Tacoma Headstocks

[jazzmang]

Hey guys.

I was wondering if anyone else noticed the change in headstocks that occurred both in Corona and Tacoma... and at different times.

I have an easy comparison in these next shots. I have a Westerly JF55 and a brand new Tacoma F50R.


Tacoma:

Westerly:

Check out the location (height and positioning) of the Guild logos on these. The Tacoma one is too high and too far to the right! Whats up with that?

Big question: Should I contact Guild and see if they'll bother sending me a replacement that doesnt have a defective headstock position?

 

[killdeer43]

Yeah, but how do they sound? I'd be so happy to have both of those guitars in my home that I would just play them and caress them. They both look swell to me and you might consider them unique in their own way. Sort of like a good looking woman with the slightest of blemishes....you just enjoy the good parts.
I, too, am certainly NOT blemish-free!

Cheers,
Joe

 

[workedinwesterly]

that's called Poor Workmanship.
Send it back !

 

[jazzmang]

You know whats funny WiW? Look on ebay or on anyplace that has actual pics of the guitars.
From what I've seen, most of the Tacoma models with G-shields had incorrectly spaced logos!
I don't know who let that fly, but it was obvious as hell when I looked at them!

 

[killdeer43]

that's called Poor Workmanship.
Send it back !

Better yet, just send them to me! :lol:

Joe

 

[jazzmang]

Yeah, but how do they sound? I'd be so happy to have both of those guitars in my home that I would just play them and caress them. They both look swell to me and you might consider them unique in their own way. Sort of like a good looking woman with the slightest of blemishes....you just enjoy the good parts.
I, too, am certainly NOT blemish-free!

Cheers,
Joe

The F50R is brand new so it is still plenty stiff at the moment. It sounds great, but doesnt have that long, smooth sustain of the JF55 just yet. In time, of course, I'm sure it will open up nicely. It is slightly less boomy, which is nice. The JF55 has just a hint of boominess, but its minimal, thankfully.

More pics:

Grain on EIR back and sides:

Tacoma:

Westerly:

 

[chazmo]

Hmm... The "tent" on the 12-string headstock (my F-512) seems to look a little better-placed. I agree that the F-50R seems to have the logos up a little too high (IMO).

 

[jazzmang]

Hmmm. Maybe they got the 12 stringers right? Anyone else with a Tacoma 6er have any pics? The ones I've seen this issue on are D55s and F50s (I think only the ones with a G shield are misplaced)

 

[kyguild]

I don't have a photo (I am kind of computer challenged), but my Tacoma F-50 has the Guild logo properly positioned left to right. It is high on the headstock like the photo of your F-50R, though.

kyguild

 

[killdeer43]

I'm still here to accept any and all rejects. :wink:

Joe

 

[Scratch]

The logo on my 05 Tacoma-built D40 is properly centered...

 

[cjd-player]

They're perfectly centered on my '07 D-55.

Although the truss rod cover is crooked in tis picture. I had to fill and redrill the screw holes to straighten it.

 

[dreadnut]

I don't know, jazzman, I think it's clearly defective. Sadly, that had to pass through many hands before leaving the factory I bet.

 

[jazzmang]

They're perfectly centered on my '07 D-55.

Although the truss rod cover is crooked in tis picture. I had to fill and redrill the screw holes to straighten it.

Unfortunately that looks all wrong too.
The horizontal line through the G shield should be positioned directly underneath the first row of tuners. The bottom of the guild crest should be positioned slightly above the top row of tuners.
Yours suffers from a logo/shield that is too near the top of the headstock. At least yours is horizontally centered...

 

[killdeer43]

OK, that's it! Send all those defective guitars to me....immediately!
The horror!

Joe

 

[chazmo]

Guys, I don't see anything "wrong" with these Tacoma headstocks. The tent lettering and the G shield are centered properly (or am I missing something?). The "issue" is whether the lettering/shield are shifted too high to the crown... I think we're talking about a matter of taste here, not a flaw.

Jazzy, I don't think there are any rules about where the horizontal line through the G shield ought to be. I agree it looks nicest when it's as you described, but that's just taste. The tent lettering, I think, looks nicest when the tent ends point directly at the D and G string posts. Again, that's just me.

 

[jazzmang]

I'm not trying to imply that there are rules (at least that we are aware of) about where the logo/shield are supposed to be positioned, but I am going off of prior designs here.
Look at Hans' book and see what the status quo has been, ever since switching to the current headstock style thats used now.
Most of the G-shielded guitars there follow the guidelines I posted earlier: Horizontal line through the shield is almost always right underneath (or in the bottom part of) the D and G tuner posts.
I agree that the Guild 'tent' should point towards (or even slightly above) the D and G tuner post.

Unforgivable though, is when the logos are off center (like my example) and are too much to the right or left.

All I'm saying is that I have never seen a Westerly Guild whose tent was so high that it almost met the binding on the top of the headstock. We're talking a little over a 1/4" between the top of the tent and the binding above.

I'm gonna try and call Guild/FMIC today and see what they say.

 

[chazmo]

Off-center, Jazzy? I'm just not seeing that. Your headstock looks fine to me, except the as-noted higher placement of the tent and shield.

I'll be really interested to hear your review of this guitar in a few months after she's had time to acclimate to your environment. I fully expected a Tacoma F-50R to be a tone monster given my experience with its 12-string brother. That said, my 12-string was in the store being played regularly and humidified for at least 6 months before I found her.

Anyway, let us know what you hear from Fender.

 

[kakerlak]

Off-center, Jazzy? I'm just not seeing that. Your headstock looks fine to me, except the as-noted higher placement of the tent and shield.

I'll be really interested to hear your review of this guitar in a few months after she's had time to acclimate to your environment. I fully expected a Tacoma F-50R to be a tone monster given my experience with its 12-string brother. That said, my 12-string was in the store being played regularly and humidified for at least 6 months before I found her.

Anyway, let us know what you hear from Fender.

The shield and "Guild" text are ligned up well with each-other, but the pair together is significantly off center if you look at the peak of the "Guild" vs the center peak of the headstock. Took me a while to notice, too. I'd be kinda "WTF" too if it was mine...

 

[jazzmang]

Yea it is slightly off center. Maybe the pics dont show it properly, but when looking at it up close, it is pretty obvious.
She already sounds great, albeit a little stiff at the moment. The top doesnt have that deep sustain just yet... just has a lot of snap to it.

haha funny story. I just called Fender, says they're closed and to call back during business hours, 8-5 M-F Mountain Standard Time. Thats all fine and dandy, but it is exacly 8:55am MST... and they're still closed. Awesome job, FMIC. Way to pay attention. :mrgreen: