Yesterday I was in GuitarWorks in Evanston, IL, which carries high-end acoustic guitars and Guilds. I played a number of them, including a mahogany Collings dread, two Goodall dreads, a Bourgeois dread, a '69 Martin D-35 and Dave Mathews Martin for $12K. Of the six strings, the two Martins were the best. Having owned a Martin D-35 (probably a 2001 model), I noticed that the '69 Martin D-35 was more like a vintage Guild with heavier construction than the one I had, which I liked a lot. However, the guitar I was most impressed with, especially for the $700 price tag, was a Chinese Guild D-1212. It really played well. The new D-40 model the store had was not very good or needed a setup. A vintage 70s D-40 is superior in construction. If anyone is looking for a affordable 12 string, I definitely would recommend the D-1212.
D-1212 12 String
- Thread starter Bear214
- Start date
DeArmond Hammer
Member
I agree, I love my D-1212. It's a beautiful guitar, and it sounds great.
Cougar
Enlightened Member
So is that a hog-topped dread? Yeah, it's hard to beat Guild's Asian 12-string entries for what great deals they are!
DeArmond Hammer
Member
Well, solid "African mahogany," whatever that is. I may have to sell mine since I recently splurged on a vintage Guild 12-string, but I'm dragging my feet about letting it go. Info here: https://guildguitars.com/g/westerly-d-1212/
Butch
Junior Member
I bought an F1512 4 or 5 years ago. I believe it’s a GAD series. Excellent guitar, excellent craftsmanship. Is it as nice as either of my F512’s or my F612? No, but for the price, you can’t go wrong.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
No. Not true. I know that people wrongly call Sapele often "African Mahogany" but those are two different species. I don't know what exact species Guild is using but usually the name refers to this:
African Mahogany:
Also known as Khaya. Other names are Ngollon and Acajou. Of the three, this has the widest range of quality. There are 4 sub-species of Khaya, and three of them show up in the United States. They are Khaya Ivorensis, Khaya Anthetheca, and Khaya Grandifolio. Most companies prefer the Khaya Ivorensis, it is lighter in weight, softer in texture, and not as dense. Some companies specify they want African Mahogany from Ghana, which is considered almost all Khaya Ivorensis. From this region, the lumber tends to be lighter not only in weight, but also in color. It tends to be consistent in color. It also tend to be ‘hairy’, having raised grain. Historically, it is more expensive from this region. Due to Ghana law, lumber must be Kiln-dried (value added) to be exported. Most of the African Mahogany comes from Cameroon and Congo. It also is mostly Khaya Ivorensis, but tends to be darker in color, a little heavier, not as hairy. Consistency in color and quality throughout these regions are less than from Ghana.Sapele:
Entandrophragma cylindricum. Most comes from Cameroon and Congo. The species is more consistent for color, weight, texture, and hardness throughout the regions than African Mahogany. It can have pin-knots which are difficult to see in rough-sawn limber. It is lighter in color from Ghana which is not the main source.Hardness:
African Mahogany: Janka Hardness 1,070 lbf (4,760 N) The softest but still very close to Utile.Sapele: Janka Hardness 1,410 lbf (6,280 N) The hardest of the three options. (Utile = Entandrophragma utile = Sipo is the third wood in that range).
Mahogany Mixups: the Lowdown | The Wood Database
www.wood-database.com
Ralf
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