So what happened to Guild electric guitars

[Guildocaster]

I have been a Gretsch owner for some time and recently purchased a Guild Starfire III - P-90. I was wanting a guitar with 2 P-90's and a friend recommended this guitar. It sounds awesome!
I haven't followed what has been going on with the Guild company but I believe it was purchase by Fender as was Gretsch.
So I have to wonder......why no more Guild electrics????

Dave :?:

 

[Smiert Spionam]

Because Fender has turned Guild into their own offshore brand, like Gibson did to Epi. Some of the higher end acoustics remain US-manufactured, but they're using the brand to market Chinese import acoustics.

Electrics -- all gone. For now, Fender has apparently decided that Gretsch fills that niche. Maybe that will change down the road, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[fronobulax]

There are persistent rumors (or wishful thinking expressed as "they said") the Fender might bring back Guild basses. The Starfire is iconic and the Bluesbird or M-85 is riding a wave of popularity right now. That quickly leads to the observation that if the bass goes back in production, it also makes sense to build the matching guitar. However no such plans have been announced. It would make sense to me but then I'm not FMIC.

 

[Kap'n]

Call me a cynic, but I suspect that there will be no more USA Guild electric basses, unless there is a vast resurgence in the popularity of Jefferson Airplane.

As for electrics, I can see them maybe making a handful in the Custom Shop. But even FMIC's "Chosen" archtop brand, Gretsch, makes all but a handful in Asia.

I've actually have a FMIC Japanese-built Gretsch (6120AM, from the Fuji Gen Gakki factory), and it is easily better than the early 60's 6119 Tennesseean I used to own.

It'll take some sort of star power to get even Japanese-built Guild electrics going. I think when FMIC took over Gretsch distribution, they required dealers to buy in, because you saw them everywhere. Now all you see are the Electromatic series in the stores. I think the high-end Gretsch scene is fading. FMIC is now in the business of trying to upscale all the folks purchasing Artcores.

Maybe this is an opportunity to purchase a Duo Jet with Dynasonics.

 

[capnjuan]

I've actually have a FMIC Japanese-built Gretsch (6120AM, from the Fuji Gen Gakki factory), and it is easily better than the early 60's 6119 Tennesseean I used to own.

Top of the line, Greco-branded 'lawsuit' LP made at the Fuji Gen Gakki factory: $650-$800 domestic; more if shipped from far east"

 

[Kap'n]

I've been intrigued by the FGG factory since a 1983-ish cover of Guitar Player that featured Japanese guitar manufacturers. There was some guy doing fretwork on a flametop Ibanez Destroyer that was absolutely breathtaking.

 

[fronobulax]

Call me a cynic, but I suspect that there will be no more USA Guild electric basses, unless there is a vast resurgence in the popularity of Jefferson Airplane.

Cynics are welcome, but don't forget Phil Lesh and Cheryl Crowe :wink:

I will freely admit to ignorance of the entire product line under the FMIC corporate umbrella but it does seem to me that there is a void when it comes to short (30.5" or thereabouts) scale basses and/or hollow body basses. Thus, unless market research shows that the market for that niche is too small to bother with, Guild reissues could fill that void without competing against other FMIC products.

Whether it would make sense to reissue under the Guild name and manufacture them in the US is beyond my ability to successfully speculate.

 

[Kap'n]

I will freely admit to ignorance of the entire product line under the FMIC corporate umbrella but it does seem to me that there is a void when it comes to short (30.5" or thereabouts) scale basses and/or hollow body basses.

It's a pretty small niche. Fender made their name in 34" scale basses. They had a few short scale (30"?) student basses back in the day, the Mustang, the Musicmaster and the Bass VI. The Musicmaster was reissued for a period as the Bronco bass, and they've had a couple of baritones reissued, probably from Fender Japan.

I'm not sure what scale the FMIC Gretsch hollowbody basses are.

IMHO, I always think of short scale as "Gibson scale."

