Rondeauboy
Junior Member
Just thought I would make my first post by saying hi to everyone on the forum. "Hi".
I purchased my first Guild back in 1994 - a D4 NT (???), built on the east coast somewhere...I'm thinking Rhode Island? Anyways, I decided to sell it a few years later simply because my big belly and the arched back didn't get along too well.
After buying, selling, and ultimately keeping a few acoustics during the time between then and now I can say that another Guild was not was not one of the keepers. That changed a couple of weeks ago.
I live in a fairly small community with three fairly small music shoppes. One is pretty much dedicated to Martin; one to the Godin family; and one to the Fender family. I (and my belly) have always been partial to smaller body, orchestra style acoustics, especially 000 Martin's and the _14 Taylor's. However, neither my conscience nor my wife would let me spend the money on either of these. Then one day this year, in one of my local shoppes, I noticed hanging on a wall was a solid wood, Seagull Maritime Folk guitar. I sat down and played it, loved the size and especially the sound, and walked out of the store with it. This has been my go-to guitar since. I will never sell it.
About a month ago, an acquaintance was looking for a guitar on which to learn to play. I thought now that I have the Seagull I should sell her my old dread (again, a guitar which I said I would never sell), since I never play it anymore. Long story short - she bought it and we were both happy. At least until the empty guitar hanger on the wall started to bother me.
So I did what every other normal person would have done...I went shopping for a new small bodied guitar. I played the Martin's and Taylor's again, but also expanded my search to Larrivee's, Gibson's and other Seagull's (which I truly think are the absolute, hands-down, best-bang-for-the-buck guitar on the planet). I found a few that I really liked, but none (other than the Seagull's) which I could realistically afford.
Then about three weeks ago, while looking through the local shoppe which I frequent the least often, I noticed a Guild hanging way up on the wall out of my reach. It looked great and was an orchestra size to boot! I thought since it was up so high it must be a sign that I couldn't afford it. Well I asked the sales guy if he would get it down for me to play. He pulled it down, I played it, and I had to have it. I still didn't know what model it was or how much it was. I looked it over with a fine tooth comb - the construction and finish was IMPECCIBLE! Then I saw it. The sticker inside the body said "GAD 30RE ATB MADE IN CHINA". I said #%$&, handed the guitar back to the sales guy, and then left the store. I still had an empty spot on the wall.
I went back to testing the North American made "premium" brands, I even went to a huge guitar store in a nearby larger community to see what else there was out there in my price range. I even made a deal with the devil in my left side of the brain to up my budget a little bit, and then deal with my wife in the right side of my bed when the time came. But you know what? None of the other "premium" guitars in my new price range was as comfortable to play, or sounded ANY better than that "MADE IN CHINA" Guild at my local shoppe.
Again, back to my local Guild dealer. This time around I played a used Tacoma made Contemporary series Guild. It looked nice hanging up on the wall, but upon closer inspection it was obvious the previous owner wasn't as carefull with his guitars as I tend to be. Scratches, dents, and a consignment price that was WAY TO HIGH prevented me to consider this guitar any further.
So back down came the GAD 30. It never made it back up to wall at the shoppe. It did make it to the wall of my music room. I have played it for 2-3 hours everyday since. Someday I will also have "my" Taylor 814CE hanging on my wall next to my current line-up - the Seagull Folk, my Guild GAD 30, my daugter's Taylor Swift LTD Baby Taylor, my son's cheapie acoustic and his two electric guitars. But first, I need to buy an extra wall hanger that will sit empty until the day comes when I walk out of the store with the Taylor...or maybe another Guild that I have not yet played.
Until then, cheers, and happy picking!
Dave
PS. I came upon this finger-picked F-512 YouTube video, that you all may have already seen, but just in case...(it is one of my absolute favourites on YouTube).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9iVG4kg0sg
I purchased my first Guild back in 1994 - a D4 NT (???), built on the east coast somewhere...I'm thinking Rhode Island? Anyways, I decided to sell it a few years later simply because my big belly and the arched back didn't get along too well.
After buying, selling, and ultimately keeping a few acoustics during the time between then and now I can say that another Guild was not was not one of the keepers. That changed a couple of weeks ago.
I live in a fairly small community with three fairly small music shoppes. One is pretty much dedicated to Martin; one to the Godin family; and one to the Fender family. I (and my belly) have always been partial to smaller body, orchestra style acoustics, especially 000 Martin's and the _14 Taylor's. However, neither my conscience nor my wife would let me spend the money on either of these. Then one day this year, in one of my local shoppes, I noticed hanging on a wall was a solid wood, Seagull Maritime Folk guitar. I sat down and played it, loved the size and especially the sound, and walked out of the store with it. This has been my go-to guitar since. I will never sell it.
About a month ago, an acquaintance was looking for a guitar on which to learn to play. I thought now that I have the Seagull I should sell her my old dread (again, a guitar which I said I would never sell), since I never play it anymore. Long story short - she bought it and we were both happy. At least until the empty guitar hanger on the wall started to bother me.
So I did what every other normal person would have done...I went shopping for a new small bodied guitar. I played the Martin's and Taylor's again, but also expanded my search to Larrivee's, Gibson's and other Seagull's (which I truly think are the absolute, hands-down, best-bang-for-the-buck guitar on the planet). I found a few that I really liked, but none (other than the Seagull's) which I could realistically afford.
Then about three weeks ago, while looking through the local shoppe which I frequent the least often, I noticed a Guild hanging way up on the wall out of my reach. It looked great and was an orchestra size to boot! I thought since it was up so high it must be a sign that I couldn't afford it. Well I asked the sales guy if he would get it down for me to play. He pulled it down, I played it, and I had to have it. I still didn't know what model it was or how much it was. I looked it over with a fine tooth comb - the construction and finish was IMPECCIBLE! Then I saw it. The sticker inside the body said "GAD 30RE ATB MADE IN CHINA". I said #%$&, handed the guitar back to the sales guy, and then left the store. I still had an empty spot on the wall.
I went back to testing the North American made "premium" brands, I even went to a huge guitar store in a nearby larger community to see what else there was out there in my price range. I even made a deal with the devil in my left side of the brain to up my budget a little bit, and then deal with my wife in the right side of my bed when the time came. But you know what? None of the other "premium" guitars in my new price range was as comfortable to play, or sounded ANY better than that "MADE IN CHINA" Guild at my local shoppe.
Again, back to my local Guild dealer. This time around I played a used Tacoma made Contemporary series Guild. It looked nice hanging up on the wall, but upon closer inspection it was obvious the previous owner wasn't as carefull with his guitars as I tend to be. Scratches, dents, and a consignment price that was WAY TO HIGH prevented me to consider this guitar any further.
So back down came the GAD 30. It never made it back up to wall at the shoppe. It did make it to the wall of my music room. I have played it for 2-3 hours everyday since. Someday I will also have "my" Taylor 814CE hanging on my wall next to my current line-up - the Seagull Folk, my Guild GAD 30, my daugter's Taylor Swift LTD Baby Taylor, my son's cheapie acoustic and his two electric guitars. But first, I need to buy an extra wall hanger that will sit empty until the day comes when I walk out of the store with the Taylor...or maybe another Guild that I have not yet played.
Until then, cheers, and happy picking!
Dave
PS. I came upon this finger-picked F-512 YouTube video, that you all may have already seen, but just in case...(it is one of my absolute favourites on YouTube).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9iVG4kg0sg
