Good Guild thread on AGF.
- Thread starter grantgsc
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West R Lee
Venerated Member
What is AGF?
West
West
You mean this one? http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru ... hp?t=94787 I've been inviting all these guys over for a visit!
Dr Izza Plumber
Senior Member
Read it.......Good Read!
Very interesting site and some good objective opinions. Some.
I'm not a huge cynic, but one should consider the source. The fellow describing how much better Tacomas are than Westerleys is the fellow whose pickup system is sold with the Tacomas. He cannot be considered an unbiased reviewer, even though he may be correct. He has an interest in sales of Tacoma-built Guilds with D-Tar systems in them.
I'm not a huge cynic, but one should consider the source. The fellow describing how much better Tacomas are than Westerleys is the fellow whose pickup system is sold with the Tacomas. He cannot be considered an unbiased reviewer, even though he may be correct. He has an interest in sales of Tacoma-built Guilds with D-Tar systems in them.
guildzilla
Senior Member
The D-Tar guy disclosed his business relationship with Fender, but he goes way over the top with some of his comments and opinions, many of which I would disagree with, like Frosty did.
In particular, it does bug me very much when people begin to distort facts (ie. the misinformation that the Westerly plant being a former textile factory when Guild took it over) and, in the case of the D-Tar guy, try to rewrite history to fit a marketing plan. Isn't he kind of casting himself and his buddies as the heroes of this perspective?
Frankly, it raised my hackles about the whole Fender-Corona-Tacoma-GAD thing. To be a mean girl about it, I see midgets standing on the shoulders of giants, bragging about how far they can see.
On the other hand, everybody is entitled to have their own passion.
In particular, it does bug me very much when people begin to distort facts (ie. the misinformation that the Westerly plant being a former textile factory when Guild took it over) and, in the case of the D-Tar guy, try to rewrite history to fit a marketing plan. Isn't he kind of casting himself and his buddies as the heroes of this perspective?
Frankly, it raised my hackles about the whole Fender-Corona-Tacoma-GAD thing. To be a mean girl about it, I see midgets standing on the shoulders of giants, bragging about how far they can see.
On the other hand, everybody is entitled to have their own passion.
guildzilla said:
What difference did it make in 1970 what the factory was? This was light years before laser technology -- you needed a place for craftsmen to work and a factory is a factory and the craftsmen where obviously in Rhode Island. Hopefully now their in Tacoma.
Couldn't say for sure what the current factory was built for or when, but from the outside it's nothing special. Nondescript would be an appropriate term for the building, if you're not looking for it you probably wouldn't know it was there. The guitars coming out of there
sure look better than building where they're built.
Personally I don't give a rat's rear end about the building, the new Guild Guitars I've seen by and large are darn nice. If they are as good as the Westerly's, I DON'T KNOW!! Pretty safe to say some of the Tacoma Built Guilds are as good as some of the Westerly built.
Whatever, the new Guilds are selling here in the local shop & new Tacoma Guilds are arriving routinely. New D 40 & F 412 arrived this week replacing the same models they sold from the last order.
[img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid210/pdd5cf2e1b9d71de2abb1134c0c2d95c5/ede5f816.jpg[/img] [img:450:338]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid210/pf99e2d8e526838f4f08bcb84878c7ff4/ede5f78e.jpg[/img]
djid
Junior Member
Interesting opinions as always. I have ton's of respect for Rick Turner and what he's done in this business and wish I could afford one of his guitar's. Lyndsey Buckingham has something like 15 or 20 of them.
Nice link I'd never visited over there.
Nice link I'd never visited over there.
guildzilla
Senior Member
I let my rhetoric get too sharp yesterday, and I apologize for that.
But Hans writes in his book that the Westerly factory was previously the home of a manufacturer of custom-made office furniture. And that Guild purchased not just the building but also some (25%) of the woodworking machinery and equipment. And Guild also hired about 25 former employees of the seller, Orsenigo.
Those are important benefits. Beats transitioning from a textile plant.
Part of the reason why I feel this is relevant is because I've worked the last eight years in a cabinet shop that has grown significantly but always been way behind the curve on tooling. That leads to cutting corners and inconsistency.
This experience may also give me a tendency to overstate and overestimate the points listed above.
But Hans writes in his book that the Westerly factory was previously the home of a manufacturer of custom-made office furniture. And that Guild purchased not just the building but also some (25%) of the woodworking machinery and equipment. And Guild also hired about 25 former employees of the seller, Orsenigo.
Those are important benefits. Beats transitioning from a textile plant.
Part of the reason why I feel this is relevant is because I've worked the last eight years in a cabinet shop that has grown significantly but always been way behind the curve on tooling. That leads to cutting corners and inconsistency.
This experience may also give me a tendency to overstate and overestimate the points listed above.
djid
Junior Member
Just my 2 cents but I like the fact that the new Guild's have one of the leaders in this field involved with his Pick-up's. It shows me that someone in management is still trying to make the 2007 year Guild flat top something that the next generation will want as badly as we want the old Guild's.
Rick Turner might not know as much about Guild history as some of the people here but he's a very respected person and his efforts in electrifying all types of instruments can't be ignored.
Do a Google
He's gracious enough that he has over 5,000 post on another forum mostly helping Luthiers.
Willie Nelson had Rick replace "Triggers" bridge a while back.
It could be that the new GAD line is another Business decision that in 20 years we'll all look back at and say, Wow I should have got one of those back then. I did and I'll always be heads up for Classics if I run across one, Or another newer one and on and on, You just can't have to many Guilds.
I'm not usually this opinionated, must be this hemorroide I'm getting
Dave
Rick Turner might not know as much about Guild history as some of the people here but he's a very respected person and his efforts in electrifying all types of instruments can't be ignored.
Do a Google
He's gracious enough that he has over 5,000 post on another forum mostly helping Luthiers.
Willie Nelson had Rick replace "Triggers" bridge a while back.
It could be that the new GAD line is another Business decision that in 20 years we'll all look back at and say, Wow I should have got one of those back then. I did and I'll always be heads up for Classics if I run across one, Or another newer one and on and on, You just can't have to many Guilds.
I'm not usually this opinionated, must be this hemorroide I'm getting
Dave
guildzilla
Senior Member
Hey, Dave, my "H" has been round long enough now to become another hobby.
I acknowledge knocking back too hard at Rick Turner. No doubt he has/will contribute more to Guild than I ever will or wish. I wish him and all Guild efforts well. I said next to nothing that was a knock on the Tacoma guitars. My intent was to defend the Westerly Guilds that were getting knocked and I got a little nasty about it.
Furthermore, Turner was not the guy on that threat who stated that Westerly was a former textile factory, nor did I say he said that. However, I was not specific enough, and that was my fault.
Again, everything I said was about defending the Westerly instruments.
I acknowledge knocking back too hard at Rick Turner. No doubt he has/will contribute more to Guild than I ever will or wish. I wish him and all Guild efforts well. I said next to nothing that was a knock on the Tacoma guitars. My intent was to defend the Westerly Guilds that were getting knocked and I got a little nasty about it.
Furthermore, Turner was not the guy on that threat who stated that Westerly was a former textile factory, nor did I say he said that. However, I was not specific enough, and that was my fault.
Again, everything I said was about defending the Westerly instruments.
West R Lee
Venerated Member
This Turner cat said "They beat the snot out of Westerly guitars"? Is the man kidding? I thought he was supposed to be an expert luthier?
I don't care what he's built or who he is, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about on this subject. Then again, everyone is entitled to an opinion. He may be right though, Carlo Greco and George Gruhn knew nothing about building acoustics. :wink:
:roll: West
I don't care what he's built or who he is, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about on this subject. Then again, everyone is entitled to an opinion. He may be right though, Carlo Greco and George Gruhn knew nothing about building acoustics. :wink:
:roll: West
fungusyoung
Senior Member
West R Lee said:
The quality is there with the Tacomas, no doubt about it based on the small samplings I've had, but I thought the drooling over them on the acoustic forum was way over the top. How can folks claim this is the 2nd coming already, and then so dismissively brush aside the 20 year legacy of Westerly production?
I'm not so sure that beating the snot out of Westerly after a year or two of production is fair. Especially since the models built in Tacoma were never considered to be budget conscious.
Don't get me wrong, if $1,500 fell out of the sky and into my lap I'd run out and buy a new D40 immediately, but on more than one level that thread is comparing apples to oranges.
West R Lee
Venerated Member
I'm with ya Fungus. I have never said one negative word here about Tacoma built Guild guitars. I really hope they pan out, and I mean that. But to, in your words "dismiss" Westerly after what was more like 30 years of production, and after a mere 2 years claim that Tacomas "beat the snot out of Westerlys", has to be one of the most rediculous things I've ever heard.
If I'm around in 30 years, I'll let him come back and tell me the same thing, provided Tacomas have proven themselves. I've heard nothing but good about Tacoma built Guilds. I hope we continue to hear that for decades to come.
Nobody here at the house today, and I've just put down my DV73. I was thinking about this thread, and can't imagine ANY guitar sounding any better. 12 years old, and still looks like brand new and sounds like a band of angels, but it's just a cheap little Westerly.
West
If I'm around in 30 years, I'll let him come back and tell me the same thing, provided Tacomas have proven themselves. I've heard nothing but good about Tacoma built Guilds. I hope we continue to hear that for decades to come.
Nobody here at the house today, and I've just put down my DV73. I was thinking about this thread, and can't imagine ANY guitar sounding any better. 12 years old, and still looks like brand new and sounds like a band of angels, but it's just a cheap little Westerly.
West
iamru02
Member
Careful West,
Your gonna get folks in here screaming, "remember the Alimo"
Like you, I'm bias to the Westerly & Gruhn Guilds but I'm courious to try one of Grahams canadian strawberries... :?
Your gonna get folks in here screaming, "remember the Alimo"
Like you, I'm bias to the Westerly & Gruhn Guilds but I'm courious to try one of Grahams canadian strawberries... :?
djid
Junior Member
Well the trouble was just a Zit this time so I popped it and now I'm better.
I'm hooked on Guild, new, vintage, electric or what ever. A lot of us check other forums and I think it's OK to get different views of the brands that a person is loyal to. I wish I would have run into you guy's earlier.
Then I might have had the support to get the 12 string I really wanted a while back instead of the cheaper Cort.
This whole getting quoted on a forum or filmed doing something that might end up on UTube makes me wonder why anyone would want to be in public life.
I'm hooked on Guild, new, vintage, electric or what ever. A lot of us check other forums and I think it's OK to get different views of the brands that a person is loyal to. I wish I would have run into you guy's earlier.
Then I might have had the support to get the 12 string I really wanted a while back instead of the cheaper Cort.
This whole getting quoted on a forum or filmed doing something that might end up on UTube makes me wonder why anyone would want to be in public life.
guildzilla
Senior Member
Djid, wonderful news. What relief.
But in the meantime, what a mess down here in Zilla's basement den.
Snot everywhere.
Appears the Westerly's have been fighting with the Corona and the Hoboken. Then the Hatfield's and McCoy's joined in. Then Grant and R.E. Lee. I can't even tell who won, but I sent all the damn guitars to bed in their cases with no polish and no Barbie playing.
But in the meantime, what a mess down here in Zilla's basement den.
Snot everywhere.
Appears the Westerly's have been fighting with the Corona and the Hoboken. Then the Hatfield's and McCoy's joined in. Then Grant and R.E. Lee. I can't even tell who won, but I sent all the damn guitars to bed in their cases with no polish and no Barbie playing.