New or vintage?

[dreadnut]

I have never spent big bucks on a guitar, the most I ever spent was $900.00 on my F512 about 20 years ago. Wish I still had that one so I could sell it at today's prices, LOL.

My observation is that while the new Guilds have caught up somewhat with Martin and Taylor pricing, the vintage (used) Guilds are still available at much more reasonable prices than the other brands in many cases. If you take your time, you can find some pristine ones. In the last year or so, I bought an '89 D15 and a '98 DC5E for just a little over $600.00 each, and both are minty!

I would love to support Oxnard and buy a new guitar, but they're not really in my price range. The only new acoustic I ever bought was my '76 D25M, for $300.00 out the door with hard shell case. Of course, the economies of scale are different now.

 

[GAD]

I currently own 100 guitars and have probably owned 150 total. Of those, I've bought four new:

• 1979 S300AD bought in 1980
• 2008 Jackson Sam Ash Soloist SL2H
• 2008 Fender American Deluxe Strat
• 2008 Taylor DNK Koa dreadnaught

2008 was the year I learned that buying new guitars is not a good way to buy more guitars.

While I don't begrudge CMG the prices they're charging, the Newark St. guitars are not worth their MAP *to me*, so I'll only buy them used. That's made finding some of them of a challenge for me because, for example, I'd absolutely buy one of the new Jet-90s, but I won't pay full price for one and people who list them used want to get their money back. Thus, they rarely go for a deep discount.

Similarly, while I don't think the current US Guild acoustic prices are terribly out of line, I have so many gorgeous Westerly and NH Guild acoustics that I see no reason to spend the money on a new one.

It's kind of like cars in a way. I've owned probably 10 cars in my life, and after buying 2-3 new ones, I don't see the benefit any more.

To be fair, I'm usually looking for a very specific thing when I'm buying,

 

[AcornHouse]

For me, aside from price, Guild has changed their “ideals” as far as neck, scale length, etc. My hands like, need in fact, short scale with skinny necks. At least on the acoustic side of things, they are doing long scale, thick necks, for the most part. That leaves me out of the conversation from the get go. (And as far as electrics or archtops, well, they aren’t making any US versions anymore.)

So, for me, it’s got to be vintage. Hoboken especially.

 

[richardp69]

Gimme both!!!

 

[lungimsam]

Guess it depends on which features you want and if MUSA matters to you or not.
Also, if you would trust the structural integrity of a given vintage piece.
Having really owned only new instruments I am not one to comment on this.

Personally, I'd be ok buying a solid body electric vintage if I knew it had no neck/headstock issues.
But I could not bring myself to buy vintage acoustic or semi holla'/hollabodies as I would forever be nail biting as to when the first split in the top appears and then, poof, there goes my investment. But that is just my temperament about these things.

 

[HeyMikey]

For me it’s simple. Oxnard is not making any models that suit my needs, so I buy used.

 

[Rambozo96]

In general not everything vintage is superior. My Epiphone ES-335 I paid $350 for and it plays a bit better than my Airline H78 (Harmony made) electric hollow body even though it gets tones the Epiphone doesn’t but it also doesn’t sound like a ES-335 like that Epiphone. Far as Guild goes my experience is limited to Westerly, a New Hartford jumbo that’s faded in my memory to the point that I don’t recall if it was a 6 or 12 string. To me a Westerly even though they gone up a bit for playable examples I still think they’re a bargain. Heck my 74’ D-35 set me back $700 and it’s miles better than a Gibson of the same era yet the Gibson commands more $$$ despite the fact that those 70’s Gibson acoustics were apparently so abysmal they helped start the vintage hype for vintage guitars. Also case in point that vintage doesn’t equal good. Case by case basis. The only guitars I bought new was an Ibanez GiO that was a pile of junk, a Charvel star, a Harley Benton Bass VI and a Squier CV tele just this month. For me buying used makes sense more often than not. Let someone else eat the depreciation.

 

[Rambozo96]

Guess it depends on which features you want and if MUSA matters to you or not.
Also, if you would trust the structural integrity of a given vintage piece.
Having really owned only new instruments I am not one to comment on this.

Personally, I'd be ok buying a solid body electric vintage if I knew it had no neck/headstock issues.
But I could not bring myself to buy vintage acoustic or semi holla'/hollabodies as I would forever be nail biting as to when the first split in the top appears and then, poof, there goes my investment. But that is just my temperament about these things.

Another stickler is some sellers cannot ship a vintage guitar properly so it ends up getting wrecked in transit and it’s a 50/50 shot if they’ll comply with compensation/refund or fight you on the matter until PayPal/Reverb steps in and forces them to do so. I seen a lot of vintage stuff get wrecked that way with some being too far gone to be worth salvaging unless you wanted to learn repair work.

 

[adorshki]

I like a warranty, but Oxnard ain't building my "pipe dream" guitar.

Actually it doesn't even exist as "vintage" either, as far as I've ever seen, so I just focus on what I got.

I bought 'em intending to own 'em for life and bond with 'em, anyway. Another reason I like new.

