Vintage Guiar reviews the Standards

[Bill Ashton]

Nice article/review on the Standard Series (sans 12-string) in the Vintage Guitar that arrived today...February, 2011

Tried to post a link to the article, but apparently it is not available on line...

 

[6L6]

Looks like the D-40 was the winner of the bunch.

Frankly, I don't care for the downgrade in finish and appointments of the STD series. They're asking way too much money for these instruments given the appearances of them.

6

 

[Dr. Spivey]

Frankly, I don't care for the downgrade in finish and appointments of the STD series. They're asking way too much money for these instruments given the appearances of them.
6

I agree Six, they need to drop the price on those a few more c-notes.

 

[Bill Ashton]

I have to re-read the article again, I think I am confusing it with the GuitarPlayer review.

Frankly, I have to say I like the tighter-grained Sitka Spruce of the tops and the Ivoroid binding of the standards much better than the wide-grained Red Spruce tops and dead turtle binding of the Traditionals. When we played the standards at LMG, in my mind both the D40 and D50 Standards were "winners," they cut through the crowd noise better than any of the other pieces there.

I will admit however, that the satin finish neck kind of puts me off (too "Taylor-ish"), and I really would rather Grover tuners than the Gotohs. But the examples I have played in Worcester at our favorite music store have been very nice.

From what I can tell from my local music store, who is also a Guild dealer, the "street price" noted should be achieved without to much problem, unless of course there has been a change since they were originally announced.

I still think that I played a dreadnaught-bodied 12-string Standard there that day... :?

 

[Bill Ashton]

After thoughful consideration, I pose this question:

Whose all American-made guitar (well, sans the tuners), made out of traditional solid tonewoods (and not sapele-origami-whatever), with a nitro-cellulose finish, can you buy new with warrantee for ~$1800 or perhaps slightly less? Not a Martin, not a Taylor, not a Gibson. Breedlove?

The unadorned Gibson Hummingbird-Special or whatever hovers around $2K at Guitar Center (like that? "hovers?"), Martins may have a solid guitar but they have fingerboard/bridge of Kolox or someother weirdo wood, Taylor may have a singular guitar that fits this (although
their line is so broad I may well be missing something).

Educate me, for perhaps I am not familiar enough with what is out there. I think that Guild did a bullseye for what they are producing, although the competition is fierce here. Would love to see them a few hundred dollars less, then they could take on the old moniker for "best bang for the buck." But they probably squeeked out the best they could do and satisfy a lot of masters. They are getting great reviews. The question is are great reviews enough?

 

[fronobulax]

dead turtle binding of the Traditionals.

Curiously, that is exactly the feature that made Mrs. Fro prefer the F-30 Traditional to the F-30 GSR at LMG 2010.

 

[chazmo]

Definitely a matter of taste... I have to say, I really like the appointments on the F-212XL standard. Really suits me. Ivoroid is much more my style than white plastic. Tortoise-shell is nice on the -40s, but I like something with a bit more contrast to the wood... Really, it's nice to have choices, right? Taylor hits a home run on this subject, in my book, because they have had a Build-to-order program the last few years where you can basically do whatever appointments you like. It's not cheap, but it's not ridiculous either.

And, Bill, to your point... I agree about the pricing thing. We had a TON of discussion about this in a previous thread, and maybe I'll concede that you can't get a US Guild for the price of a [pick-your-brand] import, but I think they're very competitive with other US-built guitars. More breadth and choice would be great to increase the "value" perception of US Guilds, of course... On that note, I have some high expectations from the New Hartford folks... Stay tuned; the game (remains) afoot!

 

[Ridgemont]

Well here we go again.....It's like we are an old married couple that continues to fight about the same thing. :wink:

I do believe that among the premier American guitars such as the ones listed above, you can't get better than $1800 for a mahogany dread. Yes they are the cheapest. But as Chazmo, it is all about personal taste. I think some see the new look of the STD series and are put off when it comes the "downgraded" appointments. Personally, I do not care for the finish. Because they are not happy with the look, it would require a greater cost differential for them to purchase the STD as opposed to the higher priced TRAD version. Different strokes for different folks. At least they sound good. Right?

 

[theflyingturtle]

After thoughful consideration, I pose this question:

Whose all American-made guitar (well, sans the tuners), made out of traditional solid tonewoods (and not sapele-origami-whatever), with a nitro-cellulose finish, can you buy new with warrantee for ~$1800 or perhaps slightly less? Not a Martin, not a Taylor, not a Gibson. Breedlove?

The unadorned Gibson Hummingbird-Special or whatever hovers around $2K at Guitar Center (like that? "hovers?"), Martins may have a solid guitar but they have fingerboard/bridge of Kolox or someother weirdo wood, Taylor may have a singular guitar that fits this (although
their line is so broad I may well be missing something).

Educate me, for perhaps I am not familiar enough with what is out there. I think that Guild did a bullseye for what they are producing, although the competition is fierce here. Would love to see them a few hundred dollars less, then they could take on the old moniker for "best bang for the buck." But they probably squeeked out the best they could do and satisfy a lot of masters. They are getting great reviews. The question is are great reviews enough?

I strongly agree. As a buyer I want a MIA instrument but the prices?! Sheesh. I am stuck buying used. It is not the worst thing in the world but I get downright agitated seeing how much Gibson wants for mediocre guitars. On the other hand I have seen some nice Eastmans but I don't want a Chinese made guitar because no matter how it sounds, it is still a Chinese made guitar and, to my mind, it isn't the real thing. I know a lot of people would disagree with me but my own feelings tell me that a GAD is not Guild enough. It isn't a Guild, it's a GAD. Yes I know the GADs sound great but I want the real thing and I don't want to "settle" for less than the real thing when I put my money down.

 

[lcjones]

Being from the old school, GAD is like e'GADs something went wrong ....

But then I am completely all about American craftsmanship, manufactured or hand made. There is no comparison. I can't afford hand made. Yes there are good instruments made beyond the borders. But really, no one, no country, no company can make a guitar like they make guitars in America.

Chap