Anyone with experienced with Guild GF-30?

[Siwash]

Anyone got the hot skinny on this mini jumbo?

 

[SmithfieldFair]

Siwash -- I actually have 3 GF25's - the model under the GF30 (the line continued GF40, GF50, GF55 and GF60). The design and size were all pretty much identical, but the GF25 was the only model in the line with a mahogany arched back. Starting with the GF30, they went to flat back, some book-matched, some wood variations (rosewood, maple, etc.) and various appointments and finishes.

I LOVE the small or mini-jumbo, but it's deceptive. It's lower bought isn't that much different from the dreads, just narrower shoulders, but a wonderfully warm sound and the neck on these models are great. I know there are a number of the geezers here with GF60's, but I don't know anyone with a 30. I can't imagine it's anything but a marvelous guitar. I hope this helps...dbs

 

[hansmoust]

Siwash -- I actually have 3 GF25's - the model under the GF30 (the line continued GF40, GF50, GF55 and GF60). The design and size were all pretty much identical, but the GF25 was the only model in the line with a mahogany arched back. Starting with the GF30, they went to flat back, some book-matched, some wood variations (rosewood, maple, etc.) and various appointments and finishes.

Hello Siwash and Dudley,

Little correction here. The GF-30 had a laminated arched maple back. The GF-40 was the lowest in the range with a flat mahogany braced back.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Siwash]

I guess I'm mostly a strummer but I'm trying some flatpicking. I love the minijumbo body on a guitar, but does it make sense matching up to a minijumbo if I'm a strummer?

Or is it a blues fingerpicking kind of thing? by the way, due to this site, I'm hooked on Mississippi John Hurt and hoping the mermaids will flirt with me.

 

[Graham]

I guess I'm mostly a strummer but I'm trying some flatpicking. I love the minijumbo body on a guitar, but does it make sense matching up to a minijumbo if I'm a strummer?

I'm mostly a strummer as well Si and I really don't care what the guitar is "supposed" to be for, if anything. I like the jumbos now and I'm trying to work on some finger picking as well. I guess the string spacing plays into it, but I'm taking the stance that if this is what I'm going to want to play, then this is how the strings are spaced and I need get used to it.

I'm sure other, more proficient, players prefer a certain neck width or string spacing, but I'm in this for fun and hitting everything clean is something that I'll take as opposed to strive for. Not that I don't want to become a much better player, just that I want to maintain as much fun with this as possible. YYMV

 

[Jeff]

[quote="Graham

I'm sure other, more proficient, players prefer a certain neck width or string spacing, but I'm in this for fun and hitting everything clean is something that I'll take as opposed to strive for. Not that I don't want to become a much better player, just that I want to maintain as much fun with this as possible. YYMV[/quote]

Interesting !!! I've been having mucho trouble playing clean with my left hand. Mucho !!! (right hand technique could use some work as well). New Zoom recorder's telling it all, a source of humility.

My CO1 has been ignored for a couple weeks She has a wider 1 3/4 fingerboard. I picked it up yesterday, deliberately to see if It was easier to play clean.

The answer is, at least on this day & time, a definitve yes, a subtle difference but real. My stubby, fat fingers have just a knat's eyelash more room & fewer strings are unintentionally muted.

Funny, the guitar I play most of the time is the F20 & it has a 1 5/8 in fingerboard. Guess it sparkles enough to cover up some poor technique. Recorder is brutal.

 

[Graham]

Interesting !!! I've been having mucho trouble playing clean with my left hand. Mucho !!! New Zoom recorder's telling it all, a source of humility.

Recorder is brutal.

Then again Jeff, your take on clean and/or brutal will differ from mine. I've heard you play and I'd like to hear some more so post some of your "crap" please. :mrgreen:

 

[zplay]

[quote="Graham

I'm sure other, more proficient, players prefer a certain neck width or string spacing, but I'm in this for fun and hitting everything clean is something that I'll take as opposed to strive for. Not that I don't want to become a much better player, just that I want to maintain as much fun with this as possible. YYMV

Interesting !!! I've been having mucho trouble playing clean with my left hand. Mucho !!! (right hand technique could use some work as well). New Zoom recorder's telling it all, a source of humility.

