Import Guilds with short Scale and 1 3/4" nut

Taylor Martin Guild

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It appears that arthritis is starting to affect my playing.
Some people are going to short scale 1 3/4" nut guitars to help with the problem.
What does Guild offer in the import line that meet these specs?

I'm looking at imports for the cost savings.
 

geoguy

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GAD30 had a 1.75-inch nut, but I think it was a long scale . . . sorry for your troubles.
 

mavuser

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the Oxnard USA M-20 is short scale with 1.75 nut, u can check out the Asian version. I really like the satin varnish on the USA, especially the burst. The high gloss poly isnt for me, but a good one of those will sound the same or very close to USA. just not sure about the nut width

definitely worth trying one or both, for arthritis.
 

swiveltung

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Not sure the wider nut will help, may hurt. I'm 70 with RA and can't deal with 1.75. But here is what I put together a while back on the Guild import Westerly series:
 

Neal

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I used to have an M-120 from the GAD line that was 24.75" and 1 3/4". It was a cool guitar for the money. A little boxy.
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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I'm in no hurry to change over to short scale guitars yet.
I have good and bad days with the pain when playing.
Last night I played my D-55 and my Baritone at band practice for over 3 hours with no pain.

I love the tone and overall sound of Dred guitars.
I will continue to play them for as long as I can.
It would be interesting though to have a short scale 1 3/4" nut guitar to fall back on and see if it helps with the pain on bad days.
It will probably also need to be a smaller and thinner box to help. That will kill the sound that I love though.
 

swiveltung

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Tune down, Capo at the first fret and you have a shorter scale than the 24.75. :>)
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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I will give this a try.
Looks like a smaller body may also be in order though.
My shoulders are worse than my fingers.

Just got through playing my Dred 12 string for an hour.
That was all that I could do before the pain was too much to keep playing.

I will spend some time at music stores and see if a smaller guitar will help with my pain.
Not expecting much though.
 

swiveltung

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I do have a dreadnaught I love. However, my smaller guitars get the use now. I love them too. Yes, It is a bit more comfortable on the smaller box. My little F20 Guild is a keeper for sure and wasn't very expensive. (1971) A recent acquisition of a '51 Gibson LG2 is a bit larger and it is a wonderful guitar. Wasn't very expensive either (CL find!) Both are very resonant. Both guitars were less than $1k. Playing a 12 string really kills my hands for sure.
 

D30Man

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I do have a dreadnaught I love. However, my smaller guitars get the use now. I love them too. Yes, It is a bit more comfortable on the smaller box. My little F20 Guild is a keeper for sure and wasn't very expensive. (1971) A recent acquisition of a '51 Gibson LG2 is a bit larger and it is a wonderful guitar. Wasn't very expensive either (CL find!) Both are very resonant. Both guitars were less than $1k. Playing a 12 string really kills my hands for sure.

I like a smaller body for gigs. I stand and play and my Eastman dread gets a touch cumbersome after a couple of hours. My new F30 is going to see some serious stage time. OM's are super comfortable on stage for me. The Blueridge BR72 I had was perfect size wise. I am only 41 but starting to notice a need for comfort so I am feeling you guys.
 

adorshki

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I will spend some time at music stores and see if a smaller guitar will help with my pain.
Not expecting much though.
I started giving the F65ce more and more playing time when I started experiencing fatigue with the dreads.
More of an issue between the shoulder blades than anything else because of my insistence on classical playing posture.
Even though it's basically the same width lower bout, 16" vs 15-3/4, the narrower waist and shallower body (only 3-1/2" deep) make a huge difference.
I'd really like to try on a full-depth F40 (what the F65ce is derived from shape-wise) now, to see how that works.
And not a whole lot of give-up in the volume department, either.
 
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Taylor Martin Guild

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Well I went with a compromise guitar.
After playing a lot of non Guild smaller guitars, I found this new model Washburn.
It's a Grand Auditorium size with a 25.5" scale length and 1 3/4". [1.735" by my caliper measurement]
Not a lot smaller but I don't loose much in tone and bottom end.

I played it for about an hour at GC and then went home. I was back and taking delivery about an hour later.
I looked the model up on Washburn's web site and they don't list it.
They do have one that looks just like it with a different model number.
Mine is an HG-27SE.
The site lists a WG-27SE.

It's a beauty to look at and sounds great.
The price was $399.00 which is right where I wanted to be.

I will see it this smaller size helps with extended playing time.
I really don't want to go any smaller.
Here is the link.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Washburn/WG27SE-Grand-Auditorium-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar.gc
 
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swiveltung

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I've heard some good things about Washburn archtops. I was researching thinking of picking up a jazz box to use in the duo as I'm plugged in anyway. Something about the name turned me off for years.... sounds like something a big box store would sell or something!
 

Bill Ashton

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TMG, if resources permit, might want to look at a NH-era F47. Mine resides with Default now, wonder sometimes if I did the right thing, LOL "Grand Orchestra" (whatever that is) profile with dreadnaught-depth. Adi top. Might not be a banjo-killer, but not much at a bluegrass jam that could push you aside...
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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TMG, if resources permit, might want to look at a NH-era F47. Mine resides with Default now, wonder sometimes if I did the right thing, LOL "Grand Orchestra" (whatever that is) profile with dreadnaught-depth. Adi top. Might not be a banjo-killer, but not much at a bluegrass jam that could push you aside...

Thanks for the suggestion, Bill.
I will use the Washburn to see it a short scale will help elevate some of the pain in my left arm and hand.
If it does, I will then look for a higher quality guitar.
The F-47 sounds like a good option for me.

What is odd about this is that I once owned an F-48 Guild and it was a Jumbo size guitar.
I would not have guessed an F-47 would have a smaller body but that's Guild, isn't it?
 
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Bill Ashton

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Well, sadly it is neither short scale nor 1 3/4" nut width, forgive as I was not paying attention close enough...but the body is significantly smaller if that
helps the right shoulder...
 

adorshki

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What is odd about this is that I once owned an F-48 Guild and it was a Jumbo size guitar.
I would not have guessed an F-47 would have a smaller body but that's Guild, isn't it?

F48 was a 'hog-bodied F50 so 17" lower bout, but F47 was an F40 derivative so 16" lower bout, thus, "Grand Orchestra" body.
But as Bill mentions, have never seen either one officially spec'd with 1-3/4 nut or shortscale so that may still leave them off the table.
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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After playing the new Washburn for 3 days, I have concluded that I still have the pain issues with it.
This condition comes and goes.
I doubt that going any smaller in body size will help.

Looks like all the stupid things that I did as a kid has come back to bite me now.
Lots of aching joints in my neck, back and hands.

I just hope it never stops me from being able to play guitar.
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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So I have been playing the short scale Washburn for several days now.
So far, I have good days and bad days, just like I do with my Dreds.
For now, it doesn't look like a smaller guitar is my answer.

I was hoping that it won't come down to surgery but that may be the only thing that will do the job.
 

Westerly Wood

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sorry to hear re possible surgery...I find that smaller bodies cause me more pain in the right shoulder as the dread size kind of holds my shoulder. hard to say. but i go play an F20 and i feel more pain. yikes...was kind of hoping that would be my backup plan if the Br ever gets too much for me.

i hope surgery is not needed for you TMG...maybe just a cortizone shot?
 
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