WWLTGD -- Well, here's what I did BUT...

[11earl]

LTG'ers -

Took the collective's advice, and only looked out for D55s that I could play in person or return if bought via the Interweb.

Pulled the trigger today, bought a Tacoma built D55 off Craigslist. Near perfect with the exception of a tiny scratch below teh pick guard.

Started searching here for string suggestions, and stumbled on a post from someone that advises not to buy an '08 Tacoma. Well, missed that nugget of advice in the lead up to my purchase - the serial number on this git is TL1490XX.

So now I've got this bad feeling and am filled with remorse - it *was* exactly what I was looking for...sigh.

I know some of you claim no picture, didn't happen, so here's a pic.

By hj11earl at 2011-12-15

 

[geoguy]

Can't see the photo . . . but, do you like how it plays? If so, congratulations!

Maybeyou could post the link that concerns you (for those of us too lazy to search it out for ourselves).

 

[FNG]

Assuming you got a very clean guitar for a great price, and you liked it enough to buy it.

Who cares what someone else says? Tacoma Guilds are very nice guitars.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Some people have the concern that Guilds that were made in the final year of production in Tacoma may not be up to par with other Guilds.
I have not heard anyone complain about any Tacoma built Guild other than some of the seconds that were dumped on the market when Guild mover from Tacoma.
None of these guitars were D-55's though.
You will be very happy with your new Guild. It should look and sound fantastic!
Enjoy it,
TMG.

 

[11earl]

Thanks TMG - how does one identify a "second"?

 

[Geo]

Thanks TMG - how does one identify a "second"?

If it was a second, it would have "USED" stamped on the back of the headstock. But it doesn't so stop worrying about it. :wink:

Who cares what someone else says? Tacoma Guilds are very nice guitars.

+1

Who gives a rat's behind what someone who never played your guitar thinks. Most of that crap gets spread by second hand info anyway. :x

No need for buyer's remorse. You bought the flagship model and in burst on top of that. 8)

Let me find somethin' to hit you with. :shock:

Enjoy that wonderful guitar. :mrgreen:

George

 

[11earl]

Based on the 149 part of the serial number the guitar was built May 29.

Forum member "Scratch" wrote (clipped): Now to briefly discuss why I would check the 2008 build date: If crafted after June 2008, I'd be wary as Fender made some unscrupulous marketing decisions during the timeframe when they were rushing to leave Tacoma to begin operations in New Hartford. In short, they rushed some guitars that did not pass QC/QA to aftermarket distributors as unwarrantied 'used' instruments. My CV-1, for example, was a newly designed but not-so-well thought out contemporary series experiment with unpatented bolt-on necks. Some contemporary models were fine instruments; many others, including mine, were not. My only solace is that my CV-1 is now an outstanding guitar, but only after I had a high respected luthier perform major (and very expensive) surgery twice. Busted overtorqued bolts and green wood were just two contributing factors to my nightmare and I thus paid a high repair price for some Fender Exec decision to unload these guitars without thought to consumers or their (Fender's) reputation. They belonged in a dempsey dumpster but Fender wanted to make some money to cover move expenses (my opinion).

Ack.

 

[geoguy]

Now I see the photo. What a beautiful sunburst. 8)

I believe the seconds have a sticker with a typed serial number, applied to the label over Guild's hand-written original serial number. The back of the headstock may also be stamped "used".

 

[Curlington]

Searching the internet yields all kinds of opinions on almost any subject. I’ve never seen evidence or substantiation that 2008 was a bad year for Tacoma Guilds. Even if a valid generalization, it is just that, not fate. Tacoma Guilds are widely praised. D55s are top of the line, flagship guitars. Buyer’s remorse is common and often clears up on its own. It takes some playing to really know a guitar. You can likely sell it for what you paid or maybe a little less to account for your rental period. Most prospective buyers will not know or care about forum chatter on whether 2008 was a good year, and will play it to evaluate it. So, my advice FWIW is to play it and enjoy the novelty until the next string change, and then reevaluate. You may decide that you stumbled on a bargain real deal, and then you can refute the net chatter, if and when it ever comes up again.

