First guilds from the new factory...

GuildFS4612CE said:

Let's try this again:

Guess you didn't notice it on the previous page.

I made it larger there.

Guess you still didn't notice it. :roll:

GuildFS4612CE said:

There is a 'non-confirmed', i.e., 'rumor' making the rounds, that Fender found out that they didn't actually OWN the Tacoma factory :shock:...perhaps Sherlock Holmes can track down the truth... :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Peace

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:lol: If Jane's assertion is correct, isn't that more evidence of Fender's stellar business prowess? How do you "find out" that you don't own a factory? :shock: I'm not too business savvy, but I would think one of the first things I would do when buying a business, would be to "find out" if I were actually going to own it prior to purchase, but that's just me....I'm funny that way.

West

West R Lee said:

to "find out" if I were actually going to own it prior to purchase, but that's just me....I'm funny that way. West

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So does that mean you actually "own" Graham's D-55?

West

I was thinkin' about this stuff the other day...

About GAD, well, I wasn't that delighted to see Guild building in China, but it's a step others have taken too. How long ago was it that all those sub-$1000 laminated "Martins" hit the market? I'm sure Martin sells more of those than they do of the D-28s and D-35s, and I'm sure they make more money at it. Manufacturers have to go there to keep the ship afloat.

Of course Martin won't stop making high-end guitars, even if they only break even with them, and if anyone at FMIC has half a brain (admittedly unproven at this stage) they won't stop building high end US Guilds either. It seems to me that from the money-making standpoint, it's the high end instruments that provide the brand clout that sells the cheaper ones. The more quality players are out there with good Guilds, the more new players are going to be looking at them and thinking "I want a Guild too". If those new players buy a Guild, it will probably be a GAD, because they can afford it, it looks right, and truth is it probably doesn't sound or feel half bad, and they will probably get a quite decent guitar for the money. FMIC does have a real financial incentive to keep the US Guilds coming at a high quality level, even if they aren't earning a whole lot on those instruments.

As far as discovering that they don't own the factory... well, isn't it possible that they knew that all along, and thought they had a viable long term lease deal, or whatever, but that the deal ended up falling through? The move does seem a bit irrational, but barring the lively possibility that the FMIC crowd are a bunch of loonies, sometimes when things seem irrational there's something in the picture that we're not seeing. Maybe when FMIC moved Guild to Tacoma they had every intention of staying there, but things changed in some unexpected way that made the deal not viable?

Speculation, of course...

Dayuhan,

I think the answer to that is pretty simple... FMIC bought Ovation and Hamer last year. That was a new acquisition, and really not predictable back in 2004 when they took over Tacoma. They thus acquired the Connecticut facility (whether it's rented or owned, I'm not sure I understand Jane's point) and saw the possibility of carving out 25,000sq.ft. of the production floor. They have space in CT, so they're consolidating manufacturing. I guess it's the fact that this is less than 3 years after they moved Guild to Tacoma that has folks scratching their heads...

Anyway, I really think your point about the high-end instruments defining the brand is right on the money. And this is the point we hope FMIC hears loud and clear from us. I know some folks already stated that they threw in the towel on Guilds after FMIC shutdown Westerly, but I believe great instruments were being made in Tacoma (including the Contemporary series, though that isn't my cup of tea) and I hope FMIC gives the folks in CT a chance to carry the Guild torch.

GAD's are not a bad idea. Martin's been making guitars in Mexico for a while, but these are lower level and lower profit models. It's appealing to the entry level or budget buyer. They need to crank those out in big numbers to succeed. A D28 is plenty profitable in comparison.

I agree that FMIC's intentions for Tacoma were hopeful. They must have wanted it to work out, but I think at least in part FMIC dropped the ball on marketing and distribution. It seems almost like once the good word got out, the plug was pulled on Tacoma. Unfortunately for Guild, GAD's are a much better known commodity than their USA made counterparts.

fungusyoung said:

It seems almost like once the good word got out, the plug was pulled on Tacoma.

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Same thing happened with the DeArmond line. :?

I don't think the word ever got out on dearmond...by the time most of found them it was blowing out the line time, the plug had already been pulled, the patient simply hadn't quit breathing yet.

They gave dearmond very little time as a brand. Remember the total bs fmic press release about dearmond as the most researched guitar line in history...which they then gave less than three years before killing it.

I was just poking around in ye olde fender forum and invite one and all to check out these six year old threads...was I right, or was I the paranoid conspiracy theorist as several folks said?

http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=2002&topic_number=173339

http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=2002&topic_number=164916

Okay, they're funny in their own ways...but all the guys who were convinced electric guilds were making a comback kills me! I'm still saying look at the actions, not the words, and it still looks like continuing poor life support for guild as amaerican guitars

This just in:

http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/ ... 71964.html

West

So four brands will share 67,000 sq ft? Right....

What you say, what you do - USA made Tacoma to live on?

In recent weeks I have become a closet Tacoma fan, after picking up a 10 year old parlor guitar.
Until I had this one in my hands, I had a perception of Tacoma being a mid-line brand, with a satin finish and the gimmick of the off center sound hole that George Gruhn helped design (Oh and I do have a Papoose for sale too :> )
From what little I've learned, Fender also did the trick of "rescuing" the brand, trimming the line and failing to support dealers with product and information. The belief over on the Tacoma forum is that they will continue to make a limited line of Tacomas in China, no doubt on the same production lines as GAD etc.
It will prove interesting to see what actual products come out of the Ovation plant in Ct. in the coming year.
tj

That news story just makes it all seem so crappy.

Tacoma, Guild, Hamer, Ovation.

Are they going to move workers back & forth?
Are Guilds going to sound like Tac's? Like Ovations?

It's really depressing.

I actually had the thought today of buying a CT D-55.
Forget it.

Well, that news story verifies the rumor I'd heard that Fender found they didn't actually own the Tacoma plant. It seems it WAS leased. That would certainly affect any renovation/expansion plans.

GuildFS4612CE said:

Well, that news story verifies the rumor I'd heard that Fender found they didn't actually own the Tacoma plant. It seems it WAS leased. That would certainly affect any renovation/expansion plans.

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Clearly the factory was leased, but it's a little hard to believe that Fender didn't know this in the first place.

We Just received a fresh F512 that was Tacoma built.

Hey Bingley, you wouldn't happen to have a Tacoma D55 in stock? I've got a young (22) friend that is extremely talented that has fallen in love with my Guilds. He told me last week that he drove to a dealer about 50 miles from here and played a Tacoma D55 and loved it, I don't know when he might be in the market for one, but I told him I'd check with you.

West

There's Probably 5 or 6 here in different finishes and with and withouts.

I'll PM you Bingster.

West

I have Hoboken, Westerley, Corona and Tacoma Guilds. And I love them all. They're like children who I had with different mothers. Right now I've been thinking about this little gal from conneticut................

Welcome.
Feel free to talk/brag about your basses. We have two things in common 8)