Which Brings Me to the Question of the 'Big 3'
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tjmangum
Senior Member
As an owner of Martins, Taylors, Guilds and others, both upscale and downscale from those 3 brands, outside of for nostalgic sake, Gibson is no longer a player in the acoustic world. I seldom hear Gibson discussed, outside of tbeir problems, and seldom hear anyone say, "I gotta get me one of those Gibson xxx" or "Anyone got a Xxxx they'd like to sell?". Personally, I have always wanted to like Gibson and have always tried them when I came a ross them, but have never found one that was a keeper.
Charlie Bernstein
Senior Member
The question answers itself. Since they're all competing, they can all compete.
If you're asking whether they're all good guitars, yes, they are.
If you're asking which will win, it depends on the player's taste in guitars. (Without a blindfold, the Taylor would lose because they're so butt-ugly.)
ClydeTower
Member
Why don't you tell us what you really think...
Mr. Natural
Junior Member
The best vintage acoustics I've played were a 1932 Gibson slope shoulder and and a 1940s Martin.
The best brand new guitar I've played was a New Hartford Guild D55 - they've consistently been the best new guitars I've played.
I played one Taylor that was really nice, the rest have always been kinda meh.
The best brand new guitar I've played was a New Hartford Guild D55 - they've consistently been the best new guitars I've played.
I played one Taylor that was really nice, the rest have always been kinda meh.
Br1ck
Senior Member
If you've been playing Gibsons at Guitar Center you've probably never heard one with fresh strings.
If you've never played a thirties or forties Gibson,don't. You'll wish you had an extra six to eight grand laying around,
If you've never played a J 45 vintage, you've never realized how close they have come to their vintage tone.
If you don't sing, you've missed 3/4 of the reason to like a Gibson.
New Hartford D 55 is the rosewood dread to have.
If you've never played a thirties or forties Gibson,don't. You'll wish you had an extra six to eight grand laying around,
If you've never played a J 45 vintage, you've never realized how close they have come to their vintage tone.
If you don't sing, you've missed 3/4 of the reason to like a Gibson.
New Hartford D 55 is the rosewood dread to have.
adorshki
Reverential Member
Apologies for "buttinski", but there's enough anecdotal evidence from long-time players/multiple brand owners around here to give an absolutely assured "yes" answer to that question of "could Guild hang?".
But was going to agree with Mav anyway about the volume thing.
Guild never was "Big" and that's probably why they have such a consistently low percentage of "dogs" or just mediocre guitars compared to "the rest of 'em"
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adorshki
Reverential Member
NO snark intended but you can chalk that up to 4 different factories in 14 years (as previously mentioned) and the corresponding virtual absence of brand new (US built) product on display in the high-traffic chains.
Westerly Wood
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but the Westerly Collection will live on. I mean when the us prod stops.
bobouz
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I started playing a bit late, in 1971 at the age of twenty. I quickly learned that Guild was definitely one of the big three at that time. As the decade rolled on, I also quickly realized that Guild offered the best value for your money. Martins were expensive & not quite as well made during the '70s, and Gibsons were at their overbuilt low point in construction.
I owned four Guilds during the '70s, but as the decade came to a close, I eventually went to a small-bodied Martin & Gibson for the next twenty years. Along the way, every time I'd have the opportunity to play a Guild, it seemed to be dead as a doornail, and Guilds just sort of dropped off my radar.
In 2001, for my 50th birthday, I decided to trade in my old Martin & Gibson for a new Martin & Gibson. I still have both of these guitars and find them quite satisfying. Shortly thereafter, I transitioned seriously into electrics for the next twelve years, but also acquired some other Gibson acoustics that I highly value, along with another small-bodied Martin. All of a sudden in 2015, I decided to revisit the Guilds of my past to see if I could rekindle what I had liked so much about them in the '70s. What I discovered was a wealth of absolutely fine sounding instruments, both from the '70s and '90s, that can hold their own with anything now being put out by the current "big three." Don't know why I couldn't seem to get my hands on a good Guild during the '80s & '90s, but that indeed was the case.
The moral of this story is that one should never make sweeping generalizations about any brand. Just because a player has not personally come into contact with a Gibson or Taylor that pushes the right buttons, it doesn't mean that a winner isn't out there. These companies all make fine instruments. Tonally, each brand often get categorized into a corner, but if there's one thing we all know, it's that no two guitars are exactly the same. You sometimes might just have to work harder to find a hidden gem from the maker who isn't your preferred favorite, but chances are, it's out there just waiting to be discovered.
