I'm sorry Squawk. There is absolutely no way that an Artcore should even be in the same conversation as a Guild archtop. One is a perfectly nice beginnner's axe, the other is a pro axe.
The pickups on the Artcore's are tinny and thin. There is no acoustic design to them at all. Some feed back terribly, some not. Sure they're cheap. But they sound that way, too. At least compared to a Guild.
I certainly hope Fender never considers sending the archtop production to China (or any other offshore location). I have never played any offshore archtop that even remotely compares to a good Gibson or Guild. And that includes Gretsch. And I have played and owned a LOT -- new and old. Even a top-of-the-line Ibanez Scofield can't compare to a great Gibson 335. I've owned, played, and heard 'em. Sco himself. There is a reason besides the "made in USA" label that they cost more. The materials are better. The wood is properly aged. The electronics are far superior.
Maybe it will increase the value of my Guilds, but I don't really consider that a good thing in the long run. It's really about the viability of our country to make great guitars. I think it would be a shame. And certainly lower our expectations about what really makes a great guitar great.
Again, I'm sorry to be so disparaging about Artcores. But Guild really is pretty top-drawer.