You may recall from this post that I fell in love with Guild acoustic guitars when I first started playing, but the 6-string models that I played and owned didn’t have the sound that was in my head. I kept my ’69 D-40 the longest of the bunch, but it just sat in its case until I sold it. While I found my sound in other brands, the thought of not finding a Guild 6-string acoustic that suits me has always been in the back of my mind. I think the last time I played a Guild acoustic was in the early 2000s when they were still being made in Westerly and Corona. I had pretty much given up hope of finding one I liked.
Reading generally positive reviews of the guitars made in Tacoma, New Hartford and Oxnard rekindled my quest. I was hoping to find a traditional model, but knew that the dreadnoughts and jumbos were out because I’ve tried those many times before. However, there was one Guild style I never played – the small jumbo F models. Strange but true, I know! So the quest began. I started out looking at vintage F-30 and F-40 models and worked my way up to more modern offerings. I was afraid that the F-30, with its slightly smaller body, might not sound “big” enough so I focused my search on the F-40. Besides, I could always revisit the F-30 in future.
I found a 2012 New Hartford F-40 Valencia and I thought it was visually appealing because it had the classic body shape of from the 1950s and 1960s and the simple G headstock inlay found on the 1950s F-40. But visual cues aside, this isn’t an F-40. Guild’s silly nomenclature strikes again! It doesn’t have a maple body with arched back like the F-40. With its mahogany body, this model more closely resembles a 1960s F-47, but with less fancy appointments. Okay, so it’s not an F-40 or an F-47, but visually it still pushes the right buttons. Even better, Guild upgraded the guitar with a red spruce top. The majority of my 6-string flattops have red spruce tops and I’ve come to appreciate (and even expect) the immediacy of the pick attack, crisp fundamental, power and headroom that usually comes with it.
So I took the plunge (no Nyquil or alcohol involved) figuring I had to start somewhere. After the guitar arrived, the first thing I noticed was the compression grain in the red spruce top. Compression grain is formed in tree’s trunk under large limbs. Some people don’t like the looks, but fine sounding guitars can be made with it. I think it’s cool and this top has a lot of silking so it's likely been perfectly quarter sawn.
The construction, fit and finish of this guitar are really top notch and I’m super impressed. The Antique Burst top is nicely done and the tortoise binding goes well with it. They really knew what they were doing in New Hartford! The only nits to pick are 1) it’s not an F-40, it’s a less fancy F-47, 2) the finish seems a little thick compared to my Martins, and 3) I would have preferred a 1 3/4 inch (44.5 mm) nut width instead of the 1 11/16 inch (43 mm) nut. That last 1/16 inch really makes a difference. The 3-piece mahogany neck shape has a full C profile, that I would call medium, i.e. - not a baseball bat. It’s very comfortable and has that Guild feel. The body dimensions match those of the 1960s F-47 (if catalog info is to be believed). Its “small” size is deceptive because of the narrow waist and upper bout as well as light weight -- 4 lb (1.8 kg). Make no mistake, this is a full size guitar, but is comfortable to play while sitting or standing. Sidebar – this version of the F-40 was made in Tacoma and New Hartford. They either didn’t make many of them or the people who have F-40s love them and hold on to them. They are hard to find! The current version of the F-40 from Oxnard is a completely different guitar (full size jumbo) that is more closely related to the old F-48 (thanks Guild for screwing up the nomenclature… again).
And now we come to the guitar’s tone. It’s modern, yet familiar and falls between a 12-fret dread and 14-fret dread. Sort of like a bigger sounding 000-18. It’s better balanced from top to bottom than my Martins, but still packs a punch which is a plus for me. I always worry how the notes on the first five frets of the low E string will sound on a jumbo guitar of any brand. In my experience, they can sound loose (some people call it tubby or flubby) on full-size jumbos. I had a JF-30 that was tubby and I didn’t keep it long. My F-412 has it to a degree, but it’s a 12-string so there is a lot going on harmonically and it’s easy to overlook on that guitar. I’m happy to report that the lowest notes on this F-40 are tight and hit like a velvet hammer. The overall sound is open, rich and the notes ring clear. The fundamental blooms quickly into overtones after the initial pick attack and note separation is maintained. There is no muddiness with this guitar. Headroom is excellent (red spruce!) and it approaches the volume of my dreads, but can’t quite match them. It’s great for flatpicking and can do anything a dreadnought can. The tonal balance makes it well-suited for finger style playing, but the lack of a wider nut can make fingerstyle a little more challenging. When played softly, the tone is sweet and remains full. Sometimes red spruce tops need to be driven a little harder for the guitar to get into its optimum tone zone, but that’s not the case with this F-40.
I’ve had the guitar for about a month now, but is it a keeper? I still need to play around with different strings to dial in the tone. It already sounds quite good with D’Addario PB 12s and I’m optimistic that this guitar will be “the one”. In the meantime, I can heartily recommend the 2006 - 2014 F-40 Valencia as an excellent alternative to a dreadnought. If you like D-size guitars, this one is worth checking out. I’m really enjoying it for that reason alone, but I’m also digging the classic lines of the 1960s F-body, wide headstock and G inlay. I think my quest has ended.