I owned four Guilds during the '70s, but as the decade came to a close, I eventually went to a small-bodied Martin & Gibson for the next twenty years. Along the way, every time I'd have the opportunity to play a Guild, it seemed to be dead as a doornail, and Guilds just sort of dropped off my radar.
In 2001, for my 50th birthday, I decided to trade in my old Martin & Gibson for a new Martin & Gibson. I still have both of these guitars and find them quite satisfying. Shortly thereafter, I transitioned seriously into electrics for the next twelve years, but also acquired some other Gibson acoustics that I highly value, along with another small-bodied Martin. All of a sudden in 2015, I decided to revisit the Guilds of my past to see if I could rekindle what I had liked so much about them in the '70s. What I discovered was a wealth of absolutely fine sounding instruments, both from the '70s and '90s, that can hold their own with anything now being put out by the current "big three." Don't know why I couldn't seem to get my hands on a good Guild during the '80s & '90s, but that indeed was the case.
The moral of this story is that one should never make sweeping generalizations about any brand. Just because a player has not personally come into contact with a Gibson or Taylor that pushes the right buttons, it doesn't mean that a winner isn't out there. These companies all make fine instruments. Tonally, each brand often get categorized into a corner, but if there's one thing we all know, it's that no two guitars are exactly the same. You sometimes might just have to work harder to find a hidden gem from the maker who isn't your preferred favorite, but chances are, it's out there just waiting to be discovered.
Grassdog
Member
Amen to that. They're all great guitar makers and I personally love the variation. As far as the negative comments about Gibson acoustics, well I've heard the same said about Guilds by snob owners of the other brands. Sometimes we get so caught up in "this brand over that brand" and don't spend enough time practicing and enjoying what we have.
rwmct
Member
Agreed to by who? Maybe people younger than 30 or so. (40?)
I was interested in guitars as a kid, kind of dropped out of it, and got back interested in it a couple years ago and heard about this Taylor company. Had never heard of them before. They are no part of any "big three" in my book. Martin, Gibson and Guild, the way it always has been (to me).
Heck, Ovations are more prominent in my view. There was a time when it seemed you saw a bunch of those on "Rock Concert" or "Midnight Special" or the other late nigh concert shows.
I don't care how many guitars Taylor sells, they will never be Guild.
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davismanLV
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I don't really see the point in questions like this. There is no point. It's like "Who's On First?" with Abbot and Costello. Who effing cares? Are you having trouble deciding about a guitar to buy or do you just want to get people stirred up about their preferences and THEN all the mud slinging starts?
My answer is to quote Kylie Musgrave..... follow your arrow wherever it points, just follow your arrow wherever it points!
And then play it. This whole "Who's On TOP?" is a silly and pointless discussion....... in my humble opinion.
So THERE!!! :smiley_simmons:
My answer is to quote Kylie Musgrave..... follow your arrow wherever it points, just follow your arrow wherever it points!
And then play it. This whole "Who's On TOP?" is a silly and pointless discussion....... in my humble opinion.
So THERE!!! :smiley_simmons:
Charlie Bernstein
Senior Member
Yup. That's what I said above.
And now that I've slept on the question, I'll add this: It's great that Guild has morphed to cult status. Much cooler than Big Three status!
I would say golfers have the same feelings about clubs as guitar players do about guitars. I repeat what I heard long ago, "it ain't the arrow, it's the Indian."
Charlie Bernstein
Senior Member
Westerly Wood
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"B.B. King fled a burning building and realized he’d left his Gibson behind, he risked his life by going back inside to retrieve it. The fire had been accidentally started by two men fighting over a woman, and King gave his hollow-body guitar her name -- Lucille."
interesting.
and still remains to be seen:
"If the creditors have their way, though, Juszkiewicz, after 30-plus years with the company, won’t be leading Gibson much longer. An organized group of bondholders is pushing for a restructuring that would hand them ownership of the company and let them install new leadership."
interesting.
and still remains to be seen:
"If the creditors have their way, though, Juszkiewicz, after 30-plus years with the company, won’t be leading Gibson much longer. An organized group of bondholders is pushing for a restructuring that would hand them ownership of the company and let them install new leadership."
Discussed at length here and a few other threads:
http://letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?195527-Gibson-bankruptcy&highlight=gibson+creditors
walrus