Any love for a 2011 Guild F30RCE from NH,CT

D30Man

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I am meeting a guy today to look at one and I have never played one or heard good or bad regarding them. I know there is much love for the early 200's Tacoma built F-30's. She is a cutaway which I am not thrilled about but the asking price is $750. Seems pretty fair to me. Obviously a closer look at the guit will deem that.

This is going to be my sole acoustic until I can afford to buy another one so I am going to be hyper critical mainly of tone. I already told the guy if I don't fall in love I wont be buying. I sold the D-30 begrudgingly to pay on some debt and I want a guild to take its place - one that speaks to me.

Any insight to this model at this factory would be helpful going in.
 

AcornHouse

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I don’t know the cutaway version, but I did have a NH F-30 Traditional that was a great instrument (just too wide a nut and too long scale for me.) Pretty much all of New Hartford’s output have been very good instruments, and that’s a great price, if it checks out and there are no big issues.
 

D30Man

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I don’t know the cutaway version, but I did have a NH F-30 Traditional that was a great instrument (just too wide a nut and too long scale for me.) Pretty much all of New Hartford’s output have been very good instruments, and that’s a great price, if it checks out and there are no big issues.

Good to know. Thanks a million, Chris. Yeah I thought the price looked good. He had it at $800 and I talked him down to $750. Closer to my budget of $700. I will post the results.
 

Kitarkus

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No experience with the cutaway either. I'll just say...I couldn't be more impressed with the New Hartford Guild that I own....particularly given the build, materials, and the price that I paid for it. Just stick to your "If I don't fall in love I won't buy it" modus operendi......it has been my experience that cutaways may prove to be somewhat less marketable should you sooner than later decide to move on to yet a different guitar.
 

D30Man

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No experience with the cutaway either. I'll just say...I couldn't be more impressed with the New Hartford Guild that I own....particularly given the build, materials, and the price that I paid for it. Just stick to your "If I don't fall in love I won't buy it" modus operendi......it has been my experience that cutaways may prove to be somewhat less marketable should you sooner than later decide to move on to yet a different guitar.

Thanks Kitarkus and noted. Yeah NH Guilds get a lot of love here. If it is a tone machine and in good working order she will be coming home.
 

adorshki

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No experience with the cutaway either. I'll just say...I couldn't be more impressed with the New Hartford Guild that I own....particularly given the build, materials, and the price that I paid for it. Just stick to your "If I don't fall in love I won't buy it" modus operendi......it has been my experience that cutaways may prove to be somewhat less marketable should you sooner than later decide to move on to yet a different guitar.

Cutaways, like dual pickguards, get a bad rap, I think.
There seems to be a perception that somehow they've gotta have a negative impact on tone.
Since over 95% of the sound comes from the lower bout of the top, the part below the bridge, I think any loss will be imperceptible to all but the most sensitive and trained ears.
But, I recognize the general impossibility of dispelling myths like that. Especially on the seller's part.
 

Kitarkus

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Cutaways, like dual pickguards, get a bad rap, I think.
There seems to be a perception that somehow they've gotta have a negative impact on tone.
Since over 95% of the sound comes from the lower bout of the top, the part below the bridge, I think any loss will be imperceptible to all but the most sensitive and trained ears.
But, I recognize the general impossibility of dispelling myths like that. Especially on the seller's part.

When it comes to purchases and/or investing in guitars.....perception is reality. Most people can't tell the difference between an LG0 and a 000.....but they sure can see the headstocks. Humans are vain.
 

