New Guild USA GSR models!

Now look at this. All finished in satin NC.



Guild announced today that they have delieverd 3 new GSR models to Chicago Music Exchange!

"Our very own “Guild Special Run” guitars are the culmination of more than half a decade at the forefront of acoustic design and aesthetics. Each one being completely unique to what’s in current production at our USA factory. "



1) GSR D-40 Traditional Tear Drop Burst w/LR Baggs Pickup

"The Guild D-40 Traditional embodies the features that have made the D-40 one of Guild’s most beloved and revered models. Using a high-grade solid Sitka spruce top and solid African mahogany back and sides, Guild adds scalloped Adirondack braces for power, nuance and responsiveness. The D-40 Traditional’s three piece mahogany and walnut neck is topped with an Indian rosewood fingerboard and is joined to the body with an authentic dovetail joint. This classic dreadnought is handsomely appointed with a tortoiseshell pickguard, rosette, and binding, a genuine mother-of-pearl Guild peak and chesterfield logo inlaid on the headstock, and nickel-plated open gear tuners. A lustrous satin nitrocellulose lacquer provides an elegant finish to this masterpiece, optimizing the beauty and resonant qualities of its premium woods. "


Serial# C206479:



Body Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Body Back: Solid Mahogany
Body Sides: Solid Mahogany
Body Shape: Dreadnought
Bracing: Scalloped Adirondack Spruce
Rosette: Tortoiseshell and ABS Ring
Finish: Vintage Satin Nitrocellulose
Body Depth Upper Bout: 4″ (101 mm)
Body Depth Lower Bout: 5″ (127 mm)
Body Length: 20″ (508 mm)
Body Width Lower Bout: 16″ (406.4 mm)
Body Width Upper Bout: 11 5/8″ (295.3 mm)
Overall Guitar Length: 41.75″ (1060.5 mm)
Body Binding: Tortoiseshell
Purfling: Black and Cream ABS

Neck Material: 3-Piece Mahogany/Walnut/ Mahogany
Neck Shape: C Shape
Neck Joint: Dovetail
Scale Length: 25 5/8″ (650.9 mm)
Nut Width: 1 11/16″ (43 mm)
Nut Material: Bone
Fingerboard Material: Indian rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 12″
Fingerboard Inlays: MOP Blocks
# of Frets: 20
Tuning Machines: Guild Vintage Style Open Gear in Nickel with Nickel Buttons, 20:1 Ratio
Truss Rod: Dual Action
Truss Rod Wrench: 5/16″ / 8mm Socket Wrench

Bridge: Indian Rosewood
Saddle Spacing: 2 1/8″ / 54mm
Saddle: Compensated Bone
Bridge Pins: Bone
Case or Gig Bag: Deluxe Humidified Hardshell Case
Endpin: Ivory Colored Plastic
Pickguard: Tortoiseshell
Pickup: LR Baggs Elements

CME Price: $ 3,499




2) GSR F-40 Traditional Natural Double Pickguard w/LR Baggs Pickup

"The Guild F-40 Traditional embodies the features that make jumbo-sized acoustics some of Guild’s most beloved and revered models. Using a high-grade solid Sitka spruce top and solid African mahogany back and sides, Guild adds scalloped Adirondack braces for power, nuance and responsiveness. The F-40 Traditional’s three piece mahogany and walnut neck is topped with an Indian rosewood fingerboard and is joined to the body with an authentic dovetail joint. This classic jumbo is handsomely appointed with a tortoiseshell pickguard, rosette, and a genuine mother-of-pearl Guild peak and chesterfield logo inlaid on the headstock, and Gotoh gold tuners. A lustrous satin nitrocellulose lacquer provides an elegant finish to this masterpiece, optimizing the beauty and resonant qualities of its premium woods. "


Serial# C206491:



Body Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Body Back: Solid African Mahogany
Body Sides: Solid African Mahogany
Body Shape: Jumbo
Bracing: Scalloped Adirondack Spruce
Rosette: Tortoiseshell and ABS Ring
Finish: Vintage Satin Nitrocellulose
Body Depth Upper Bout: 3 3/4″ (95mm)
Body Depth Lower Bout: 4 3/4″ (119mm)
Body Length: 20 1/2″ (521mm)
Body Width Lower Bout: 17 1/4″ (438mm)
Body Width Upper Bout: 12 1/2″ (318mm)
Overall Guitar Length: 42.5″ (1080mm)
Body Binding: Tortoiseshell
Purfling: Black and White ABS

Neck Material: Mahogany with Walnut Center Strip
Neck Shape: C Shape
Neck Joint: Dovetail
Scale Length: 25 5/8″ (650.9 mm)
Nut Width: 1 11/16″ (43 mm)
Nut Material: Bone
Fingerboard Material: Indian rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 12″
Fingerboard Inlays: 5mm MOP Dots
# of Frets: 20
Tuning Machines: GOTOH Vintage Style Open Gear in Gold with Gold Buttons, 16:1 Ratio
Truss Rod: Dual Action
Truss Rod Wrench: 4mm Allen Key

Bridge: Indian Rosewood
Bridge Spacing: 2 1/8″ (54mm)
Saddle: Compensated Bone
Bridge Pins: Bone
Case or Gig Bag: Deluxe Humidified Wood Case
Endpin: Ivory Colored Plastic
Pickguard: Double Tortoiseshell

CME price: $ 3,399




3) GSR F-40 Traditional Antique Burst w/LR Baggs Pickup

"The Guild F-40 Traditional embodies the features that make jumbo-sized acoustics some of Guild’s most beloved and revered models. Using a high-grade solid Sitka spruce top and solid African mahogany back and sides, Guild adds scalloped Adirondack braces for power, nuance and responsiveness. The F-40 Traditional’s three piece mahogany and walnut neck is topped with an Indian rosewood fingerboard and is joined to the body with an authentic dovetail joint. This classic jumbo is handsomely appointed with a tortoiseshell pickguard, rosette, and a genuine mother-of-pearl Guild peak and chesterfield logo inlaid on the headstock, and Gotoh gold tuners. A lustrous satin nitrocellulose lacquer provides an elegant finish to this masterpiece, optimizing the beauty and resonant qualities of its premium woods. "


Serial# C206511:



Body Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
Body Back: Solid African Mahogany
Body Sides: Solid African Mahogany
Body Shape: Jumbo
Bracing: Scalloped Adirondack Spruce
Rosette: Tortoiseshell and ABS Ring
Finish: Vintage Satin Nitrocellulose
Body Depth Upper Bout: 3 3/4″ (95mm)
Body Depth Lower Bout: 4 3/4″ (119mm)
Body Length: 20 1/2″ (521mm)
Body Width Lower Bout: 17 1/4″ (438mm)
Body Width Upper Bout: 12 1/2″ (318mm)
Overall Guitar Length: 42.5″ (1080mm)
Body Binding: Tortoiseshell
Purfling: Black and White ABS

Neck Material: Mahogany with Walnut Center Strip
Neck Shape: C Shape
Neck Joint: Dovetail
Scale Length: 25 5/8″ (650.9 mm)
Nut Width: 1 11/16″ (43 mm)
Nut Material: Bone
Fingerboard Material: Indian rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 12″
Fingerboard Inlays: 5mm MOP Dots
# of Frets: 20
Tuning Machines: GOTOH Vintage Style Open Gear in Gold with Gold Buttons, 16:1 Ratio
Truss Rod: Dual Action
Truss Rod Wrench: 4mm Allen Key

Bridge: Indian Rosewood
Bridge Spacing: 2 1/8″ (54mm)
Saddle: Compensated Bone
Bridge Pins: Bone
Case or Gig Bag: Deluxe Humidified Wood Case
Endpin: Ivory Colored Plastic
Pickguard: Tortoiseshell

CME price: $ 3,399


Ralf

That's some nice lookin' Guilds, but a lotta moola for Mahogany boxes

No match to Tacoma or New Hartford GSR models...

