DS-240 MEMOIR

[fronobulax]

I may have missed this.

12-Fret Slope Shoulder Orpheum | Guild Guitars

The Slope 12 offers a distinctive difference for the discerning player—sloping shoulders that gracefully curve away from the neck in marked contrast to conventional straight-shoulder dreadnought design.

guildguitars.com

Sure looks to me like the Orpheum continues as part of the Westerly Collection.

 

[davismanLV]

But that one has 14 frets clear of the body.

 

[stormin1155]

Really a lovely looking instrument. For $500 it's real tempting. I'd like to play one to see what they're like. The Westerly Collection guitars I've played have been a bit spotty... the older GAD series ones have all been excellent. I have a GAD25 that gives up very little to my US made Guilds.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I may have missed this.

12-Fret Slope Shoulder Orpheum | Guild Guitars

The Slope 12 offers a distinctive difference for the discerning player—sloping shoulders that gracefully curve away from the neck in marked contrast to conventional straight-shoulder dreadnought design.

guildguitars.com

Sure looks to me like the Orpheum continues as part of the Westerly Collection.

View attachment 15140

i've nearly bought this guitar 2 or 3 times...

 

[twocorgis]

That's no Orpheum. It's funny though, the title of the page on Guild's website distinctly says "12-Fret Slope Shoulder Orpheum". Maybe they're making a comeback?

 

[davismanLV]

I believe the 2 in the number designation indicates it's built of laminates with a solid top? Is that true?? Or is the whole thing laminates?

 

[twocorgis]

I believe the 2 in the number designation indicates it's built of laminates with a solid top? Is that true?? Or is the whole thing laminates?

Yes, solid top, laminated sides and back. All the "100" series have solid sides and back.

 

[SFIV1967]

I may have missed this.

They both were introduced at NAMM 2019 already, so 2 years ago:

NAMM 2019: New P-240 and DS-240 in Westerly Collection

Alread talked about it here and here, but below is the official NAMM 2019 press release: "NAMM 2019: Guild Guitars Adds Vintage-Inspired Acoustics to Westerly Collection Lineup Two New Affordable Models Add Early 20th Century Aesthetics to Guild’s Acoustic Lineup Guild is pleased to announce...

letstalkguild.com

Any winter NAMM gossip?

I hear Godin is coming out with a line of acoustics. Correct! https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/28327-godin-guitars-launches-debut-line-of-acoustic-guitars walrus Funny to read that Godin launches debut line of acoustics...Don't they run Simon and Patrick, Art and Lutherie, and Seagull...

letstalkguild.com

P-240 memoir

The February AG has a full page ad for the Guild P-240 Memoir, an MIC 12 fret slothead. Anybody played one? With a list of $695, street price could be ~$450, within my budget for a maybe, maybe not keeper. Don't see it listed for sale anywhere in a quick search. I'm always on the lookout for a...

letstalkguild.com

Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

I said what I did because someone at Guild forgot to change the page title or selected it deliberately. Since I personally do not have the specs of the New Hartford Orpheums memorized I looked at the headstock logo and the shape and my first thought was that Guild was possibly not going to make Orpheums in the USA but had decided some Orpheum features had a place in the lineup anyway, hence Westerly Collection.

So, for me, the interesting question becomes what does this new model say about the future of a MIA Orpheum line?

Edit: I see I missed some prior discussion but Guild just sent an email announcing it as a new model and I believed them.

 

[chazmo]

Well, I think it's great that they're making stuff inspired by those original Orpheums (Orphea?) from New Hartford. Cordoba should take full advantage of the Guild brand as it suits them. As 2corgis said, yeah, it isn't an Orpheum, but it does look really sweet and can't hurt to take a clue from your own playbook, right?

Probably, like most of us, I'd like to see more USA production, especially of these high-end guitars (in original form, that is), but more importantly let them keep building these extremely high-value guitars to keep the younger musicians aware of Guild and strengthen interest.

 

[jfilm]

Really a lovely looking instrument. For $500 it's real tempting. I'd like to play one to see what they're like. The Westerly Collection guitars I've played have been a bit spotty... the older GAD series ones have all been excellent. I have a GAD25 that gives up very little to my US made Guilds.

I had one of these for a little while... wasn't a keeper for me. Decent guitar, looks great, and I think good for the money. But doesn't compare to the earlier GADs I've played, which have solid back & sides (though the GADs probably retailed for a little more). Has a short scale which isn't too common in a dread at this price point.

 

[Aarfy]

Well, I think it's great that they're making stuff inspired by those original Orpheums (Orphea?) from New Hartford. Cordoba should take full advantage of the Guild brand as it suits them. As 2corgis said, yeah, it isn't an Orpheum, but it does look really sweet and can't hurt to take a clue from your own playbook, right?

Probably, like most of us, I'd like to see more USA production, especially of these high-end guitars (in original form, that is), but more importantly let them keep building these extremely high-value guitars to keep the younger musicians aware of Guild and strengthen interest.

