New Guild Electrics at NAMM 2013

[dbirchett]

I based it on this website, where they list two Aristocrats, one for $1,050 (third one down) and one for $5,000 (eighth one down). I'm assuming the lesser priced one is made overseas, in either Korea or China.

http://www.lamusic.ca/SearchResults.asp?Search=guild+electric

My understanding is that it is made in Korea by SPG.

 

[guildman63]

Has anyone heard when the Newark St. models will be available in the states?

 

[Westerly Wood]

any pics of the slopes?

 

[Brad Little]

My understanding is that it is made in Korea by SPG.

According to this http://www.tradekorea.com/e-catalogue/john6512/ SPG make Samick gutars. I have a Samick made Epiphone Howard Roberts Custom and it is an outstanding guitar, and not only because of its low price. The only caveat I have (and other owners I've run across on line) is that the pickup would benefit by an upgrade. It's a Korean Kent Armstrong and I will probably get a US version at some point. If the Korean Guilds are using different pickups, that might not be a problem. Additionally, there are a lot of people on various jazz guitar lists with much respect for Korean jazz axes, Peerless and at least one other brand that I don't recall right now, both probably from Samick.
Brad

 

[Default]

I note two points:

Bridge: Guild® Combo Bridge-Tailpiece with Rosewood String Saddles
Pickups: Guild® "Bi-Sonic" Bass (Bridge)

Those are both parts that were sourced from Hagstrom in the 1960's so you have to wonder who is making them now. If this is for real then it also means that saddles for vintage basses may be easier to get.

You could just hand one to the Koreans who source it domestically or from China. Labor and tooling costs are much less. I'd would be interested in the differences in construction. I had a Les Paul copy once where the pickup cover was a fake humbucker with exposed polepieces and underneath, it was a pretty weak single coil.
It will be interesting to see the differences when parts get into general availability.

 

[Default]

Oh, BTW...

 

[dbirchett]

My understanding is that it is made in Korea by SPG.

According to this http://www.tradekorea.com/e-catalogue/john6512/ SPG make Samick gutars. I have a Samick made Epiphone Howard Roberts Custom and it is an outstanding guitar, and not only because of its low price. The only caveat I have (and other owners I've run across on line) is that the pickup would benefit by an upgrade. It's a Korean Kent Armstrong and I will probably get a US version at some point. If the Korean Guilds are using different pickups, that might not be a problem. Additionally, there are a lot of people on various jazz guitar lists with much respect for Korean jazz axes, Peerless and at least one other brand that I don't recall right now, both probably from Samick.
Brad

SPG makes some Samick guitars but they are not Samick. Peerless is an entirely different company.

 

[dbirchett]

Oh, BTW...

Interesting, they show a Starfire 5 but are not offering it, yet. Hmmm ...

 

[Brad Little]

SPG makes some Samick guitars but they are not Samick. Peerless is an entirely different company.

Must be a language barrier as their website says "We are a sole manufacturer of Samick's guitar" which implies that they are the only one who makes them or they make only Samick guitars. Either way, not clear.
Regardless, still an interesting development. The street price I saw on one of the websites for an X-175 is right around what the Westerly models are going for used these days.
I may have to stop in to my local indie Guild dealer and see what he intends to stock.
Brad

 

[Bill Ashton]

Well, (Leslie?) Feist has been playing one for quite a while before now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1w0vxCC2w

Don't know who the kid is on the 12...love to see one of those in a store, as the last time they were available to play with was LMG I (remember, Chaz? :lol: )

Oh, can you imagine the best of all worlds, a Guild DS 12-string?...be still my heart! (Thats what I thought the 12 refered to until I really read the line in the preview :roll: )

 

[chazmo]

Don't know who the kid is on the 12...love to see one of those in a store, as the last time they were available to play with was LMG I (remember, Chaz? :lol: )

I do, I do!! Well, I don't actually, but you did!!

Oh, can you imagine the best of all worlds, a Guild DS 12-string?...be still my heart! (Thats what I thought the 12 refered to until I really read the line in the preview :roll: )

What's a DS, Bill?

 

[Bill Ashton]

Sorry, "drop shoulder." As in the three Orpheum dreads...

Gibson is making one now (saw one in Arlington at the Gibson display), Huss and Dalton is making one, why shouldn't Guild?

 

[littlesongs]

New electric Guilds will be made in Korea or assembled in USA. Interesting news. I wish them luck.

 

[Jeff Haddad]

I'm thrilled by the news! I'm not even in the market for another guitar at this time, but I wasn't when the T500 came out either. :wink:

I've never been a big fan of the Aristocrat, but even that one looks great. I wonder if the A150 is a solid top like the originals - I'd love to try one of those. Really looking forward to some NAMM reports!

 

[SFIV1967]

Since this is now the new combined Guild Electrics NAMM 2013 thread it would still be easier to have seperate discussions of the "Newark Street" series and the "American Patriarch" series because a lot of people will get confused which is MIK and which is Made in New Hartford. But let's wait till NAMM started.

Since Guild is part of FMIC I found a teaser from the Fender Custom Shop in Corona regarding their NAMM models for this week. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5-V8vDFO-c

Ralf

 

[chazmo]

No, not really combined, Ralf. I've got an acoustic thread in the a/ae section. But, feel free to post whatever you like about NAMM in either.

 

[blakeley311]

PLEASE release an S-100 in trans green. That's the message we need to be sending. I don't care where it's made if it plays right, sounds right and LOOKS right!

 

[guitarslinger]

I've heard some derisive comments about the DeArmond brand here but they may be instructive. Good, not great, fit and finish, very good (IMHO) USA made pickups, lousy switches and stuff. Clearly mass produced but still with the opportunity to find "a decent one" in the batch. I imagine (well, I hope anyway) that they would provide even better quality on the "Guild" branded line. That SB X175 looks exactly like my first Guild and I want one instinctively. It remains to be seen whether this new line may be some sort of Faustian deal, however, it will, largely, be the only deal for some of us. While I might find an old X175 for a "reasonable" amount of money I still have to be concerned with shrinking binding and neck re-sets. Either way I'm looking forward with some excitement to some honest, Guild lovers, "hands on" descriptions here in a few days.

 

[matsickma]

Buy now or wait for a Blow-out in three years...

I hope it works for Guild on this go around. I may jump in and start to add the MiK reissues to the USA Guilds.
Definitly cool guitars.

What is the consensus on the future price of vintage and other Guilds?

M

 

[chazmo]

matsickma,

I think concensus is highly unlikely. Regarding vintage-market stuff, I won't even venture a prediction.

As an eternal optimist, all I'm really hoping for right now is growth of the Guild brand. Whether it's for MIK, MIC, MIM, or US-built product; it's good for Guild (and probably Fender). Sales of one stimulates sales of the others.