Why isn't there an American-made OM line up since all these years?

[mavuser]

Guild should bring back USA maple SF 4/5/6- the thin version from mid-80's/90's, offer Duncans, Dimarzio, or Guild pickups. No one can compete with that, not even Gibson's 335 family.

They already brought back USA S-100 but was way too limited and too expensive. To expand on that with the right mahogany could take time. But with the current political/international trade climate, that becomes a realistic *possibility (which was not so, very recently)

bluesbird/nightbird/ngale is the other obvious choice.

being that all 3 SF, Polara, and Bluesbird are made already in the far east...I think potentially down the road, the direction things go could be such that those far east builds are only sold in the far east and Europe, and USA builds are sold in the USA. this would be the extreme longer term scenario, of a possible shift in international policy.

the USA Starfire though. can't lose on those

 

[Br1ck]

Once again, we don't see what demand is for any product. Guitar Center stocks what sells. No one can stock products based on speculation. A manufacturer can incentivize a retailer any number of ways, but if bringing a model to market entails a large investment, maybe a plant expansion, they are going to need a lot of data supporting demand.

Inventory is a big expense. It costs a retailer money to have a guitar hanging on the wall. Likely they are stocking product with debt. Move it quick, make some profit, move it in six months and they lose. How many of the general buying public knows what an F 30 is?

 

[Walter Broes]

being that all 3 SF, Polara, and Bluesbird are made already in the far east...I think potentially down the road, the direction things go could be such that those far east builds are only sold in the far east and Europe, and USA builds are sold in the USA. this would be the extreme longer term scenario, of a possible shift in international policy.

That kind of strikes me as an odd comment..? What would be the logic behind that?

 

[steveintampa]

Once again, we don't see what demand is for any product. Guitar Center stocks what sells. No one can stock products based on speculation. A manufacturer can incentivize a retailer any number of ways, but if bringing a model to market entails a large investment, maybe a plant expansion, they are going to need a lot of data supporting demand.

Inventory is a big expense. It costs a retailer money to have a guitar hanging on the wall. Likely they are stocking product with debt. Move it quick, make some profit, move it in six months and they lose. How many of the general buying public knows what an F 30 is?

That being said, where is the marketing and product placement?

Nobody wants what they can have, they want what is new.

These were fantastic guitars and have a place in the new acoustic world. The archback design was the answer to Ovation in a an organic manner.

These are fantastic guitars to play outdoors because they hold tune.

Certainly Yamaha has their ears to this site.

 

[davenumber2]

That being said, where is the marketing and product placement?

Nobody wants what they can have, they want what is new.

These were fantastic guitars and have a place in the new acoustic world. The archback design was the answer to Ovation in a an organic manner.

These are fantastic guitars to play outdoors because they hold tune.

Certainly Yamaha has their ears to this site.

Guild has been making archbacks since the 50’s, before Ovation was even a company.

 

[adorshki]

The archback design was the answer to Ovation in a an organic manner.

Maybe I'm misinterpreting the statement, but Guild's first flattop, the F50, was an archback in 1953, long before Kaman moved from choppers to guitars.

And they weren't the first either, having been influenced by Gibson's SJ200 and former Epiphone employees. Arguably it was more likely due to Al Dronge's love of jazzboxes. And the backs could be pressed in the same press used to make the arched tops.

 

[mavuser]

That kind of strikes me as an odd comment..? What would be the logic behind that?

again it would be the extreme hypothetical scenario, with regard to hypothetical international policy changes, such as import/export tarrifs on finished goods (those going up) and/or raw materials (potentially those going down, at least for some countries, so goods can be manufactured easier and for lower cost in the USA), basically the oppositie of the way it is now. However, while part of what I wrote could be considered realistic or even impending, the other part...would be much further down the road, if at all.

There are good resources in Mexico and Canada, as well, and parts of the USA, also. We need to get right with those Countries, however. We can get there, but there is work to be done. Using Fender as an example, a Mexican Fender and USA Fender, that are otherwise identical, should cost the same. Fender has done a good job of closing that gap. But we have further to go. When the prices are equal, more of them will be built in USA.

 

[steveintampa]

Guild has been making archbacks since the 50’s, before Ovation was even a company.

So I may have my history wrong, but I stand be what I said about marketing.

Made to Played being a motto, how many gigging guitarists play out doors and need an instrument to be played that will hold tune outdoors?

Ovation was a fantastic answer to that and I play one to this day.

The Guild acoustic arch backs with the heavy bracing that was used fit right in. A working man players guitar!

 

[adorshki]

So I may have my history wrong, but I stand be what I said about marketing.

Made to Played being a motto, how many gigging guitarists play out doors and need an instrument to be played that will hold tune outdoors?

Havens opened Woodstock with a D40 and his rhythm player used an F47.

Ovation was a fantastic answer to that and I play one to this day.

If could ever have kept one to stay straight on my leg I might have become interested.

 

[JohnW63]

Oddly, leg slide was never a problem for me. I don't know why. I wonder if I developed a technique to over come it because it was my only guitar and I had to make it work.

 

[steveintampa]

If could ever have kept one to stay straight on my leg I might have become interested.

I have a shallow bowl and I use a strap and stand when I play.

 

[Br1ck]

That being said, where is the marketing and product placement?

