Namm 2014

[fronobulax]

I think Guilds main problem is the almost total lack of advertisement for the brand as a whole.

Guild management has been very candid and explicit in saying they do not want to grow the made in USA segment of the brand by increasing the number of instruments produced. They have suggested that the factory is operating at a level they are comfortable with so why advertise something if they are already selling all they want to make?

Since you apparently have a NH F20, you might ask who (you or Guild) benefits if Guild makes more F20's and advertises them? Would the ads make you buy another one or do they just make you feel better about the one you already have?

This is really just a philosophy discussion about how to run a manufacturing company. Lots of companies succeed by sales volume but selling more or having something for every niche are not the only ways to make money.

Maybe Guild will offer this option in the future.

As far back as LMG I, Guild has said they want to offer some kind of custom options. In addition to setting up some kind of system to accept an order and walk the order through the manufacturing process, they need to figure out what they can offer and at what price. The barrier, from their end, will be tooling. Even with CNC, there is a time and labor cost associated with setting up machinery to make X and then tearing that down to make Y. If Guild has never made Y before then the costs for the first one will be very high. So, based upon the realities of manufacturing, it is almost certain that the custom options, when offered, will be a mix of featured already offered - a factory authorized Frankenguild. Similarly, they are unlikely to offer a tone wood that they don't already have in inventory unless the buyer is willing to pay a hefty, non-refundable deposit and wait 6 months for Guild to acquire the wood and allow it to stabilize.

 

[Walter Broes]

I hope so, as I find a 1 3/4" wide nut and a slightly wider string spacing at the bridge easier on my hands / joints. Guild's current offerings in this department is very limited. So I'm not abandoning ship on Guild, I'm finding it hard to find a new Guild that gives me the warm and fuzzy like my older F-30's. I just can't warm up to the Standard F-30 when the GAD F-30 seems to get the better visual appointments. What's up with that?

Tommy

Traditional series F30? I know my traditional series F47R gives me the warms and fuzzies every time I even just open the case. It's a gorgeous guitar, and it sounds and plays as great as it looks.

 

[Watasha]

Well, that's a strange logic to me. First of all you own a wonderful 2013 Custom Shop F-20. You also own 2 other new Guilds. So I know you love the brand and invested heavily in it. But why would you not buy a Guild anymore in future just because Guild does not do enough advertising or stopped a model which you already own (at least one)?

I meant I might have to look elsewhere because I'm gravitating heavily towards smaller, short scale guitars. A segment in which Guild has very little to offer these days, and apparently very little interest in offering anything. You're right, I do love the brand & the guitars but they just seem to be neglecting the segment of instruments in which I'll be shopping for the next time I buy a guitar. That is so frustrating.

 

[Watasha]

Guild management has been very candid and explicit in saying they do not want to grow the made in USA segment of the brand by increasing the number of instruments produced. They have suggested that the factory is operating at a level they are comfortable with so why advertise something if they are already selling all they want to make?

Since you apparently have a NH F20, you might ask who (you or Guild) benefits if Guild makes more F20's and advertises them? Would the ads make you buy another one or do they just make you feel better about the one you already have?

This is really just a philosophy discussion about how to run a manufacturing company. Lots of companies succeed by sales volume but selling more or having something for every niche are not the only ways to make money.

So Guild doesn't want to sell more instruments? That makes a lot of sense. I understand wanting to keep quality up by not overloading the facility & the workers, but to come out & say that you have no interest in selling more instruments? Guild needs to be more visible & get the brand recognition back for the long term good of the brand itself. My remark regarding ads for F20's was more to lament the killing off of Guilds lone OO size guitar & one that I love very much & to point out that maybe they would've sold more ( and therefore kept it in production) if any effort at all was put into making the public aware that the instrument existed at all. Put it this way: the next guitar I buy will be a O, OO or OOO sized short scale guitar. If Guild has nothing to offer in this segment, I'll have to look elsewhere. I have everything from Guild guitars to hats, shirts, neon signs... I really don't want to look elsewhere. As for your comment regarding having something for every niche, it seems a very bad business decision to basically tell the guitar buying public "If you want anything smaller than a Dread look elsewhere. We have nothing to offer." Not totally true but i trust you get my point.

For a company of the size of Guild guitars, that has been around as long as Guild has to not offer a single US model under OOO size just doesn't make any sense. Especially when Martin & Taylor are selling them faster than they can make them. I don't mean to sound so negative, like I said before; it's just so frustrating.

 

[tommym]

Traditional series F30? I know my traditional series F47R gives me the warms and fuzzies every time I even just open the case. It's a gorgeous guitar, and it sounds and plays as great as it looks.

