need to fix it. Which brings me to this:

SFIV1967 said:
There are plenty of people who like and bought various GAD models, so I believe at those price points they will find their buyers.

Old sentiment is just that - old sentiment. I am a strong Westerly Guild proponent - but Westerly Guilds are a thing of the past, and they will no longer generate any revenue for Guild under Cordoba's ownership. Cordoba has to keep the brand alive, and the only way that will happen is if Guild makes money for Cordoba. We bashed Guilds, we (jokingly) compare them to firewood, but if there are plenty of people who bought various GAD models, then likely there will be customers for the Westerly Collection. And if that keeps the Guild brand alive and well, then so be it.

Anyone who doesn't already know Guild's past and history, to whom Guild's past and history would make any difference, will end up learning about it and distinguishing between Westerly Guilds and the Westerly Collection. All the rest of them probably wouldn't and couldn't give a rats a$$ about Thisterly or Thatsterly.

Westerly Wood · May 17, 2015

Good argument JC. I have changed directions re this topic, and though I own a Westerly, I think it fine to call the GADs the Westerly Collection. In this modern era, it keeps the name alive and probably viable for a little longer.

fronobulax · May 17, 2015

jcwu said:
Thisterly or Thatsterly.

You seem confused. Waverly?

jeffcoop · May 17, 2015

fronobulax said:
Not picking on RayK personally and if it sounds like that in spite of my best efforts, PM me and I will delete.

I am continually amused by the sense of entitlement some folks have when it comes to telling Guild how to market a product they they personally would never buy. I first started noting it circa the beginning of New Hartford operations. There were the "I love Guilds but I would never buy a new one" and the "I love Guilds but they need to be at least five years old" and the "I love Guilds but vintage Guilds are a better bang for the buck" and "I love Guilds but I would never buy one not made in the USA" and "I love Guilds, but only Westerly made ones" and "I love Guilds but not electrics" and "I love electric Guilds and I wish they would make them in the US 'cause I ain't buying one otherwise" and "I love Guilds but my budget is $500 and even that is stretching things".

Now if I owned Guild or was being paid to manage the brand, I would certainly listen to those voices because they have a secondary effect on how the marketplace perceives the brand but since I am an arrogant SOB who is out of a job if the new guitars Guild makes, remain unsold, the voice I am going to react to is the one that says "I love Guilds and I love the tradition but I want a new guitar and my budget is $500 but I might check the sofa cushions for more if an instrument spoke to me of quality and tradition". Since Guild is making MIC and MIK instruments right now, that is what I would focus on to sell them. I'll change my tune once the Oxnard factory is producing and that marketing would probably focus on made in USA and mixing Guild tradition with Ren Ferguson innovation at a quality that is unmatched by a production guitar under $5000. Take that Martin!!!

Bottom line is that the people I see most concerned about "the Westerly Collection" as also the people least likely to buy one and the people who would almost never recommend to their buddy that they buy any new Guild if a used/vintage were available.

I hope you recognize that while this may describe a few commenters here, it's not a universal truth. I've bought two Chinese Guilds, one of them new, and have actually contemplated buying another so that I can have a poly-finished guitar to take out in the depths of winter without having to worry about checking. I've also bought new New Hartford Guilds, and have contemplated buying an Oxnard-made guitar (even though I need another guitar like I need another hole in my head) to show support for the brand and the new owners. The naming of the Westerly Collection has left a sour taste in my mouth, and has diminished the likelihood of my buying a new Guild in the next year or so.

Again, I don't have a problem with the Chinese-made Guilds. I've owned two, still own one, and they were very nice instruments. But calling them Westerly is just wrong. Westerly Guild means something. And it doesn't mean made in China.

Rayk · May 17, 2015

Hey frono I'm cool . I'm actually impressed with everyone here and their stand on Guild and what it means to them.

First off I can't really say a lot bout Guild as I'm still learning . I knew of Guild when I first started playing in the 70's but never gave or heard a word or thought about Guild since then one reason I knew I could never afford one . But even in the music stores and folks I ran into never really mentioned Guild through out my life .

As that is and as I'm a new Guild owner. I'm just learning as I go . But I have heart not saying you don't or anything but I can understand the sad side of the westerly collection name . It's obvious they riding the names coat tails so I can sympathize.

All of you have a right to voice your opinion to Córdoba , one thing I also do not know is how strong that voice is besides what I can see here .
If It bugs someone they can let Córdoba know even if it's just one soul.

I kind of feel the big C will do ok with the Guild name but only time will tell .

Yes there will always be buyers for new line as there was for the Gad line . I liked my short time with the f130r but it did have a tone issue but that alone did turn me away from the Gad line unavailability did.

Anywho I can understand a lot points about folks stance on guild if the big C fails maybe Guild owners can do a buy out .

Neal · May 17, 2015

To paraphrase Jeffcoop, I need to own a piece of a guitar company like I need another hole in my head...

I hope Guild sells a lot of the Chinese models. They are certainly no slouch (I have owned two, a D-140 and an M-120). The D-140 got me to playing again, and galvanized me to get my old D-35 playable again. After that, it was off to the races!

But I do find it a bit disingenuous to make reference to Westerly in the name of the collection. They are 15 years and 12,000 miles removed from that location. I'd rather that the new Chinese Guilds be called what they are, the Solid Tonewood Collection, or some such.

But let's face it, the acronym GAD was aweful.

Neal

JHJ · May 17, 2015

Well, I intend to buy a Westerly Collection M 140 as soon as it is available in the USA. I want a guitar to play and it will be the best in the world at that price point. And what the hell is not to like about that?