 

[Geo]

That D-55 looks beautiful.

Pick it up and look at it as if you were working QC for Guild. Do you see any flaws?

Finger it up and down the neck. Any problems?

Tuners holding?

Binding cracked?

Bridge lifting?

TRC on upside down? :lol:

If there are no problems,,, don't try to create one.

Enjoy. Relax & Enjoy. :wink:

George

 

[Curlington]

I was drafting my response and then sent it while several messages were being posted. Scratch has a point that the factory transitions can cause problems, and he evidently and unfortunately had a very bad experience, but again his is just a caution. Seconds usually have the serial numbered altered in a very obvious way. Assuming that’s not the case with yours, you should be fine. Best of luck with it. Lots of us on this forum would love to own one.

 

[FNG]

Based on the 149 part of the serial number the guitar was built May 29.

Forum member "Scratch" wrote (clipped): Now to briefly discuss why I would check the 2008 build date: If crafted after June 2008, I'd be wary as Fender made some unscrupulous marketing decisions during the timeframe when they were rushing to leave Tacoma to begin operations in New Hartford. In short, they rushed some guitars that did not pass QC/QA to aftermarket distributors as unwarrantied 'used' instruments. My CV-1, for example, was a newly designed but not-so-well thought out contemporary series experiment with unpatented bolt-on necks. Some contemporary models were fine instruments; many others, including mine, were not. My only solace is that my CV-1 is now an outstanding guitar, but only after I had a high respected luthier perform major (and very expensive) surgery twice. Busted overtorqued bolts and green wood were just two contributing factors to my nightmare and I thus paid a high repair price for some Fender Exec decision to unload these guitars without thought to consumers or their (Fender's) reputation. They belonged in a dempsey dumpster but Fender wanted to make some money to cover move expenses (my opinion).

Ack.

That post really pertains to the CV models that had the funky bolt on neck system. Lots of people have had some major problems with those guitars.

Haven't heard one complaint about the dreads from Tacoma.


I'd say play the snot out of that D-55. If you have problems with it, then get back to us. :mrgreen:

 

[idealassets]

So now I've got this bad feeling and am filled with remorse

Kudos on your D55 guitar. I strongly recommend a Tacoma built Guild guitar. My D55 is Tacoma made, and I have owned 4 others. I also own Hoboken, Westerly, and Corrona made Guild's. Sure, and older guitar may give someone some sense of bragging rites, but 99.9% of the folks out there see a Guild and like it.

A Tacoma built guitar is by all means a "player" guitar. Older guitars are not necessary always "played in', or better guitars. Yes, we all dream of the "better" old days. But give me a nearly new Guild guitar any day.

Craig

 

[adorshki]

Now I see the photo. What a beautiful sunburst. 8)
I believe the seconds have a sticker with a typed serial number, applied to the label over Guild's hand-written original serial number. The back of the headstock may also be stamped "used".

It should be pointed out that most of the guitars we've seen out there are technically not "Seconds" but more properly should be called "Refurbished" or "refurbs".
"Seconds" are instruments specifically marked by the factory and sold by the factory as having some kind of production flaw, sometimes invisible, but usually it's cosmetic only. A different type of animal, and apparently far more rare, going by the relative numbers I've seen reported here.
Most of the so-called "Seconds" and "used" instruments appear to be guitars that were sold to an outfit called "Musical Instrument Recovery Corporation". It seems from all reports that the majority of these guitars actually had no problems whatsoever but simply needed to be liquidated quickly. As mentioned though, the "Contemporary series" guitars from Tacoma seem to be the glaring exception.
Part of MIRC's standard procedure is to obscure the original s/n with a sticker to prevent invalid warranty claims. It's part of their deal with Fender.
The stickers seem to be a pretty good indicator of an MIRC instrument. I've seen pics here of barcode labels used by them on guitars, but it does appear that they may have used more than one type of label and method (Recently we saw a s/n written over with felt marker on the label).
It seems the primary reason the warranties were withheld on those instruments was economic, ie, they were liquidated and probably couldn't be warranted at the liquidated cost to MIRC. A secondary consideration might be that honoring warranty on these might alienate regular Fender dealers who were still buying fully warranted guitars at regular dealer prices. It occurs to me it might have even violated the dealer's franchise agreement to do so (offer the warranty on discounted guitars sold to what amounts to a non-franchised dealer).
I can only recall seeing one reference to an actual "second" marked instrument from Corona. (I'm excluding Westerly, we've learned that Westerly did regularly sell seconds)
In fact when I first saw the post I was surprised, I didn't think Corona actually let any seconds out the door.