Yes, the Traditional series F47R (WOW!) is a beautiful guitar that really catches my eyes too. But I believe among the Standard and Traditional series, the Standard F-30 is the only one currently available with a 1 3/4" nut. I much prefer the look of the Traditional series.

Tommy

 

[tommym]

I meant I might have to look elsewhere because I'm gravitating heavily towards smaller, short scale guitars....

Same here.....Seems the F30 (the OM size) is the largest guitar that I can comfortable handle these days. One day, the F30's may be to large for me too. Sad......:upset:

Tommy

 

[Watasha]

Same here.....Seems the F30 (the OM size) is the largest guitar that I can comfortable handle these days. One day, the F30's may be to large for me too. Sad......:upset:

Tommy

I hate to hear that. Hopefully the guys in NH will come out with some smaller guitars soon so you can keep playing Guilds.

 

[Bill Ashton]

We saw the neck to (a) DD 12-string in the wood shop during LMG IV...Kim has been very mum on the subject, LOL!

 

[jeffcoop]

Same here.....Seems the F30 (the OM size) is the largest guitar that I can comfortable handle these days. One day, the F30's may be to large for me too. Sad......:upset:

Tommy

I'm in a similar boat--I still can and do play dreads, but I'm happier and more comfortable playing smaller guitars. After overindulging last year, I plan this year to buy only one guitar, with a smaller body and, ideally, shorter scale. I'd like it to be a Guild. But they're not making it easy.

 

[SFIV1967]

Doyle Dykes playing the new Guild DD-6NC "Doyle Dykes Signature Nylon Cutaway Electric" at NAMM:



Ralf

 

[charliea]

I'm in a similar boat--I still can and do play dreads, but I'm happier and more comfortable playing smaller guitars. After overindulging last year, I plan this year to buy only one guitar, with a smaller body and, ideally, shorter scale. I'd like it to be a Guild. But they're not making it easy.

I thought 'dreads Were smaller guitars!

 

[tommym]

I'm in a similar boat--I still can and do play dreads.....

Yep, one day, when our hands and joints really go, we may have get down on our hands and knees (if we still can) and beg Guild build us a super small F-10......:wink-new:

Tommy

 

[ScottyGuildPlayer]

Not being antsy,but I don't like the new minimalist logo,on the headstock,otherwise,looks like a great line of new instruments, -I like the Doyle Dykes 12- string-way out of my price range though.

 

[SFIV1967]

New video from Guild about the NAMM 2014 booth:



Ralf

 

[fronobulax]

So Guild doesn't want to sell more instruments?

Since your tone sounds a little incredulous and sarcasm is hard to read I will say my answer to that question is Yes. I base my opinion on comments made by Guild management in public at LMG I, I and III and in private conversations with me and as reported by others. My synthesis of what I heard and was told is that the current focus in NH is quality and the goal is to produce X guitars per year with consistently high quality and sell them all. I think X is currently around 2500-3000 and 5000 is a target that is a few years away. We think of NH as a Guild asset but they produce other brand lines for FMIC, so whatever X is, it may also include Fender branded instruments. Given that the factory is going to produce X guitars, it doesn't take too much spreadsheet wizardry and projections based upon historical sales data to figure which models (and how many) should be included in that X. I'm sure there have been some interesting discussions between people who can show that profit is maximized by making nothing but D50's and people who say the company needs a broader product line. So to the extent that the number of guitars they are going to make is a constraint, it seems pretty obvious that someone has to make some hard choices about what to make and what not to make. The smaller bodies would seem to be a casualty. Maybe Guild doesn't see the market as being big enough for Guild and Martin and... or maybe the profit is lower or...

Many people suggest marketing strategies (make more, cover all bases, get into Guitar Center) that Guild has already rejected (in the near term) because re-establishing the brand and its quality is more important than sheer sales volume.

Nothing here but my opinion but I do base it on what FMIC employees have said, on and off the record.

 

[Watasha]

Since your tone sounds a little incredulous and sarcasm is hard to read I will say my answer to that question is Yes. I base my opinion on comments made by Guild management in public at LMG I, I and III and in private conversations with me and as reported by others. My synthesis of what I heard and was told is that the current focus in NH is quality and the goal is to produce X guitars per year with consistently high quality and sell them all. I think X is currently around 2500-3000 and 5000 is a target that is a few years away. We think of NH as a Guild asset but they produce other brand lines for FMIC, so whatever X is, it may also include Fender branded instruments. Given that the factory is going to produce X guitars, it doesn't take too much spreadsheet wizardry and projections based upon historical sales data to figure which models (and how many) should be included in that X. I'm sure there have been some interesting discussions between people who can show that profit is maximized by making nothing but D50's and people who say the company needs a broader product line. So to the extent that the number of guitars they are going to make is a constraint, it seems pretty obvious that someone has to make some hard choices about what to make and what not to make. The smaller bodies would seem to be a casualty. Maybe Guild doesn't see the market as being big enough for Guild and Martin and... or maybe the profit is lower or...

