The factory tour at Martin is well worth the trip! We were there in the summer of '06 while vacationing in Pennsylvania. Even my wife enjoyed the tour! I still wear the cap I got there, even when I'm wearing my Guild t-shirt.Default said:
Is the Guild solid body line of guitars coming back?
- Thread starter drunkenguitarist
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hitchcockblonde
Junior Member
From a branding and marketing point of view, it would be a stupid move. FMIC has Fender for, well Fender-y guitars, and don't they have Jackson for the shredders? Hamer for the set-neck crowd -- c'mon, a Studio or Artist is not far from a Bluesbird functionally -- and a load of acoustic lines: Ovation, Adamas, Tacoma, Takamine, Guild... there's no business advantage in getting into a General Motors situation in which they're using manufacturing, sales and marketing resources to cannibalize their own products. I'd predict the opposite: that they'll consolidate to three electric lines and three acoustic, and maybe two accessory lines.
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OTOH, if you rotate the product lines, you're still selling glue, wood and stain. Look at Taco Bell, they only use 4 ingredients for everything, and yet they keep coming out with new products.
Ovation/Adamas are the same type of synthetic bowl-back guitars.
Tacoma, IMO, has shuffled off this mortal coil, as a brand name(
).
Takamine still has a rep as a good guitar with a great pickup system,
Guild's acoustic line has it's rep,
That leaves the solidbody lines.
I don't think it would be cannibalizing it's own line to do a run of s-100's or s-90's. IIRC, Hamer doesn't have a line of sg similar guitars. They cover the shred-stick and lp-knockoff market, shape-wise. Since so much of it is automated anymore, I don't see it being a problem to throw a little variety into the mix. After all, not everybody wants 12 variants of the 6120.
That being said, Fender would be happy to see us all playing telecasters, instead of what we prefer. If we want a hollowbody, they'be be happy to see us with a Gretsch in our hand.
Believe you me, I hate this consolidation crap. All it does is hasten the day when we don't have choices at all.
Ovation/Adamas are the same type of synthetic bowl-back guitars.
Tacoma, IMO, has shuffled off this mortal coil, as a brand name(
).Takamine still has a rep as a good guitar with a great pickup system,
Guild's acoustic line has it's rep,
That leaves the solidbody lines.
I don't think it would be cannibalizing it's own line to do a run of s-100's or s-90's. IIRC, Hamer doesn't have a line of sg similar guitars. They cover the shred-stick and lp-knockoff market, shape-wise. Since so much of it is automated anymore, I don't see it being a problem to throw a little variety into the mix. After all, not everybody wants 12 variants of the 6120.
That being said, Fender would be happy to see us all playing telecasters, instead of what we prefer. If we want a hollowbody, they'be be happy to see us with a Gretsch in our hand.
Believe you me, I hate this consolidation crap. All it does is hasten the day when we don't have choices at all.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 13,654
- Reaction score
- 3,084
- Location
- Philly, or thereabouts
- Guild Total
- 11
I think the market for new models/reissues is going to be pretty bad for the next couple of years. On the other hand, if you have a stable job and low/no mortgage, there are going to be some sweet deals to be had.
Good call. I think you're exactly right on that score.
Once things turn around and the green starts to flow again we might see some exciting new developments. But until then, the best deals are used guitars and it's very much a buyer's market.
Once things turn around and the green starts to flow again we might see some exciting new developments. But until then, the best deals are used guitars and it's very much a buyer's market.