 

[davismanLV]

I'm not really sure what your point is. Did you state a question? Or are you just ranting? Are you cheap? Or are you on a budget? And now that I've lashed out like that..... what WOULD you spend money on? I think this is just a question of economics and your point is????

I can't afford a new guitar right now because of life and stuff. But if I had a bunch, I'd try an Oxnard guitar. Or some other guitars. What you do is make a generic statement. What are you wanting to know??? Tell me.... what do you want??

 

[adorshki]

I'm not really sure what your point is. Did you state a question? Or are you just ranting? Are you cheap? Or are you on a budget? And now that I've lashed out like that..... what WOULD you spend money on? I think this is just a question of economics and your point is????

I can't afford a new guitar right now because of life and stuff. But if I had a bunch, I'd try an Oxnard guitar. Or some other guitars. What you do is make a generic statement. What are you wanting to know??? Tell me.... what do you want??

Stan I think we need to go out for ice cream.



BTW have you checked your meds recently?

 

[bobouz]

I’ve bought new, used, and vintage instruments. It all depends on the specifics of the piece in question, but in general, I lean towards minty stuff or something I know I can repair myself. Happiness comes in many forms!

 

[fronobulax]

I should probably sticky this so the next time I say that LTG does not really represent the market that CMG is targeting, I don't have to repeat myself or provide anecdotes to support my opinion.

 

[dreadnut]

I'm German...sorry...

I'm not really sure what your point is. Did you state a question? Or are you just ranting? Are you cheap? Or are you on a budget? And now that I've lashed out like that..... what WOULD you spend money on? I think this is just a question of economics and your point is????

I can't afford a new guitar right now because of life and stuff. But if I had a bunch, I'd try an Oxnard guitar. Or some other guitars. What you do is make a generic statement. What are you wanting to know??? Tell me.... what do you want??

I believe this was my point: "My observation is that while the new Guilds have caught up somewhat with Martin and Taylor pricing, the vintage (used) Guilds are still available at much more reasonable prices than the other brands." i.e., Used and vintage Guilds are a better value for the money.

 

[GAD]

I should probably sticky this so the next time I say that LTG does not really represent the market that CMG is targeting, I don't have to repeat myself or provide anecdotes to support my opinion.

At the very least keep the link handy so you can smack us with it when the need arises.

 

[HeyMikey]

Used prices definitely play into the decision. When I bought a new Martin a few years ago or a new Gibson many years ago I had looked at used also. However, the price of used guitars for those two companies was so close to the price of new that it made more sense to buy new. This is where the relatively low price of used Guilds, while great for the consumer, is not good for the company.

It’s almost a chicken and egg thing. Perhaps if Guild hadn’t moved, changed hands, meddled with iconic model names all too frequently the used prices might be more in line with the other big players. Then the company might find it easier to maintain a robust US made line up and thrive in markets they currently shy away from, and then not have so much constant churn.

 

[spoox]

Hmm...I own an antique shop, grew up with antique shops, drive only Studebakers, had a 1940s house moved on my property rather than have a new one built...I can't recall ever buying a new instrument except for some custom made ukes and resonators. Once I perfect my time machine and amass enough pre 1936 cash to take back to the past I'll happily purchase all the new Dobro and National instruments I can afford and fit into the Tardis...

 

[GAD]

Hmm...I own an antique shop, grew up with antique shops, drive only Studebakers, had a 1940s house moved on my property rather than have a new one built...I can't recall ever buying a new instrument except for some custom made ukes and resonators. Once I perfect my time machine and amass enough pre 1936 cash to take back to the past I'll happily purchase all the new Dobro and National instruments I can afford and fit into the Tardis...

At which point those Dobros and Nationals will cease to exist in the past, thus not be recognized as amazing so the companies will go out of business, and you’ll be stuck trying to sell unknown fakes in modern times.

Time travel is a bitch.

 

[matsickma]

I have to regret to selling a handful of guitars over the years but for the most part there are not many vintage Guilds on my "bucket list". In reality I have more now then I will have five years from now.

On the other hand the new Guild's being issued have rejuvenated my interest as I probaby bought a dozen over the last few years. Many were acquired at good prices and were like new.

However their are a number of the lower priced new Guilds, Korean and Indonesian, that I acquired with the fundamental plan of modifying/ customizing them to my unique tastes. I love doing that but wouldn't think of doing it to an origional vintage Guild unless it is one I am taking to the grave with me!

So the new "fangled" Guild's have gotten me quite excited with GAS again at the price point (and 0% big box financing and free shipping) that I don't have to hesitate in making the purchase.

It's a good time for Guild guitar enthusiasts!

M

 

[Opsimath]

Hmm...I own an antique shop, grew up with antique shops, drive only Studebakers, had a 1940s house moved on my property rather than have a new one built...I can't recall ever buying a new instrument except for some custom made ukes and resonators. Once I perfect my time machine and amass enough pre 1936 cash to take back to the past I'll happily purchase all the new Dobro and National instruments I can afford and fit into the Tardis...

Will your haul include a Roundup?