F30R, New Hartford, Mint to Excellent Condition

GuildInAtlanta

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Yeah, I love bursts, too, like my JF30-12 out of Corona. :tiger:

gfj350.jpg

Wow! Nice burst!! I know what people prefer in a burst can be truly subjective, but I think the one on your guitar really nails it for me.

As I mentioned earlier the New Hartford F30R I played had a burst too, but for some strange reason it didn't photograph correctly in the Maple Street Guitar Ad I shared?

The dominant colors in the 2012 burst I believe were supposed to be black, fading into a red, and fading into a yellow. In the Maple Street Ad you see all three as very defined colors, with a less blended look separating them (Edit - and the yellow has a reddish hue). It also appears the guitar has a very strong red ring of color in the burst. Well, that wasn't the way it really looked? In person the red was barely noticeable, and it actually looked more like black just fading into yellow.

Here's what it looked like in person, since for some reason my iPhone X had no problem capturing an accurate picture.

WZ6uM9C.jpg


This brings up a general question I'm sure you all may have answered in the past, but what was your favorite Guild burst? Please share a picture if you have one.

Thanks! - Robert
 
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GuildInAtlanta

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Also here's the same guitar listed above, but the way the camera captured it at Maple Street. ...Kinda strange? Just something you might want to keep in mind whenever you're searching for guitars online. The picture you're seeing may not be telling the whole story.

OQgJYL8.png


(Edit - Needed to fix the link to the photo)
 
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HeyMikey

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Yeah, a NH F30R SB would be a grail guitar for me as well. Guild does a nice burst. This is my sexy little dark and mysterious F112 Tobacco SB (Natalie)

nDsor3V.jpg
 

tommym

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I have always felt that the Guild pickguard has a cleaner fit and finished look when applied over a teardrop burst. The other has hit or miss finished look to it.

Tommy
 

HeyMikey

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Good eye. I hadn’t noticed that before but yes, I see what you are saying and have to agree.
 

GuildInAtlanta

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Just in case anyone is following along, ...the search continues! :smile:

Over the past month I've had a few really thoughtful people reach out to me with some nice options. However, as you can imagine, the challenge is sticking to the guitar goal I have in mind verses something that might easily work in the near term?

Since I typically wait for the right fit and buy for the long term, I just wanted to thank everyone who has made this search interesting in the near term. I can't say I'll hold out for my dream guitar forever, and I just might have take one of you up on your offer before this is over! :smile:

Regardless, thanks for all the feedback and advice.

Also if you happen to be a guitar collector that's been stock piling some pristine examples, but may be interested in cashing in to fund another purchase/project, please let me know! I'm truly tempted by all the good will and what seems to be available at the moment...but I'm still trying to hold out for a dream NOS or excellent example. Making a quick purchase is not a challenge, but finding the right one seems to be an exercise in patience.

All the best. - Robert
 

GuildInAtlanta

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Maybe I'll throw another option into the ring?

Since posting about my search for a F30R I've learned more about the Orpheum guitars produced in New Hartford, and it appears after reading some old threads the rosewood and mahogany OM's get a lot of praise from this group.

If you've played both the Standard F30 and an Orpheum OM, could you please weigh in on the differences you noticed in tone? Not just that the Orpheum was great, but how you thought the tone was different than a Standard F30.

About a year ago had a chance to play both for about 15 minutes, and I'd love to hear other initial impressions. As always not every guitar is the same so your experience may have been different.

The bottom line is I could pull the trigger on one of these too...but once again my experience is limited at best.

Thanks! - Robert

(Edit - Noticed a typo or two after posting from my phone)
 
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GuildInAtlanta

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I thought I would share a few details I've gathered as I'm learning about the differences between an Orpheum OM and a F30 Standard.

Similarities:

Nut width - Both are 1 3/4"

Nut, Saddle & Bridge Pins - Both are bone

Braces - Both are Adirondack

Back & Sides - Both came in Mahogany & Rosewood

Differences:

Tops
Orpheum - Adirondack
F30 Standard - Sitka

Fret Board
Orpheum - Ebony
F30 Standard - Rosewood

Dimensions, Depth (F30 Standard is deeper)
Orpheum - 4" lower bout
F30 Standard - 4.50" lower bout

Dimensions, Width (Orpheum is wider)
Orpheum - 15.75" lower bout
F30 Standard - 15.25" lower bout

Tuners
Orpheum - Open back gold custom tuners
F30 Standard - Sealed chrome Gotoh tuners


During a 15 minute stretch, when I had a chance to play both an Orpheum OM Rosewood and a F30R Standard, I really didn't know much about the differences at the time. I was simply trying to listen to both guitars, and came up with the following first impressions.

The Rosewood Orpheum OM
- More of a woody/airy tone.
- Louder, more articulate and resonant.

The F30R Standard
- Quieter
- Deeper base/tone overall
- More fundamental sound, with less overtones

I really liked both guitars and just walked away feeling they were different. One wasn't necessarily any better than the other, and they each offered great tonal options. Also, the deeper tone of the F30R was intriguing as I compared it to OM sized Martins and Collings which were in the shop as well. At the time all the other OM guitars I played were louder, but there was a special lushness (if that's a word) and a deep fundamental presence from the F30R that was distinctive among all these guitars. Once again, it accomplished this in a quieter way. So, tone-wise...I noticed the F30R had a unique yet slight Gibson-ish quality but with more authority, mixed in with a buttery texture and a slightly deeper Guild voicing within the spectrum of an OM. The tone wasn't quite as deep as a 12 fret, but deeper than any other 14 fret OM's I played that day. The shop owner listened to me compare and play all these guitars, and said he really liked the F30R. With that said...I could just as easily be happy with an Orpheum Rosewood OM too with it's greater resonance, overtones and enhanced articulation. Anyones preference would simply depend on what you're in the mood for at the moment, and both seem to be great guitars with a Guild sound that will easily hold it's own.

Hope this is helpful, and let me know if anyone else out there had a chance to do a comparison. - Robert

------
(Edit - Added my comparison of an Orpheum Rosewood and F30R)
 
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walrus

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Interesting! I would agree with the deep F-30R Standard bass sound. To be honest, it surprised me, but in a good way!

walrus
 

HeyMikey

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Great review of your experience Robert! I’ve not had the opportunity to play an Orpheum yet but would love to do a comparison like that some day. I’d also love to try the GSR OM’s which seem to be rarer than hen’s teeth. I’d especially love to try the maple version. I’m not sure about the nut width on those GSRs however.
 
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