devellis
Member
These really are first impressions, because I've only had it since Friday and my allergies have been killing me, so I haven't played it as much as I would have liked. For those of you unfamiliar with North Carolina, the weather forecast talks about it "snowing yellow." That refers to the pine pollen that falls so prolifically that you can literally scoop it up in piles. Pine pollen is more an irritant than an allergen (because of the large grain sizes) but lots of other pollens are out, too, and I'm feeling pretty miserable. But I digress.
I ended up getting a guitar that Chazmo had played at Union Music in Worcester. There was the smallest little ding in the finish, which made for a great price. I also enjoyed dealing with Union.
I was a bit shocked when I popped the case open to find NO PADDING around the headstock and the instrument tuned to pitch! The carton was well padded and the instrument came through its journey fine but if that baby had fallen over, the headstock likely would have snapped like a carrot in Bugs Bunny's mouth. But all is well, fortunately.
It's a really pretty guitar, as I expected it to be. I really love the jumbo shape with those voluptuous curves. Guild does jumbos as well as anybody and better than most. Things I didn't necessarily expect were the high quality of the pearl and abalone in the block inlays. Very high iridescence and rich color. The abalone looks like paua, with a strong green hue. The saddle and bridge pins are also nicer than I expected, with color variations from ivory to a sort of cafe au lait. These more colorful bits of bone carry a premium over the plainer, more-or-less whitish stuff. The top is a nicely silked hunk of Sitka. The bridge is very nicely sculpted and looks like maybe Madagascar rosewood, with an attractive figure.
I was even more impressed when I looked inside. This thing is immaculate. I own both a Goodall and a Bourgeois guitar and both of those are known for their outrageous fit and finish. This Guild is every bit as nicely made. Not a trace of glue oozing from the kerfed linings. No roughness or splinters where the braces have been carved. Even the hand lettering on the label is neat as a pin.
I also found it to be even more comfortable than the vintage Guilds I've played. I think the body is a tad shallower than some of the older ones and the tight waist has it sitting very nicely on my knee while I play it.
Now, I haven't played a 12-string with any regularity in, like, 40 years. So, it's a bit harder for me to evaluate the feel and tone and I'll reserve final judgment until I've adapted more fully to the instrument. But my initial impressions are certainly very positive. Placing my fingers, especially my pinky, so that it properly frets both strings in a pair took a bit of adjustment after playing 6-strings pretty much exclusively. The neck width and profile felt unfamiliar but not uncomfortable or cumbersome. Chords up the neck worked reasonably well, except for my tendency to deaden one string in a pair occasionally by misplacing a finger. I strummed some chords with bare fingers and with a flatpick, then flatpicked some traditional Irish dance tunes, then did some bare finger fingerpicking, and then put on some fingerpicks. The guitar comported itself well in all modes. I think for blues, I prefer bare finger fingerpicking. It masks the slightly off finger placements and has a more earthy sound that suits the music. While in flat picking mode, I found myself conjuring old melodies I hadn't played in decades -- the usual suspects: Walk Right In, Turn Turn Turn, Mr. Bojangles, and others. It sounded really sweet, despite my still not having adapted my meager playing style to the new configuration.
So, at this point I'm a very happy camper. I don't think this is likely to change, except possibly for the better as I smooth out the rough spots in my technique and the guitar settles in. It can be played gently or with a really firm hand. It can sound sweet or jangly depending on how hard it's pushed. I think this is going to be an excellent tool for a fairly wide range of music.
As I settle in, the histamine level subsides, and get more of a feel for this critter, I'll report back.
Here's the obligatory pic:
I ended up getting a guitar that Chazmo had played at Union Music in Worcester. There was the smallest little ding in the finish, which made for a great price. I also enjoyed dealing with Union.
I was a bit shocked when I popped the case open to find NO PADDING around the headstock and the instrument tuned to pitch! The carton was well padded and the instrument came through its journey fine but if that baby had fallen over, the headstock likely would have snapped like a carrot in Bugs Bunny's mouth. But all is well, fortunately.
It's a really pretty guitar, as I expected it to be. I really love the jumbo shape with those voluptuous curves. Guild does jumbos as well as anybody and better than most. Things I didn't necessarily expect were the high quality of the pearl and abalone in the block inlays. Very high iridescence and rich color. The abalone looks like paua, with a strong green hue. The saddle and bridge pins are also nicer than I expected, with color variations from ivory to a sort of cafe au lait. These more colorful bits of bone carry a premium over the plainer, more-or-less whitish stuff. The top is a nicely silked hunk of Sitka. The bridge is very nicely sculpted and looks like maybe Madagascar rosewood, with an attractive figure.
I was even more impressed when I looked inside. This thing is immaculate. I own both a Goodall and a Bourgeois guitar and both of those are known for their outrageous fit and finish. This Guild is every bit as nicely made. Not a trace of glue oozing from the kerfed linings. No roughness or splinters where the braces have been carved. Even the hand lettering on the label is neat as a pin.
I also found it to be even more comfortable than the vintage Guilds I've played. I think the body is a tad shallower than some of the older ones and the tight waist has it sitting very nicely on my knee while I play it.
Now, I haven't played a 12-string with any regularity in, like, 40 years. So, it's a bit harder for me to evaluate the feel and tone and I'll reserve final judgment until I've adapted more fully to the instrument. But my initial impressions are certainly very positive. Placing my fingers, especially my pinky, so that it properly frets both strings in a pair took a bit of adjustment after playing 6-strings pretty much exclusively. The neck width and profile felt unfamiliar but not uncomfortable or cumbersome. Chords up the neck worked reasonably well, except for my tendency to deaden one string in a pair occasionally by misplacing a finger. I strummed some chords with bare fingers and with a flatpick, then flatpicked some traditional Irish dance tunes, then did some bare finger fingerpicking, and then put on some fingerpicks. The guitar comported itself well in all modes. I think for blues, I prefer bare finger fingerpicking. It masks the slightly off finger placements and has a more earthy sound that suits the music. While in flat picking mode, I found myself conjuring old melodies I hadn't played in decades -- the usual suspects: Walk Right In, Turn Turn Turn, Mr. Bojangles, and others. It sounded really sweet, despite my still not having adapted my meager playing style to the new configuration.
So, at this point I'm a very happy camper. I don't think this is likely to change, except possibly for the better as I smooth out the rough spots in my technique and the guitar settles in. It can be played gently or with a really firm hand. It can sound sweet or jangly depending on how hard it's pushed. I think this is going to be an excellent tool for a fairly wide range of music.
As I settle in, the histamine level subsides, and get more of a feel for this critter, I'll report back.
Here's the obligatory pic:
Beautiful guitar there!!! CONGRATS!!! and a fine review too. ENJOY that big baby!