 

[Thunderface]

Looks like a beauty, and while you were wise to seek the opinions of our knowledgeable members, the only opinion that should really matter is yours. Play it. Play it a little. Play it a lot. Then decide if its right for you or not.

 

[adorshki]

So now I've got this bad feeling and am filled with remorse - it *was* exactly what I was looking for...sigh.

Hey Earl, welcome aboard! .
You probably figgered out by now that there's prob'ly nuttin' wrong wit' yer new axe!
This place is THE place to get the real skinny aboui Guilds.
What I was really trying to get at in my long-winded post, and as others are pointing out, if the guitar shows no evidence of having the serial number mucked with, then you've got a regular factory "first", but even if it's got an MIRC type sticker on it, that prob'ly don't mean squat.
Second owner doesn't get the warranty in any case.
You probably got a great deal on a guitar that the market don't give no respect to lately.
Yiou've already eyballed it.
If you're like me when I got my D25, you're gonna eyeball it a bunch more while you keep noticing new details. For me it was a revelation about the workmanship, how well everything was put together, not a seam misaligned or gapped or....you get my drift. :wink:

 

[steamfurnace]

Based on the serial number of my Tacoma F412, it was built May 14, 2008. I cannot find a single flaw in the guitar, and it sounds just wonderful. I had it out Wednesday night for just a couple of tunes that turned into an hour of strumming and fingerpicking that had my chest vibrating. I don't regret buying my '08 one little bit

 

[11earl]

Hi Guys,

Steam, good to hear/read. Showed it to and played it for my wife this morning. I figured she would just shrug and say it looks nice but she commented on how wonderful the sound is. I can't find a flaw on the guitar other than the small scratch the previous owner put in it. I'll put up some additional lousy pics later today.

 

[davismanLV]

11, with the myriad of information and opinions out there on the internet, if you go looking for something you're probably going to find it. If you look for "bad stuff about Tacoma Guilds" you'll get that. By the same token, if you look for "good stuff about Tacoma Guilds" you'll get that too.

All I'm saying is, there is no need yet for buyers remorse as that is one BEAUTIFUL D-55!! Don't worry about what everyone says and enjoy the guitar. Of all the opinions out there, yours is the one that counts the most. Listen to what everyone is saying here..... and play the HELL out of that amazing guitar and ENJOY IT.

Thanks for the picture. It's a true beauty. 8)

p.s. - even lousy pics are good, but good pics are better.

 

[Scratch]

Earl,
My post you read; and as previously stated,the difficulty I encountered was with the infamous 'used' CV-1. I owned a 2007 Tacoma-crafted D-55 and it was a wonderful instrument.

The 'caution' date relates to the timeframe when Fender started ramping down operations in preparation for the pending move to New Hartford. They closed Tacoma plant operations in fall 2008 and started manufacturing in Connecticut in early 2009.

No need for great detail here as it has been discussed many times before, but Fender rushed many 'leftover' instruments to MIRC or otherwise liquidated them as quickly as possible prior to the actual move. Tacoma plant employees were left behind so-to-speak to finish up. Some instruments crafted after June 2008 were not marked as used/seconds but wound up as NOS (New Old Stock) in various guitar shops; available at very reasonable prices, but without warranties. Two guitars I am familiar with had minor problems (one was mine; a summer '08 issue F-40) and the retail merchants would not honor requests to repair them.

May 2008? You're probably A-OK. Enjoy it...