New GAD day

beecee

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
3,569
Reaction score
2,411
Must be my 40+ years of Madeira ownership but there is something about the first Generation GAD's I like.

They featured nice wood binding, all solid wood construction, bone nut and saddle, Grover tuners, etc etc. Don't like the bad version of the Chesterfield inlay but other than that I've liked all I've played and some are awful good looking. Never didi buy one though.

So a few years ago someone here was gushing about their new acquisition, an F-40P. 12 fret, Padauk back and sides...and (HANG ON AL), based on the old F-40 body. So of course I researched a bit, since I love 12 fretters, absolutely love the fretboard inlays on them and was curious of the Padauk tonewood.

About a week ago I was perusing the GC site around my typical viewing time 2:30 a.m. when I saw one!!! Too new for picture, described as excellent and priced very reasonably. Pounce!

I pulled into Syracuse after a 400 mile day yesterday, (saw a neighbor I'd not seen in a few months on the NYS Thruway we chatted on cells at 78 mph), and headed right over.

Huge gash in the side of the box, I could tell by the weight there was no case but it was fine.

What a great little guitar...I say little but it has a 16" lower bout...maybe the 12th fret neck makes it feel more compact I dunno....but boy this is sure a well put together guitar. Poly finish and clumsy Chesterfield aside this is a quality instrument that rivals anything in the $1,000 range they had in the store. I've come to know two employees there and they enjoyed playing it. That Padauk is cross between R/W and mahogany sa far as sound...I really like it. I'm not a huge fan of the 1 3/4 nut but at that price I'll learn!

Here is an old description from GC website....had to sneak it in to the house but I'll have pix later Thursday.


BY THE WAY

They had a new 2512CE on the wall that one of the guys pointed out. What a stellar instrument.....I put it down immediately so I wouldn't get seduced into buying it. They typically have 1 or 2 used on line.......I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an easy playing lovely sounding 12 string!
1600326185126.png
 

F312

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
2,760
Reaction score
958
Yeah, I had to buy one, because I heard so much good news on the first generation Gads. I bought an 07 F20 Gad to A B my NH GSR F20. The Gad is way different, but for $400 I paid it's really a nice guitar in every way. All the appointments are good.

Ralph
 

GGJaguar

Reverential Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
21,312
Reaction score
31,396
Location
Skylands
Guild Total
49
Yeah, I had to buy one, because I heard so much good news on the first generation Gads.

I didn't realize there were different generations of the GAD line. I remember playing some (don't remember the exact year, but mid-2000s) and the finishes were thick and they sounded boxy and muffled. I wonder what generation they were?
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
I didn't realize there were different generations of the GAD line.
The first generation GAD ("Guild Acoustic Design") was available from 2004 until 2011. All of these models were designated with a "GAD" as a model prefix. The first models in the February 2004 pricelist were the GAD-40C, GAD-50 and GAD-JF30.

The second generation GAD series was the one where they switched to 1xx model numbers and a lot of little things changed. A US-built F-50R's GAD-level version would be called an F-150R. Similarly, a US-built F-512 would be an F-1512 as a GAD version.
They were introduced in September 2011 and lasted until FMIC sold the Guild brand to CMG in 2014:

The 3rd generation, already under CMG ownership and without the GAD name anylonger, is the "Westerly Collection" which started shipping in June 2015:

So far all two generation GAD guitars and the Westerly Collection guitars were and are made at Grand Reward Education & Entertainment (GREE) in Hui Yang city / China.

Ralf
 
Last edited:

Tom O

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
307
Reaction score
210
Location
East Texas
Guild Total
7
I bought a 2007 GAD G212 new. One music store said the one they had sounded as good a Taylor in a blind test.
My Paduk GAD-50PCE sounds good as well as my GAD N5. First generation GADs had alot of seconds with cosmetic blemishes in the thick poly finish. Used first generation still sell for more than a new Westerly.
 

Cougar

Enlightened Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
5,321
Reaction score
3,016
Location
North Idaho
Guild Total
5
About a week ago I was perusing the GC site around my typical viewing time 2:30 a.m. when I saw one!!! Too new for picture, described as excellent and priced very reasonably. Pounce!

Pounce? That's something a Cougar would do. Congrats, beecee! Looking forward to pics!
 

Cougar

Enlightened Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
5,321
Reaction score
3,016
Location
North Idaho
Guild Total
5
I have the new 2512 and cant say enough good thins about it.....

The low price on those is amazing!

When I was checking the newest pricing on those, I noticed Guild has a D-2612 with -- get this -- an ebony arched back! That's a new one on me!

