The Last NH F-30 Std Sunburst

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Glad to be aboard. This is my first post on LTG. I’m a perpetual beginner--from my first Emenee plastic guitar in 1964--through the wonderful brand new! 2014 Guild F-30 Sunburst Standard I picked up last weekend. It had been sitting in Downtown Sounds, in Northampton, MA, since April 2014. I asked why it hadn’t sold in 5yrs? “Most of our sales are $200-$600 guitars,” the manager said.

I live in NYC & sold my Gene Larrivee Italian Spruce/Hog OM-03 for nearly what I paid 8yrs ago. It didn’t ‘ring’ the way I liked. This Guild rings! Best guitar I’ve owned… or at least it helps me make the sounds I like.

But here’s the story. Guild mythology aside, my guitar could likely be the last Guild F-30 made in New Hartford, CT.

Sr# NR107004
N = New Hartford, CT
R = 2014
107 = 107th day of the year
(Thursday April 17, 2014)
004 = 4th instrument built that day

On Tuesday April 22, 2014 (five days after my guitar was built), Fender notified NH employees it was closing the New Hartford, CT facility.

The next day, Wednesday April 23, a press release confirmed the closing of the New Hartford factory. Initial plans were to “move manufacturing to California.” But as we all know, that was only a ruse by Fender.

Two weeks later, May 7, 2014, Fender announced, in a formal letter of intent, that they had sold the Guild brand to Cordoba Music Group. By the end of May 2014, CMG had laid off most of the NH employees and begun to move the machinery to their CA factory.

A June 2014 Hartford Courant article quotes a NH staff member: "In the last year [before the NH plant closed], the crew of 47 was generally making about 14 guitars a day... most were Guild guitars." Compared to Martin, Taylor & Gibson’s output, that makes NH Guild a veritable custom shop. So, it’s entirely likely my F-30 Std Sunburst was the last F-30 built in NH.

There are a few telltales this might be true. Very few Sunburst F-30’s were made in NH. Most were natural finish—even fewer in those final 5 months in 2014. My F-30 Standard has the usual 1 ¾” nut, rosewood fingerboard, etc…. but it also has Tortoise binding, which was usually found on Traditional (Aragon) F-30’s. The entire guitar is Nitro gloss finish, including the neck. The top is also much nicer looking than other F-30’s I’ve seen. An exceptional cut of hog on the back & sides--compared to my Larrivee! It likely received a little extra attention to detail, as I’m sure the crew knew the Rats were abandoning the ship. As they literally did five days later. “CJ” signed off on the build-sheet for my instrument. Does anyone know who “CJ” was at NH? I’d love to thank him/her.

Downtown Sounds in Northampton, Massachusetts is only a short 1-hour drive from New Hartford, CT. And I think the closest Guild dealer to NH, I suspect they might have made one last run down to Connecticut in April 2014 & pulled a few choice guitars from whatever was on the racks. A brand new 5yr old guitar. I paid $1,500 -- which for a brand new 5yr old Sunburst Guild F-30 with extra detail is worth every cent. At least to me anyway.

I called CMG and they said that since it’s a new guitar, they will honor the full Guild warrantee. It was delicious peeling the plastic off the pick-guard as I sat in the shop and played it for the first time.
 

walrus

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Welcome!

Excellent story and congratulations! I love my '11 NH F-30RCE!

I've been in that store, and I saw that F-30, but did not take it down to try it as I had mine already. They had other new Guild acoustics - a few used electric Guilds at the time, too, an M-65 if I remember and a Starfire IV.

Birdhouse Music up the street also had a used '70's F-30, but it was pretty beat up.

Northampton is great place to walk around in!

walrus
 
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HeyMikey

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Welcome and congrats! That is a nice find indeed. Would love to see pics when you are able. Big fan of NH F30's myself :)
 

tommym

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It is nice to hear a re-confirmation that CMG will be honoring Guild's warranty on the NOS New Hartford guitars. That was the basis of me buying my NOS F30 Standard and NOS F30R Standard. For me, these two guitars are ergonomically the best Guilds that I have ever owned.

Tommy
 

chazmo

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Welcome aboard, extrakrispy. That was certainly close to the end at New Hartford, so this could be the last one from NH, but I don't think we can confirm that for you. The only real source for that information is the NH log book which is, to my knowledge, not in anyone's hands around here.

And, as Tommy said, it's good that CMG is honoring the warrantees from New Hartford.

Enjoy. Sounds like a terrific axe.
 

SFIV1967

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Welcome to LTG! Great story for a first post!

But...

worthless.gif


Ralf
 

Rayk

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Nice guitar and welcome aboard , excellent entrance .😊
 

GuildInAtlanta

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Congratulations!! You scooped up a very rare bird!

Thanks to GAD I downloaded copies of the Guild catalogs for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2014. https://www.gad.net/Blog/guild-guitar-catalogs/
According to what's printed, Guild officially made the following Standard F30 versions during these model years.