Many people suggest marketing strategies (make more, cover all bases, get into Guitar Center) that Guild has already rejected (in the near term) because re-establishing the brand and its quality is more important than sheer sales volume.

Nothing here but my opinion but I do base it on what FMIC employees have said, on and off the record.

I still stand by my previous point regarding the smaller guitars. The market for smaller guitars is very viable & most companies are expanding their offerings there, not the other way around. I'm afraid that the traditional acoustic Guild offerings offer very little variety: Long scale Dreads & Jumbos with 6 or 12 strings with Mahogany or Rosewood. I know that's not literally all they offer but it's pretty close. To think that I'll have to look at Collings or Martin to find a US made O or OO (or OOO short scale) guitar because Guild literally doesn't offer one seems ridiculous (& very frustrating) to me. I have my D55, I'm not interested in another Dread (or larger) long scale instrument. Therefore I guess I have not a single Guild to look at.

Sorry if you took me wrong, I wasn't being sarcastic. I simply love Guild & adore my little F20. It's just very sad that my favorite instrument manufacturer doesn't make instruments that I'm interested in.

 

[SFIV1967]

I simply love Guild & adore my little F20. It's just very sad that my favorite instrument manufacturer doesn't make instruments that I'm interested in.

Yes, but remember that Guild never ever had something else than the F-20 in that range, so offering a smaller than F-20 model would mean developing all the required tooling and that means lots of money to invest. Is it worth it? Obviously in the calculations of the Guild / FMIC management not.
Taking a model off the regular production (like the F-20 currently) often only means it is taken off for some time and re-introduced later if demand exists again. That's at least what Martin does frequently I think. Now I know they have many 0, 00 and 000 models to offer. But Guild never produced such size in their past 60 years.
Again, there are F-20's out in the shops that still need to find buyers first.
Just two examples:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guild-F-20-...1-/290878114904?pt=Guitar&hash=item43b9afcc58
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Guild-U...e-/141037405703?pt=Guitar&hash=item20d67c0607
Ralf

 

[Watasha]

Yes, but remember that Guild never ever had something else than the F-20 in that range, so offering a smaller than F-20 model would mean developing all the required tooling and that means lots of money to invest. Is it worth it? Obviously in the calculations of the Guild / FMIC management not.
Taking a model off the regular production (like the F-20 currently) often only means it is taken off for some time and re-introduced later if demand exists again. That's at least what Martin does frequently I think. Now I know they have many 0, 00 and 000 models to offer. But Guild never produced such size in their past 60 years.
Again, there are F-20's out in the shops that still need to find buyers first.
Just two examples:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Guild-F-20-...1-/290878114904?pt=Guitar&hash=item43b9afcc58
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Guild-U...e-/141037405703?pt=Guitar&hash=item20d67c0607
Ralf

You have a point there. I guess I was hoping for progress in that segment, only to find contraction of what little we already had & was shocked. It also doesn't help that Gibson introduced the J15 & I thought "Why can't Guild do something like that?" I know they're not wanting to sell a billion guitars but Gibson seems to hvave the acoustic world abuzz with the J15. It would be awesome to have Guild be the buzz of the NAMM show.

The J15 for those who haven't seen it: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/2014/J-15-Dreadnought.aspx

Edit: Not saying Guild should build a J45 variant. More to the price & the fact that Guild could offer a variation on the standard theme.

 

[JohnW63]

I was going to ask if anyone had heard about the new Guild nylon guitar, and then I saw the video above... cool but disappointing at the same time. The fact that is is a Doyle Dykes model means I can't justify buying it at it's price point, and the sound hole slots just don't speak to me. I don't mind things other than a center round hole, I've got an Ovation 12 string with something like 22 holes on either side of the fret board, but the little row of slots in the wood means ONLY electronic use, which is not what I was shooting for. I was pondering a nylon/classical with a pickup for a sort of jazzy sound, but I wanted to hear myself without plugging in. Walden has some new ones, announced at the summer NAMM as well. I could be going in their direction.

 

[SFIV1967]

...and the sound hole slots just don't speak to me.

Those are not sound slots but part of the special L.R. Baggs® Pickup/Preamp System! I guess it's a equalizer with two round tone and volume knobs in the middle. So there is no soundhole at all.
This picture of the different "sister model" offered by Kirk Sand shows it better: http://sandguitars.com/new/new-ddm/DDM-2.jpg
Ralf