Question for a potential/likely new Guild Owner

General Dreedle

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Greetings, I don't know much about Guilds but I've run across a used JF 30, that Guild said was made in 1991 at the Westerly Factory. It's gorgeous, no dents or damage and sounds fantastic. I just wondered if anyone could tell me more about the guitar and what these Westerlys were like. I understand there was some difference in where they were made.
 

gjmalcyon

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Greetings, I don't know much about Guilds but I've run across a used JF 30, that Guild said was made in 1991 at the Westerly Factory. It's gorgeous, no dents or damage and sounds fantastic. I just wondered if anyone could tell me more about the guitar and what these Westerlys were like. I understand there was some difference in where they were made.

Welcome to LTG! Stick around, it's a fun place.

There are some generalizations about Guilds built in each of the locations (heavy builds, light builds, etc.), but I think there is far less variability in their US-made product over the years that some other manufacturers. What variability exists is more between individual instruments.

For we hoarders of Guilds that means there really is no "stay away from that year..." or "stay away from that factory..." when looking for instruments.

That said, specs for any one instrument model number do change over the years: A Westerly DV6 is different than a Tacoma DV6.
 
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dapmdave

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Welcome to LTG.

Guild production has moved around quite a bit over the years. The word "Westerly" refers to the factory at Westerly, RI, where Guilds were built from about 1968 thru 2001. That was the longest run than at any other site. There is also a "Westerly Collection" series of guitars, which is a current line of imported guitars based loosely on designs from the Westerly era.

Unlike other US-built guitars , the Westerly, RI Guilds tended to be of consistently good quality throughout the period. If anything, they are sometimes faulted for being of heavier build, compared to Martins & Gibsons of the same period. People who appreciate Guilds do not hold this to be a fault, and when talking about 12-string guitars this is often considered to be a positive attribute.

Guilds are often noted as being the "best buy" for vintage US-made guitars. Generally speaking, they are readily available on the used market, and are more affordable than similar guitars from other US manufacturers of the same period.
 

beecee

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The JF-30 is a great guitar, no surprise you love the sound.

I have the 12 string version and it is fabulous.

Build quality is superb, no fancy appointments, just a darn good, no great, guitar.
 

Cougar

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Greetings, I don't know much about Guilds but I've run across a used JF 30, that Guild said was made in 1991 at the Westerly Factory. It's gorgeous, no dents or damage and sounds fantastic. I just wondered if anyone could tell me more about the guitar and what these Westerlys were like. I understand there was some difference in where they were made.

....What variability exists is more between individual instruments.

....Unlike other US-built guitars , the Westerly, RI Guilds tended to be of consistently good quality throughout the period. If anything, they are sometimes faulted for being of heavier build, compared to Martins & Gibsons of the same period. People who appreciate Guilds do not hold this to be a fault, and when talking about 12-string guitars this is often considered to be a positive attribute.....

Welcome Dreedle! The above excellent responses are what I would have said.... if I had the where-with-all. :stupid: Sounds like you've located a great JF-30 and you ought to snap it up. These are JUMBOS, baby! with 17" lower bouts, comparable to Gibson's SJ-100/200, with better consistency, but at a fraction of the cost. As my sig shows, I've got two JF30-12s and a jumbo F-50R, all out of different Guild plants, and they are all stellar guitars. I'd say grab that JF-30 before somebody else does!
 
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This is my first post and I'm happy to reply about the JF30 since I have a 1993 version from Westerly that I purchased used six years ago.
It's a wonderful guitar that puts out a big, sweet sound. It's a true jumbo and it's heavy but that doesn't bother me, I'm 6'-3". The larger body with the arched, laminate maple back are the obvious weight factors. The biggest adjustment for me was the 5" depth when I played standing up with a strap but I've adapted. Plenty of folks smaller than me can manage jumbos: Emmy Lou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Little Jimmy Dickens! I strum, flatpick and fingerpick and the JF30 answers heartily in all styles. The large soundboard does need some energy to get it going. For decades I fingerpicked my other guitars with just the flesh of my fingers and I couldn't get the volume I wanted out of the JF30 bass strings. I tried a thumbpick and bingo, I get a nice, fat thump, thump with Travis style playing. Strumming and flatpicking sounds awesome.
There are others here who know much more about the guitars built outside of Westerly. One difference I have seen is that at sometime, somewhere since Westerly they started using mahogany necks on the JF30. The Westerly builds have the 3-piece maple neck and I don't know the difference sonically, but I love the aesthetics of the maple necks.
Mine has some honest mojo from the years but no cracks or major damage. If the one you're looking at is clean, with a good neck angle, good frets and such and at a good price I say you can't go wrong.
 