That D-40 is also no match to the special Sweetwater exclusive D-40T DELUXE which had gloss NC and wasn't even called a GSR...

Ralf

Still cool they are trying. But I don’t associate GSR with satin finish.

Gotta love those jumbos!

But I don't buy the "satin nitrocellulose lacquer... optimizing the... resonant qualities." Gimme the gloss!

SFIV1967 said:

No match to Tacoma or New Hartford GSR models...

Ralf

Click to expand...

Yuck. I don't like a single one of them, but I guess they've got to start somewhere. And like others have said, there's nothing "GSR-y" about a satin finish.

SFIV1967 said:

No match to Tacoma or New Hartford GSR models.

Click to expand...

Exactly. No fancy woods or features. Not even a unique body size. If they had done the F-40s with the original F-40 body shape, that would have been something out of the ordinary and worthy of GSR status.

SFIV1967 said:

No match to Tacoma or New Hartford GSR models...

Ralf

Click to expand...

Giving the willingness of Guild to muddle model numbers, it seems in character to use "GSR" to mean something different than it did at New Hartford.

GSRs by marketers instead of luthiers. Sad.

At least they have a three piece neck.

I like the small pickguards, like stepping back in time.

Nice compensated bone saddles.

I'm not sure anyone can do Sunbursts as well as Guild did back then, they really were the best I've ever seen.

Make it a short-scale 16” F-shaped body,
and then we can talk.

I was looking hard at the F 40E GSR before I bought my F 40E T. There just wasn't enough differentiation in my mind to justify the increased (substantially) cost.

I will say the F 55E GSR I bought is exceptional and may be my most favorite Guild ever. It's beautiful, sounds terrific and has many of the markers you'd expect on a GSR guitar.

Some time ago I also bought the Oxnard built D 40 T Deluxe. It was a limited run for Sweetwater and although they called it a GSR it really isn't. But, it is the best D 40 I've ever owned and again, a lot of differentiation between it and the typical/regular D 40's.

I look forward to more GSR Oxnard models and provided they give me something over and above the base offering I'll be buying more of them.

My opinion: Cordoba is over thinking its strategy, and not respecting Guild history. Cordoba needs to defend the Guild credibility while protecting its bottom-line. Tweaking Guild "standards" in the wrong ways will ultimately fail. In the end, Guild must continue to compete with Gibson and Taylors, etc., otherwise weaken the brand's reputation as an outsider who deserves respect.

This one is about as close as Cordoba has come to qualifying for a GSR.

GGJaguar said:

This one comes about as close as Cordoba has come to qualifying for a GSR.

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I agree, GG, it's impressive looking. According to Rich P., if it sounds as good as it looks, that is impressive.

Hey, regardless of what it's called, the F-40 looks nice to me! Pretty 'burst too.

Are these models available from any other dealer besides Chicago Musical Exchange?

The strategy of offering a dealer an exclusive product is common and understood. It works best when the deviations from standard product are significant enough to create demand/exclusivity but insignificant in terms of the production line changes needed to make them.

Would we be having the same discussion if they were called Guild Dealer Exclusive (GDE)?

The choice of name set up some expectations which are not being met but is this anything more than CMG not seeing names the way we do?

fronobulax said:

Are these models available from any other dealer besides Chicago Musical Exchange?

The strategy of offering a dealer an exclusive product is common and understood. It works best when the deviations from standard product are significant enough to create demand/exclusivity but insignificant in terms of the production line changes needed to make them.

Would we be having the same discussion if they were called Guild Dealer Exclusive (GDE)?

The choice of name set up some expectations which are not being met but is this anything more than CMG not seeing names the way we do?

Click to expand...

I assume naming strategy by Guild, as well as other competitors, is based on folks' knowledge, who don't necessarily follow the history of the brand all that closely, and therefore don't carry such knowledge, which often creates a bias towards such manipulations, such as we folks have.

There is one man in charge, which reflects his decisions on identity.

Ralph