JHJ · May 17, 2015

Street pricing....

http://www.samash.com/westerly-collection-m-140-acoustic-guitar-g1400821x-p

Westerly Wood · May 17, 2015

JHJ said:
Well, I intend to buy a Westerly Collection M 140 as soon as it is available in the USA. I want a guitar to play and it will be the best in the world at that price point. And what the hell is not to like about that?

It will be great. Congrats!

JohnW63 · May 17, 2015

I figure to sell guitars, many of the old established companies are pulling out "built like we USED to" lines, like Martin and their <insert year> Authentic series. People like the sound of how it used to was. If Cordoba wishes to sell some guitars that THEY want people to harken back to the Westerly years, and it sells... then that helps ALL of us, who like the brand ! Yes, I know it rubs some the wrong way and is just might mean a lot of threads, here, explaining the difference between a "collection" guitar and one MADE in the town called Westerly, but that is a small price to pay, to have the brand still being built, buy a company who CARES about the brand and building great guitars, isn't it ?

fronobulax · May 18, 2015

jeffcoop said:
I hope you recognize that while this may describe a few commenters here, it's not a universal truth.

Thanks. I do tend to over generalize from the posts I read and remember, although I think we do disagree on how wrong using the word "Westerly" to describe MIC instruments is or whether such use is justified. But we can agree to disagree and I will try and nuance my next statements that include the words "most" and "LTG posters" and act as if there is a majority and/or homogenous opinion. Thanks for the gentle corrective.

Rayk · May 18, 2015

@JHJ Nice on the 140 . The price range that is and up about maybe 1500 or a tad more is what I call blue collar guitars . Hope to hear it when you get it .

Watasha · May 18, 2015

jeffcoop said:
Nice looking guitars. But I really hate the name. Westerly Guilds were made in Rhode Island, not China. This devalues the Westerly name; it also devalues the chesterfield (with the early indication that the Oxnard Guilds will feature the G-shield on the headstock, not the chesterfield).

I'm fine with the Newark St. Collection--it evokes the past without trying to co-opt it. But I'd surely feel differently if the Newark St. Collection was called the Hoboken Collection.

Name aside, Guild/Fender put the Chesterfield on the headstocks of GAD models years ago. I have a 2008 GAD JF48 that has it on its headstock so I don't think there is any danger in "devaluing" it. The foreign Guild will most likely make Cordoba a lot of money so I have no problems with the headstock logo, especially if all the USA built guitars carry the G shield.

JHJ · May 18, 2015

I will support ANY effort to keep Guild guitars alive, in any form. As to the nationality or racial make up of the human beings assembling my guitar, I could not care less. Truth is, the business world we live in today has gone "global" by necessity. And while we all wring our collective hands, as we pine for the good old days of American made Guilds, how many here actually bought a AP Guild when New Hartford was a going concern? If sales were good, then FMIC would not have sold them off.

I recall the advice I got when I bought my AP Aristocrat.... "why buy a new one when you can get an original for the same price?" Why??...because look at the empty hulk of a building where the shop used to be...that's why.

charliea · May 18, 2015

I bought four new NH Guilds, and still have three of them. I simply have no interest in MIC guitars. Snobbery is part of it, along with distaste for poly finishes. In the opinion of many, we and the Chinese could be shooting at each other before too long. Gotta wonder what'll happen with the MIC labels if that eventuates.

richardp69 · May 18, 2015

My 1st preference would always be a made in the USA Guild for a few different reasons. That being said, I have zero probs with a guitar coming out of China, Korea, Mexico etc. etc. The key to me is sound, tone and of course price. I have 4 Blueridge guitars (MIC) that in MHO rival most anything put out by Martin, Gibson, Taylor or Guild. They are just really fine guitars, period.

There's no right or wrong answer and everyone I believe, is certainly entitled to their own feelings and preferences.

Geotrio · May 18, 2015

After witnessing Ovation go down in flames first hand, efforts must be made to distinguish USA and off shore models. From a distance, there was no clear difference in appearance and the lines became blurred. There is simply a significant gap between how they sounded so buyers would pick up an off shore guitar and get the wrong impression. Bad for the brand. Maybe I'm repeating myself here. At any rate, with Ovation on track to reopen, one of the key aspects will be to insure that there is a clear distinction between USA and off shore. I have no idea how the new owners intend to accomplish this but moving ahead it is a primary goal, as stated by one of the principals involved, Bill Xavier (Drum Workshop).

I tend to disagree with associating Westerly with off shore Guilds for that reason. $.02

Westerly Wood · May 18, 2015

richardp69 said:
My 1st preference would always be a made in the USA Guild for a few different reasons. That being said, I have zero probs with a guitar coming out of China, Korea, Mexico etc. etc. The key to me is sound, tone and of course price. I have 4 Blueridge guitars (MIC) that in MHO rival most anything put out by Martin, Gibson, Taylor or Guild. They are just really fine guitars, period.

There's no right or wrong answer and everyone I believe, is certainly entitled to their own feelings and preferences.

i agree with the blueridges. they are awesome. I used to "date" a BR-65 a while back and just never bought it. but it was a fantastic solid topped Jycarnda (misspelled) bs dread.

jcwu · May 18, 2015

charliea said:
In the opinion of many, we and the Chinese could be shooting at each other before too long. Gotta wonder what'll happen with the MIC labels if that eventuates.

I'd venture to say there's a whole lot of things in your life you'll suddenly have a distaste for, when that happens.

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