Guild flat top article, fact or fiction?

PreacherBob

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Not really sure where to post this. I read this morning, and got a lot of basic info on Corona Guild flattops I didn’t know. I do not have any Guild books so I’m not really sure how accurate this is. I have a late 2002 Corona JF30 with the mahogany neck and paddle headstock I think is amazing finish wise and sound wise. It’s just hard for me that some may think ill of the Corona guitars. Maybe the earlier ones had some defects?

 

Cougar

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It’s just hard for me that some may think ill of the Corona guitars. Maybe the earlier ones had some defects?
Interesting article. Yes, I've heard less than stellar things about Corona Guilds. However, my experience, like yours, is just the opposite. I note the article says:
"Today, Corona-built Guild flat-tops do not have a good reputation, and consequently are less desirable on the used market. This is due to real problems that some of the Corona guitars had..."
So the whole of Corona acoustic production gets stigmatized because of (unidentified) problems with SOME of the apparently early products. Well, you know what? That's just fine with me because those who are really in the know like you and me have been able to get fantastic Corona-built Guild guitars for super reasonable prices! And I do mean fantastic. This Corona-built JF30-12 rivals my Oxnard-built F512.

jib793.jpg
 

PreacherBob

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Interesting article. Yes, I've heard less than stellar things about Corona Guilds. However, my experience, like yours, is just the opposite. I note the article says:

So the whole of Corona acoustic production gets stigmatized because of (unidentified) problems with SOME of the apparently early products. Well, you know what? That's just fine with me because those who are really in the know like you and me have been able to get fantastic Corona-built Guild guitars for super reasonable prices! And I do mean fantastic. This Corona-built JF30-12 rivals my Oxnard-built F512.

jib793.jpg
Wow! That’s beautiful. I just sold my Corona 2003 JF30 -12 to a member here. It sounded great and had an immaculate finish. I just decided to keep my 91 JF65-12 sunburst instead for my maple 12. Plus with Corona JF30-12s you get a super smooth ebony fretboard and bridge.
 

GGJaguar

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I had an F-412 made in Corona and it was a fine guitar. No construction issues, no finish issues, no quality issues. The main reason I sold it was because the Oxnard version had a slimmer neck making it a bit easier to play (and it was lighter and more resonant, too). But if I never played the Oxnard-built guitar, I still would have been happy with the Corona-made 412.
 

chazmo

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Bob... Fact or fiction? Mostly fact, though Mr. Pilzer's opinions, in general, on Guilds are highly respected in the Guild community.

The primary knock in Jay's article on Corona was the teething pains in finishing NCL guitars. Tacoma also had some teething problems, by the way! I might be mistaken on this, but I believe some Guild acoustic models actually switched to a poly substitute for a while during the Corona era. I think it was the D-25, but perhaps others... I don't really know for sure.

What was really good during the transition from Tacoma to New Hartford later on is that New Hartford had the better part of a year (in 2008) to get the kinks out of the entire process of building the guitars before taking over in 2009.

Anyway, in retrospect, the Corona stewardship of Guilds does get some knocks, but the "fact" here is that guitars from that era have stood the test of time (almost 20 years) and represent good values for most of us if/when the opportunity arises!
 

fronobulax

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Mostly fact. Keep in mind that it was written in 2010 and, as such, there are things that would be corrected or changed if it were revised 12 years later. Jay Piilzer is credible and his opinions are more informed than some things that get posted on LTG as fact :) My opinion is the comments about Corona are nothing more than the oft reported belief at LTG that the market stigmatizes Corona production to the benefit of someone who snags one at a lower price than expected :)
 

D30Man

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Interesting article. Yes, I've heard less than stellar things about Corona Guilds. However, my experience, like yours, is just the opposite. I note the article says:

So the whole of Corona acoustic production gets stigmatized because of (unidentified) problems with SOME of the apparently early products. Well, you know what? That's just fine with me because those who are really in the know like you and me have been able to get fantastic Corona-built Guild guitars for super reasonable prices! And I do mean fantastic. This Corona-built JF30-12 rivals my Oxnard-built F512.

jib793.jpg
That is gorgeous!!! I have only owned a couple of Corona-built and the JF30 I had for a hot minute was a cannon.
 

Walter Broes

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I do remember a lot of Corona seconds on Ebay that had finish problems ranging from premature checking to dramatic "broken mirror" crazing. Wasn't pretty.
 

Boneman

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I recently came up on an opportunity to get a black F47ce made in Corona, looks to be pretty clean and a closet queen, asking price with guild case is $2300. That seems a bit much, any of you have thoughts on that model coming out of Corona? This one has maple back and sides.
 

PreacherBob

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I recently came up on an opportunity to get a black F47ce made in Corona, looks to be pretty clean and a closet queen, asking price with guild case is $2300. That seems a bit much, any of you have thoughts on that model coming out of Corona? This one has maple back and sides.
It seems these are pretty much F40s with a cutaway and built with electronics for stage use. Has the same inlays as my F40s as well. If they sound like the F40s, then they get my vote!
 

Boneman

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That one is a looker. I like that price you are getting! This is the one I’m looking at, I suppose black is harder to find?
982E361B-D7FC-4D74-86F2-EB3B0D551856.jpeg
 

chazmo

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Boneman, FYI, looks like the pickguard is peeling off on the black F-47, but don't let that stop you. Looks like it'd be really easy to take off and either replace or leave off.
 

BradHK

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Boneman, FYI, looks like the pickguard is peeling off on the black F-47, but don't let that stop you. Looks like it'd be really easy to take off and either replace or leave off.
I think that is the clear plastic pickguard protector but I could be wrong.
 

Boneman

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Boneman, FYI, looks like the pickguard is peeling off on the black F-47, but don't let that stop you. Looks like it'd be really easy to take off and either replace or leave off.
You might be right, I thought the same, but maybe it’s just the clear film peeling up?
 

Boneman

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I think that is the clear plastic pickguard protector but I could be wrong.
You might be right, looks like the guard is still under there.
 

PreacherBob

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Wow! Yes the protective film was never removed. What a find that is I’ve seen a handful but never black. If it’s a true closet queen I would jump on it for 2300. But I would never use it on stage. Awesome!
 

Curlington

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I bought two Corona Dreds just after the facility closed. D50 with Fishman UST, labeled a second, $700; and 2) D40C with Fishman UST and Barn Door, not a second, $450.

The D50 was outstanding in every way, with some minor finish checking. I sold it years later in an urge to splurge, but I should have kept it. I sold it on this forum, and the buyer was very happy. My jam buddy was so impressed with the value at the time that he promptly bought a bargain Corona D50C (not a second) that he plays hard to this day.

The D40 admittedly needed some serious fretboard work. It was then passed on to a young cousin who is now a working musician, mostly electric, and he uses it at his gigs for a change of pace. It has attained major mojo.

I remember rumors at the time that a warehouse had lost its climate control and thus the finish problems and blow out prices. It was a fact that a company, something like MIC, labeled a huge number of Corona guitars as seconds and sold them for a fraction of original prices, soon after the facility closed. From forum discussions at the time, it was my impression that, for the vast majority of them, no reason for being labeled as seconds was apparent, other than the finish.

So, it seems likely the bad rap on flat top Coronas is more because so many were sold so cheap, and as seconds, and due to the lacquer finish issues. Not due to the quality of the instruments. Fender put a lot of resources into the move to Corona, and those folks knew what they were doing. Personally, lacquer finish cracking is at the bottom of my concerns about any given flattop.

The Coronas remain an opportunity to pick up aged, solid wood, American made classics at bargain prices. Of course, YMMV
 
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