Considering my first Guild. Advice needed!!!

[aldiablo]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forum and really need your expertly advice.

I have been playing for many years and, as I've always played in bands, have concentrated on buying electric guitars of which I have a few. Acoustics were always mainly a songwriting tool for me, though I'd always planned to get a good one at some stage.

About a year and a half ago I invested in a Gibson J45 and I love it. It came at a time when I am using lot more acoustic guitar as I'm doing a solo project and using acoustics for recording a lot more than I used to. I've also started gigging again with just me and an acoustic for the first time.

I've been enjoying having a quality acoustic so much that I am now selling a few bits of unneeded gear to fund another purchase, and my thoughts have gone towards a Jumbo. I want something different from the J45, which has a great woody slightly dark kind of tone, to have more options for recording and gigs.

I have been going between 2 Jumbos, the Guild F-55 Maple and a Gibson J-200. I have always been a big Gibson guy but have also always considered Guild a very cool brand and respect them a lot. There happens to be a F-55 Maple in a local guitar store and I tried it out yesterday and I have to say it was great. Definitely brighter than the J45 but still has a bottom end wallop. Very articulate and well balanced. Lovely to play too. It's also on sale with €700 knocked off the retail price.

Unfortunately there is no J200 anywhere to compare it against. I have played some in the past but not in a long time and never for long. I can remember it being really nice but have no specific memories of tone etc.

So I'm wondering has anyone compared these two jumbos or maybe owned both at some stage? How do they compare? What are the differences? Also what do you guys think of pairing up a J45 with a F-55 to give tonal variety?


Thanks,
Al

 

[GGJaguar]

Welcome to LTG! I prefer the SJ-200 to the F-55 Maple because I like the more focused bottom end of the Gibson. The low end of the Guild is good, but sounds a little "tubby" to me (that's just the nature of the arched back design). It works for me in a 12-string format, but not a 6-string. But that's just my taste, not yours. If you really want a full size jumbo style guitar, another model you might consider is the rosewood F-55. I think it could be a good partner to your J-45. It will be rich with overtones and good for strumming or fingerstyle. Good luck with your hunt and keep us updated on what you decide!

 

[Westerly Wood]

Welcome to the LTG Al...

While I cannot speak to a J200 vs F55 (F50), there are a couple members who I am sure will chime in to give you their takes, as they do have both.

What I can remember: The J200 is more balanced sounding and quieter vs the F50.

 

[Longnose Gar]

I have or have owned these!
2021 J-45
2018 F-55 maple
2012 F-50 maple
2022 SJ-200 maple

I thought the J-45 and F-50 were quite similar in tone (not that the F-50 is on your radar).

Like GGJaguar, I prefer the SJ-200 to the F-55 maple. I find the bass to be attenuated, especially on anything other than open E. I like this sound as it gives a constrained dryness with special clarity on the high notes that I really like for accompanying voice. In my experience, the SJ-200 is more different from the J-45 than the F-55 maple. I also agree the F-55 rosewood is worth checking out.

Also, the Guilds have a 1 11/16" nut. Gibsons 1 3/4". For some of us, that's a big deal.

 

[beecee]

GGJaguar and Longnose Gar's responses are emblematic of the quality of these forums.

EDIT: ...and Woods!!

 

[Westerly Wood]

GGJaguar and Longnose Gar's responses are emblematic of the quality of these forums.

EDIT: ...and Woods!!

oh I was just going by memory of another LTGers quest to get an F50 and he already had a J-200.
I know we had a J-45 way back when and I still miss that guitar. Great song writing guitars. Perfect balance of tone and woodiness.

 

[aldiablo]

Thanks so much for the replies so far guys. It's very helpful. The SJ-200 also has the added disadvantage of being way more expensive but then maybe the extra bucks gives that extra clarity.

I hear you on the Rosewood. I remember trying out J45 Studio Rosewood when buying the J45 and it sounded great. But the extra body depth on the Standard clinched it. It literally gave it more body!

From what I've read maple and Jumbo's go very well as the maple gives it that bite to go with the depth of the big body. I just wish there was a bigger selection to try in Ireland. There isn't even a SJ-200 at the moment let alone a F-55 Rosewood. I would maybe have to resort to internet shopping which I loath doing with guitars. Especially acoustics.

I guess the main advantage to the F-55 Maple is that it's there for me to try and it's sale. Usual price is €3,999 and it's €3,299.

