What is it that draws you to Guild guitars?

[Minnesota Flats]

I blame this homeboy wearing a headband in a head band:

 

[RBSinTo]

By way of full disclosure, I wanted a maple jumbo acoustic, and the Martin and Gibson equivalents were far too expensive (and the Gibson far too gaudy and tasteless) to justify, and the Epiphone while far more reasonably priced was as ugly as the Gibson.
I found a used GAD jf-30 that was reasonably priced, sounded good and played well, so I bought it, and I can say that I've not had any regrets with the purchase.
However, having said that, that I bought the Guild rather than another brand was truthfully nothing more than the luck of the draw.
RBSinTo

 

[twocorgis]

I bought my D50 in 1976 because Bonnie Raitt played a Guild, and I liked it a lot better than the J50 that I compared it to. Couldn't afford the F50R or the D28, and the D28 wasn't 40% better anyway.

I finally bought a '75 F50R as a Christmas present for myself in 2009, and discovered the folks here talking about that very guitar when I joined. Those were the only two acoustic guitars I owned back then!

 

[Christopher Cozad]

I bought my F-50R in 1976, having yearned for it and saved for it for 3 long years. I was drawn to that particular model because it was as close as I could get to John Denver's Guild. Having heard Rocky Mountain High back sometime around 1973, I fell in love with the sound of that Guild (those Guilds) and my fate was sealed.

 

[bobouz]

In the early ‘70, I’d become fascinated by what makes a quality build acoustic guitar - which I couldn’t afford by a long shot. The major players in the game at that time were Guild, Gibson, & Martin. I began scouring flea markets for unwanted $10-25 instruments with solid woods that could be resurrected, and eventually traded my way up to a new Guild - which I’d determined to be, by far, the best value on the market. After working my way through the purchase of a new D-40, F-20, F-30, & F40 in rather quick succession, I developed a passion for short-scale Gibson models that remains with me to this day. Gibsons & Guilds, especially in maple, just seem to suit my playing style the best. So today, I typically find myself drawn to numerous examples from both iconic companies.

 

[12 string]

I play 12 string guitar. Need I say more?

' Strang

 

[beecee]

I like 'hog and maple guitars.

I'm sure there are better hog guitars out there than a D40 but I've yet to been able to play the, say, Crosby D18's of the world or even a Gibsom WM.

And I firmly believe they make better maple than anyone.

 

[midnightright]

They are the essence of what it is I find attractive about music, and acoustic guitar, in terms of all it represents. I played electric for the first 5 years on a Strat; as I had only tried my parents cheap Classical from a garage sale they'd picked up in the '70s. And so, I was just convinced, at first that I couldn't play the guitar. Then at some point, I'd realized that I (probably) couldn't play the acoustic. Then one day I waltzed into a Guitar Center, and there on the wall hung a Guild (used) D-25 in natural w/non-original case. I knew of them, and loved them from seeing Alice & Guns play them, I think...

So I walked out the door with it. I still remember asking the employee, like I didn't even know what to look at in a used guitar. He grabbed it and went through a quick standing evaluation in front of me, maybe no more than 5 quick things; such as, "we want to check & see that the bridge lies flat with the body, and we can see that it is, etc." When he got to the case, it looked like it had been through a few airport bag checks. And he says, "now when it comes to the case, yes we can see that it is damaged; or in rough shape on the out side (Freddy Krueger, maybe?) but what's really important is on the inside - which was excellent!. . . "

And so, that was then to become my base/or normal (my more routine compass; for the taste, tone: fit n' finish, and so on) for an acoustic instrument. What would come to follow, are models more like this in later years ahead (this was over 20 years ago); & also a couple DV-6's (probably the best sounding of the bunch), some D-4's, lots of those/them in fact~ / an F-30 or two! I can't remember: but I'm sure there were some more.

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

Like my friend Christopher Cozad, it was John Denver. I grew up on those early 70’s albums, hearing his Guild 6 and 12 strings, and that just became “the” sound of an acoustic guitar for me. And those early JD albums (before he got into all of the lovely Lee Holdridge orchestrations) like “Rocky Mountain High” and ”Poems, Prayers, And Promises” really show off that sound. What continues to substantiate that sound to me is every time I go into GC and their “high end” room and pick up those other guitars and leave grinning from ear-to-ear knowing that the Guild I have at home sounds light years better than anything in there.

