Guild's 70th Anniversary?

[tommym]

Not sure if it's 2022 or 2023? In any case, would you like to see another acoustic anniversary guitar, or is it time for a hollow body electric as an anniversary guitar? Or should Guild hold off and wait for its 75th Anniversary?

I've thought about it a lot but still don't know which model I would like to see.

Tommy

 

[Stuball48]

Great question and I am guessing "Oxnard" has that answered, already. My wishes would be for a 70th Anniversary electric and a 70th Anniversary acoustic. I have next to zilch knowledge about electrics but it would be hard for me to not order a 70th Anniversary DV of whatever model they designated for it.
And some of us may not be playing if Guild waits--age,.

 

[fronobulax]

The Anniversary year was "recomputed" when FMIC took over Guild. I don't think I have heard any speculation about whether Oxnard is going to correct the mistake or enshrine it.

It is always risky using Guild tradition and history to predict what Oxnard might do since they continually surprise us. That said, as a manufacturing operation I would expect it would be cheaper and easier to "bling up" something that the company already knows how to make than to make something new. So I would be very surprised if a 70th Anniversary Guild was an electric or an archtop or pretty much anything that was not closely related to a model that is currently in production.

I am assuming that Guild would make an anniversary model in a factory they owned and most people would consider the flagship factory. That might not be their strategy. Indeed, in the land of surprises, I can see them waiting until the 75th and offering a blinged up acoustic made in Oxnard and a slightly larger production run of made elsewhere electrics. The electrics would certainly have custom colors (three exclusive 75th anniversary finishes - collect them all) and probably offer different pickups. Replace the 12th fret marker dots with an inlaid "75" and we're there.

 

[GGJaguar]

Given the current GSR series from Oxnard, it'll just be custom finish F-50 or D-55 with (maybe) a fancy inlay somewhere. I doubt they'd make something new (original style F-30 or F-40 anyone?), though it could be used as a springboard for adding a new, less-blingy version to the catalog.

 

[dreadnut]

Apparently the 70th anniversary is commemorated with platinum and smoky quartz. Now that would be some bling! Smokey quartz fret markers and platinum binding.

 

[Walter Broes]

With what they've been up to lately I suspect they'll celebrate it if they can come up with something that's made in China, and they have a gigantic profit margin on.... a Bob Marley Uke? A Jimmy Page cutting board? A Nick Drake Kazoo?

 

[chazmo]

As long as it's got a diamond in the headstock, I'm cool.

 

[fronobulax]

As long as it's got a diamond in the headstock, I'm cool.

But you're cool anyway

 

[dreadnut]

how abut a Keb Mo model; he just turned 70 on Oct.3

 

[F312]

I don't think they woke to the idea.

 

[Default]

how abut a Keb Mo model; he just turned 70 on Oct.3

I suspect Keb is too old and too niche for an artist model. It would be kind of out of character.

 

[wileypickett]

The GV70 would seem an obvious choice!

 

[tommym]

For a limited run of say 75 guitars for a 75th Anniversary Guitar.......your thoughts on incorporating the old Epiphone style lip headstock into the design; good idea or bad? For 75 guitars, I think Guild could work out a deal with Gibson.

Tommy

 

[kostask]

if somebody would challenge Gibson, their copyright on the 'open book" or "lip" style headstock would disappear. There were many guitars in the 1930s (see the archtops by Epiphone, pre-Gibson) and the 1950s Guilds (pretty much any acoustic model) that used that exact same headstock shape, way before Gibson decided that it was theirs. If you can show that guitars were using that type of headstock prior to Gibson copywrighting the head stock, it renders the headstock copyright invalid.

 

[chazmo]

^ Yes, Kostas has it right. Probably no one will do another lip-top because of Gibson's "copyright" on the style, certainly not Guild.

 

[HeyMikey]

The GV70 would seem an obvious choice!

I would love to see that!

 

[wileypickett]

I would love to see that!

I'm right there with ya!

 

[SFIV1967]

May I play? Oxnard could always use the existing D-55 as baseline and bling her up offering a limited run of 70 pcs. GSR D-70 !
No new tooling for a new body shape required.
With those cloud inlays and abalone rosette.
And simply putting a script in the 12th fret cloud marker like on the 45th, 50th or 60th anniversary models.
And using a price level in the D-55 price area, so it is not excessively expensive.

Now the only remaining question is 2022 (like the 45th in 1997) or 2023 (like the 50th in 2003)...





Ralf

 

[GGJaguar]

Or, to make it more accessible (so they sell a bunch of them) they could take the M-40 and give it a rosewood body, 25.5" scale, maybe an ebony fingerboard, and high gloss finish with a special headstock inlay. I bet that would be a great sounding guitar!

 

[Stuball48]

So far, I will try and buy any of the above - if 70th Anniversary becomes a reality.