That being said I could just afford the pushing on €6K price tag of SJ200 if I sell all the gear I have up for sale. I would might also be willing to chance an internet purchase if it was worth it. Or see if a shop will order one in.

Any more advice is very welcome.

Thanks,
Al

 

[Westerly Wood]

Thanks so much for the replies so far guys. It's very helpful. The SJ-200 also has the added disadvantage of being way more expensive but then maybe the extra bucks gives that extra clarity.

I hear you on the Rosewood. I remember trying out J45 Studio Rosewood when buying the J45 and it sounded great. But the extra body depth on the Standard clinched it. It literally gave it more body!

From what I've read maple and Jumbo's go very well as the maple gives it that bite to go with the depth of the big body. I just wish there was a bigger selection to try in Ireland. There isn't even a SJ-200 at the moment let alone a F-55 Rosewood. I would maybe have to resort to internet shopping which I loath doing with guitars. Especially acoustics.

I guess the main advantage to the F-55 Maple is that it's there for me to try and it's sale. Usual price is €3,999 and it's €3,299.

That being said I could just afford the pushing on €6K price tag of SJ200 if I sell all the gear I have up for sale. I would might also be willing to chance an internet purchase if it was worth it. Or see if a shop will order one in.

Any more advice is very welcome.

Thanks,
Al

You can most likely get a better price on Reverb for a J-200.

 

[aldiablo]

That is very true yeah. Although prices have gone insane even second hand in the past couple of years, Would definitely get one cheaper than new though. It's also buy before you try though which isn't ideal, especially with second hand.

 

[Br1ck]

I'd wait a while, until folks realize this isn't two years ago. I've been sort of tracking how long things last on Craigslist and Reverb. I think it is going to be like the used car market right now. Prices softening, but dealers are reluctant to lose on inventory they paid too much for. I'm seeing guitars for $200 less than new, when new was full MSRP. They sit and then disappear , only to be listed again. I also see pricing equal to a top flight dealer. We'll see how things shake out.

 

[aldiablo]

Yeah things have gone crazy alright. You’d wonder what way it’s gonna go. I have a synth up for sale at the moment that I bought new for €1,850 two years ago that’s now €2,650 new. Mad. I suppose one of the plus points about the F-55 Maple in the store is that it’s on sale so will retain its value better. I think I’ll head back to the music store this week to try it out more.

 

[Wellington]

I'd just buy the F-55 especially with that sale, and if you come across a SJ-200 down the road and you prefer it, you could buy it and sell the Guild.
The F-55 is a stunner by looks though, as is the SJ, not sure you can lose in this situation.

 

[aldiablo]

That does make sense Wellington thanks. I’m going to pop back up to the guitar store tomorrow or the next day to play it again for a while. I very much enjoyed playing it the other day. I’ll keep you all posted on how it all develops. Thanks so much guys. If anyone else has any advice or experience it’s most welcome.

 

[maxr]

My son watches the collectors guitar market very closely here in UK, albeit for slightly different axes - Gibson Les Pauls. He reckons the collector's market went crazy during Covid 'lockdown' and may now be resetting. He thinks sales are now probably down, and hopeful sellers who bought close to the top haven't yet seen enough evidence of what's happening to lower their prices. So e.g. Ebay sales of mid level 'collectable' guitars appear to be stalling but prices aren't falling much yet. He reckons it's currently 'watch this space' time.

 

[aldiablo]

Yeah I don’t know a huge amount about the market and don’t watch it all the time but as I’m currently selling some gear I have been looking things up and it seems to have gotten crazy. It surely couldn’t keep up the momentum it has been building. The world has gone through a lot between covid, Brexit and the Russian invasion so maybe it’s due to all that. I bought a 69 SG Junior around 5/6 years ago. I remember having a look at the market a couple of years later out of curiosity and it had gone up a little but not much. It has now tripled its value.

 

[Br1ck]

This same problem is across the board. Right now car dealers have inventory of trade ins they gave too much for, and why not when they were tacking $10,000 onto MSRP. So that car they gave a $15000 trade in allowance for is worth $11,000-12,000. No one likes to take a bath. They will in time feel the pain, but are very reluctant to now. If you paid $2300 for a nice clean D 18 because there were no new D 18s to be had, well, were you to try to sell it you are competing with new ones being discounted 15% now. I saw one D 18, a year old, for $2000 recently. Bargain hunters should wait. The flip side is what is it worth to have and play for six months or a year. $200-300 does not seem excessive.