Nobody wants what they can have, they want what is new.

These were fantastic guitars and have a place in the new acoustic world. The archback design was the answer to Ovation in a an organic manner.

These are fantastic guitars to play outdoors because they hold tune.

Certainly Yamaha has their ears to this site.

Once again, we don't know anything about production capacity, capital expenditure, or market research. No large organization is going to produce new product based on a small, and we are small, slice of product worshippers. I for one have never cared for the F 30. I have only liked and considered buying the dreads and the 12 strings. I've played half a dozen F 30s and thought Martin's offerings far better. This is only my opinion. When in shops, a real world barometer if ever there was one, Guild F 30s were never more than $1200, maybe $1500 more recently.

So you are asking Guild to build a model that never was, and I speculate on this, a very popular model. What we'd like, the old model lineup of the past, is most probably uneconomic or a speculative endeavor at best. As an example my favorite D 18 I've played was a 65, built about as different from today's as you could get. The marketplace has decided on what they want. We should respect the decisions those responsible for a company's health are tasked with making. Advocate for an F 30 if you want. I have no crystal ball.

 

[adorshki]

So you are asking Guild to build a model that never was, and I speculate on this, a very popular model.

It was very popular in the '60's folk boom era. However, that was then, this is now, as you say:

What we'd like, the old model lineup of the past, is most probably uneconomic or a speculative endeavor at best.

 

[steveintampa]

To me Guild was always the ultimate 12 string. Takamine was the 2nd. Now Taylor has established a place at the table.

Time to retake the crown.

 

[Rayk]

He exhales , long pause , Enter Ray speak !
Maybe Yamaha will change things maybe not !

OM’s / OOO’s and GA’s are in ! have been nothing new there . I talked to my folks one time long ago about trying to open up a pizza restaurant they said it won’t work there’s to many out there already . So it fell on deaf ears . Ironically not to long after the exact place I was considering opened up a pizza shop and still is going strong after 20 yrs plus and still popping up every where so why avoid a market slot ? Only thing that makes sense is ( a stepping stone )

I don’t get big business at least not the same sense as share holders go . Only thing I can think of is the selling of Guild to Cordoba was a stepping stone so to say , get a name brand with followers to get more notice . So Guild was used is used as financial crutch no that’s not right a recognition crutch ! , not enough to compete with big boys so to say but big enough to give a push to whoever owns them .

I can’t say what Yamaha has planed but for me watching what has happened over the years I feel Guild needs private ownership .

It needs that family bond to push forward . Not suits out for there shares . it’s about heart and soul . I guess we can just wait and see what Yamaha is going to do .

If the result is the same O’l then I guess my take on things was right , let’s hope not .

I hope for the best !

 

[JohnW63]

Family owned doesn't equal making money. Martin is there not because it's family owned, it because it has a long history and has a good track record of making guitars that define what an acoustic guitar should sound like for a LOT or people. We in this forum prefer something different, for the most part. Martin also advertises. Talyor advertises. And both have plenty of famous people playing their brands. That is also a really good form of advertising. You can find these two brands in almost all music stores. I call that the " get your hands on one " type of advertising. All of those forms of advertising keep a brand going. Guild needs to improve these aspects of their advertising. Their recent history of not building enough guitars to have them in stock where people buy them is their biggest weakness.

 

[adorshki]

To me Guild was always the ultimate 12 string. Takamine was the 2nd. Now Taylor has established a place at the table.

Time to retake the crown.

Especially with GA bodies.

 

[adorshki]

Only thing I can think of is the selling of Guild to Cordoba was a stepping stone so to say , get a name brand with followers to get more notice . So Guild was used is used as financial crutch no that’s not right a recognition crutch ! , not enough to compete with big boys so to say but big enough to give a push to whoever owns them .

I always thought that's why Fender bought Guild in the first place, to get some creds in the flattop market.

MY confidence started getting shaken when they (Fender) introduced the GAD line, but arguably that's what kept 'em (Guild) afloat from about '07-'12 including the great recession.

I got a suspicion they would have preferred to keep Guild if the economics had been more favorable, but they had bigger problems at the time.

 

[bobouz]

Just about everyone building quality guitars in the US has a 15” OM style body in their line, other than Guild. There’s certainly a market there. Yamaha competing with Martin or Taylor’s product volume is a non-starter. But with their resources, they surely could set a goal to establish a more varied & consistent presence for Guild in the US-made market if they so desired. Unfortunately, they instead choose to come out with a high end FG series, made in Japan. Who knows what they’ll be up to next.

 

[steveintampa]

Family owned doesn't equal making money. Martin is there not because it's family owned, it because it has a long history and has a good track record of making guitars that define what an acoustic guitar should sound like for a LOT or people. We in this forum prefer something different, for the most part. Martin also advertises. Talyor advertises. And both have plenty of famous people playing their brands. That is also a really good form of advertising. You can find these two brands in almost all music stores. I call that the " get your hands on one " type of advertising. All of those forms of advertising keep a brand going. Guild needs to improve these aspects of their advertising. Their recent history of not building enough guitars to have them in stock where people buy them is their biggest weakness.

Exactly. It is a culture. That takes years of marketing, product placement and general acceptance.

To bring Guild back to "Top 10" status would best be done sooner than later with American made products.