Pulled the Plug on the CD-1

[ajgorman]

In addition to being frustrated with waiting for the past four months and now with earliest delivery of the CD-1 delayed at least until April, I cancelled my order and a refund is on the way from my dealer. I mulled it over for several days before I made this decision. I became increasingly concerned about receiving a new model guitar that was either going to be produced in the final death throes at Tacoma or in the start-up production phase at the New Hartford factory, neither of which appealed to me. Tacoma earned its reputation for quality in the best Guild tradition, and New Hartford will have to earn its place as well.

I have to confess I broke rank and have purchased a premium quality dread-size 2008 James Goodall Standard Model acoustic, rosewood/sitka/ebony beauty. Very pricey but I hope worth it.

 

[capnjuan]

Hi AJ; ya gotta do whatya gotta do ... too bad though but it wasn't like you didn't give them a chance. Nevertheless that will be 20 Jack Palance pushups ... but ... we're on the honor system here. Got catalog cuts of the new guitar? cj

 

[FNG]

From what I hear, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a Goodall.

 

[Graham]

I have to confess I broke rank and have purchased a premium quality dread-size 2008 James Goodall Standard Model acoustic, rosewood/sitka/ebony beauty. Very pricy but I hope worth it. [/color]

I'd love to hear your opinion on the Goodall and some pics when you get around to it.

 

[ajgorman]

Graham,

I'll be glad to. I'll have it on Monday.

 

[fungusyoung]

You did the right thing, IMO. I wouldn't have taken the risk at this point either. Guilds shouldn't be a risk. But hey, it's hard to be sad given your consolation prize. Like others, can't wait to hear about it!

 

[guildzilla]

Best possible decision under the circumstances, AJ. Smart choice.

Chances are that the remaining Tacoma Guilds will be sold at good value prices sometime in the not too distant future. I think you'll get another chance at one of these. But I also know you were really up for this purchase. So I empathize with your diappointment, and it upsets me that you had to experience such a letdown.

 

[ajgorman]

Thanks, guys. It's one of those weird feelings being disappointed and happy at the same time. I think I'll really like the Goodall. I have seen so many glowing reviews of them everywhere, so I said what the heck. For an old geezer I thought why not a hand-made guitar for once in my life. I'll keep you posted.

 

[dpicker]

I know you paid more but you are getting allot better guitar and i will bet your resale if even needed will be better. good luck

 

[DennisMiller]

Much as I'm excited to receive my first Guild tomorrow, I have to admit that every Goodall I ever played was spectacular. Yes, they are expensive, but if a guitar was ever a good investment, I think a Goodall would be it.

 

[sitka_spruce]

I know you paid more but you are getting allot better guitar and i will bet your resale if even needed will be better. good luck

I would settle for 'better built' as a fair description of a guitar of such a fancy make such as Goodall.

I just think it's such a shame on Guild's (a.k.a Fender's) behalf they haven't managed to put onto the market an instrument that's on their bloody homepage. I myself looking into the CD as well, as that instrument would probably hold the properties I would see in a RW dreadnought, this set-back would most likely make me choose another route as well on the next instrument to purchase. The CO-2 most likely.

Had I been Fender I would have kept the Tacoma plant and moved what ever other aquired brand into that facility, instead of moving Guild to CT and subsequently shutting the operations down in WA. Did the Tacoma brand really sell so bad?

 

[ajgorman]

I am very happy with my CV-1. It is truly a fine instrument and a great value. Guild was smart to introduce this line. Guilds have always been a tremendous value for what you get. I wanted a dread again, especially a Guild I could play, which doesn't exist for me any longer with the traditional models. I checked to see if I could get a custom D-55 with a 1 & 3/4 nut but they don't do custom orders any more, at least for a grunt like me.

There was no formal announcement of the CD-1. I stumbled across it one night the 1st week of October perusing the Guild website looking at the Contemporary Series. I couldn't believe it. It was like someone had read my mind. It was not on the price list but showed "introduced 10/07". I contacted my dealer and he was not even aware of it. He called Guild, got the price, and I ordered it two days later. Since then I kept wondering why Guild didn't show it on the "new models" page and it was still not on the price list, and why it was still not featured on the website with other new models. My dealer would periodically E-mail me with information he got from his Guild rep about delays due to hiring of a new quality control manager and then quality technicians. Probably true, just not the whole story and the complete reasons for the delay are now known with New Hartford. I just finally reached the limits of my patience. My dealer didn't even know about New Hartford. I guess FMIC/Guild didn't provide notice to anyone other than their press release. IMHO the whole way FMIC/Guild handled this model introduction was incredibly misguided. Most dealers don't even know the CD-1 exists. It's obvious the deal with Kaman was coming down at the same time and unfortunately the CD-1 got caught in the middle. FMIC does a very poor job of communicating and/or releasing information.

Never played a Goodall before and I am taking a risk buying it, but the dealer is one of the best in the business with a 48 hour "try me" policy. He doesn't get any returns...and everything I have heard about Goodall is spectacular. Whether or not it will be better, or sound better than my CV-1 will be an interesting comparison. I misread the shipping info and it will be this evening or maybe tomorrow morning before I receive it.

Hopefully in the future Guild will be back on track at New Hartford, and I may yet acquire a CD-1 when the time comes...

 

[dpicker]

Please let us know how you like. Thanks

 

[zplay]

Tried posting this earlier, but i guess forgot to click the "submit" button. - Hell getting old!

Anyway, congrats to you, AJ and i look forward to your report about the Goody. I like your style and only wish i had thought to apply a similar sort of rationale when i "pulled the plug" on my order for a GAD JF-30 after learning from the dealer that it was going to be an undetermined while longer before one would be shipped; that is, a rationale such as "Oh Crap, i guess i'll have to give up on the GAD! ... I wonder if a Goodall would make a suitable substitute? ... Yeeess ..... Yeeeess ....." :lol:

Seriously, if the dred is anything like their small bodies that I tried, you should be quite pleased. Really superb guitars. And i hear you about the 1 3/4" nut - not a necessity for me, but certainly preferred. That's one of the things I like about the Contemporaries.

Good luck with it!

 

[Metalman]

There are few guitars that compare to a Goodhall. Expensive, yes, but they are beautiful. Good choice.

 

[ajgorman]

I received the Goodall yesterday evening...It's a very nice guitar in all respects. Nice case. Great dealer. I'm very pleased with it.