General Dreedle

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Thank you all, I'm going to get it this morning I think, but because it's used and the law in this state they won't be able to release it to me until next week!!?
 

bobouz

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Thank you all, I'm going to get it this morning I think, but because it's used and the law in this state they won't be able to release it to me until next week!!?

Laws regarding how long used items must be held (before resale) do vary from state to state & sometimes city to city.

Put your money down now & get it locked in. A good JF-30 represents a tremendous value, imho. Mine is a 1994 Westerly, and it's tone is nothing short of stunningly rich & full. And fwiw, Guild's supply of wood in the '90s included some truly beautiful flamed maple, which often seemed to make it's way onto JF-30s.
 

fronobulax

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Laws regarding how long used items must be held (before resale) do vary from state to state & sometimes city to city.

And I've never seen any that applied to retail locations besides pawn shops. Most places I see used items (that aren't pawn shops) are either thrift shops where they have been donated or consignment shops. Both are not the best places to fence stolen goods :)
 

adorshki

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Welcome aboard Dan and General D!
I think this may be the first time we've seen 2 new members in the same thread.
:glee:
There are others here who know much more about the guitars built outside of Westerly. One difference I have seen is that at sometime, somewhere since Westerly they started using mahogany necks on the JF30. The Westerly builds have the 3-piece maple neck and I don't know the difference sonically, but I love the aesthetics of the maple necks.
JF30's ( as distinct from the GADJF30 imported version) were only built in Westerly and Corona, a quick google image search indicates the change occurred sometime between '02 and '03.
The very earliest first year ('02) Corona JF30's used what I assume were leftover Westerly necks, the giveaway is the narrow "snakehead" headstock (as well as still being 3-pc):
4__57355.1501962044.JPG

The strap button above is not original btw, and in a location that could promote wood-splitting tendencies to boot.
By '03 the mahogany neck is in evidence and uses the wider at the top "paddle" headstock:
qcs26wbklcrrujx1djj3.jpg

JF30's retained very consistent specs over the years at least as far as size and body woods. That neck wood change is kind of significant, though.
A 3-pc neck resists twisting torque more readily than a one-piece, but to be fair I can only recall one reported case of neck twist on a Guild 6-string flattop with a glued-in dovetail neck joint.
The change in neck wood itself (and even the headstock size)does have some effect on overall tone but how noticable it is would probably vary from player to player.
I'm with Dan, though, even beyond aesthetics I'd prefer the 3-pc neck, which they did retain on the 12-string versions even after going to 'hog.
Definitely a wise move for the 12-strings and evidence that they didn't just implement changes for the sake of economy if there was a reliability compromise.
The first-year '87's were shown as having scalloped braces but I don't know if that was consistent over the years. It's not spec'd in the '01 price list but that may simply be an error of omission.
Corona guitars were more heavily built according to most feedback (including me); but still deliver high-quality sound especially after aging for about ten years, at least in my case and according to an increasing percentage of owner feedback.
 
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Cougar

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....If the one you're looking at is clean, with a good neck angle, good frets and such and at a good price I say you can't go wrong.

Good point about the neck angle. There are a couple tests for this, but basically if the action is good and the saddle isn't sanded down to a nubbin, it ought to be good.....
 

Br1ck

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Late to the game, but I've always subscribed to the find it, play it. like it, buy it school of thought.

Looks like that's what you did. But we all have our preferences, mine being 60s, early 70s, but they come with their own issues. Enjoy your guitar.
 

highwayman

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I am the owner of two JF 30s: one natural, the other a sunburst cutaway. Both great guitars. The JF30 is a good guitar to start with. But once the Guild bug has bitten you, every Guild is a good Guild. You will see.
 

wileypickett

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Guitar Center (at least the ones in MA) has a hold policy on their used instruments. I bought a used guitar at one not too long and had to wait two weeks to pick it up.


And I've never seen any that applied to retail locations besides pawn shops. Most places I see used items (that aren't pawn shops) are either thrift shops where they have been donated or consignment shops. Both are not the best places to fence stolen goods :)
 

General Dreedle

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Well I love this guitar, they adjusted the truss rod and I had DR rare bluegrass 12-56 strings put on and the bass came alive! Great tone, really stays in tune, really easy to play.
 
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