AcornHouse

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Cutaways, like dual pickguards, get a bad rap, I think.
There seems to be a perception that somehow they've gotta have a negative impact on tone.
Since over 95% of the sound comes from the lower bout of the top, the part below the bridge, I think any loss will be imperceptible to all but the most sensitive and trained ears.
But, I recognize the general impossibility of dispelling myths like that. Especially on the seller's part.
Essentially, the thick transverse bar, which is right above the soundhole, under the end of the fingerboard, stops the large part of the vibrations, so anything above it, like the cutaway territory, is dead, sound wise.
 

davismanLV

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I love a nice Venetian (rounded) cutaway. Especially in low open tunings when I'm up to 14th fret or higher. Makes playing those types of songs much easier. Also, I love the asymmetry of them! Funny, that I'm such a fan and I only own one! And it's a Florentine (sharp) cutaway!! Oh well.... go play this guitar and prepare to be blown away! A New Hartford F30RCE is a real dream guitar. Go with an open mind. I think at that price you'll be very pleasantly surprised!!
 

mavuser

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If it were me i would want one with a gloss back and not satin, but that is a solid price...so would not be a deal breaker in this instance. not sure if the rosewood one came with a satin back at any point. I played one at Sam Ash a while ago, I don't remember if it was rosewood or not. but it was nice! good luck!
 

Rayk

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Snag it if it checks out . I love cutaways and unless it’s a dud I bet it’ll sound real good .
 

twocorgis

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If it were me i would want one with a gloss back and not satin, but that is a solid price...so would not be a deal breaker in this instance. not sure if the rosewood one came with a satin back at any point. I played one at Sam Ash a while ago, I don't remember if it was rosewood or not. but it was nice! good luck!

The 2011 Standard Series still had the gloss back and sides Eric, as my F50ce will attest.

21307120786_dd76221b2f_b.jpg


I don't think the change to satin happened until some time in 2012.
 

D30Man

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I love a nice Venetian (rounded) cutaway. Especially in low open tunings when I'm up to 14th fret or higher. Makes playing those types of songs much easier. Also, I love the asymmetry of them! Funny, that I'm such a fan and I only own one! And it's a Florentine (sharp) cutaway!! Oh well.... go play this guitar and prepare to be blown away! A New Hartford F30RCE is a real dream guitar. Go with an open mind. I think at that price you'll be very pleasantly surprised!!

Thanks Tom, Chris and Al! I always thought cutaways looked good, and unlike a lot of my musical brethren, I like to play around down the neck. It was loss of sound I was always worried about and clearly that wont be an issue. I had to re-schedule the appointment to look at it to this afternoon. I will report back. An open mind I will have when I go to check it out.
 

D30Man

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If it were me i would want one with a gloss back and not satin, but that is a solid price...so would not be a deal breaker in this instance. not sure if the rosewood one came with a satin back at any point. I played one at Sam Ash a while ago, I don't remember if it was rosewood or not. but it was nice! good luck!

It is gloss on rosewood back and sides sir. Thanks, Mav!
 

D30Man

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And it's a Florentine (sharp) cutaway!!

Tom, I quite dig the Florentine cutaway. I almost bought a D40 about 4 years ago that had one. If it had not needed so much TLC I would have nabbed. And primarily because I dug the cutaway. In my mind at the time I was ready to deal with the "reduced volume" which would've clearly not been an issue.
 

gilded

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D30',

You and I live in about the same part of Texas. I've seen that F30RCE for a few months on CL, just as you have.

I think that, generally, guitars with cutaways are not quite as loud as their non-cut cousins, but that doesn't mean that they don't sound good. By the way, that is the opinion of a friend who makes a living playing rhythm guitar in Western swing bands. He has a lot of archtop guitars, cut and non-cut. He likes both styles and uses them all, but generally thinks that the cutaway models aren't quite as loud. Again, it's no big deal to him.

There's always a trade-off, don't you think? For example, if you want an acoustic electric dread' and you install an undersaddle pickup in a 'pure acoustic' model, a lot of people would hear a sound difference acoustically, a lot wouldn't.

So, if you like to play up the neck, like to play amplified, don't care that the guitar is relatively bling-free, give it a shot! If you love it, I think it would be a good deal.

There are some vids on YouTube that show how the F30RCE Standards sound, by the way.
 

mavuser

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sounds like a great deal to me. with all of the rosewood drama these days, anything local is worth checking out.
also that guitar has modern active electronics, its good to go!

and Sandy that thing is ridiculous! I think Default has the same one. Gilded- they are plenty loud!! (the F-50 ce)
 
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