7f338c-D2612CEDAS_back.png.auto.webp
 

beecee

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
3,569
Reaction score
2,411
Interesting tidbit I found on AGF:

#12
Old
06-06-2013, 11:25 AM
Bill Ashton
Bill Ashton is offline

Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 636
Default

When I bought my Guild GAD-30PCE (also Padauk) in 2009, I stumbled upon an F40P also...very nice guitar, played and sounded great, but I just seemed to "run out of neck" on the 12-fret.

Should be a good guitar though, Grover Sta-tites, bone nut and saddle...and the Padauk smells absolutely heavenly when you open the case
wink.gif
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
I noticed Guild has a D-2612 with -- get this -- an ebony arched back! That's a new one on me!
The D-2612CE Deluxe was introduced during Summer NAMM 2019:


Available for instance at Sweetwater (with real photos):


Ralf
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,466
Reaction score
7,123
Location
Central Massachusetts
I wouldn't say that the first generation GADs were the "better" generation, Ralf. I think they may have had some higher level appointments than the 100 series, but I recall Tim Shaw (who was in charge of the 100-series and was a long-time Guild guy) telling us that his objective was to get closer to the originals upon which the GADs were loosely based... Anyway, definitely no real knock on any of the two GAD generations under Fender stewardship.

I have no experience with the latest versions of the GADs -- nee "Westerly collection". They certainly look nice to me, and I'm glad to hear personal experience of earlier posters speaking well of them.

The one comment I always make when talking about these guitars is that Guild would be dead and forgotten if they hadn't existed. That was the strong opinion of my bricks-and-mortar guitar shop owner, Carl Kamp, who perhaps only sold US-built Guilds to me during the economic crisis of 2007-2009. GADs sold well, and for that I remain grateful that they were brought into the fold by Fender.
 
Last edited:

Rayk

Enlightened Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2015
Messages
5,769
Reaction score
1,173
Congrats seems this a guitar buying month/months . Lol
 

Mark WW

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
660
Reaction score
99
Location
Floriduh
Very Cool - I looked for that 12 Fretter for a long time and finally gave up. I ended up with a Westerly OM-140 and I love it. I have owned 3 First Gen GAD's. Still have a G212. I would say certain models may excel in one gen or the other depending on your perspective or expectations. I LOVE 1-3/4" + nuts so the 1-11/16" GADs were sweet but my hand cramped up playing them.
 

beecee

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
3,569
Reaction score
2,411
Very Cool - I looked for that 12 Fretter for a long time and finally gave up. I ended up with a Westerly OM-140 and I love it. I have owned 3 First Gen GAD's. Still have a G212. I would say certain models may excel in one gen or the other depending on your perspective or expectations. I LOVE 1-3/4" + nuts so the 1-11/16" GADs were sweet but my hand cramped up playing them.

I bought my 140 from the same boutique retailer you did, I do love it as well and it is a really nice burst.

So a friend comes over the other night to show off his Gibson J-45 Studio. This was the guy mentioned in my original post: I pulled into Syracuse after a 400 mile day yesterday, (saw a neighbor I'd not seen in a few months on the NYS Thruway we chatted on cells at 78 mph).

Nice looking guitar. Jeff has four other guitars, 2 which are off brand but sound incredible and two name brand which are some of the best sounding I've ever heard. He is a road warrior like me and gets to stop in shops all over the NE so he gets to try a bunch of guitars. The GIbby was no exception, it was the 8th or 9th he tried over a period of a few months and could not put this one down.

He is a much better player than I and I enjoyed watching him take the GAD though a good workout. I had noticed some fret buzz up top as did he. He did tweak the truss rod a bit, (yeah I trusted him to do so), as he proclaimed the neck dead flat after which point it seemed almost a different guitar.

Unfortunately I have yet to change strings on the DV-52 and it really struggled to keep up with the Gibby, & D-40.

Jeff has an aversion to 12 strings but I thought he was going to mug me after playing the F-412 for half an hour.....we may have a convert here!

So all in all I am very pleased with the GAD F-40P. I even began to warm up to the nut width. Plus my shoulders and elbows are killing me from too much darned work and it was comfortable to play vs. the dreds and jumbo.

She's a keeper!!
 
Last edited:

Mark WW

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
660
Reaction score
99
Location
Floriduh
I switched to an OM after owning a Jumbo 12 and the weird thing is I am a relatively large (insert fat) guy and I was surprised that the JUmbo was not a good fit. I can handle a dread fine but the OM...so durn comfortable. Enjoy that GAD!
 
Top