[J.K.]
Junior Member
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2018
- Messages
- 57
- Reaction score
- 8
Hey all!
First time poster on this forum. I figured it may be better to ask here than TGP or AGF on this one.
I spent a while looking for a new fingerstyle guitar to compliment my Martin 00-15M, and sort of stumbled onto a Guild F-30 for $600, so I took the plunge. (I originally wanted an old M-20 instead of the 00-15M, but they just weren't widely available at the time.)
Anyway, I took it in, got it repaired and set up, and started playing it, and I was almost in tears at how well it suited my needs. It was precisely what I wanted, but I never would've imagined a guitar with this sound could've possibly existed. In spite of the size, the bass has more depth than my main dread, the lower mids are incredibly rich and articulate, and the highs have a slightly less sharp, round quality that I absolutely love. Really, I was impressed at how it eschewed the twangy high end that I've encountered in nearly every acoustic; I always assumed that was just an inevitability of unwound strings, but it has a remarkable, forward clarity without an overabundance of overtones on the b and e strings.
But I digress in the heat of this tonal romance.Here's my actual question:
Were there many variations on the specs of the F-30 models? I dated this to be a 72 (I believe), and it seems contrary to a lot of what I had read about the guitars previously. The nut is 1.75"—perfect for me—and the neck is incredibly comfortable; neither too thin nor too thick. What surprised me most, however, was that the lower bout looked to be about 5" in depth. I thought I read that the depth was always closer to 4.25". I don't know if this accounts for the resonant and powerful bass and more tastefully subdued high end, but it seems like an accidentally perfect fit, especially considering most Martin and Gibson guitars I played with a similar body size tended to be thinner. In spite of the F-30s body dimensions, the depth almost reminds me of a jumbo.
Were there other differences in F-30 specs? I'm curious how other years compare, both in surface size, depth, and nut width/neck profile. It seems that pinpointing specs on some of the older models, especially in terms of variations, is pretty difficult. Did other models have variable body depth like this?
Anyway, thanks for reading/responding.
I've never felt less wanting in terms of acoustic tone and, condition aside (let's call it a "player's guitar"), I can't imagine a better instrument for my needs.
First time poster on this forum. I figured it may be better to ask here than TGP or AGF on this one.
I spent a while looking for a new fingerstyle guitar to compliment my Martin 00-15M, and sort of stumbled onto a Guild F-30 for $600, so I took the plunge. (I originally wanted an old M-20 instead of the 00-15M, but they just weren't widely available at the time.)
Anyway, I took it in, got it repaired and set up, and started playing it, and I was almost in tears at how well it suited my needs. It was precisely what I wanted, but I never would've imagined a guitar with this sound could've possibly existed. In spite of the size, the bass has more depth than my main dread, the lower mids are incredibly rich and articulate, and the highs have a slightly less sharp, round quality that I absolutely love. Really, I was impressed at how it eschewed the twangy high end that I've encountered in nearly every acoustic; I always assumed that was just an inevitability of unwound strings, but it has a remarkable, forward clarity without an overabundance of overtones on the b and e strings.
But I digress in the heat of this tonal romance.Here's my actual question:
Were there many variations on the specs of the F-30 models? I dated this to be a 72 (I believe), and it seems contrary to a lot of what I had read about the guitars previously. The nut is 1.75"—perfect for me—and the neck is incredibly comfortable; neither too thin nor too thick. What surprised me most, however, was that the lower bout looked to be about 5" in depth. I thought I read that the depth was always closer to 4.25". I don't know if this accounts for the resonant and powerful bass and more tastefully subdued high end, but it seems like an accidentally perfect fit, especially considering most Martin and Gibson guitars I played with a similar body size tended to be thinner. In spite of the F-30s body dimensions, the depth almost reminds me of a jumbo.
Were there other differences in F-30 specs? I'm curious how other years compare, both in surface size, depth, and nut width/neck profile. It seems that pinpointing specs on some of the older models, especially in terms of variations, is pretty difficult. Did other models have variable body depth like this?
Anyway, thanks for reading/responding.
I've never felt less wanting in terms of acoustic tone and, condition aside (let's call it a "player's guitar"), I can't imagine a better instrument for my needs.