My CO1 has been ignored for a couple weeks She has a wider 1 3/4 fingerboard. I picked it up yesterday, deliberately to see if It was easier to play clean.

The answer is, at least on this day & time, a definitve yes, a subtle difference but real. My stubby, fat fingers have just a knat's eyelash more room & fewer strings are unintentionally muted.

Funny, the guitar I play most of the time is the F20 & it has a 1 5/8 in fingerboard. Guess it sparkles enough to cover up some poor technique. Recorder is brutal.[/quote]

Well, I may have soon have some input into this nut width/string spacing /clean playing thing, as I am a dyed-in-the-wool 1 3/4" nut fingerstyle sissy who will be soon be taking another shot at a 1 11/16" pretty soon, as I've got a GAD JF-30 incoming, maybe in a week. - Couldn't wait any longer Guildless til my replacement CV-1C showed up, so I decided to order a little something to get me through the long dark nights, yadda yadda..... And Jeff and other people here got me thinking maple and all ...

Anyway, not to hijack this thread completely, I've got my own difficulties with clean playing and assume that tighter spacing won't help this disability, but the thing is that there are a lot of nice Guilds and other guitars that don't happen to come just like I'm used to.
Plus, some people - probably just better players than me - seem to be able to adapt. Also, appropos another recent thread concerning a nut change on a D-50, I think, it should be possible to coax a bit more space that way, if need be.

Oh and as regards the damn Zoom recorder, just do as I have done(now that I think of it): if it offends thee, cast it out of thy sight! -
I've got one on a shelf somewhere too.

 

[sfIII]

I have both GF-25 and GF-30 guitars... All arched back as Hans points out. IMO the Mahogany sounds better. But one can finger pick some very nice blues on the GF-30 guitar. If you have a chance to pick up either of these models, I would recommend it. I think the braces are scalloped on the GF-30s but not on the GF-25s.. The GF-30s have binding front and back (I think). Anyway both of these guitar are at top of my list of great Guilds flattops along with G-37s and DV-52s.

Howard

 

[SmithfieldFair]

Hans IS the man - I stand corrected. I forgot about the GF30 having that arched maple back. (See Hans...I need Book 2 and I wouldn't make such errors!) Anyway...I am completely a strummer do not play fingerstyle and the GF25 is absolutely No.2 in my arsenal - G37 for the studio is No.1, but GF25 No. on tour. Go to Youtube, put in Smithfield Fair and listen to me strum on the GF25 if you wish. O, and I only play in open C and D - really B-I-G strumming. dbs

 

[sitka_spruce]

I guess I'm mostly a strummer but I'm trying some flatpicking. I love the minijumbo body on a guitar, but does it make sense matching up to a minijumbo if I'm a strummer?

I'm mostly a strummer as well Si and I really don't care what the guitar is "supposed" to be for, if anything. I like the jumbos now and I'm trying to work on some finger picking as well. I guess the string spacing plays into it, but I'm taking the stance that if this is what I'm going to want to play, then this is how the strings are spaced and I need get used to it.

I'm sure other, more proficient, players prefer a certain neck width or string spacing, but I'm in this for fun and hitting everything clean is something that I'll take as opposed to strive for. Not that I don't want to become a much better player, just that I want to maintain as much fun with this as possible. YYMV

A Mini Jumbo (or plainly 'Jumbo' in Gibson parleance) may sound like a big instrument, not so a Grand Concert, although essentially the same. The Grand Concert is actually more balanced than for instance a Dreadnought, which is easy to overlook.

I agree with Gramster there's no instrument for a technique, but an instrument for a sound. E.g. I went with the Willy Porter for its surprisingly bright and in-your-face kind of tone for a grand concert. Sounds 'folkier' and more defined than the plain F40 or F47M.