Show me your favorite NON-Guild guitar!

GAD

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The Taylor thread got me thinking - what's your favorite non-Guild guitar? This is one of my favorites, and believe it or not, my only acoustic!

This is a Taylor DN-K from 2008.

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Buying this guitar was a sort of Wayne's World moment for me. I had traveled across four states looking for a Taylor 812CE and couldn't recreate the magic of one I'd played that got away. I'd played every Taylor on the wall at a shop in Allentown, PA, and spotted this one in a glass case separated from the rest. I asked if I could play it, and they unlocked it and handed it to me.

One strum and I knew it was mine. It's not even a high-end model. It's got plastic binding, no electronics, and a bunch of other stuff missing from the higher-end Taylors, but holy crap does it ever sing to me. Also, it's not too bad to look at!

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Most of the other DN-Ks I've ever seen have three-piece necks which blows the whole look for me. Plus, none of them sound as good as mine.
 

Quantum Strummer

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Here's my fav, a well-played & well-worn gem I lucked into in the early '90s (or maybe a little earlier…I no longer remember exactly when) via an acquaintance of an acquaintance of a friend. It got its battle scars from countless bar-band gigs from the mid-'50s through to the late '70s. Pretty much every time I take it out of its case I feel a combination of awe and embarrassment that I even "own" it. Well, I'm really just the current caretaker…

I don't have any single good photo of it, so here's the most recent one followed by some closeups. The black & white pics are enhanced contrast-wise to better show the writing, which has faded significantly.

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-Dave-
 
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GAD

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Nice. I'm not a huge Tele guy, but that's just got "it".
 

Cougar

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Well, there's the John Lennon signature Epiphone EJ-160E....

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Then there's the Epiphone Masterbilt EF500 RAVS....

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twocorgis

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Easy one for me, although my Bourgeois Slope D is damn close (so are the F50ce and Orpheum Jumbo, but we're talking non-Guilds here). My 2002 Martin D18 David Crosby Signature, the most beautiful and best sounding square should dread I've ever played. It's light as a feather.

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dbirchett

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For an Electric it would have to be this G&L Deluxe Semi-Hollow:

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The pickups were Harmonic Design Z-90s. They were on it when I bought it and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. The only other mods are the Chet arm and a Reverend low-tension spring. Not sure which is #1 between this and the Starfire but the other is #1A not 2.
 

JohnW63

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I don't know if I HAVE a picture of it. I wasn't into taking pictures of my guitars, until I had some purdy ones.

My Ovation Legend, would be the one. It's got a few dings and small scratches, but, I've had it since 1979 or so. I think I may finally need to replace the 1/4" jack in it. Or take it out and give it a good clean.

If I find a picture, or the lighting is good, tomorrow, I'll post a shot.
 

jeffcoop

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In 1970 or 1971, my stepmother bought a 1970 Martin D18. Over the ensuing decades, she played it, mistreated it, then neglected it, to the point that in the latter part of the last decade it was an unplayable, ugly mess. She decided to send it to the Martin factory for repair. I warned her that, because most of the problems with the guitar were due to mistreatment and neglect, they might not cover the work under warranty. She sent it off anyway, figuring she had nothing to lose. The Martin factory did a remarkable job with it, resetting the neck, but also replacing the cracked bridge, replacing the shriveled pickguard, repairing and cleating a couple of cracks in the top, and refinished the guitar (which desperately needed it). And though the work wasn't all covered by warranty, the $300 they charged her was what I considered truly nominal.

When she got it back, she gave it to me, saying that her shoulder no longer allowed her to play a dreadnought. It doesn't get the play that my Guilds get, but it really is a magnificent guitar.

Here, it's being played by Vermont folksinger Jon Gailmor on his visit to Indiana a couple of years ago. He owns a D18 of similar vintage, but doesn't travel with it, so he was delighted to borrow mine. And I know the guitar enjoyed being played by hands more skilled than mine.

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jeffcoop

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Easy one for me, although my Bourgeois Slope D is damn close (so are the F50ce and Orpheum Jumbo, but we're talking non-Guilds here). My 2002 Martin D18 David Crosby Signature, the most beautiful and best sounding square should dread I've ever played. It's light as a feather.

