Progress of moving prod. to CT, anyone?

[sitka_spruce]

Just curious on how things are going now that the CD-1 seems to have gone into production.

Cheers!

 

[sfIII]

I thought that I would run into Donnie Wade at Merlefest.. However, Fender did not have a booth... He was there, but backstage doing set ups for the performing artists... Great marketing.... If he can get a few more players to use a Guild it translates into more sales. I did talk to Rick Turner and the VP from Duncan... They know most of the people involved with Guild, Fender and Tacoma.. My impression was that they were as flabergasted and wondering WTF is up. I feel for the Tacoma guys.

Oh I had Rick Turner install DTAR pickups into my GF-25, GF-30 and Tacoma D-40. He has a real good price at Merlefest.. Installation is free. and the cost of the pickup is $50 below list.

 

[sitka_spruce]

I thought that I would run into Donnie Wade at Merlefest.. However, Fender did not have a booth... He was there, but backstage doing set ups for the performing artists... Great marketing.... If he can get a few more players to use a Guild it translates into more sales. I did talk to Rick Turner and the VP from Duncan... They know most of the people involved with Guild, Fender and Tacoma.. My impression was that they were as flabergasted and wondering WTF is up. I feel for the Tacoma guys.

Oh I had Rick Turner install DTAR pickups into my GF-25, GF-30 and Tacoma D-40. He has a real good price at Merlefest.. Installation is free. and the cost of the pickup is $50 below list.

I would definately sing 3rd harmony with Rick Turner and that Duncan-guy. Did really Tacoma guitars sell that badly? Empathy for the Tacoma employees...

 

[Scratch]

Wasn't aware the CD-1 was in production already, Sitka. I think we all have our collective fingers crossed for good things to come out of CT.

 

[sitka_spruce]

I could have been saying too much, as it seems.

Wasn't aware the CD-1 was in production already, Sitka. I think we all have our collective fingers crossed for good things to come out of CT.

I better add a note of no responsibilty for the statement of the CD1 as a 100% certainty, but it is now incorporated amongst the other Contemporary Series guitars at the Guild homepage. I guess by that I could be saying it was all wishfull thinking on my part. In any case I'm sure they would be back ordered a long way so there will be a while before it's in stores/ shops. As a matter of fact the more I learn about Guild of today the more confused I become.

Nothing against CT as such but the way I see things you could might as well have moved production back to Corona. I guess I'm saying: will Ovation embrace the heritage of Guild and what else they could be moving there the same way Tacoma did? I'm sure their (Tacoma) first reaction would have been of a competitive nature or that of being threatened by Guild - a brand of some heritage - but in the longer run the survival instincts would have taken over. In hindsight, Guild living on and not Tacoma (hm... except for ther Wing Series it would seem. Will these also be built in CT?) did Guild prove to be the death-blow to the Tacoma plant and brand? Fender being the one pulling the strings off course.

I'm sorry if this thread did become something of a guessing game. Anyone who can fill me and others interested in I'm thankful for some grain of truth that has some logic to it. Anyone know of any reliable source on this subject or one related to it, please chime in!

 

[ajgorman]

Jonas,

I view the Guild website often, and watch for other signs that the CD-1 will come into production and finally be distributed. Sadly, it is still not released. The last communication I had with my dealer when I cancelled my order a while back was that it had been pushed back until at least June.

It has been on the "Instruments" page since I first spotted it there in early October last year. It was never on the price list, and still isn't. I noted that on the individual CD-1 model description page they have now removed the "Introduced 10/07" from the description...no kidding. :shock:

Like you, I had wishful thinking for months before I finally threw in the towel. It's too bad, because I think they missed out on a great marketing opportunity by not releasing it then. But with FMIC... :roll:

 

[Scratch]

In a previous thread someone implied that Fender might move their newly acquired Ovation brand overseas (Asia probably) leaving Guild to occupy the Ovation plant. Hmmmmm. Wonder if those archback machines can work with wood vs. plastic?

Just dreaming... :roll:

 

[chazmo]

Just curious, and I have no information to add about the move... Is there any reason to believe that the production of the CD-1 has any tie to the Connecticut facility?

Tacoma brand guitars did sell rather poorly. Fender made no effort to sell them, so there you go. If you've ever played one of their dreads, you'll share the lament with some of us. That said, I thought the Tacoma-built Guilds were selling well. It surely makes you wonder why Fender decided to make this move to Connecticut (assuming they're going through with it).

 

[sitka_spruce]

Jonas,

I view the Guild website often, and watch for other signs that the CD-1 will come into production and finally be distributed. Sadly, it is still not released. The last communication I had with my dealer when I cancelled my order a while back was that it had been pushed back until at least June.

It has been on the "Instruments" page since I first spotted it there in early October last year. It was never on the price list, and still isn't. I noted that on the individual CD-1 model description page they have now removed the "Introduced 10/07" from the description...no kidding. :shock:

Like you, I had wishful thinking for months before I finally threw in the towel. It's too bad, because I think they missed out on a great marketing opportunity by not releasing it then. But with FMIC... :roll:

You're right, it's still not listed on the New Instruments page. However it is now sorted in under the same tab as the other Contemporaries. June, eh? Then I'm Carlene... They just never should have uploaded its pics and specs on their homepage for starters. Like you said, that just raises expectation on potential buyers - and who knows when that potency will run out. Sooner than they might have guessed, probably.

I'm with you on that last bit. Somebody in a vid on Youtube (posted by Fender, no less...) said he was a Guild-man and Guild being in Fender ownership was a dream come true. I'm sure he was keen on getting on video and such things can make us say and do the strangest of things.

 

[sitka_spruce]

Just curious, and I have no information to add about the move... Is there any reason to believe that the production of the CD-1 has any tie to the Connecticut facility?

Tacoma brand guitars did sell rather poorly. Fender made no effort to sell them, so there you go. If you've ever played one of their dreads, you'll share the lament with some of us. That said, I thought the Tacoma-built Guilds were selling well. It surely makes you wonder why Fender decided to make this move to Connecticut (assuming they're going through with it).

Reason why the CD-1 is on topic here has to do with the where-and-when it will be produced. Unfortunately the release of this instrument is to occur sometime whilst the Tacoma plant is shutting down and the Guild production is settling in in CT.

AJ cancelled his order for one being sick of waiting and uncertain about the knowledge and love that would be put into the instrument by either low morale Tacoma builders or new-in-the-game CT builders. It's rather likely the move can have to do with the postponement of this release too - why start production of a new model in WA when the production is moving to CT anyway. That's the connection.

I played a Tacoma guitar once, but don't quite remember what it sounded like, except I made tonal associations to a Martin but not so heavy on the low frequencies. Sounded rather stiff and leaned slightly towards a Taylor in brightnes. I do remember a Swedish guitarist I've seen in band situations, studio sessions and other situations (often broadcasted on TV) once played first guitar with '80s singer-songwriter Susanne Alfvengren a few years back and the guitar of his choice was a DM-9 that was really alive.

I do wish Fender would have given Tacoma more PR and helped improve on quality if that was lacking, though. Who knows, Fender's next endevour could be Taylor or Larrivee, so hold on to your nickers. Then, of course, I can see Guild being built alongside these brands than in a plant for stringed fruit-bowls.

 

[West R Lee]

I've heard something recently that explains a lot about what is going on with Fender, or explains why there is no explanation. I was recently told that Fender is owned by the Japanese.........some of you may have known that already, I didn't. I think that might explain why there is little regard for tradition....or people.

West

 

[Graham]

Where the heck have you been West?

Been missing you big time here.

 

[fungusyoung]

I've heard something recently that explains a lot about what is going on with Fender, or explains why there is no explanation. I was recently told that Fender is owned by the Japanese.........some of you may have known that already, I didn't. I think that might explain why there is little regard for tradition....or people.

West

I don't know much about anything, but this doesn't sound right. Fender Japan (the company that builds Fender electrics for the Japanese & Asian markets), from what I've heard, is actually an outsourced facade and not even part of FMIC. Whether another Japanese holding company owns FMIC... no clue.

No matter who owns them, FMIC is not such a great company in spite of the fact that they have some incredible products.

Hope to hear more positive news about the new CT-based Guild, but I still can't help being very skeptical.

 

[West R Lee]

Where the heck have you been West?

Been missing you big time here.

WORKING Grammy. 12-14 hours a night, 6 nights a week) for the last couple of weeks. They decided to tear up the largest compressor at the place, and for some reason feel like I'm the only guy that can run the repairs at night. This one is about a $4 million job. Built in Italy :shock: , huge parts have to be shipped in and changed out......and they wanted this thing running last week. Since all the supervisors are out there during the day, I got to work nights, and we've still got at least another week. Things like this happen from time to time, but this is a biggy.

I've missed you guys too Graham....a bunch, along with the dogs, cat, kids and Mrs. West.

West

 

[ajgorman]

FMIC is still a privately held corporation, with controlling interest primarily consisting of FMIC officers and managers. FMIC does have contracts for second-line production in Japan, Korea, and China.

The move to New Hartford was supposed to be done in stages throughout this year, but we're almost at mid-year and nothing is being manufactured there yet. Tacoma is still taking orders. Unbelievable, but typical of FMIC.

To give you an idea how disjointed they are, I had sent an E-Mail to FMIC customer service prior to cancelling my CD-1 order to see if they could give me some updated news. I got a reply back that the guitar had been released in October 07 and was already distributed to the dealer network! I responded back to please tell me which dealer had one so I could buy one, but never received a reply...

 

[chazmo]

West, I think you've got incorrect info there, man. AFAIK, Fender Musical Instruments Corp. is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, and its chairman/CEO is Bill Mendello.

Maybe it's time for a letter-writing campaign. Probably too late to save Tacoma, but maybe we can help save Guild?! Any thoughts? Waste of time?

 

[Graham]

I've missed you guys too Graham....a bunch, along with the dogs, cat, kids and Mrs. West.

West

They're all fine. :wink:

 

[sitka_spruce]

West, I think you've got incorrect info there, man. AFAIK, Fender Musical Instruments Corp. is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, and its chairman/CEO is Bill Mendello.

Maybe it's time for a letter-writing campaign. Probably too late to save Tacoma, but maybe we can help save Guild?! Any thoughts? Waste of time?

Guild obviously have to depend on us, their end-users so to speak (that didn't sound like rock-n-roll exactly :? ), that we are satisfied with what they put out or they might as well throw the towel in this instant. I can see no problem with a writing campaign from my point-of-view.

What would be interesting to know is the progress and Fender's view on this move. You don't e.g. move the manufacture of a certain cheese to a new location or it won't be the same cheese. Guitars don't mature in quite the same way, but certain factors are shared by cheese and guitars and the manufacture of these.

 

[chazmo]

Frommage de Guild.

I've been thinking about it, and I'm disturbed because I'm afraid that it's premature to bitch to management about them moving the factory, and yet it'll be way too late to influence them later with letters if it turns out to be a screw up and they can't build Guilds in CT. In any case, I'm thinking that writing letters right now is probably pointless and really there's just not enough to say except "didn't you learn your lesson already?" That will unquestionably fall on deaf ears.

 

[cjd-player]

Guitars don't mature in quite the same way, but certain factors are shared by cheese and guitars and the manufacture of these.

Connecticut cheese :?: :?: :?: :?:

This one has really "opened up". ... or should I say "aged" :lol: