Help w/ badly Damaged Guild acoustic

[Athens-Nash Guild 33]

Hi Guild forum, I hope everyone is well today. This is my first time posting here…thanks in advance to anyone who can help or has advice. My name is Paul Pelt and I’m a singer/songwriter from Atlanta (and partially Nashville but based in Atlanta currently). I had a freak accident last weekend involving me prized Guild, and wanted to seek any input / advice / thoughts from other Guild players or technicians, or luthiers.

To give some background, I bought my Guild in 2008 from a music store in Atlanta, prior to my first move to Nashville to pursue music/songwriting. I grew up playing drums, keys, and singing, but taught myself guitar while in school and playing in bands in Athens, GA. I befriended some successful songwriters in Nashville and that prompted my first move… but I needed a guitar. After learning enough to write songs on the guitar, using my old roommates hand-me-down, I felt confident to make my first guitar investment — after much research and testing, I landed on my Guild GAD-30-PCE Natural cutaway. I have taken meticulous care of this guitar for 15 years. The only ding I’ve had on it was repaired at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville and they love my Guild’s style, shape and sonic quality & dynamics. Long story short, I loved this guitar and it’s been through a ton with me the past 15 years… now, the accident…

I was scheduled to play and sing at my best friend’s wedding in Atlanta a week ago 4/29. I had rehearsed for months & learned all the songs they wanted me to play, in nice acoustic versions. I was running a little late to sound check, and a bit tired from not sleeping well the night before… I was multi-tasking while loading my car and loaded everything but my Guild. Never before have I done that. I was on my phone and mindlessly put the car into reverse, and backed over my Guild. The back right tire crushed part of the case, and as soon as I heard the pop I threw it into drive and rushed to see what happened. My heart sank into my stomach.

Damage: The top of the headstock fractured in a triangle type shape. I assume the guitar got pinned inside the case and it tilted then broke from the weight. Three of the tuning bolts broke off (left side) when a small piece of the left side of headstock fell, as I frantically inspected it. There is a slight fracture in the first fret on front, and in the backside a splinter type fracture from headstock down about 7-10 inches down on the backside of the neck. Photos are attached. I’ve talked to 5 luthiers in Georgia and only one has time to take it on (willing) to at a reasonable cost…. Others said it would be more expensive than the guitar to fix it to be playable again. I am not sure if I want to fix it to be “fully playable” again due to costs (which I wish I could), or just last resort, fix it aesthetically so I can commemorate it on my wall. This has been killing me and I still can’t believe it happened / my stupid mindless mistake.

QUESTIONS: **I wanted to ask the forum:

1) Has anyone ever broken their guitar like this, and do you have any recommendations?

2) Does anyone own a GAD-30-PCE Natural or similar, and have any recommendation on fixing this headstock, or replacing the neck? I called Cordoba and they are asking at corporate but not sure…

3) (can ignore) Has anyone ever done something as stupid as me? I still can’t believe it and keep replaying it in my mind

Thanks so much Guild family… I truly and greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this and has any thoughts or advice to share. Many, many thanks to all here.

-Paul Pelt

 

[geoguy]

Welcome to LTG, and sorry to hear about this mishap.

If that happened to me, I think I would simply buy a new guitar. That looks like a serious repair.

One of those instruments is currently for sale on Reverb, although that seller says "local pickup only". Maybe he could be persuaded to ship it? Or another will turn up for sale eventually. Those early GAD models were an excellent value, and I can understand why you like it.

 

[awagner]

Sorry to hear about this. We all make mistakes.

You could try to find a replacement neck. I don't think it is possible to repair it, at least not for less than what the guitar is worth.

If you don't have insurance, then your other option is to buy a replacement.

If you can't find a used one, then the closest equivalent is the F-250CE, I believe.

Guild F-250CE Deluxe Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Antique Burst

6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar with Solid Spruce Top, Maple Back and Sides, Mahogany Neck, and Pau Ferro Fingerboard - Antique Burst

www.sweetwater.com

But if you can afford it, I would suggest upgrading, maybe to an American-made Guild. It will take the sting out of this experience.

Perhaps a R47-MCE

Guild F47mce - Westerly Guild Guitars

Or a F65CE

GUILD F65CE Acoustic Electric 1998 Westerly R.I. Top Of The Line Model *I'm Taking Offers* | Reverb

Guild F65CE 1998 Guild F65ce acoustic electric guitar in good condition. Spruce top, flame maple back and sides, arch back. Comes with the OHSC, some minor dings, scratches. There are several black marks on the rear head stock that appear to be from a capo left on over time. This guitar will ship...

reverb.com

 

[twocorgis]

Wow, so sorry to see this, and welcome to LTG. I'm not at all the A) it's repairable, and B) whether it's even cost effective to do so. Clean headstock breaks are a fairly easy repair, but that is a very complex looking one. @Fixit in FL might be able to give you a better opinion, but I'm not hopeful.

Jacobs Custom Guitars – Custom Guitars & Guitar Repair

www.jacobscustomguitars.com

You might want to look into getting another guitar. The Westerly Series OM240E is a great guitar, and can be had used for $400 or less. I'd imagine that the repair on this guitar would be at least this, and likely a lot more.

 

[Rad]

No expert here, just been around guitars for 50+ years. I suspect you could come close to buying two replacements for the cost of that repair.

And, I’m very sorry for the damage to your guitar.

In the future you will be able to top everybody’s, “ I did this damage to my guitar” story and as crazy as it sounds you will be able to laugh about it when you tell the story. We have all been there, be guitars, motorcycles, etc…We all do dumb things.

Best of luck getting it fixed or finding a replacement.

 

[AcornHouse]

Any guitar can be repaired, no matter how bad the damage (short of burning). The question is, how much will it cost. While I understand how much your guitar means to you, as others have mentioned, the repair costs for this damage is not going to be cheap, and could easily cost double or triple what you paid for the guitar originally.
one thought is to see if you could find another severely damaged guitar, where the damage is confined to the body. It doesn’t have to be the same model (although probably best to at least make it a Guild). Then instead of piecing together a lot of little bits, the neck, or a large part of it, could be used in place of the damaged parts.
There will still be a cost for the donor guitar and the labor, but it might (might!) be cheaper than a replacement. That will depend on what need to be done and who’s doing the work. It also won’t be cheap, and may still exceed the cost of a replacement, but it will certainly be better than repairing what’s there.

You’ll have to endure a stream of “why not replace it with this model instead” replies as everyone offers up their favorite. The silver lining is that there are plenty to choose from, but new and used. Used will offer the bigger bang for the buck, of course, and you may be able to find your exact model, given a little time to look.
But if this is your only guitar, you may want to try whatever fits your budget and is available quicker.

As wrenching as it is, I do feel that replacement is a better way to go in the long run.

 

[Stagefright]

I think I would have to come up with a more interesting story than backing over the guitar. Something involving booze, the perfect love song, and jealousy sounds much better to me. Just sayin...

 

[walrus]

First, welcome to LTG! Second, I concur with everyone else, that is too far gone, buy a new guitar.

walrus

 

[West R Lee]

I'm sorry about your guitar Paul and know nothing can really make you feel any better about the damage. I'm with the folks above.......a real repair would cost more than the guitar is worth. I'd just be thankful it wasn't your prized Martin or something. A comparable Guild should be relatively easy to find. Either Reverb, or there have probably been thousands of Guilds purchased on Ebay since I've been a member here. This damaged guitar isn't overly valuable or rare, so I'd find a replacement. Good luck, and again, I'm sorry Paul.

West

 

[GGJaguar]

Welcome to LTG! Sorry to see your guitar in that state. I'll bet you can find another GAD 30-PCE for much less than the repairs would cost. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[HeyMikey]

Welcome Paul. What an unfortunate and terrible accident. I concur with the others and would not repair the guitar. You can likely replace it for far less than the cost of repairing. Even if you repair it you’ll have a very hard time when it comes time to sell.

I hope you end up with another Guild and come back to hang out here some more with us under happier circumstances.

