Guild vs. DeArmond

MustangMartigan

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2017
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Is DeArmond to Guild what Epiphone is to Gibson?
I'm a big fan of the Guild S-100, even the newer Polara, MIK models have a nice feel to them. I recenty noticed the DeArmond S73, which is almost identical to the S100, except the tail piece isn't slanted, but the tune-o-matic bridge is a bit tilted, where the one on the S100 is straiight. I could have sworn that I saw DeArmond S73's with slanted tail pieces tho. Is this true or am I mistaken?

But my main question us what the main differences between the s100 and s73, besides the minor cosmetic differences I mentioned above. To.make things.easy, let's compare the newer Guild S100 Polara to the S73. they're both.made in Korea, so there's one similariy. Is the wood on both the same? Mahogany body, Maple neck and rosewood fb? How.about the neck dimentions, ie Radius, Width, etc? And are the electronics and humbuckers superior on the more expensive Guild Polara?

On a side note, I used to own a mid/late 70s Guild M80 (the first version that kinda looks.like a double cutaway LP). It was an awesome guitar, but I had to sell it. I payed a grand for mine about 6-7 years ago. In the past year I've only seen one for sale, and the asking price was over 2k. Is this.really what they go for these days or was this particular seller just greedy and waiting for a rich boy's parents to buy the thing for him?
thanks.
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
The DeArmonds S73 vs MIK Guild S100 differ in a few obvious ways. 1) the pickups - S73 are full size Goldtone HB's and MIK S100 are the mini HB's. The neck on the DeA's are very wide while the S100 is on the thin side. The finish on the DeA have very thick poly and MIK S100 is relatively thin. Both have mahogany bodies. The block inlays on the neck are pretty bland plastic on the DeA's.
 

CosmicArkie

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2015
Messages
490
Reaction score
19
Location
Texas
I may be run out of town on a rail, but my DeArmond M75 is my favorite guitar for noodling around and is beside my living room chair. If it came down to only 2 guitars, it and the Capri I've had for 50+ years are the ones that would stay.

Don't know anything about the Polaras and S series, but the Korean DeArmonds I've got are all top notch.
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
Yes. The higher end MIK guitars were great instruments. I purchased dozens when they were getting sold at blown out prices. I wish I would have held on to my Orange M77T.
I still have the first one I bought...a red Starfire Special. I did remove the DeA 2k pickups and installed a set of vintage Franz. Some day I plan to replace them with the new reissue Franz and put the vintage Franz on a '68 DE400.
Still have the Jetstar, 7-Star and Bajo Jet.

M
 

txbumper57

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
7,577
Reaction score
58
Location
Texas
The big difference I have seen in the Dearmond line of guitars from the late 90's/early 2000's and the Newer Korean made Newark Street series guitars is that the Dearmonds were based off of Guild models but had their own design aspects with different modern pickup selection as well. The designs were somewhat of their own Animal with the 7 string and 12 string versions of the S100 among others.

The Newark Street Guitars are actually based off of the original Vintage Guild Designs from the 60's and 70's and this includes Body shape and pickup designs as well. They have reproduction pickups based on the original Franz, LB-1's, and HB-1's. While there are more options coming out recently for the most part the Newark Street Models are more true to the vintage models.

Personally I think they are all great guitars.

TX
 

gibsonjunkie

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
Messages
466
Reaction score
166
Location
Bloomfield, CT
Guild Total
4
I was in Charley Karp's studio last week recording a song and he played a tasty electric fill with a beautiful new DeArmond. It sounded amazing - of course a guy who plays at that level can make almost anything sound amazing!
 

Guildadelphia

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
310
Reaction score
10
I had a Dearmond Starfire Special. It was a very nice playing and sounding guitar. The Dearmond pu's on those models looked just like vintage Dearmonds but they were really P-90's in Deamond skin. Great sounding pu's none the less.
I also presently have a Guild NS X175B. I would say that txbumper57 observations are pretty spot on with regards to the Dearmonds being more influenced or homages to vintage Guild models and the NS Guilds more accurate representations of the original models. I would also say that the workmanship is a bit cleaner and attention to details and quality of materials on the NS X175B is better than the Dearmonds.
 
Top