NGD - F-40
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Westerly Wood
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Damn that is shallow. My F30R is 4 inches. I figure an F40 wound be 5 inches. Interesting.
I think it's different every year. I have a guy selling a 2009 and told me it's 4.8" depth wise, which I think may be a little big for me, so I'm not sure what to do.
I know the GF-25 and GF-30 from the late 80's is 16'' lower bout and 4.5" depth, which sounds perfect for me. I need a fairly big strummer for rhythm work, but in a more comfortable body, because I'm only like 5'7. So this search has been tough.
I think the Valencia varies a bit in size by year. The newest ones are like the size of an OM and the biggest ones are the size of an F-47
Westerly Wood
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What about an F50?
Im not entirely sure. I'm only well-researched on Guild's Grand Orchestra models, as Jumbos and Dred's are too bulky and uncomfortable for me, but if you wanna check out this link below, it has Guild's catelig for almost every year.
Guild Guitar Catalogs | GAD's Ramblings
Welcome to GAD’s Guilds guitar catalog collection. I’ve spent many years (and dollars) collecting these catalogs for my research of various Guild guitars for my GAD’s Guild articles. I have physical copies of every catalog shown which were all painstakingly scanned or photographed, then...
www.gad.net
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
I'm sure the author of that link will have something to say, soon. He runs the forum these days.
adorshki
Reverential Member
No, Valencias (including the Nashville Custom Shop version and the Tacoma F40 Valencia) were all based on the original F40 16" lower bout outline, it was the original "Valencia". But the outline evolved to become a bit rounder over the years and body depth was originally 4.5' but has been deeper at times. Never OM small, but the latest one from Oxnard is my favorite pet peeve with 'em because it's actually a 17" lower bout, what was originally the F48..grrrrrrrr.....
Yes those models you mentioned earlier are all in what I call "the F40 family" (ALL of the "GF"'s are), as well as my own F65ce. Which is now my favorite for playing comfort (I'm 5'8) and actually no slouch in the volume department especially considering its shallow depth (3").
Guild built an F40 family model in every single factory they ever occupied (up to Oxnard), and off the top of my head I think only the F50 shares that distinction.
I wouldn't be too concerned about body depth variation of 1/4", Guild knew how to tune the tops for a given body depth with the possible exception of Corona which were kinda over-braced but even their F47 was based on Westerly specs and even used some leftover Westerly parts.
For a complete listing of F40 family members, see this thread, and god bless F40's and all their progeny, every one
:
F40 Lovers Unite!!
Recently Cordoba announced the revival of the F40. Some of you may recall I strenuously object to the use of the F40 model number on what is actually based on the F48 Navarre by Cordoba's own description. F48's were actually slightly de-blinged F50's with 'hog backs, they still had the 17" lower...
letstalkguild.com
oh, thought there was a list in there, but, WTH:
F40 (all factories except Oxnard and Corona)
F47 (all factories from Hoboken through New Hartford)
F45ce (maple body a/e)
GF series
F44
F47ce/F47Mce/Rce (Westerly through New Hartford)
F5ce
F15ce ('hog)
F65ce (maple a/e)
Tacoma F40 (adi top) and CV-1/CV-2
And others I've forgotten off the top of my head, but those are the most likely to pop up on "for sale" searches, I think...go with god my son and find a nice girl from the F40 family to love and cherish until death do you part.
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No, Valencias were all based on the original F40 16" lower bout outline, it was the original "Valencia". But the outline evolved to become a bit rounder over the years and body depth was originally 4.5' but has been a slight bit deeper at times. Never OM small, but the latest one from Oxnard is my favorite pet peeve with 'em because it's actually a 17" lower bout, what was originally the F48..grrrrrrrr.....
Yes any of those models you mentioned earlier are all in what I call "the F40 family" (ALL of the "GF"'s are), as well as my own F65ce. Which is now my favorite for playing comfort (I'm 5'8) and actually no slouch in the volume department especially considering its shallow depth (3").
Guild built an F40 family model in every single factory they ever occupied (up to Oxnard), and off the top of my head I think only the F50 shares that distinction.
I wouldn't be too concerned about body depth variation of 1/4", Guild knew how to tune the tops for a given body depth with the possible exception of Corona which were kinda over-braced but even their F47 was based on Westerly specs and even used some leftover Westerly parts.
For a complete listing of F40 family members, see this thread, and god bless F40's and all their progeny, every one
F40 Lovers Unite!!
Recently Cordoba announced the revival of the F40. Some of you may recall I strenuously object to the use of the F40 model number on what is actually based on the F48 Navarre by Cordoba's own description. F48's were actually slightly de-blinged F50's with 'hog backs, they still had the 17" lower...
oh, thought there was a list in there, but, WTH:
F40 (all factories except Oxnard and technically, Corona)
F47 (all factories from Hoboken through New Hartford)
F45ce (maple body a/e)
GF series
F44
F47ce/F47Mce/Rce (Westerly through New Hartford)
F5ce
F15ce ('hog)
F65ce (maple a/e)
Tacoma F40 (adi top) and CV-1/CV-2
And others I've forgotten off the top of my head, but those are the most likely to pop up on "for sale" searches, I think...go with god my son and find a nice girl from the F40 family to love and cherish until death do you part.
The very last F-40 Valencia (2014) had a 15.25" lower bout, which is basically an OM. Actually, it's smaller then my OM-240e, which has a 15.5" lower bout, but it has slightly more depth then my OM, so I'm sure it basically evens out.
I had an.opportumity to buy one of these for right around 1k, but I need a 16" lower bout
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adorshki
Reverential Member
You caught me out! Forgot about that!! Good on you for doing such diligent research, and apologies if I came off overbearing. I'm kinda biased when it comes to F40s.
No quibbles there!!
(EDIT): Hey, wait a minute, y'know what, the Guild catalog says it has a 16" lower bout, think that listnig was incorrect, which is not at all uncommon:
Direct link here if that's hard to read:
Guild Guitar Catalog & Price List - 2014 February | GAD's Ramblings
PDF Version: Here More about: [ Guild Guitars ][ Dogs ][ Cozy Tales ][ Ferret-Dog ] Donate: PayPal Crypto: BTC | ETH | Doge BTC: bc1qgke2eeuwjafudateev08ekytn3g3mpl2w5a542ETH: 0x0AC57f8e0A49dc06Ed4f7926d169342ec4FCd461Doge: DFWpLqMr6QF67t4wRzvTtNd8UDwjGTQBGs
www.gad.net
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You caught me out! Forgot about that!! Good on you for doing such diligent research, and apologies if I came off overbearing. I'm kinda biased when it comes to F40s.
No quibbles there!!
Trust me, I was so aggrevated when I realized this. I was so excited, I thought I had finally found a fit, and then.i saw the dimensions lol.
Afterwards I found a GAD F-40 for $600 and I was super pumped. The dude told me to give him a couple days to look into shipping, and then he took the post down, and disappeared.
So now I'm looking at a1986 GF25 and I'm hoping that works out. 16" lower and 4.5" depth, and a slim neck. I'll just have to install my own EQ because it's missing that.
adorshki
Reverential Member
See my edit above, they are 16"
Did you catch that those are 12-fretters?
I myself would probably love a GF25, except these days my pipe dream is a 24-3/4 scale/ full 24 fret 2-octave neck (offered beginning with the F45ce through the early F65ce series), but with a 1-11/16 nut, which I've never seen.
Good luck on that GF25, it's got Gruhn design DNA and was part of the start of Westerly going back to lighter build styles, more resonance.
Pretty darn sure you'll be real happy.
See my edit above, they are 16"
Did you catch that those are 12-fretters?
I myself would probably love a GF25, except these days my pipe dream is a 24-3/4 scale/ full 24 fret 2-octave neck (offered beginning with the F45ce through the early F65ce series), but with a 1-11/16 nut, which I've never seen.
Good luck on that GF25, it's got Gruhn design DNA and was part of the start of Westerly going back to lighter build styles, more resonance.
Pretty darn sure you'll be real happy.
Yea, the dude measured it and told me it was 15.25", so unless hes lying and just going off of what the website says, I'm not sure. I would buy it, if I knew for sure it was 16". It's like 3 hours away, so maybe I'll take a ride down there one day.
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adorshki
Reverential Member
In this case I trust the catalog, don't recall any mention of errors in the New Hartford catalogs, (especially about F40's) although they weren't uncommon in Westerly.
Possibly a New Hartford owner here can help confirm or deny?
Note also the NH Doyle Dykes models were based on the identically spec'd F47 and those were definitely "full sized".
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
No, a normal GAD-F40 has a normal 14 fret neck! You are thinking about the Padauk version which was the GAD-F40P and had a 12 fret neck!Did you catch that those are 12-fretters?
Ralf
Yes, that is correct!
In this case I trust the catalog, don't recall any mention of errors in the New Hartford catalogs, (especially about F40's) although they weren't uncommon in Westerly.
Possibly a New Hartford owner here can help confirm or deny?
Note also the NH Doyle Dykes models were based on the identically spec'd F47 and those were definitely "full sized".
This is a picture of inside the guitar. He said it thinks it's a 2014, but obviously that's not the case because it says it was made in Tacoma. I can't match the serial #?
So does anybody familiar with the Tacoma F-40 models remember a time when they weren't 16" on the lower bout?
He is telling me that it's 15.25"
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plaidseason
Senior Member
The funny thing about the "original" F40 specs is that the closest thing to it in recent years is the GAD F40, which had maple sides and an arched maple back. It's really the only GAD I've ever really wanted. Before that the GF30 was the most similar thing.
I'll say until I die. The 16" mini-jumbo is the best all around guitar you can buy. It covers a lot of ground.
I'll say until I die. The 16" mini-jumbo is the best all around guitar you can buy. It covers a lot of ground.
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
I wholeheartedly agree! I thought the J and D types were the ones to have and didn't really give them much thought until my F-40 came along. It's a versatile guitar for sure.