Ren leaving Guild?

[adorshki]

Of course, this is a GUILD forum, but for the sake of broadening and deepening the knowledge of LTG forum members, I'd be very keen to learn more about what happened to CF Martin (re your comment). I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't know. Please expand on your point with as much thoughtful and factual detail as possible. Your insights, observations, and opinions greatly interest many of us!

Thanks, I know I'm also a bit of a blowhard, but that particular comment was probably correctly interpreted by "the older hands" as just one more of my deadpan sardonicisms aimed at the issues of "What happens when the old man dies or retires?" and "Can skills and special knowledge be transmitted?"
Obviously Martin was able to overcome those difficulties, that's all.
They can still tun out some pretty damn fine instruments from what I hear, but I don't actually have any personal experience, I just don't shop anymore.
And this might be a really good segue back to the earlier question of whether Ren leaving Guild is a "disaster" or not.
The way I learned it as a kid, one of the highest aspirations of a master craftsman in any discipline was to have trained a suitable successor to carry on his visions and maybe even raise the standards with their own ideas, "for the good of the craft".
It was the whole reason for creating craft guilds and the apprenticeship system in the first place.
I would expect no less of Mr. Ferguson and actually be surprised if he didn't care about leaving the company in a place where it could fulfill and even expand on his vision.

 

[merlin6666]

When I had the issue with CME and the 12-string Orpheum, the manager at CME actually gave me a Fall 2017 date for Oxnard Orpheums to be available ... ya right!

 

[Rayk]

Personal opinion as someone who's worked in the retail sales and wholesale distribution industries: I think this is as close to the truth as you're gonna get, judging from past performance history.
I applaud they don't try to switch you to another brand (sign of someone who only wants to sell something now and cares not a whit about your reasons for shopping a specific brand), and they appear to value both you and the brand enough to address your specific interest.
I suspect they are honestly transmitting Guild's current forecast to dealers.
My only caution would be that they didn't explain that these forecasts can be delayed for a number of unforseeable and legitimate reasons, but at least they kept it short and to the point. It is possible to scare somebody off with too much information.
If they're taking pre-orders without requiring a deposit, I'd absolutely go for it, barring an issue you'd prefer to avoid like having to have it shipped from a distance.
AS for the deafening silence from Guild itself, it could well be that they simply don't want to make a promise they can't keep yet themselves, as well as maybe trying to avoid the danger of fueling rumors that come back to bite them.
Giving forecasts to dealers is a little different, dealers understand that nothing's cast in stone, typical end customers tend to forget that little fact.
Having made those caveats clear, I can say (after factory was finally ready for production) that their pace of new product introduction and actual shipment has been pretty surprising to me compared to past paces of development:
M20, D20, D40 shipping and M40 prototype shown (I expect to see shipping within a month, then), all within about a 6 month window.
So that early '17 forecast for F512 may well be very close to what happens.
:friendly_wink:
EDIT: I See once again I made the mistake of posting before reading all unread posts and I see Bing pretty much confirmed what I suspected about dealer communication from Guild.

Heyyyy I said the same thing dumbed down ... like a lot ok so really a lot lmao

 

[adorshki]

Heyyyy I said the same thing dumbed down ... like a lot ok so really a lot lmao

Yeah see that very last "EDIT" comment, yours was one of those I hadn't read yet either. :black_eyed:

 

[guildman63]

Thanks, I know I'm also a bit of a blowhard

A bit?

Wait! Did I say that?

 

[adorshki]

A bit?

Wait! Did I say that?

OK, I'm a full-blown 64 kilobyte blowhard.
:black_eyed:

 

[adorshki]

When I had the issue with CME and the 12-string Orpheum, the manager at CME actually gave me a Fall 2017 date for Oxnard Orpheums to be available ... ya right!

AS skeptical as I would be too, I wonder if they actually have orders in place that Guild acknowledged in the same way Bing is kept advised of the forecast for his orders?
Of course that may all be out the window now anyway (for Orf's).

 

[Bing k]

AS skeptical as I would be too, I wonder if they actually have orders in place that Guild acknowledged in the same way Bing is kept advised of the forecast for his orders?
Of course that may all be out the window now anyway (for Orf's).

Actually, I called and ask what their thoughts were about when things "might" happen. And I have to believe nothing is set in concrete.

 

[Rayk]

Yeah see that very last "EDIT" comment, yours was one of those I hadn't read yet either. :black_eyed:

That's ok I luv ya all have no probs yeilding to the pro''s lol