Greetings from Scotland from a long-time LTG lurker and first time poster 
.
It may seem from my signature that I’m a Guild expert who's had his paws on lots of these beautiful instruments over the years, but I assure you that isn’t so. What's listed in my signature is in fact the only Guild models I’ve ever played, and all were pretty much bought blind without audition. American-made Guilds are pretty scarce here in the UK, not only in the used market but also in guitar stores, so there is limited opportunity to ‘try before you buy’.
I’m very blessed to have the collection I do, and I’ve only been able to curate it by being patient and buying used at very reasonable prices. Each model brings something different to the party, but if I could keep only one it would without question be my D50 Std, with the F-212XL Std coming in a very close second. The D50 Std is unlike any other guitar I’ve heard and produces an unfathomably huge, resonant choir of sound that seems as if there are several guitars playing in harmony. From the bottom end to the top end there isn’t a single thing I can fault about the way it sounds and no matter what style of music you play it is simply stunning.
That said, a Guild with “that iconic headstock” is still very much on my bucket list, either a D50/D55 or F50R. They are however incredibly scarce in the UK and, when they do come up for sale, are either beyond my budget or aren’t in the mint condition I’m looking for.
I thought I’d finally landed an F50R when a mint 2005 model came up for sale a few days ago. Before making payment I asked the seller to confirm the action at the 12th fret. He replied to tell me he’d have to postpone the sale as when he was measuring the action he noticed that the bridge had “lifted quite significantly” and that he’d have to take it to his luthier for advice/repair. His luthier has now examined the guitar and apparently the problem isn’t as serious as the seller had implied, his luthier believes it should be an easy fix.
This development has however made me hesitant to proceed with the purchase in case the problem with the bridge comes back to bite me, especially since at £2k GBP it will be double what I've spent on any other guitar.
I’ve been out of the loop regarding new Guild models for a few years now and wasn’t aware that they are still making the F50R but have renamed it the F55R. A quick online search shows that the F55R is available to buy new in the UK for £2.9k. I’m therefore wondering if paying the premium for a brand new model would be worth the extra piece of mind, even if it's almost 45% more expensive than the 2005 Tacoma model I'm looking at?
There’s also the question of how the new model stacks up against a Tacoma model for sound. I’m aware that the New Hartford models are generally regarded as the darling of the Guilds while the Tacomas are a close second. However, I also know from my own experience with non-Guild guitars that two of the exact same model of guitar made in the same factory can sound very different to each other, so there’s also the “luck of the draw” at play.
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read my ramble! Your words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
.It may seem from my signature that I’m a Guild expert who's had his paws on lots of these beautiful instruments over the years, but I assure you that isn’t so. What's listed in my signature is in fact the only Guild models I’ve ever played, and all were pretty much bought blind without audition. American-made Guilds are pretty scarce here in the UK, not only in the used market but also in guitar stores, so there is limited opportunity to ‘try before you buy’.
I’m very blessed to have the collection I do, and I’ve only been able to curate it by being patient and buying used at very reasonable prices. Each model brings something different to the party, but if I could keep only one it would without question be my D50 Std, with the F-212XL Std coming in a very close second. The D50 Std is unlike any other guitar I’ve heard and produces an unfathomably huge, resonant choir of sound that seems as if there are several guitars playing in harmony. From the bottom end to the top end there isn’t a single thing I can fault about the way it sounds and no matter what style of music you play it is simply stunning.
That said, a Guild with “that iconic headstock” is still very much on my bucket list, either a D50/D55 or F50R. They are however incredibly scarce in the UK and, when they do come up for sale, are either beyond my budget or aren’t in the mint condition I’m looking for.
I thought I’d finally landed an F50R when a mint 2005 model came up for sale a few days ago. Before making payment I asked the seller to confirm the action at the 12th fret. He replied to tell me he’d have to postpone the sale as when he was measuring the action he noticed that the bridge had “lifted quite significantly” and that he’d have to take it to his luthier for advice/repair. His luthier has now examined the guitar and apparently the problem isn’t as serious as the seller had implied, his luthier believes it should be an easy fix.
This development has however made me hesitant to proceed with the purchase in case the problem with the bridge comes back to bite me, especially since at £2k GBP it will be double what I've spent on any other guitar.
I’ve been out of the loop regarding new Guild models for a few years now and wasn’t aware that they are still making the F50R but have renamed it the F55R. A quick online search shows that the F55R is available to buy new in the UK for £2.9k. I’m therefore wondering if paying the premium for a brand new model would be worth the extra piece of mind, even if it's almost 45% more expensive than the 2005 Tacoma model I'm looking at?
There’s also the question of how the new model stacks up against a Tacoma model for sound. I’m aware that the New Hartford models are generally regarded as the darling of the Guilds while the Tacomas are a close second. However, I also know from my own experience with non-Guild guitars that two of the exact same model of guitar made in the same factory can sound very different to each other, so there’s also the “luck of the draw” at play.
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read my ramble! Your words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
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