Guild @ NAMM 2017 reports

merlin6666

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davismanLV

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The Sweetwater link describes the iconic Guild D55 as a "classic spruce topped mahogany body....." which is a rather glaring error, but thanks for the links! I hope Guild is getting some video together from the show. :encouragement:

p.s. - whoops!! Charlie and I were typing at the same time!!
 

Westerly Wood

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The Sweetwater link describes the iconic Guild D55 as a "classic spruce topped mahogany body....." which is a rather glaring error,

totally with you here Tom, I mean they sell guitars for a living for crying out loud. get the dang press correct before publishing, come on.
 

Aristera

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For the D-55 what struck me was:

"Internal refinements include scalloped Adirondack bracing as well as an improved dovetail neck-joint, hand fit to make this generation of D-55 the lightest, loudest, and best-sounding yet."
 

adorshki

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For the D-55 what struck me was:

"Internal refinements include scalloped Adirondack bracing"
They weren't scalloped out of New Hartford?
Oh well, I guess "refinement" doesn't actually mean "first time" in any case.
I can forgive marketing hype, its job is to get the details out, but remember to read with discriminating intelligence.
:friendly_wink:
 

adorshki

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totally with you here Tom, I mean they sell guitars for a living for crying out loud. get the dang press correct before publishing, come on.

Hey Guild themselves have a proud tradition of botching the marketing materials.
Never forget that a '98 S-100 came with rosewood pickups, according to Guild Gallery #1.
 

JohnW63

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Interesting concept. I didn't see any electronics or music or design background in the guys history. Photography, digital design, and years of working in a frame shop. I guess he could have many years of working with pickups as a hobby, that was not mentioned in his bio. I would be afraid more care goes into the looks than the performance.
 

merlin6666

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For the D-55 what struck me was:

"Internal refinements include scalloped Adirondack bracing as well as an improved dovetail neck-joint, hand fit to make this generation of D-55 the lightest, loudest, and best-sounding yet."

There's a bit more about the D-55 (or D55?) in this video:

http://acousticguitar.com/watch-guild-guitars-introduce-its-newly-refreshed-california-made-d-55-winter-namm-2017/

He mentions several changes that were already made at New Hartford, but also specifically refers to the sides and bottom made lighter. Also he states that the bracing was re-voiced by Ren Ferguson, which I found a bit surprising as I thought Ren had left almost a year ago. Did the D55 not always have a dovetail joint?
 
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Westerly Wood

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would have liked to hear it strummed...
ah well, great idea re adi scalloped bracing, no doubt Ren influenced. I too ask if this is not nearly same D55 that NH did?
 

jazzmang

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They always had dovetail joints and the NH D-55s already had adi red spruce scalloped bracing. Sounds like they just tweaked the bracing pattern/thickness and possibly reworked the neck block somehow.
 

txbumper57

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Everything they are listing as Improvements are pretty much all features that New Hartford D55's Already had. Seems to me like they are trying to Blur the lines of when what was changed to try and give themselves credit for design aspects that were standard practice before Cordoba bought Guild. Kind of reminds me of the Marketing Department Naming the Chinese line the "Westerly Series" and the confusion that came along with that from new owners thinking they bought an American Made Guild built in Westerly when they actually got a Foreign made Guild built in China.

One thing that gets me is their continuous mention of a "New and Improved Dovetail Neck Joint". The only reason I can see it is New and Improved is because they just started learning how to actually build the dovetail neck joint as of recently. Remember they failed to mention in their product descriptions that The M20/D20's and the non traditional D40's they have built all have Mortise and Tenon neck joints which was never a Design aspect of any Guild Prior to Cordoba.

I am really anxious to see how these "New and Improved" D55's perform and hold up over the next few years and if there will be any problems or warranty issues with their Newly Designed Dovetail Neck Joint. I am Happy Guild is moving in a direction towards regular production models of the traditional line but I am not trustworthy enough in them yet to spend my money on one. Time will tell.

TX
 

merlin6666

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All the marketing spoo aside I am glad to hear that they seem to attempt some continuity from the well-appreciated NH models, with some potential incremental changes. I will ask my luthier/guild dealer if he has ordered one at NAMM.
 

Westerly Wood

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One thing that gets me is their continuous mention of a "New and Improved Dovetail Neck Joint". The only reason I can see it is New and Improved is because they just started learning how to actually build the dovetail neck joint as of recently.

TX

Funny.
 
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