Significant 12 strings

[capnjuan]

Five yards and loss of tone ....

 

[killdeer43]

Intentional Guilding!

 

[Janpeter]

Hi, Guildies!

Even here in far away Southern Germany the 12-string will always be bound to the Guilds of the sixties and seventies, the famous JF 30-12, F412 und F 512 - as I also receive the "Acoustic Guitar" MAgazin regularly I also was astounded a lot indeed not to find the famous Guild there.

Even though - I would never trade in my JF 30-12 for a Taylor; I have played the Taylor several times and always missed the great belcanto like well balanced tone for which Guild always has been geniously standing since then.

I also had the opportunity to play a Czech BSG - they are close to the Taylors in sound; German made Lakewood's are further towardsthe Guild's - yet: Guild is Guild, in particularly concerning the 12-Strings.

Jan-Peter

 

[Graham]

Guild is Guild, in particularly concerning the 12-Strings.

Jan-Peter

Well said Jan-Peter.

 

[count savage]

The Guild 12-strings JF 55-12, F 512, 412, etc., define the acoustic 12-string instrument, pure and simple. The ARE the sound of the acoustic 12-string, if one sound has to define it. They always have been. After reading the Acoustic Guitar Magnificent Seven feature, it's clear the inclusion of the Taylor was a back-slapping payback gesture to fit the Taylor company into the story, not because it deserved it in the 12-string category. The few lame examples of celebrity users they cite are hardly definitive, Kottke excepted. Nobody EVER thinks of Neil Young playing a Taylor 12-string, and they never will. Overlooking the inclusion of the Guild 12-string in favor of newbie Taylors is a grievous error that can never be forgiven, and shouldn't.

 

[taabru45]

Reading through the posts I might start to think that you are all somewhat biased in your opinions, if not downright bigoted. My first 12 string was a framus, back in the sixties. then a nice martin d 20 12 if memory serves. In the 70s I Started paying attention to the Guild 12s and it was 1980 when I was able to think about getting one, you know the budget. Well I picked one up, at a music store, and it was 'the' one. I was able to put a couple of hundred down, and finance it thru the store. I still have it, it still sounds like a harpsichord, and has looks to turn heads (F 50 512 R NT) So its not without some background, that I am in full agreement that the Guild line wrote the book about everything a 12 should be, and can be, cause they did it. These beauties will always I believe be in a class of their own with very few rivals. As the tonewoods become more scarce, these will shine as diamonds in the used market for 12 strings, And people will still buy a very nice Taylor or other 12, if they aren't able to find an available Guild. Gees, I sound a little biased, but I still haven't found a 12 that I like more than mine, but its only been 28 years. Right? :lol: Steffan

 

[chazmo]

I do find it a little amusing how defensive you guys are about this. Hey, I'm the first to agree that the Guild 12s are kings. But, the article cites some other relevant praise about the construction and design of guitars which Taylor deserves. At a time when Guild is somewhat passe (hell, I didn't even know they were still around until a couple of years ago), none of this is surprising.

Anyway, I guess it's pointless to argue about what a trade rag thinks... The same thing happens with cars. You have the great, eternal car which hasn't changed in 10 years losing out to the newer models. The great cars are great, regardless of whether the current trade rag has any clue. In any case, I'm certain that if you add up the number of influential 12-string musicians, there'd be no comparison -- Guild would kill Taylor.

 

[taabru45]

Here is a peek at my old 512 which will never be traded for a Taylor. :wink: Steffan

 

[capnjuan]

Hey Steffan that's really a great-looking guitar! What's with the hair-line fractures in the finish; thermal shock?

 

[chazzan]

My 2c-

when I used to play folk gigs with my 74f-112 all the Taylor people couldn't believe how good the Guild sounded- some of them later told me they became happy Guild owners.

IMHO Taylors are well made and have pretty woods in the upper line, but they don't have much "soul" Acoustic Guitar knows where their bread is buttered..................

I was thinking of making a political comparison here, but I think I stirred the pot enough here..........................................

 

[taabru45]

Hi CJ, see how good I'm gettin' at posting pics, with your guidance, thanks again. The finish cracks were there when I bought the guitar. I told them how much I liked the guitar but how disappointed I was that it was so damaged. I think at that time the guitar was around 1400, If I remember correctly they knocked off about 200, hey I didn't really give a damn, but leverage is leverage. Might as well use it. The guitar just sang. I had been watching out for one and had played a few but this one had my name all over it. Just a sweetheart! She is so pretty, in every which way that matters. How many people with Taylors do you think would choose to keep their own, if there could be a trade possible? That would be the worst trade since Walter Raleigh introduced alcohol to the indians, and the indians introduced tobacco to the white man! :roll: Steffan
This is my 3 year old grand daughter.....gotta start them young.

 

[capnjuan]

Thanks for the pic; charming harp player too! It's a fine guitar; finish fractures don't diminish tone or the pleasure of ownership. Digital pics ... without them we couldn't share like we do ... but they also highlight stuff that, had a bunch of us been sitting around in your living room, no one might have noticed. CJ

 

[taabru45]

CJ hi again, If finish cracks were all we had to be concerned about we'd all be laughing. I remember seeing some old Gibsons years ago that looked checked over a majority of the top, as long as you don't use a cream polish that leaves white residue in the cracks, it looks very cool. By the way the guitar in the pic is an old Larrivee -09 made in Victoria, which means Jeans' fingerprints were all over it. Sounds Beautiful. Got it at a pawn shop, for my daughter, very bad action, had the Larrivee folks in Vancouver did a great job on the neck.... Peter, of Peter Paul and Mary, had one like it, not this one though, his was stolen, and it broke his heart. Steffan

 

[capnjuan]

Well, the Larrivee is a beauty and so is she. I was thinking about Capquest's remarks about his travelling in sea-going containers and many of the reported incidences of finish fractures being attributed to extremes in temperature differential; if so, I'd say he's pretty lucky his didn't deteriorate. Agree: if all we had to be concerned about was finish fractures ... CJ