70th Anv D-55

[davismanLV]

The highly motivated can search and find posts that prove my memory is wrong. But my memory is that all anniversary models that commemorated the anniversary of the company and were produced in or before 1997 used 1952 as the anniversary date. For unexplained reasons after 1997 FMIC decided to use 1953 as the anniversary date and subsequent owners have continued the practice. The cynics believe that FMIC chose to explain that no guitars were made in 1952 and so 1953 was a more appropriate date, rather than admit an error.

This dating change shows up in banners and similar items.

My generalization is phrased to avoid any discussion of the "D-25 Anniversary Model".

It is possible that plans for the 1997 Anniversary model were already in the works when FMIC bought Guild and thus it was produced with little to no input from FMIC.

I guess that's what I was remembering. There was a ton of discussion about the change with the anniversary models and what Fender did. Thanks for the clarification, frono!!

 

[twocorgis]

My generalization is phrased to avoid any discussion of the "D-25 Anniversary Model".

Ha! There was a "real" 25th Anniversary D25 model that was released in 1993, and the only thing that it has in common with my '95 is the sticker on the headstock. They must have has some left over after the D26 run for GC was done!

1993 Guild D-25 25th Anniversary Natural > Guitars Acoustic | SS Vintage

Here's a 1993 Guild D-25 25th Anniversary Model. Everything on the guitar is original! Made in the Westerly RI factory, the guitar has a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back & sides, Grover tuners...

www.gbase.com

 

[Bill Ashton]

This showed up in email today, don't think anyone has posted it...

GSR D-55 70th Anniversary Limited | Guild Guitars

The Guild Special Run D-55 70th Anniversary Limited features a solid Adirondack Spruce top and bracing with exotic solid Madagascar Rosewood back and sides.

guildguitars.com

Edit: Yup Frono did, Page 2...

 

[West R Lee]

Or maybe they just say......."'52.........'53, close enough". I don't know, can Guild build 70 D55's by the end of the year, or will there be '24 model 70th Anniversary Editions? Sounds like a whole bunch of guitars. Have they started? How long does it take them to complete a guitar? First ordered, first served basis I'd assume?

West

 

[chazmo]

I'm sure they could find a way to build them if the demand were there, Jim. I just doubt there will be that many orders.

Other than that "25th anniversary" D-25 model we were talking about a few weeks ago, which I think was an anomaly, I don't think there's much/any precedent for allowing orders for an anniversary edition beyond year end. Having said that, if they really don't do any bespoke appointments for this model, they could certainly allow orders for it any time.

 

[thunder22]

I'm happy with my 2022 Guild D-55, BUT... this 70th anniversary model is tempting

 

[West R Lee]

I'm sure they could find a way to build them if the demand were there, Jim. I just doubt there will be that many orders.

Other than that "25th anniversary" D-25 model we were talking about a few weeks ago, which I think was an anomaly, I don't think there's much/any precedent for allowing orders for an anniversary edition beyond year end. Having said that, if they really don't do any bespoke appointments for this model, they could certainly allow orders for it any time.

Does Yamaha own Guild now Charlie? Yes, I know they are buying Guild, but does Yamaha own Guild now? I'm just wondering how Guild can pull this off? But yes, I'd agree, they'll base it on orders imagine. Interesting.

West

 

[fronobulax]

I was told by someone at the LMG that introduced the 60th and by the dealer who sold ours to us that Guild had made some and were going to stop at 60 and make no more. They were to be sold to dealers on a first come first serve basis but the place in line was not guaranteed until a substantial deposit was received. If production was finished but not sold out negotiations were opened with selected dealers to place the rest of the run. Some stayed at the factory and could be ordered after production had ended but making more to satisfy demand was not a possibility.

That is how a lot of enterprises sell limited editions.

If Guild announces a limited edition of 70, signs and numbers examples and then makes more, then they are in lawsuit territory because selling me #25 out of 70 establishes a contract that there won't be more than 70. They can make more than 70 with the same spec but the lawyers need to call it something so that someone who paid the premium for a limited edition cannot claim that the edition was not limited.

 

[fronobulax]

Does Yamaha own Guild now Charlie? Yes, I know they are buying Guild, but does Yamaha own Guild now? I'm just wondering how Guild can pull this off? But yes, I'd agree, they'll base it on orders imagine. Interesting.

West

I'm going to politely disagree. Guild can make 70 guitars to the spec at the Oxnard factory in about a month if anecdotes from New Hartford can be generalized. Furthermore they will not be the only thing the factory makes during that time. The big issue will be raw materials, if they are not already in house and "seasoned". If they make more than 70 and call them 70th Anniversary then they will be in lawsuit land. If they get more than 70 orders then some people will be disappointed. If they don't have 70 orders the unsold stock will remain in the warehouse until they get 70 orders. If the marketing department is good enough there will be dealers who will buy up the the unsold instruments. Key point is that they will make 70, no more and no less, regardless of how many orders they have. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances all 70 will be completed by the end of 2023 so a 70th Anniversary made in 2024 is highly unlikely.

