CV-1 - Guild's Newest Best Kept Secret

[ajgorman]

Several forum members who are fortunate enough to own a CV-1 agree that this model is Guild's best kept secret. If you haven't played one, you should take one out for a spin. Great quality, looks, comfortable F-40 body, and wonderful sound. I particularly like the string-to-string clarity, note articulation, and of course balanced sound for which all Guilds are famous.

I am anxious to try the CV-2 as well. :shock:

 

[Timski]

Yes you're right, I have one and I really like it. Very nice instrument, good volume nice sound across the board. That Madagasgar rosewood is beautiful. I was fortunate to get one at a great sale price. It's my best gutiar so far. By so far I mean there are other Guilds catching my eye.

 

[ajgorman]

Me, too. :shock: Since parting with my beloved D-60, there has been a void in my heart and in the stable. Therefore, I have donned camouflage gear and night vision goggles until I secure a Westerly back in the fold...stealth is critical at this point while I wait a little longer for delivery of the CD-1 (production backlog of 4-5 weeks instead of 2-3 weeks)

Wife has online access to all financials and strategic knowledge where all deadly sharp objects are located in the house. :lol:

 

[sitka_spruce]

Could I ask you if you have figured out what Guild means by it and other contemporary Guilds having a "modern sound"? Feels a bit odd asking that question, since I've played one once - but I didn't know what it was at the time! The rep just threw something new-and-improved at me and I didn't have any prior reference.

I'm really interested in the CV-2 too!

 

[sitka_spruce]

Wife has online access to all financials and strategic knowledge where all deadly sharp objects are located in the house. :lol:

Sounds like you'er a kept man, AJ... :wink:

 

[ajgorman]

GAS does funny things to a woman over time...in our case 33 years...hard to try any new maneuvers. I used to slink around and time it to be able to meet the UPS guy at the door...but now she knows the damn engine sound. At least now she just puts the boxes neatly in the bedroom! :lol:

This is a decrepit explanation from my perspective of the "modern" Guild sound:

I think the "modern" sound they refer to is what I would describe as not being fully the old traditional Guild sound per se. While maintaining much of the traditional characteristic tonal values that makes a Guild, it also has a distinctive flavor of its own. I remember when I first got the CV-1 (never played or heard one before) it did - and didn't - sound like a Guild. It finally hit me recently after talking to another CV-1 LTG'er that it's meant to be different. Having had her now for a few months, I have come to appreciate and savor her distinctive sound...and of course the traditional sound I will always cherish. I expect when my CD-1 arrives it will be the same thing. I don't expect her to sound exactly like a Guild dread...a familar but distinctive sound of her own.

In this way I believe Guild is trying to broaden their products' appeal to more people. The wonderful traditional models - and now a "new" Guild sound as well, if you will. Folks I play with occasionally loved my D-60 but also the CV-1.

Think of the possibilities! Add a different sounding guit to your stable without having to change brands! Seriously, not a bad concept in my view. They have me won over on both counts, and think of all the additional GAS opportunities... :lol:

 

[sitka_spruce]

I can see many traditionalists turning their backs on the Contemporaries because of it, blaming the bolt-on neck joint for sucking the tone out of what in their mind should have turned out a "Guild-Guild". You all know the prejudices flying around this category of methods to connect the neck to the body.

They say there's even little left of that Hoboken and early Waverly sound in todays Guilds. Of what little I remember from playing that CV-1C, there's this feeling of sweetness and long, airy sustain over it - am i in the right neck of the woods?

 

[Graham]

Had the pleasure of playing Jeff's CO-1 in Arlington and it was a real nice guitar. I think it surprised a lot of people in the room.

Beautiful sound, great shape and so was his guitar. :shock: :wink:

 

[grantgsc]

I have a sunburst CV-1. Love it. Nice bright "modern" sound. Anyone who would poo-poo these new inovations obviously hasn't played a CV-1.

 

[sitka_spruce]

Had the pleasure of playing Jeff's CO-1 in Arlington and it was a real nice guitar. I think it surprised a lot of people in the room.

Beautiful sound, great shape and so was his guitar. :shock: :wink:

I also have my eyes on the spruce topped CO-2 btw. I'll have a hard time deciding which will I buy first, by the looks of things...

 

[sitka_spruce]

I have a sunburst CV-1. Love it. Nice bright "modern" sound. Anyone who would poo-poo these new inovations obviously hasn't played a CV-1.

I suppose you would know exactly where the diff lies, owning as you do both the CV and the F47. I feel tempted to ask you the classic "if your house caught fire and you could only save one of them, which would it be" but that wouldn't be the fair thing to do.

 

[ajgorman]

The graphite block system is supposed to deliver better sustain and tonal clarity, and greater overall structural integrity. At least on the first two objectives, I'd definitely say the objectives were achieved. Note clarity is great and the sustain goes on and on...

I'm curious about the CV-1's you guys have. Mine is a sunburst, but with cream bindings and also the small accent trim ring around the soundhole. Anyone else have one like it? All the others I have seen have ivoroid bindings and accent trim. I am of course quite prejudiced as you would expect, but the cream is quite beautiful and blends in perfectly with the colors.

 

[grantgsc]

I have cream colored ivoroid...I am not sure what you are talking about. Anyway. I think the neck shape and the 1 3/4 inch nut are what drew me to this guitar. And of course the clarity of sound. I recently sold my F47R. I wouldn't have to make a decision which one to let burn. :wink:

I am a Guild fan, but I probably would save my Martin. Just being honest.

Any one read the Acoustic Guitar article yet. It is excellent.

 

[fronobulax]

Any one read the Acoustic Guitar article yet. It is excellent.

Nope. No one here has ever read it.


:lol:

<ducks for cover and hopes Capn J et.al.will forgive him/>

 

[Graham]

Any one read the Acoustic Guitar article yet. It is excellent.

Nope. No one here has ever read it.


:lol:

<ducks for cover and hopes Capn J et.al.will forgive him/>

 

[ajgorman]

Hey Grant,

Same moniker as my 14 year-old who also plays now.,,you're automatically a good guy.

All the other CV-1's I have seen have ivoroid (white) bindings and accent trim like the Tacoma D-55 I had, and that's what the specs say. The bindings are truly a fairly white shade of white (or was that Procol Harum). Mine, and maybe yours have true cream bindings and accent trim. The cream bindings on my CV-1 look like the cream bindings on my D-60 when I bought her new in 1991. I'm not complaining...maybe bragging! I needed the 1 & 3/4 nut and that's what first intrigued me...then it was love at first sight/sound.

I'll forgive you for your blasphemous statements about "you know who" to borrow from Harry Potter...just teasing!

It's best to let the AG article rest at this point...see Misc...! :|

 

[sitka_spruce]

I needed the 1 & 3/4 nut and that's what first intrigued me...then it was love at first sight/sound.

If you don't mind but may I ask if that's to do with large hands or a tendency to play complex chords - maybe both? :wink:

It's best to let the AG article rest at this point...see Misc...! :|

Yes, the dog has eventually fallen asleep. However builders of Strats and Teles would have little or no clue about building acoustic excellence, nor the interest of gaining it. The graphite neckblock, on the other hand, would be taking the acoustic excellence one step forward in terms of cancelling out top distortion, prolong sustain...

 

[ajgorman]

Sitka,

In my case it's very large hands and fingers (size 16 ring finger) coupled with a touch of arthritis in my left hand. I wish I could play complex chords!

 

[sitka_spruce]

Myself, I got rather small hands (to be honest I also got beginning arthritis - thanx to mum...). Anyway I tend to prefer necks wider than the usual 1 11/16". I like the width of Gibson necks, I believe, but the 1 3/4" of the Sigurdson is a tad too wide to my liking - this puts me in two minds about the Contemporaries, knowing it's not the actual width but how it plays, and I don't remember too well how that CV1 I played. Facilitates fingerpicking though, and some even prefer that for flatpicking - Eric Clapton, to mention one.

 

[grantgsc]

The Clapton is a short scale and the CV-1 is "regular".