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That's really something, Sandy.
 

twocorgis

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That's really something, Sandy.

Thanks Jeff. It hasn't been the most reliable guitar (I've had to reset the neck already, and the 14th fret hump seems to be coming back, which will require a fretboard planing and new frets), but it sounds so good I can forgive it, especially considering the price I paid back in 2010. It even won out over a very nice D18 Authentic that I was offered a too-good-to-be-true price on a while back. It's probably pushing lightness/durability a little too far towards the lightness end of the continuum, but that's the way DC wanted it, and it's also what makes it sound so good.
 

guitarslinger

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Wide neck for an electric, 5 way switch and a very useable tone control known as a mood knob. I have to admit I like the bling, but, I'd love the tones I get out of this if it were camouflage.
 

MLBob

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For acoustic, it's this Wechter double cutaway. Been a great guitar to travel with.

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Electric would be this Gibson Nighthawk I got from Wildwood in Colorado a few years back.

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GAD

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Wide neck for an electric, 5 way switch and a very useable tone control known as a mood knob. I have to admit I like the bling, but, I'd love the tones I get out of this if it were camouflage.

Zemaitis? I've always thought they were cool.
 

davismanLV

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GAD, thanks for starting this thread and sharing your Taylor. Wow, it sure is a beautiful thing. And apparently it sounds amazing. I pretty much knew Sandy's David Crosby Martin would show up. Another stellar guitar! I watched a video recently where DC spoke about the tightrope walk between light and responsive and guitars that'll last 100 years with no work. So I understand the tricky balance these makers try to achieve. All super nice non-Guild guitars.

I only have 4 guitars, only 3 nice ones. My only non-Guild of note is a Taylor. I wanted something small, and balanced of rosewood with a short scale. And this is what I found. Honestly, when you look at it, the seam where the Sitka top joins in the middle has a little discoloration. It makes a little stripe down the seam. I played 3 of these and there was no contest. This was the one. The other's sounded okay, but this one is stellar for what it is. So, I bought it. And for now, it's the one non-Guild that's my fave. That may change in the next year. Let's see how 2017 plays out, huh?

My Taylor GC-8.
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The rosewood on this guitar is amazing and it's so easy to play. Super versatile. Can it hang with the big boys when you wanna dig down and really bang out some music? No. But it does pretty well, considering it's size and build. Great, balanced, light and fun to have on your knee and play some tunes!! Keep 'em coming, kids!! This is fun stuff to me!! :encouragement:
 

Zelja

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Zemaitis? I've always thought they were cool.
It's a Teye I think. Have looked at some of those with much interest! The "mood" knob interests me. Does it work on all settings or only when at least one pickup is on full humbucker mode? Curious to what it is. Probably just a bass roll-off circuit but maybe there is something more going on? Any ideas?
 

Zelja

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My favourite other guitar is probably this 1980 Ibanez Artist. Got for an absolute steal & put in a TV Jones Classic Plus in the bridge & it mates superbly with the Ibanez Super 70 in the neck. The Super 70 in the bridge was good too but I seem to get a bit more volume out of the TV Jones & it is a great sounding pickup. Ebony board. The pickguard has lost its border but, meh, maybe one day I will get a replacement.
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guitarslinger

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It's a Teye I think. Have looked at some of those with much interest! The "mood" knob interests me. Does it work on all settings or only when at least one pickup is on full humbucker mode? Curious to what it is. Probably just a bass roll-off circuit but maybe there is something more going on? Any ideas?

It is a Teye. The "Mood" knob works with all the settings. It's really useful and changes the sound of the guitar quite a bit but never gets muddy as when you completely roll off a tone control.
 

guitarslinger

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I think I have, at least, an educated palate regarding guitars. All of the guitars here are amazing and several breathtaking for various reasons. I got the shimmy shakes looking at that koa and ditto on that 53 Tele. One thing for sure...no one here is a Guild fan because of a lack of options or limited outlook. Great to be reminded how much the brand has to offer.
 
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