Repair Question
- Thread starter richopp
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plaidseason
Senior Member
I love this photo. And it's good see/hear from you.Correct. David at the wheel showing there was no mask.
Tom said that he was well aware of the situation with the finish/bridge interface. He said when he repairs it--he had just done one when he came to the phone to speak to me!--he knows how to make sure it is attached properly.
I have complete confidence in him after our discussion, so when I drop it off up there, I will have him show me what the issue is and how he overcomes any factory adhesion processes. He was VERY confident that he could fix the bridge and mentioned that he would make sure everything was perfectly aligned to ensure optimum play-ability and function, which of course ensures the best possible sound from the instrument.
I will share anything he tells me with you all so that we have the scoop from the expert, although it is obvious to me that many on here have a lot of knowledge about all the idiosyncrasies of the factory processes.
If I don't learn something valuable every day, I consider the day wasted, so this week has been a real learning experience for me thanks to all of you.
Cheers,
Richard
I have complete confidence in him after our discussion, so when I drop it off up there, I will have him show me what the issue is and how he overcomes any factory adhesion processes. He was VERY confident that he could fix the bridge and mentioned that he would make sure everything was perfectly aligned to ensure optimum play-ability and function, which of course ensures the best possible sound from the instrument.
I will share anything he tells me with you all so that we have the scoop from the expert, although it is obvious to me that many on here have a lot of knowledge about all the idiosyncrasies of the factory processes.
If I don't learn something valuable every day, I consider the day wasted, so this week has been a real learning experience for me thanks to all of you.
Cheers,
Richard
bobouz
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Forum members have seen many examples of Tom’s work, and rest assured, you are in the best hands possible. Btw, if you are at all into birdwatching, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge is highly recommend. My wife & I give it a big two thumbs up - spend the day & look around, as it’s a beautiful place!
Hi, All,
Wanted to provide an update on my F-412.
I drove up to Merritt Island and met Mr. Jacobs and his lovely wife a few weeks ago. We had a wonderful visit, and he is DEFINITELY Mr. Guild! I won't bore you will all I learned and what he shared with me, but suffice it to say I felt great when I left it with him for his analysis and repair. I told him no rush, so he will contact me when he has time to do the job correctly and has the instrument in perfect playing condition.
Unfortunately, I had major surgery last month, so I am kind of out of it and will be for a while. When you get to be my age, things like this are real monsters to recover from. Lab results soon, and hoping for the best.
Tom and I discussed my selling it, and he figured out pretty quickly that I would want to spend some time playing it after his work was completed. This is not to say it will not be for sale eventually, but once I have it back, I definitely want some time with it since it has been sitting for several years. Even though I am not really worthy to play such a fine instrument--Tom says that SOME feel it is among the best 12-strings ever made--I am looking forward to holding it and strumming away like I did in 1984 when I ordered and purchased it, and hearing those superb tones it produces (even with me hacking at it!).
So, I will post an update with a picture when I have it back. For anyone who might be eventually interested in purchasing it, I will let the Forum know when I am ready to part with it, My hope is that it lands in the hands of a true musician who will not only appreciate it for what it is, but will play it often and enjoy owning and playing such a fine musical instrument.
Thanks again to everyone on the Forum who led me to Tom and who offered so much advice and council to help me understand what I had.
Cheers,
Richard
Wanted to provide an update on my F-412.
I drove up to Merritt Island and met Mr. Jacobs and his lovely wife a few weeks ago. We had a wonderful visit, and he is DEFINITELY Mr. Guild! I won't bore you will all I learned and what he shared with me, but suffice it to say I felt great when I left it with him for his analysis and repair. I told him no rush, so he will contact me when he has time to do the job correctly and has the instrument in perfect playing condition.
Unfortunately, I had major surgery last month, so I am kind of out of it and will be for a while. When you get to be my age, things like this are real monsters to recover from. Lab results soon, and hoping for the best.
Tom and I discussed my selling it, and he figured out pretty quickly that I would want to spend some time playing it after his work was completed. This is not to say it will not be for sale eventually, but once I have it back, I definitely want some time with it since it has been sitting for several years. Even though I am not really worthy to play such a fine instrument--Tom says that SOME feel it is among the best 12-strings ever made--I am looking forward to holding it and strumming away like I did in 1984 when I ordered and purchased it, and hearing those superb tones it produces (even with me hacking at it!).
So, I will post an update with a picture when I have it back. For anyone who might be eventually interested in purchasing it, I will let the Forum know when I am ready to part with it, My hope is that it lands in the hands of a true musician who will not only appreciate it for what it is, but will play it often and enjoy owning and playing such a fine musical instrument.
Thanks again to everyone on the Forum who led me to Tom and who offered so much advice and council to help me understand what I had.
Cheers,
Richard
Great story Richard, and your guitar is definitely in the right hands. Tom is something of a deity around here, and for a very good reason. I hope that your convalescence progresses quickly, so you can enjoy that beautiful guitar!
More wishes on a rapid convalescence.
This is something more than a forum - it is a family. Enjoy your F-412 and feel free to share it here!
This is something more than a forum - it is a family. Enjoy your F-412 and feel free to share it here!
@twocorgies and @5thumbs(love that one!) Thanks so much for your replies and good wishes. I see the Dr. on Thursday for test results. Hoping for the best--he is THE GUY when it comes to what I needed, so fairly confident that everything is going to be fine. Recovery, however, will continue to be slow but sure, and that is all I can hope for now.
I am excited just thinking about playing the Guild again when Tom has performed his magic!
Cheers,
Richard
I am excited just thinking about playing the Guild again when Tom has performed his magic!
Cheers,
Richard
bobouz
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Richard, a thought: There may be no one who appreciates this instrument or derives as much pleasure from it, than you. It would seem fitting that when both you and your guitar are fully mended, you remain together. We know the day will eventually come when our guitars find a home elsewhere. But for now, it’s most likely in the best of all hands.
Br1ck
Senior Member
Look, this will be one of the most useful bits of advice and the easiest to implement: FORGET ALL NOTIONS OF NOT BEING WORTHY OF OWNING AND PLAYING A FINE INSTRUMENT. It doesn't care and neither do we.
I had open heart surgery, and I found this to be a great mental boost on the way to recovery. I could not hope to play guitar, but I had just bought a mandolin, which I could hold off to the side. I was a rank beginner, but ten minutes could transform my outlook. I began using it as a bribe. At first it was walk to the backdoor and back, then you can play some, then it was walk to the street, then down to the corner, then around the block. At the end, I got to play some. My whole outlook changed for the better when I could play some. Often it was just scales. Get a mandolin or a ukulele and get back to playing is my advise. See, two bits for nothing.
I had open heart surgery, and I found this to be a great mental boost on the way to recovery. I could not hope to play guitar, but I had just bought a mandolin, which I could hold off to the side. I was a rank beginner, but ten minutes could transform my outlook. I began using it as a bribe. At first it was walk to the backdoor and back, then you can play some, then it was walk to the street, then down to the corner, then around the block. At the end, I got to play some. My whole outlook changed for the better when I could play some. Often it was just scales. Get a mandolin or a ukulele and get back to playing is my advise. See, two bits for nothing.
Thanks, guys, for the great advice. The issue I have is that I was never a musician and have zero musical skills or talent. Yes, I played in many bands, from school to marching to rock, but that was 60+ years ago, and even in my marching band, they made me drum major since I was so bad at trumpet!
I LOVE the guitar--I have an American Sunburst/maple neck Strat I have had for 20+ years and I bought a Fender Squire bass a few years ago as I have always wanted to learn that as well, but with my VERY SMALL fingers and really bad arthritis, I am fooling myself about being able to play anything much longer. I did buy an old (late 1960's Epiphone 6-string acoustic) to try to give me some incentive, but the hands just hurt too much, and even though they say playing will help, it is a waste. My mom had this very badly for years, and having spent my career typing for the last 65 years, it is not improving. I will probably keep the Epiphone, but the others have to go EVENTUALLY.
This is not to say I will not try, but if you know anyone with arthritis, you know that even the typing will have to end fairly soon. I am 75 now, and yes, I will keep the Guild for a while, but it has to go. My daughter did not get the music gene either and has no interest in these instruments at all. This is sad to me, but she is a wonderful daughter who has many other talents, so I am resigned to the fact that they will all have to go within a few years. There are real musicians out there who do not have arthritis and will appreciate them for what they are.
I will keep trying to play for a while, and cannot wait to get the Guild back from Tom, but the writing is on the wall for all of my stuff. When I retired and downsized and moved last year, I had to sell the 150+ model train pieces I had collected with the idea of building a big layout; this house is set up in such a way that there is no room for such a hobby. I still have a bin or two full of original Plasticville that I was going to use on the layout to sell when I get to feeling better.
All is not lost; I have been working on old cars for 45 years, and now have a '66 Corvette that keeps me busy and happy, I am finally going to have some time for some writing that I have been wanting to do forever, and I am redoing this entire house, so busy I am!
Anyway, fear not. I will play the Guild as long as I can, but it will have to go sooner than later. I am only glad I had it for the last 38 years and I did enjoy it for many years (neighbors might disagree....) so all is not lost yet!
Cheers,
Richard
I LOVE the guitar--I have an American Sunburst/maple neck Strat I have had for 20+ years and I bought a Fender Squire bass a few years ago as I have always wanted to learn that as well, but with my VERY SMALL fingers and really bad arthritis, I am fooling myself about being able to play anything much longer. I did buy an old (late 1960's Epiphone 6-string acoustic) to try to give me some incentive, but the hands just hurt too much, and even though they say playing will help, it is a waste. My mom had this very badly for years, and having spent my career typing for the last 65 years, it is not improving. I will probably keep the Epiphone, but the others have to go EVENTUALLY.
This is not to say I will not try, but if you know anyone with arthritis, you know that even the typing will have to end fairly soon. I am 75 now, and yes, I will keep the Guild for a while, but it has to go. My daughter did not get the music gene either and has no interest in these instruments at all. This is sad to me, but she is a wonderful daughter who has many other talents, so I am resigned to the fact that they will all have to go within a few years. There are real musicians out there who do not have arthritis and will appreciate them for what they are.
I will keep trying to play for a while, and cannot wait to get the Guild back from Tom, but the writing is on the wall for all of my stuff. When I retired and downsized and moved last year, I had to sell the 150+ model train pieces I had collected with the idea of building a big layout; this house is set up in such a way that there is no room for such a hobby. I still have a bin or two full of original Plasticville that I was going to use on the layout to sell when I get to feeling better.
All is not lost; I have been working on old cars for 45 years, and now have a '66 Corvette that keeps me busy and happy, I am finally going to have some time for some writing that I have been wanting to do forever, and I am redoing this entire house, so busy I am!
Anyway, fear not. I will play the Guild as long as I can, but it will have to go sooner than later. I am only glad I had it for the last 38 years and I did enjoy it for many years (neighbors might disagree....) so all is not lost yet!
Cheers,
Richard
davismanLV
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@Br1ck, that you're able to trick or bribe yourself into doing your chores and rehab is a good thing. "People who have had open heart surgery report mood changes, as do people close to them. Anxiety and depression are the most commonly experienced emotions after heart surgery. Anxiety can be caused, in part, by worries about possible physical aftereffects of the surgery."
After Don's triple bypass he wasn't doing his movement and he became listless and super depressed. I found that this is a very common side effect and also his electrolytes were seriously out of whack!! So be aware, do your stuff, and if you find you have any symptoms of mood changes or depression, tell your doctor immediately.
Who knew a little mandolin could be such a game changer, huh?
After Don's triple bypass he wasn't doing his movement and he became listless and super depressed. I found that this is a very common side effect and also his electrolytes were seriously out of whack!! So be aware, do your stuff, and if you find you have any symptoms of mood changes or depression, tell your doctor immediately.
Who knew a little mandolin could be such a game changer, huh?
Some view the transition to the mahogany neck and a single truss rod as a good move. Lighter in weight and easier to adjust. Previously Guild's 12 strings (such as yours) used two truss rods, and some of the hardwoods used for the necks were pretty heavy. However, I have to say that some of the flamed maple necks that came out of Westerly were gorgeous.
Tommy
Boneman
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That is a wonderful story and I can't wait to hear how it turns out! That is a gorgeous F412, and I love the all maple neck and back look of the Blonde's. Definitely hang onto it and enjoy for as long as you can before parting with it. Sorry to hear about the surgery and best wishes it is speedy and pain free recovery.
Br1ck
Senior Member
@Br1ck, that you're able to trick or bribe yourself into doing your chores and rehab is a good thing. "People who have had open heart surgery report mood changes, as do people close to them. Anxiety and depression are the most commonly experienced emotions after heart surgery. Anxiety can be caused, in part, by worries about possible physical aftereffects of the surgery."
After Don's triple bypass he wasn't doing his movement and he became listless and super depressed. I found that this is a very common side effect and also his electrolytes were seriously out of whack!! So be aware, do your stuff, and if you find you have any symptoms of mood changes or depression, tell your doctor immediately.
Who knew a little mandolin could be such a game changer, huh?
There is a whole lot of stuff they don't tell you, like you probably wont sleep all night, or five years later you'll still have a sore chest. But you will be breathing! The big bribe was, after two weeks at home, my wife had to leave for a week on business. I usd the opportunity to sell my Eastman and buy my Silverangel. I was never depressed, irratated, but not depressed. Still, having music back in my life was a huge pick me up. I still remember the joy of playing my guitar the first time. Just glad I wasn't into mountain climbing, or even golf.
This is why it's good to donate unused instruments to vets. The return can be huge.