 

[West R Lee]

I'm going to politely disagree. Guild can make 70 guitars to the spec at the Oxnard factory in about a month if anecdotes from New Hartford can be generalized. Furthermore they will not be the only thing the factory makes during that time. The big issue will be raw materials, if they are not already in house and "seasoned". If they make more than 70 and call them 70th Anniversary then they will be in lawsuit land. If they get more than 70 orders then some people will be disappointed. If they don't have 70 orders the unsold stock will remain in the warehouse until they get 70 orders. If the marketing department is good enough there will be dealers who will buy up the the unsold instruments. Key point is that they will make 70, no more and no less, regardless of how many orders they have. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances all 70 will be completed by the end of 2023 so a 70th Anniversary made in 2024 is highly unlikely.

But for some reason Fro, I've gotten the impression that Oxnard is much slower than New Hartford. Maybe I'm wrong?

West

 

[SFIV1967]

If they get more than 70 orders then some people will be disappointed.

It looks like all 70 are already sold to dealers as Sweetwater shows her as "no longer available". Sweetwater got allocated 3 of them if I understood that right, means 3 people ordered them already there. And Sweetwater is not getting more.
But no dealer has received one yet, all dealers worldwide only show the stock pictures of the one that we also saw. In Germany one shop nearby shows "available October 10, 2023" for the one he got allocated.
So I guess they just started building them in Oxnard and only in a few month we will see the first of them out there.

Ralf

 

[richardp69]

I've got one reserved. I'll need to see final pricing though.

 

[chazmo]

Does Yamaha own Guild now Charlie? Yes, I know they are buying Guild, but does Yamaha own Guild now? I'm just wondering how Guild can pull this off? But yes, I'd agree, they'll base it on orders imagine. Interesting.

West

Yup. Yamaha acquired Cordoba Music Group (including Guild) about 6 months ago, Jim. We haven't heard much about the impact of this purchase.

We discussed it for a while here, Jim:

We now play Yamahas

From the Yamaha LinkedIn page, Yamaha Guitar Group has purchased Cordoba. Here’s the press release. https://yamahaguitargroup.com/news/YamahaGuitarGroup-PressRelease-2023-02-06.pdf

letstalkguild.com

 

[chazmo]

It looks like all 70 are already sold to dealers as Sweetwater shows her as "no longer available". Sweetwater got allocated 3 of them if I understood that right, means 3 people ordered them already there. And Sweetwater is not getting more.
But no dealer has received one yet, all dealers worldwide only show the stock pictures of the one that we also saw. In Germany one shop nearby shows "available October 10, 2023" for the one he got allocated.
So I guess they just started building them in Oxnard and only in a few month we will see the first of them out there.

Ralf

That's great news. I hope the demand is there for the customers of the dealers that pre-ordered them. This seems to be a different way of doing business than back in New Hartford's day, when dealers waited for customer orders before ordering from Guild.

 

[SFIV1967]

That's great news.

Well, I don't know the details, just watching shop pages what they show.
Ralf

 

[LesB3]

CME still has one available for pre-order...
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...ial-run-d-55-70th-anniversary-limited-1835167

$5999

 

[chazmo]

CME still has one available for pre-order...
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...ial-run-d-55-70th-anniversary-limited-1835167

$5999

Les, I think a "pre-order" would mean you (the customer) putting in a down payment for a guitar at a store/dealer, which would allow the store to order it from Guild. This looks like a normal for-sale ad at CME.

I think what this implies, and I'm not speaking from direct info from Guild or anything, is that CME has already ordered a bunch from Guild, and they are selling them before having them in hand.

Again, I'm not too sure of myself here as I have no idea how Cordoba manages the business.

 

[LesB3]

Yep, exactly.

Just putting it out there since it was stated these were "sold out." At least one (pre-order) still up for grabs!

 

[West R Lee]

Yup. Yamaha acquired Cordoba Music Group (including Guild) about 6 months ago, Jim. We haven't heard much about the impact of this purchase.

We discussed it for a while here, Jim:

We now play Yamahas

From the Yamaha LinkedIn page, Yamaha Guitar Group has purchased Cordoba. Here’s the press release. https://yamahaguitargroup.com/news/YamahaGuitarGroup-PressRelease-2023-02-06.pdf

letstalkguild.com

Yes sir, I'd read the long discussion back then, I was just wondering if all had been finalized and Yamaha was now at the helm? My thinking was that with the almost endless financial backing of Yamaha, Guild could indeed get busy building these "limited" guitars. I'd think there would be far more resources available to Guild.........that was my thought process anyway.

West

 

[chazmo]

Yes sir, I'd read the long discussion back then, I was just wondering if all had been finalized and Yamaha was now at the helm? My thinking was that with the almost endless financial backing of Yamaha, Guild could indeed get busy building these "limited" guitars. I'd think there would be far more resources available to Guild.........that was my thought process anyway.

West

Definitely hope you're right, Jim. Could go lots of ways.