2010 (Serial Number - NNxxxxxx)

Standard F30, F30R, F30CE, F30RCE - Not offered in the catalog for 2010, but production begins in late 2010 for the 2011 model year. It's possible that any of these versions might have been produced at the end of 2010.
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Natural

2011 - Official Introduction of the Standard F30 Models - (Serial Number - NOxxxxxx)

Standard F30, F30R, F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Natural

2012 (Serial Number - NPxxxxxx)

Standard F30, F30R, F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Antique Burst & Natural

2013 (Serial Number - NQxxxxxx)

Standard F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Antique Burst & Natural

2014 (Serial Number - NRxxxxxx)

Standard F30CE
Mahogany - Natural

As a side note, there have been a few examples of variations or models produced outside of what was officially listed in the catalog.

A 2014 Standard F30 in Antique Burst, with tortoise binding, is definitely a unique and special guitar! Although there's no exact way to confirm it (other than the mysterious log book)...you just might have the last Standard F30 ever made in New Hartford?

Awesome find and enjoy!

Robert

Note - Updated and edited per feedback from the forum.
 
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Tom O

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Welcome. Thanks for the post. I picked up an "new" Corona D-40 2002 in 2005 marked down. It sounded better that the Martins in stock I played
I ddn't realize I may have the last burst DD12MCE made on April 24th 2014. Love my Guilds
 

walrus

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Congratulations!! You scooped up a very rare bird!

Thanks to GAD I downloaded copies of the Guild catalogs for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2014. According to what's printed, Guild officially made the following F30 Standard versions during these model years.

2011 (Official introduction of the F30 Standard)

Standard F30
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Natural

2012

Standard F30, F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Antique Burst & Natural

2013

Standard F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Antique Burst & Natural

2014

Standard F30CE
Mahogany - Natural

However we know some F30 Standards were made at the end of 2010 to prepare for the 2011 model year. A 2014 F30 Standard in Antique Burst, with tortoise binding, is definitely a unique and special guitar. Although there's no exact way to confirm it (other than the mysterious log book)...you just might have the last F30 Standard ever made in New Hartford?!

Awesome find and enjoy!

Robert

Correction

F=30RCE available in 2011 - I have one!

Serial number NO115003:

N = New Hartford, O = 2011, 4/25/11 build date, third guitar built that day.

walrus
 

HeyMikey

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My F30CE is also from 2011.
 

tommym

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Congratulations!! You scooped up a very rare bird!

Thanks to GAD I downloaded copies of the Guild catalogs for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, & 2014. According to what's printed, Guild officially made the following F30 Standard versions during these model years.

2011 (Official introduction of the F30 Standard)

Standard F30
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Natural

2012

Standard F30, F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Antique Burst & Natural

2013

Standard F30CE, F30RCE
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Antique Burst & Natural

2014

Standard F30CE
Mahogany - Natural

However we know some F30 Standards were made at the end of 2010 to prepare for the 2011 model year. A 2014 F30 Standard in Antique Burst, with tortoise binding, is definitely a unique and special guitar. Although there's no exact way to confirm it (other than the mysterious log book)...you just might have the last F30 Standard ever made in New Hartford?!

Awesome find and enjoy!

Robert

Really nice chart Robert!

"However we know some F30 Standards were made at the end of 2010 to prepare for the 2011 model year."


With that in mind, you want to add the following to your chart in any case, as the Standard guitars built in 2010 do carry the (NNxxxxxx) serial numbering nomenclature:

2010 (NNxxxxxx)

Standard F30
Mahogany - Natural
Rosewood - Natural

2011 (NOxxxxxx)(Official introduction of the F30 Standard)

2012 (NPxxxxxx)

Standard F30, F30R, F30CE, F30RCE

2013 (NQxxxxxx)

2014 (NRxxxxxx)


Tommy
 

GuildInAtlanta

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Thanks for all the feedback on the chart!

I updated it to reflect everyone's thoughts, but please let me know if I missed anything else.

Robert
 

F312

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How would the F30R STD Reno Custom Shop fit into your chart, NQ.

Ralph
 

GuildInAtlanta

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F312 - I added toward the end of my post with the chart the phrase below, and it would include a F30R Standard Reno Custom Shop models.

"As a side note, there have been a few examples of variations or models produced outside of what was officially listed in the catalog."

From what I remember which was discussed on this board in the past, those guitars where a special run of guitars ordered and made for a Guild dealer called Reno's Music. They were not listed in the official catalog, but have many of the Standard features with the addition of stars used for the fretboard inlay. For very long time I saw several of these guitars for sale by Tundra Music through their Reverb store. I spoke to Tundra Music in the past, and they told me they bought the Reno guitars directly from Guild, as well as many other models, when the New Hartford factory was being closed.

Definitely unique guitars, and no one knows exactly how many of those were ever made.

Robert

Note - Updated per forum feedback.
 
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F312

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F312 - I added toward the end of my post with the chart the phrase below, and it would include a F30R Standard Reno Custom Shop models.

"As a side note, there have been a few examples of variations or models produced outside of what was officially listed in the catalog."

From what I remember which was discussed on this board in the past, those guitars where a special run of guitars ordered and made for a Guild dealer in Reno, Nevada. They were not listed in the official catalog, but have many of the Standard features with the addition of stars used for the fretboard inlay. For very long time I saw several of these guitars for sale by Tundra Music through their Reverb store. I spoke to Tundra Music in the past, and they told me they bought the Reno guitars directly from Guild, as well as many other models, when the New Hartford factory was being closed.

Definitely unique guitars, and no one knows exactly how many of those were ever made.

Robert

I can understand the confusion, It was Reno, Indiana.

Ralph
 
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