New USA Southern California Guild Acoustic Finish?

[F30]

Does anyone know what kind of finish is used on the USA Guild Acoustics coming out of Southern California?
Can't seem to find this information

 

[beecee]

NCL...for some reason I can't copy the Guild site but look under USA made

Guild USA | Guild Guitars

The Guild Newark St. Collection marks the return of classic Guild electric favorites from the 1950s and ’60s—once again putting the distinctive Guild styling and voice that helped shape popular music into the hands of today’s guitarists.

guildguitars.com

ok!

 

[adorshki]

Does anyone know what kind of finish is used on the USA Guild Acoustics coming out of Southern California?
Can't seem to find this information.

Y'gotta go to their website, pick "Guild USA", then check on a model-by-model basis, by scrolling down and clicking on the "Show full specs" box.

Basically the entry level M20/M40/D20 models and D40/F40 get satin finish, while the D40 and F40 Traditional versions get genuine gloss NCL, as do the F55 and D55.

Given that the M25 "California 'burst is show as having gloss NCL finish, I decided to check the M20/M40/D20 specs to see if the sunburst itself warrants a full gloss, or if it's just an enhancement of the M25 over the M20.
Lo and behold, the D20 and M20 sunburst versions show the same damn spec for finish as the "Naturals", even says "color Natural" under the sunburst specs.

So eff 'em, gettin' sick of these web page errors on their part.

In fact now I doubt the accuracy of those satin finishes even being NCL, because the very first M20's were described by Ren himself as having "Catalyzed varnish" finishes, whatever the hell that means. I even started a thread about it.

But the whole point was that it was supposed to be far less labor-intensive and time consuming than NCL of any type (gloss or satin), so I kinda doubt they changed finishes unless it was announced somewhere and I missed it, which is entirely possible.

As recently as February I checked the website and the D20 showed "Satin poly", post #22 in this thread, so what's up since then?

If anybody knows I bet it's Ralf, he watches their announcements.

 

[F30]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I'm real curious about the Satin Sunburst finish on the M20.

 

[F30]

It does say:
"Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer" on the site in the full specs for the M20 Sunburst

 

[marius]

I believe they are all NCL now. It was discussed here previously and after that thread I had and email exchange with CMG and was told they were all NCL beginning this year.

NCL for all Oxnard acoustics?

I just noticed today on the Guild website that the M-20 specs have been updated and now show satin NCL finish. I checked the M-40, D-20 and D-40 and they’re also showing NCL finish. As of last November the wayback machine shows these were all poly finish as I remembered. I don’t know when the...

letstalkguild.com

 

[adorshki]

I believe they are all NCL now. It was discussed here previously and after that thread I had and email exchange with CMG and was told they were all NCL beginning this year.

NCL for all Oxnard acoustics?

I just noticed today on the Guild website that the M-20 specs have been updated and now show satin NCL finish. I checked the M-40, D-20 and D-40 and they’re also showing NCL finish. As of last November the wayback machine shows these were all poly finish as I remembered. I don’t know when the...

letstalkguild.com

THANK YOU SIR~!

 

[tommym]

I now throw NCL in the same bucket as dovetail vs bolt-on necks, HHG vs "Elmer's" glue debates. All my old school Guild Westerly's had a dove tail neck joint, HHG construction, and a NCL finish; but many high end boutique guitars have none of these items incorporated into their builds.

Also, I am pretty sure that my New Hartford F-30 Standard and F-30R Standard do not have a NCL finish, but they are the best Guild F-30s that I have ever owned.

Tommy

 

[fronobulax]

I now throw NCL in the same bucket as dovetail vs bolt-on necks, HHG vs "Elmer's" glue debates. All my old school Guild Westerly's had a dove tail neck joint, HHG construction, and a NCL finish; but many high end boutique guitars have none of these items incorporated into their builds.

Also, I am pretty sure that my New Hartford F-30 Standard and F-30R Standard do not have a NCL finish, but they are the best Guild F-30s that I have ever owned.

Tommy

The spec for an F-30 Traditional from 2013 says Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer and Nitrocellulose Lacquer for the body and Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer for the neck. The Standard did have a satin neck but I would not be as quick as you are to dismiss Nitrocellulose Lacquer. The 2011 catalog doesn't seem to mention it.

A NH F-40 did have NCL.

My Oxnard F-512 (from the Traditional series) is finished in NCL and the finish was applied after the body and neck were assembled. Same for my New Hartford F-40 (also Traditional series).

And @chazmo 's recollection from tours matches mine.

I think so, Bud. But, Oxnard is not exclusively using NCL finishes for their guitars. I think most of the Traditional series guitars are NCL, but they are also using a varnish on some of the other models.

In any case, I believe all the Traditionals are still getting sprayed as completed bodies. But I'm not sure about the others. For reference, you might be interested that the "Standard" series out of New Hartford were sprayed with NCL, but neck and body were done separately, and neck was joined after the spray booth.

 

[F312]

The spec for an F-30 Traditional from 2013 says Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer and Nitrocellulose Lacquer for the body and Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer for the neck. The Standard did have a satin neck but I would not be as quick as you are to dismiss Nitrocellulose Lacquer. The 2011 catalog doesn't seem to mention it.

A NH F-40 did have NCL.



And @chazmo 's recollection from tours matches mine.

Thank you for the clarifications.

Ralph

 

[SFIV1967]

Also, I am pretty sure that my New Hartford F-30 Standard and F-30R Standard do not have a NCL finish, but they are the best Guild F-30s that I have ever owned.

New Hartford only used Nitrocellulose Lacquer as far as I know. Both satin and gloss.
Ralf

 

[adorshki]

New Hartford only used Nitrocellulose Lacquer as far as I know. Both satin and gloss.
Ralf

'At's how I remember it.

 

[Br1ck]

One of the many hurdles Guild had to jump is the strict air filtration standards here in California. Nitro is NASTY stuff. Takes a committmant to spray nitro.

 

[fronobulax]

One of the many hurdles Guild had to jump is the strict air filtration standards here in California. Nitro is NASTY stuff. Takes a committmant to spray nitro.

Much discussed while the factory was being built. My recollection is that the commitment to legally use NCL was there from the beginning. Much speculation that it was the environmental issues that delayed the opening but there was a credible report that local electrical infrastructure could not support the factory as built so there was "back and forth" to resolve that.

 

[adorshki]

Much discussed while the factory was being built. My recollection is that the commitment to legally use NCL was there from the beginning. Much speculation that it was the environmental issues that delayed the opening but there was a credible report that local electrical infrastructure could not support the factory as built so there was "back and forth" to resolve that.

I corroborate that. The electrical grid issue was reported to to Txbumper by his local GuiId rep, about a piece of machinery that had such a high amperage draw it could overtax the local grid on power up. I always wondered if it might be the arcback press, but now I realize one if not several of the woodworking could have been responsible.

But that same rep advised that the cert to spray NCL was already in hand for some time, it wasn't the reason for the extended delay.