Question regarding Guild GAD and Martin Sigma

[mcrofutt]

I'm sorry to say that the few CADs I've put my hands on were very disappointing instruments. Not even remotely in the class with a Guild. The argument is that they are meant to compete with other "offshore" manufacturers offerings. I found better and less expensive examples of that from many companies, Epiphone (Masterbuilt) and Blueridge to name a few.

 

[fronobulax]

I'm sorry to say that the few CADs I've put my hands on were very disappointing instruments

I don't suppose you could elaborate? Were there problems with fit and finish? Problems with tone or projection? Buzzing? Intonation? Problems that could not be solved by a good setup? If you don't compare a GAD to any other guitar are there still problems? (In other words, if your choice was a GAD or no guitar at all, why would you chose the latter?) What non-GADs are better and in the same price range? What features do those guitars have that could be added to GADs to improve them?

I'm not trying to be obnoxious. The people who don't like GADs tend to be very vague as to why and when they do bother to answer it is either because they are not Made In U.S.A. (which is potentially a political reason, not a musical one) or they are not up to the standards set by whatever Made In U.S.A. Guilds they have encountered, regardless of age or price. It would be helpful to have more specific criticisms.

Thanks.

 

[killdeer43]

The Epiphone Masterbilt line is worth looking into, and my EF500M was a great little road guitar. It traveled well and didn't take up very much room.
Oh yeah, it sounded great, too! :wink:

Joe

 

[Ridgemont]

I'm sorry to say that the few CADs I've put my hands on were very disappointing instruments

I don't suppose you could elaborate? Were there problems with fit and finish? Problems with tone or projection? Buzzing? Intonation? Problems that could not be solved by a good setup? If you don't compare a GAD to any other guitar are there still problems? (In other words, if your choice was a GAD or no guitar at all, why would you chose the latter?) What non-GADs are better and in the same price range? What features do those guitars have that could be added to GADs to improve them?

I'm not trying to be obnoxious. The people who don't like GADs tend to be very vague as to why and when they do bother to answer it is either because they are not Made In U.S.A. (which is potentially a political reason, not a musical one) or they are not up to the standards set by whatever Made In U.S.A. Guilds they have encountered, regardless of age or price. It would be helpful to have more specific criticisms.

Thanks.

Hey Frono,

I can give you my own experience with GADs as I have had one for a couple of years and is now on the auction block. First off, there is a little American Made bias on my part. I look at it and then I look at my American Guild, and a nostalgic feeling comes over me when I see the American version, whereas I am emotionless when I see the GAD. With that bias aside, or at least trying to keep it aside, I am choosing to dump my GAD because it does not have the tone I am searching for in a rosewood guitar. Let me explain, the GAD is full, balanced, loud, good note separation. It was pristinely built with no flaws. As I have played other more expensive rosewood guitars, I discovered that there was something lacking with my GAD....a finish. After a note or a chord is plucked, each guitar provides a finish to the note. In the case of a mahogany guitar, you could call it a mouth puckering twangy bite. It is a character trait. Other rosewood guitars (of course more expensive American made models) have a unique finish to them that my GAD does not possess. Hence my current search to upgrade. You could argue that each guitar does possess its own character and I would agree. I recently played some very expensive Santa Cruz rosewood guitars, and while nice, they did not possess the finish I was searching for. Neither does the GAD. This is my experience with my GAD, and I am sure there are plenty out there who would enjoy the finish of my guitar. I just need to find them so I can sell it to them.

 

[spiderman]

I was impressed with my GAD JF-30E, nice build good sound, not the same as the JF55 I used to own, but one is maple and the other rosewood. In the past few months I have found that maple is too bright for me, but there is nothing wrong with the guitar itself. Certainly for the money it does the job more than well, comparable to other high quality PacRim guitars such as Eastman. Be nice to compare it to a good Gibson SJ-200, but have never seen one of those in the flesh.

Harmony H-173 bought in 1960 (retired), Alvarez AC60S 2008, Eastman AC320ce 2008 "Hybrid", Guild GAD-JF30E(blonde) 2008, Guild D25M 1974, Martin Grand J35E 2009, Martin D12-20 1970, Martin OM-21 2009, Voyage-air VAOM-06
"I'm glad there are a lot of guitar players pursuing technique as diligently as they possibly can, because it leaves this whole other area open to people like me."
Richard Thompson

 

[mcrofutt]

A little elaboration on "disappointed"
The ones I played had overly thick tops, heavy bracing, an thick finish, leading to a very anemic sound. The neck/fingerboard profile was thin and just felt like I was playing a cheap instrument. I own instruments made in all different regions of this planet, and do not care where they were made if my bell is rung.