I have 3 Chinese GAD guitars that sound fine as well as 3 USA Guilds. Guild had a lot of problems with the GAD thick finish and had many reworked in the USA. They had a sticker with a new serial number pasted on the Guild label and a used stamp on the back of the headstock so they couldn't be sold at list.
Tom: I'm about 99% positive you've been sold a myth that combines elements from 2 sources:
Those bar code-s/n stickers are a known giveaway of guitars that were refurbished by
MIRC and the first examples started popping up when Fender closed the Guild factory in Corona CA in '04.
Coronas DID have known finishing problems when they started out, likely due at least in part to the fact they installed a brand new spray booth for NITROCELLULOSE lacquer there, but had no techs skilled in spraying nitro on flat-tops, they had to be trained.
Corona used MIRC to liquidate unsold inventory as well as seconds, and did it again when they closed Tacoma in '08.
(And GAD's coincidentally enough also first appeared in the spring '04 Guild price list, that may explain the mixed seeds of truth in that myth)
Here's where I think the story about "re-finished GAD's" falls down:
GAD guitars are finished in polyester lacquer (it's one of the little details purists like myself hold against 'em from an ultimate quality of materials standpoint: we believe NCL improves top resonance and tone as it ages because it constantly gets thinner and lighter through the process of outgassing the solvents that made it sprayable in the first place.
Poly
doesn't.
It is what it is from day one and always will be.
MORE important in this case:
Poly by it's nature is quite troublesome to repair (NCL's quite easy) and I'm 99.99% positive nobody would have gone to that expense on GAD guitars.
BUT: We DO know that Fender sent GAD guitars through MIRC as well: Warranty returns for things like loose braces/ frets/binding.
And those got those same bar-code ID stickers you describe.
Why?
Because Fender deemed those guitars to be cheaper to replace than to repair, and their GUIld warranty included the verbiage "repair
or replace at our discretion".
They didn't even maintain any repair parts inventory here for the imports.
I can recall at least one story from back around '09 or so of an owner member here who dearly loved his GAD F30 but when he asked Fender for a warranty repair (loose brace) they would only commit to replace it.
And btw I know one member was able to contact MIRC and find out exactly what was done to his guitar from that bar code number, but it was fairly quicky after he bought it: MIRC offered dealers a 30 day replacement window, but no warranty themselves, to the end buyer.
So no snark intended but poly finishes and warranty repair "dodginess" are another 2 elements always working against collectible value of most current imports.
And the whole finish thing might well be one of those intangibles giving the US built Guilds at least, their ''something extra" in "tone".
GADs sound good, remember they listed for around $1000, much more the the Guitar Center asians. I bought a new GAD G212. It is a good sounding 12 string with dual truss rods. One dealer told me they sounded as good as a Taylor in a blind test in their shop.
(Can't resist):
Gosh! Taylors are finished in poly too!
Wonder if any Taylor purists would be insulted at having their brand compared to a GAD......:glee:
But I agree the Asians don't sound like my maple New Hartford's or my '64 Gibson.
The intangibles:
Secret sauce, luthier's DNA, and the 101 Invisible Changes Theme which was subsequently ripped off by Volkswagen.
:glee:
And thanks for bearing with my diatribe.
:smile: