Say it ain't so - Mexican Guilds?

[Guildgator]

Guildgator: Keeping guild trade-ins ? Now that's something to get excited about. A little bit of history at a good price.
I just got my hands on a 67 Mark1 ( hoboken) a few weeks ago, a nice little addition to the stable.

Got my T100D on a trade for $350.

Been thinking about one of the 60's classicals myself. They can be had relatively cheap on ebay. It's not much of a decision, buy a Chineese classical for $200, or a vintage Guild for about the same price.

 

[workedinwesterly]

yea, the lower end Marks don't cost alot of money....once you get into the gloss and rosewood the prices start going up. Even so, they're still a bargain compared to everything else.
The early ones had some neck issues. there is no truss rod ( of course ) and a single ebony strip runs under the fingerboard to stiffen the neck. Once you get into the 70's westerly models, there are 2 ebony strips and the necks are more stable.
Still, with those nylon strings you can get away with quite a bit.

a slim jim for $350 ???
Nice...I'll take 2.

 

[bluegrass jubilee]

The Mexico thing is true

 

[chazzan]

the bottom line with Fender is it is not a guitar maker (like pre CBS fender) but a for-profit corporation. If they can sell GAD's and Mexican Guilds and turn a profit they will-it the market feels they are crap and doesn't buy them Fender will either sell the brand or change to a better factory.

Remember early 80's fender- they changed and had to re-tool their American guitars because all those 70's fenders were causing complaints from dealers and players.............

 

[bluegrass jubilee]

wait, fender doesn't make guitars now? where will i send my repairs to?

 

[6L6]

If the rumor is true and the Mexican Guilds are anything like the MIM Stratocasters, we're in for a treat!

6

'06 D-55
'06 D-40BJ
'06 F-412
'74 D-40

 

[fungusyoung]

Remember early 80's fender- they changed and had to re-tool their American guitars because all those 70's fenders were causing complaints from dealers and players.............

Yeah, but today those 70's Fenders are considered "vintage" and even hotly despised (at the time by many) models like a 70's Telecaster Deluxe now runs over $3K in decent shape... it's the "go to" guitar for many indie & rock bands.

 

[dreadnut]

Yeah, been to GC lately and looked at the "vintage" wall? Beat up old Strats and Teles the likes of which used to be leaning up against my friends' bedroom walls are going for $4-5K now. :shock:

 

[Guildgator]

The early ones had some neck issues. there is no truss rod ( of course ) and a single ebony strip runs under the fingerboard to stiffen the neck. Once you get into the 70's westerly models, there are 2 ebony strips and the necks are more stable.

Thanks for the info on the Mark series - I must have missed that in the Guild bible. It will help when I look for "the one"

 

[workedinwesterly]

They're all "the one"!

 

[Guildgator]

They're all "the one"!

Yeah, I stand corrected.

 

[raulb]

They weren't far from Mexico when they were being built in Corona...

Yeah, and you aren't far from Canada. What's your point?

 

[dreadnut]

My point was simply that they were right across the border from Mexico, nothing else intended or implied. Had they wanted to build in Mexico, it would have been much easier to move directly from Corona rather than via Washington State and Connecticut...

 

[West R Lee]

Looks like a little over 100 miles to me :wink: . Pretty darned close. Very true Dread, what blows me away is that they started in the northeast, and have been all over the country to get right back where they started. Still seems like it would have been easier to stay in Westerly.....not that I'm biased or anything.

West

 

[dreadnut]

Yeah, maybe I'm mistaken but it was my understanding that the Fender plant in Corona is closely tied to the Fender plant south of the border, parts manufacturing, inventory, etc. The time to move USA Guilds there would have been then, not now.

However, I guess I could see them consolidating GAD manufacturing with their Mexican operations. Perhaps, as many US companies who jumped on the Pacific Rim manufacturing bandwagon found out, it ain't all just about labor costs. Quality control, inventory control, freight costs, queue times...

 

[Guildgator]

On the Fender discussion page the rumour hounds have been speculating that some "american" guitars are actually assembled in Mexico. (american = Highway one) Sounds like the same people who think GAD parts are used on the USA guilds. You never know.......................

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Guildgator: I'm in Juno Beach FL; where are you? CJ

 

[Scratch]

Yeah, maybe I'm mistaken but it was my understanding that the Fender plant in Corona is closely tied to the Fender plant south of the border, parts manufacturing, inventory, etc. The time to move USA Guilds there would have been then, not now.

However, I guess I could see them consolidating GAD manufacturing with their Mexican operations. Perhaps, as many US companies who jumped on the Pacific Rim manufacturing bandwagon found out, it ain't all just about labor costs. Quality control, inventory control, freight costs, queue times...

As discussed here in many threads, Corona built Guilds are the only US manufactured Guilds that suffered inconsistency in the QC process. Finishes etc. did not reflect the same specs and standards as those built in the Westerly plant. It appears Fender emphasized stronger QC standards when production moved to Tacoma. Westerly and Tacoma builts, not Corona, will be the standard for the New Hartford plant to emulate.

 

[Guildgator]

Hi Guildgator: I'm in Juno Beach FL; where are you? CJ

Hey capn,

I'm down in Naples. I have a shop down here.

GuildGator

 

[capnjuan]

Hey GG: Naples is just under a three-hour drive from here. Street address? webpage?