Why are Guilds so cool?

From day one they were the cheaper alternative, and thus were viewed as wanna be Martins.

Neither Crosby, Stills, Nash, or Young played them, and neither did any of the Eagles.

They have never been a collectable brand.

They have been used on recordings far less than Martin and Gibson.

A balanced guitar has never been particularly valued for an ultra popular music form.

John Denver and Judy Collins can't make up for the Eagles and CSNY.

Peers don't ooh and aah over them 'cause they know you bought yours cheap.

No one in Bill Monroe's band played one. Neither does Taylor Swift. Peter, Paul and Mary? James Taylor?

How many under forty know Richie Havens ?

The owners

Neil Young has played one since, I know he used Daniel Lanois’s on ‘Le Noise’

Heath said:

Neil Young has played one since, I know he used Daniel Lanois’s on ‘Le Noise’

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Yes, an M-20.

More on Neil and his Guild here:

https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/a-guild-and-neil-young.178193/

walrus

Stuball48 said:

The owners

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I usually gig with a Martin custom jumbo, but do open mics with a '80 Guild D25. I've gotten a few nice comments about the Martin being "beautiful", but the D25 gets more enthusiastic admirers - "cool" "sweet" or just plain "Guild!!!". I think it has a lot more cache - even non-Guild owners are intrigued by it.

I've never really cared if I was cool, and therefore after years of not caring, I became cool. Go figure!! And I love Guilds, so therefore, they are cool. And I picked my first Guild not because of price, but because of sound. So now.... i forget what my point is...... sorry.

EmmyLou Harris, John Prine, Gillian Welch, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia, Doyle Dykes, Eva Cassady, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Tommy Smothers, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton to name a few.

lol. I remember seeing a friends acoustic simulator pedal for electric guitar's, this was years ago, and one of the settings was "Womanly Guild". I can only think it was because of EmmyLou and Bonnie. Anyway I always liked them both and when I played some Guilds at a music store when I was looking for my first really good acoustic I instantly loved the G37. Didn't even consider Martin or Gibson.

Womanly Guild. Hard to know what that actually means, but I like your interpretation, Marc!

They're cool because they're different.

The stuffyness of Gibson - electric - and Martin - acoustic - owners got old a long time ago.

crank said:

lol. I remember seeing a friends acoustic simulator pedal for electric guitar's, this was years ago, and one of the settings was "Womanly Guild". I can only think it was because of EmmyLou and Bonnie. Anyway I always liked them both and when I played some Guilds at a music store when I was looking for my first really good acoustic I instantly loved the G37. Didn't even consider Martin or Gibson.

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Given this and Dread's list, it appears I have a thing for "Guildy women".

Uncool is decidedly the place to be . . . I had a brief but costly fling with vintage Gibsons (J-45, J-50) and want no part of old guitars anymore, Guild or otherwise. I want excellent craftsmanship, to-die-for tone, and handsome appointments. My Ox D-55 does it for me. Puts me in the cool camp. Or maybe not.

Also, what could be more uncool than Yamaha? Two of them, LL56 and LS56, grace my small acoustic guitar collection and they're the finest guitars I've ever played, bar none, acing out the D-55 by a slim margin.

Looking forward to getting another uncool guitar, a Yairi, as soon as the boat docks!

Strange, I've only ever seen Emmylou with a huge Gibson. Did I miss her Guild phase??

davismanLV said:

Strange, I've only ever seen Emmylou with a huge Gibson. Did I miss her Guild phase??

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Don't ruin this for me, Tom.

eljayski said:

Also, what could be more uncool than Yamaha? Two of them, LL56 and LS56, grace my small acoustic guitar collection and they're the finest guitars I've ever played, bar none, acing out the D-55 by a slim margin.

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I always thought old Yamahas to be pretty cool myself. I have a few, but maybe I’m just not cool after all

Old Ibanezes, FTW!

dreadnut said:

EmmyLou Harris, John Prine, Gillian Welch, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia, Doyle Dykes, Eva Cassady, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Paul Simon, Johnny Cash, Tommy Smothers, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton to name a few.

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Every artist has owned a lot of guitars. When you think Emmylou Harris you think J 200. John Prine a D 28, Gillian Welch, her J 50, Jerry Garcia, a Takamime cut away, Bommie raitt, I'll give you, Doyle Dykes is likely know by nobody but guitar geeks, and he's moved on. Eva Cassidy likewise. Why, I don't know, other than she wouldnt play the record label game. Stieve Ray Vaughn played acoustic what, 2%? Paul Simon played one for a while. Johnny Cash is way more known for a black D 35, Tommy Smothers was nobody's guitar hero. Tom Petty when he played acoustic 12 string, once again, not what he's known for. Sheryl Crow has a Gibson signature, and I can't remember Buddy Guy with an acoustic in his hand. And ask anyone what Clapton plays and they'll tell you a Clapton signature Martin. Even the mythical M 20 Nick Drake was photographed with. No one can remember him playing or recording with it.

So when it comes to star power selling guitars, Martin and Gibson rule. That is the only point I'm making. I remember a guitar store manager telling me a rep came in and said Pete Townsand was going to be playing a black Takamine on tour, the store should buy some, but the limit was ten per store. This was in California. The tour started on the East Coast. By the third date, all those black Takamine guitars were sold out. Everywhere. Collectively, if you added up record sales by primarily people identified playing Guilds, I doubt it would equal the Eagles greatest hits. A lot of folks were buying acoustics in the early 70s. Marketing and artist endorsements work.

So lets be satisfied to buy Guilds as cheaply as we can, root for their survival, and be content with reverse snobism. I love the smug satisfaction of owning one. Being good guitars is a bonus. Lets not get started on the Taylor marketing juggernaut. I like watching Casino Guitars's vlog. They were talking about acoustics and touted the stregnths of various brands. They came to Taylors, and all they could say is they just sell. LOL

Br1ck said:

Eva Cassidy likewise. Why, I don't know, other than she wouldnt play the record label game.

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Are we tallkng about the same Eva Cassidy?


That's the one I associate with Guilds.

Cassidy's unwillingness to narrow her stylistic focus to one genre hindered her chances of securing a deal.

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might possibly be summarized as

she wouldnt play the record label game

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but that's not the first, second or even third thing that comes to my mind concerning her career.


Your general point about star power and marketing is acknowledged

Similarly for someone who only lived for 33 years it's not clear she even had a chance to "move on".

After Simon and Garfunkel, I really don't care for Paul Simon at all. When I decided to look at F-30's to solve my shoulder issues, I was wishing he wasn't associated with them! Besides the nice "reach" it has, this may be a subliminal reason I got a cutaway model...

"Reverse Star Power"!

walrus