 

[Cougar]

Well, it's a Guild guitar made in China. The GAD models are generally thought to be the better sounding Chinese-made Guilds, but still, you ought to be able to get the same model used in excellent shape for $500-600. (Here's one for $550, $75 shipping, passive pickup, so you might need a pre-amp* to make it sound good plugged in.) Trying to fix that one would cost a lot more than that! And there are plenty of Chinese-made alternatives around the same price point, as mentioned above. It sounds like you are ready to upgrade to a US-made Guild though -- I think you would notice a very pleasant difference. Best of luck and welcome to the boards!
_______________________
* I just bought a $39 pre-amp that works just fine.

 

[JavelinaJoe]

Welcome and condolences. I know that feeling well.

Here is a similar model at GC:

Guild F-130RCE

 

[chazmo]

Oy. I'm sorry that you did this to your axe. The good news, sort of, is that at least there's no one else to blame.

You've gotten good advice above. Welcome to LTG and keep us posted on what you do.

 

[jeffcoop]

Welcome to LTG, Paul, though I'm so sorry about the circumstances. I agree with the consensus here--this guitar is just too far gone and too limited in market value (even recognizing the significant emotional value) to be worth the very pricey work it would take to get it back into playing shape. I hope you can find a replacement quickly and without too much difficulty.

 

[Guilderland21]

Sorry to hear about your guitar. If you decide to replace it, looks like there is currently a GAD-30-PCE on Reverb that can be shipped:

Guild GAD-30R | Reverb

The Guild GAD-30R is considered a great guitar for a musician-friendly price. Featuring an orchestra-style body, the GAD-30R sports a solid Sitka spruce top and solid Indian rosewood back, sides, and bridge. It is completed with an ebony fingerboard on a mahogany neck, mother-of-pearl inlays, and...

reverb.com

Seems like it might have one top crack, not sure about the condition otherwise.

Admittedly, if I were in your shoes, I'd want to try to get my instrument repaired, but I don't have much to add on the question of whether that's practical. AcornHouse's idea of finding a similar Guild with a damaged body and a good neck is appealing, but I couldn't say whether that's practical either.

 

[Boneman]

Yikes, that is unfortunate, sorry to see that happen to anyone’s guitar. I have definitely done absent minded stuff before but it would gnaw at me that I accidentally ran it over, so I might’ve trashed it the rest of the way in a fit of rage at myself. Then use the opportunity to upgrade and buy its replacement. Definitely would not spend any more on it in that condition, besides who needs that reminder? Probably best to just get rid of it. Good luck in whatever you decide and welcome to LTG.

 

[Wilmywood]

Welcome to the forum. I have a 1972 Guild G37 that suffered a complete fracture of the headstock from the neck 30 years ago, but it was a clean single break as seen in the below photo. It was through the truss rod pocket and the hole for the high E tuning machine. I was heartbroken as I had bought it new 20 years before. In 1992 we moved from SoCal to Ann Arbor, MI and after we got there, I opened the case and there it was. I called Guild and it just so happened that there was a Guild warranty shop there in town, I took it to them and they were able to glue it back together, and 30 years later it looks like this photo and plays excellently. I have been forever grateful that I fixed it rather than throwing it away. I know that today I could not sell it, but I would not want to anyway.
I am sure in Atlanta (and Nashville) there are many fine luthiers and I cannot imagine that one of them could not fix it, but it may be more than a replacement would cost.
In the replacement realm, I have had both a DCE-1 and the DV-6 I currently have, and both are available as low as the $600 range and would be an upgrade, IMO.

Good luck with it.

 

[Roland]

Time for a new guitar. Have I ever done anything like that and destroyed a guitar? Not yet a guitar, but I did hand a three year old a $650 Ohana ukulele and tell her to take it upstairs to grandma. When grandma said to give it back to grandpa the three year old threw it back down the stairs. Of course, that's on the three year old and grandma, not me.

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

Horrible thing to happen! I'd be shopping. Many great guitars out there for sale. It'll make you feel better, too!