I’ve a D40e from Oxnard and it’s not “traditional” but is beautiful - I think original form is great - but innovations also need to happen - guild has had my heart for a long time, only now am I in a position to acquire and play various models/eras....it’s a blessing - but to sum up, let cordoba have at it and make great guitars that more people can play (and hope it doesn’t drive out smaller market into a crypto-craze!)

 

[chazmo]

I’ve a D40e from Oxnard and it’s not “traditional” but is beautiful - I think original form is great - but innovations also need to happen [ . . . ]

Aarfy, totally agree. This isn't a rant, but what I wish is that CMG (US) would be completely upfront about the construction of these guitars when they make changes and/or innovations. Just renaming the models doesn't make it clear at all when different techniques are being used. It seemed as though CMG was hiding the differences from (so-called) traditional models for a while, and that was disturbing to me/us. Things like mortise and tenon bolt-on construction versus dovetail/glue and catalyzed varnish versus lacquer -- these things should be quite clear in the spec sheets since these are US-built models and a completely different "value" equation than we associate with the Asian-built guitars.

I'll just compare this for a moment to New Hartford, which took the traditional specs very seriously.. When they decided to change production techniques either with the construction or the finishing, they invented a new series for those models.

 

[Aarfy]

Interesting, Chazmo! I did a ton of research and it did take me quite a while to figure out the differences between the Traditional and the ‘Standard’

the spec sheets are not, iirc, fully transparent even today. Nevertheless, I love the guitar, and it is, after a year, beginning to open up beautifully -I actually jammed with a pal who has a band over the weekend and he said it was one of the nicest acoustics he had laid hands on!

plus now I have reason to pursue more aged guilds to see if there is a true sound discrepancy between production methods

 

[chazmo]

Roger that, Aarfy!!!! It could be because we had access to the shop during those years that we were able to tune in so carefully and be aware of the differences. Guild management was always upfront with us during that period. Boy, I miss those events when we got to hang with them.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Aarfy, totally agree. This isn't a rant, but what I wish is that CMG (US) would be completely upfront about the construction of these guitars when they make changes and/or innovations. Just renaming the models doesn't make it clear at all when different techniques are being used. It seemed as though CMG was hiding the differences from (so-called) traditional models for a while, and that was disturbing to me/us. Things like mortise and tenon bolt-on construction versus dovetail/glue and catalyzed varnish versus lacquer -- these things should be quite clear in the spec sheets since these are US-built models and a completely different "value" equation than we associate with the Asian-built guitars.

I'll just compare this for a moment to New Hartford, which took the traditional specs very seriously.. When they decided to change production techniques either with the construction or the finishing, they invented a new series for those models.

While I still see Westerly RI as the longest running and consistent Guild home and thus stability, it sounds like from what I have read from all of you, New Hartford was really Guild's "heyday"...

 

[chazmo]

^ Ah, no, I wouldn't say that, Woody... From a "fan" point of view, though, the New Hartford Guild facility was the most welcoming and generous one in Guild's history that I know of. I don't even know if there were tours given to the general public in Westerly.

The history at New Hartford, being part of Kaman Music, home of Ovation, gave us real precedent though as fans.... Both Ovations and Hamers had a huge fan base and Kaman catered to that over the years down there. I was just noisy enough to get them to continue that under Fender's leadership.

 

[chazmo]

(it was also really cool seeing Rick Nielsen's Hamers getting fixed along side of new Guilds being built.

 

[fronobulax]

Interesting, Chazmo! I did a ton of research and it did take me quite a while to figure out the differences between the Traditional and the ‘Standard’

I think the published specs were never especially consistent or clear. Last I checked a New Hartford "Standard" was not quite the same as today's Oxnard "Standard". I think LTG members had a firmer grasp on the NH definitions because we actually heard them explained at LMGs and in some cases were able to do a hands on comparison of both.

As a reformed configuration manager, naming things is very important to me and if you change anything about a product you change the name. So Guild model names over the years frustrate me and CMG's current choices add to the frustration since they were close to a clean slate.

But, suppressing the configuration manager, model names are very much about marketing. The model name is used to steer a consumer to a particular product but there is no reason to change a name when specs change if the marketing department believes that the spec is not important to the target market.

We, at LTG, understand that Brazilian rosewood describes the origin and not how the wood is shaved cut but does the target audience for new Guilds? Does the neck joint matter if Joe and Jane Consumer think Mortise is the name of a character from The Addams Family?

So model names and published specs from CMG will almost certainly continue to be a source of frustration and annoyance for anyone whose curiosity about Guilds is great enough to join LTG.

 

[chazmo]

[ . . . ] So model names and published specs from CMG will almost certainly continue to be a source of frustration and annoyance for anyone whose curiosity about Guilds is great enough to join LTG.

Concur, 100%... I will say, though, that in this world of the internet and google, I think if you're going to spend a couple grand on a new guitar, some of these construction things are going to be important to even somewhat lesser-informed folks. There's really no excuse for today's guitars consumers not to know the difference between a bolt-on and glued-on neck. I don't know, Fro. Points all well taken, though!