 

[Wilmywood]

Literally love at first sight. The year after I graduated high school, I sold a car. To that time I had had only a classical guitar my folks gave me in 8th grade and a couple of cheap acoustics. It was time for a real guitar. So I grabbed up my friend and LTG member SJS and we went guitar shopping. We went to a small independent music store local and I played about a half dozen guitars, among them a Guild G37 that had just come out late the year before. Enamored with the Guild, we went a couple of other places like Guitar Center in Hollywood and a couple others and played everything they had. Went back to the local place a week later to buy and one of the employees had snapped up that G37. But they had another one the next day and I bought it. $375 out the door including a Guild case. Best $375 I'll ever spend. That's her in my avatar.
PS ... the luthier at that local store was the late, great Mike Lipe, who went from there to quite a career as a guitar designer, builder and luthier. First time he laid eyes on that G37 he replaced the open strand tuners with Grover Rotomatics and made her a new bone nut. Those Grovers survive today on the '78 G37 SJS now has, a testament to their quality. I had replaced them with gold 18:1s when I added the gold chesterfield applique to mine.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I say that I came to Guild, mostly out of regret. Why? Well, I was a Martin snob for a long time, like a decade. Then I bought some Taylors and a Gibson and Larrivee, and stopped being a snob. Then one day, I remember about Guild, and then found out they were based in RI for a long time. Well, I grew up there and NEVER KNEW at any time as a kid, I could have gone to the factory etc. That would have been amazing. But I never knew, and it really bothered me that I never knew while I lived there. I even went on a sales trip with my Mom to Westerly when I was like early early 20s, and we never stopped off at the factory, but then again, I did not know Guild existed.

So I only buy Westerly RI Guilds. If that makes any sense. Cause of nostalgia, now, turns out, they are great sounding instruments. But that was secondary.

 

[Boomstick]

I like 'hog and maple guitars.

I'm sure there are better hog guitars out there than a D40 but I've yet to been able to play the, say, Crosby D18's of the world or even a Gibsom WM.

And I firmly believe they make better maple than anyone.

I'm 100% with you here. The only other builders who made maple guitars that can rival Guilds have been small builders and the price tag runs 5 figures in my experience. And I can't think of a better hog than a D-40 either. My dad's primary guitar throughout my childhood was a D-35 and I always liked the guitar, but my appreciation for the Guild hogs is growing more in more recent years.

I like the rosewood models as well. Little better balanced than Martins, but less of the "woody" Martin sound.

 

[Neal]

In 1971, when I was 12 years old, I watched Tom Chapin play an F-40 on his Sunday morning show, Make a Wish. I just thought the shape of the guitar was cool, and he was cool.

Five years later, I had saved enough money to buy my first “good” guitar. I drove up to Chuck Levin’s in Washington, DC and plunked down $225 for a used D-35.

And here it is, 47 years later.

 

[chazmo]

So many things... But, mostly, I'm here because I found my F-512 in my local shop back in 2007 and had a "Maxwell moment" with it. Multiple times, really. I'm here now mostly because of the community and because my collection of Guilds rocks my world just fine.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I hope to increase my Guild acoustic collection eventually, once the dust settles from all the kids are expensive years, which is still a long way out, and really my investment for a while yet needs to go to them...

But, I hope to acquire the following when I am older:

F20
D25 arched
D55
F50

 

[Rich Cohen]

My first Guild was a DV-52, right after I sold my 1971 Martin D-28. The sonic depth and balance of the DV-52 blew me away, and the amount paid for it (around $1,100) also felt good. Then, after researching Guilds, I realized that I could afford to expand my collection with Guilds, and began to feel confident about taking chances buying them without trying a guitar out. Most of the time, I have been completely satisfied; especially when I bought one from Richard Petersen. Now, I'm a bit older and don't have the financial solidity that I had when I owned 7 Guilds, but still I'm thoroughly pleased with just playing Guilds.

 

[Westerly Wood]

In 1971, when I was 12 years old, I watched Tom Chapin play an F-40 on his Sunday morning show, Make a Wish. I just thought the shape of the guitar was cool, and he was cool.

Five years later, I had saved enough money to buy my first “good” guitar. I drove up to Chuck Levin’s in Washington, DC and plunked down $225 for a used D-35.

And here it is, 47 years later.

that would have been the retail price of my D25BR in 1971. $225. Probably could have gotten case throw in too lol.

 

[Central Florida Folkie]

In 1971, when I was 12 years old, I watched Tom Chapin play an F-40 on his Sunday morning show, Make a Wish. I just thought the shape of the guitar was cool, and he was cool.

Five years later, I had saved enough money to buy my first “good” guitar. I drove up to Chuck Levin’s in Washington, DC and plunked down $225 for a used D-35.

And here it is, 47 years later.

I LOVED that show!

 

[nickelwound]

The ad below is what got me. Two junior high buddies reading Guitar Player mag dreaming of guitars.
My first was a D35 that I played the heck out of. Love the necks and playability of them.
Nicely priced and American made. I’m a Westerly guy as well.

 

[plaidseason]

Rhode Island.

Reason 1: 25-ish years ago when I decided I was going to buy my first decent American made guitar, a very knowledgeable friend suggested Guild as the best value and therefore smartest choices. I played a DCE1 head to head with a Martin DC1 and went with Guild.

Reason 2: Rhode Island. At some point in the process, I looked at the label inside that DCE1 and went, "Wait, what?" I grew up (and now once again live) 45 minutes from Westerly. We went there all the time. To the beach. To the go-kart track. To the paddle boats.

Even now I find that I can usually find a better deal on a Guild than another American made guitar. That M40 I picked up used a couple of weeks back, cost me $1300 shipped. A similar Martin would be upwards of $2000.