In any case, it's easier to find a short scale bass about than it is to find short scale bass strings. :lol:

 

[Guildocaster]

Thanks everyone for giving me some insight as to what has been going on in the world of Guild!

Like I said before, I have been a Gretsch guy for awhile and have been a regular visitor and participant on the Gretsch Pages Discussion forum. I bought my first Gretsch about a little over a year ago, a G5120 entry level Electromatic and since then have bought a G3161 Historic, a Setzer Hot Rod, a Rancher Jr., an Anniversary and most recently a Brian Setzer Signature 6120SSL.

I had been wanting a guitar with P-90’s and a good friend recommended the Guild Starfire III – P90. I had heard his before and it had the sound I was looking for. I happened to find one on ebay and won the auction. This guitar is awesome! I went to the Guild web site to see what their current lineup of electrics were and was shocked to only find acoustics. I couldn’t believe they had discontinued making electrics and kept searching……I finally realized these beautiful guitars were discontinued.

I guess the similarity ends with the FMIC purchase of both Guild and Gretsch. Gretsch electric guitars have flourished and Guild electrics died. It amazes me that this could happen.

As you probably know Gretsch guitars haven’t been made in the USA for some time. All are made in Japan, which is their professional line, Korea and China are their entry level guitar.

From the sounds of it, Guilds have always been made in the USA. To switch to an offshore plant i.e., Japan probably wouldn’t be widely accepted by the Guild purists. I must say, the Japanese quality is excellent. When Gretsch first went to Japan, the Gretsch purists weren’t accepting at first. They strayed a bit from the original specs, and there were some electric component issues. TV Jones offers a replacement harness that fixes this problem. But they finally had to admit, these were pretty darn good guitars! When Fender took over…………well, everyone thought this would be the beginning of the end. The exact opposite happened, quality improved, customer service improved. They have a great guy in charge Joe Carducci that listens to what Gretsch players have to say and participates in their Gretsch Pages Discussion.

With Gretsch guitars already being made in Japan and Korea, the transition was a bit easier than with Guild players who still want a USA made guitar.

So here is my insight………..It wouldn’t surprise me to see a reissue of the Guild electric guitar made in Japan in a couple of years. It is the same old marketing ploy they use for other things. Like cars for instance, the Camaro was getting stale and sales were lagging, so they took it away for a few years. The public gets upset (which I’m sure they fully anticipated) then they reintroduce it.

I have done it myself when my daughter would mistreat a toy or something I would take it away for awhile so she would realize how much she misses it and it is more appreciated it when you give it back.

Anyway, just my thoughts. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that this isn’t the end of Guild electric guitars.

Dave

 

[Kap'n]

I guess the similarity ends with the FMIC purchase of both Guild and Gretsch.

Just to be 100% accurate, FMIC doesn't own Gretsch. They are licensed to manufacture and distribute designs owned by Fred Gretsch Enterprises, or whatever the company is.

Maybe somebody holding them accountable is partially responsible for the higher quality than they might do on their own?

 

[fronobulax]

I'm not sure what scale the FMIC Gretsch hollowbody basses are.

In any case, it's easier to find a short scale bass about than it is to find short scale bass strings. :lol:

I thought the Gretsch basses were 34" scale but I have not even bothered to Google to confirm that,so I could be wrong.

Some pros have posted on other boards that they prefer the short scale but it has to do with string tension and if playing bass is your day job there's a German string maker (Thompson and then something that starts with an E) that makes pricey strings that have the same feel on a 34". Besides the Epiphone Jack Casady Signature model is 34".

And yea, getting strings is tough and some of that is because some manufacturers post the scale length but most of them post the string length from winding to ball and you have to figure out how much you need beyond the 30.5.

 

[Guildocaster]

Hi there Kap'n!

Thanks for correcting my statement about Fender owning Gretsch. You are entirely correct. I guess it just seem like they own it!