Cougar
Enlightened Member
Major congrats, but... what? Never heard of such a thing. Gibson's walnut-backed J15 was quite a hit, but -- oh, here it's the color! Gonna have to see pics and hear more about it!
Guild JF-30-12 String Acoustic, 90's
- Thread starter tomvwash
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Major congrats, but... what? Never heard of such a thing. Gibson's walnut-backed J15 was quite a hit, but -- oh, here it's the color! Gonna have to see pics and hear more about it!
wileypickett
Senior Member
Under really strong light you can see the walnut in there -- it's actually rather creamy looking -- but it's a lot darker than the mahogany stain they used on, say, D25Ms.
adorshki
Reverential Member
Be aware even that stain fluctuated from pretty light early on to pretty dark in the late '70's.
'74:
'77:
But yeah, that's what I'd expect "Walnut" to look like.
wileypickett
Senior Member
Wow -- none of my D15s or D25s were ever that light!
adorshki
Reverential Member
adorshki
Reverential Member
Yeah think they were trying to continue the original "BR" look, and the light only went on for me recently when Westerlywood and Mavuser both explained their '71 D25 "BR"'s were actually pretty light, almost orange-ish even.
But by '74 D25's had migrated to the spruce tops. D15's and '17's were hog tops so that helped darken 'em up I think.
But Bonneville88 had a pretty light D15 IIRC.
Oh, that must-a been the D17, post #8, here:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?196323-D15M-where-is-the-love/page3
beecee
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Other brands boast of "scalloped bracing" to reduce the dampening effect of the structural bracing. Guild's archbacks do away with the bracing altogether! The sound is huge!
I've never heard that angle...…...I like it!!
I've never heard that angle...…...I like it!!
adorshki
Reverential Member
AS I said in post #14:
"That only applies to tops and Guild used it on high-end models too.
Tops produce more than 95% of a guitar's voice and do so by resonating, so yes bracing is very important on a top and it's the "secret sauce" of many makers."
Nobody scallops bracing on a back.
And in fact arched backs have been a staple of jazz archtop construction since long before Guild started making their electrics or offered the F50 (arched maple back).
Sure the arched back performs some sonic work like enhancing sustain and overtones, and it's said to function like a parabolic reflector (A back's primary purpose) and focus the sound towards the soundhole, supposedly enhancing volume, but it has drawbacks as well: It's extremely easy to muddy up the sound due to all those harmonics and sustain.
It's an excellent choice for lush sounding chords/strumming but generally can't equal a flatback for clarity at volume.
I've said it before, an archback is like a parachute flare, it lights up everything but a flatback is a searchlight beam, tight and focused.
And its back bracing certainly doesn't interfere with that delivery.
Because the relatively consistent depth of its body focuses the overtones in a tighter range.
They don't overlap and muddy up the sound as much which is why they're better for fingerpicking.
And is likely why arched rosewood backs are so rare, rosewood would really overdrive an arched back body, whose varying depth gives "equal time" to a broader range of overtones , so to speak.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
What's there's a walnut topped dread I don't have? 
I dig the DC5E, everyday. Gone a little country lately and man, the tone is so pleasing.
Didn't know I was particularly bless to have a Rosewood archback, I though they were a dime a dozen on Guilds.
This is also my only guitar with a cutaway, and my heaviest at 6b 12oz.
I dig the DC5E, everyday. Gone a little country lately and man, the tone is so pleasing.
Didn't know I was particularly bless to have a Rosewood archback, I though they were a dime a dozen on Guilds.
This is also my only guitar with a cutaway, and my heaviest at 6b 12oz.
adorshki
Reverential Member
OK, you're off punishment detail now and your milk and cookie ration has been re-instated.
And your drill instructor has been counseled on providing kinder and gentler guidance.
:glee:
Here's the final result of the thread from last week. Followed the good advice of others here--thank you--and went for the JF-30. 1993 model, only one small blemish on lower bout, otherwise in super clean condition at very good price from Dave's Guitar in LaCrosse, WI on Reverb. Just a shade shy of the bass range on the GAD I mentioned in initial post, but it's the small things on this one that come out on top--tortoise shell guard; no electronics and wiring in the sound hole; made in USA with approaching-vintage style.
...actually, I don't see where to attach a photo....
...actually, I don't see where to attach a photo....
Hi
I got a jumbo JF30-12 maple, arched back solid top on Ebay, I think made '91 Westerly Factory. Westerly factory was my most important requirement, they have never sounded quite the same since. I got lucky, The one I got I think had basically never been played. Original strings, original everything. Fundamentally the JF-30 is the 'F-512' with less bling.
Fantastic guitar. I believe if it's an arched back it may be perforce laminated but not to be cheap, but the way to get the arched back, and they are really good wood pieces used for this, not cheap plywood. I also have a Rosewood 1980 F50 6-string. I had heard the Westerly Maple 12 string and always wanted that specifically for the specific sound which has a lot of great resonance and sound on the mid and high and is still clear enough in the Bass, but not too 'Bass-y'. It does sound a little bit different than a Rosewood jumbo 12-string F-512 of the same shape. It is 'brighter'. At the same time those also would have been arched back also. My F50 (Rosewood) is arched back. So if you don't like the Maple tone, you can look for the Rosewood one, the model # F-512 on Ebay. They are both awesome sounding. The necks are not narrow so be prepared for that. Even the F-512 will not be 'really really Bass-y' but it may sound very slightly 'warmer'.
As far as the new guilds, they have gone through several factories since then and each time the sound has changed some so I'd have to hear the specific guitar before
buying it if it was not Westerly. There was a factory for a while making them maybe in California but they didn't sound the same for sure. Then there was a factory in Conn. that was trying hard to make good new guitars... online they seemed OK but I couldn't find any place that had the high end models in stock to try in person, so I couldn't get a good opinion.
Now they moved the factory again to California I hear, and of course China. The wood is different, build process different, even the air and humidity during curing processes can effect instruments... so for new guitars, I think I'd have to hear it to see how they are coming out now, and still I cannot find any place that has the higher end models in stock. Plus they are all two-piece backs. That is 100% sure to add more Bass. So that may move a 12-string maple into the range of Bass you are looking for if you worry the original was not Bass enough for you.
I got a jumbo JF30-12 maple, arched back solid top on Ebay, I think made '91 Westerly Factory. Westerly factory was my most important requirement, they have never sounded quite the same since. I got lucky, The one I got I think had basically never been played. Original strings, original everything. Fundamentally the JF-30 is the 'F-512' with less bling.
Fantastic guitar. I believe if it's an arched back it may be perforce laminated but not to be cheap, but the way to get the arched back, and they are really good wood pieces used for this, not cheap plywood. I also have a Rosewood 1980 F50 6-string. I had heard the Westerly Maple 12 string and always wanted that specifically for the specific sound which has a lot of great resonance and sound on the mid and high and is still clear enough in the Bass, but not too 'Bass-y'. It does sound a little bit different than a Rosewood jumbo 12-string F-512 of the same shape. It is 'brighter'. At the same time those also would have been arched back also. My F50 (Rosewood) is arched back. So if you don't like the Maple tone, you can look for the Rosewood one, the model # F-512 on Ebay. They are both awesome sounding. The necks are not narrow so be prepared for that. Even the F-512 will not be 'really really Bass-y' but it may sound very slightly 'warmer'.
As far as the new guilds, they have gone through several factories since then and each time the sound has changed some so I'd have to hear the specific guitar before
buying it if it was not Westerly. There was a factory for a while making them maybe in California but they didn't sound the same for sure. Then there was a factory in Conn. that was trying hard to make good new guitars... online they seemed OK but I couldn't find any place that had the high end models in stock to try in person, so I couldn't get a good opinion.
Now they moved the factory again to California I hear, and of course China. The wood is different, build process different, even the air and humidity during curing processes can effect instruments... so for new guitars, I think I'd have to hear it to see how they are coming out now, and still I cannot find any place that has the higher end models in stock. Plus they are all two-piece backs. That is 100% sure to add more Bass. So that may move a 12-string maple into the range of Bass you are looking for if you worry the original was not Bass enough for you.
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adorshki
Reverential Member
Can't "attach" 'em, gotta link 'em:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...hat-are-our-alternatives-to-photobucket/page5
And the original "How to post images here" thread:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?185122-FAQ-Posting-pictures-to-LTG
And congrats on you JF-30 score!
:sm
Assume you're talking Corona from '02-'04, followed by Tacoma from '05-08.
Cougar has had the opportunity to A/B his Corona and his Westerly JF30-12 and opted to let the Westerly built-version move on.
To be fair it's gonna be up to an owner's ears and even the specific guitars, and both Corona and Westerly underwent evolutions in build style which also affect "tone".
An Oxnard (and even Corona) is a humidity-controlled environment which Westerly never was.
Dunion my man, you gotta keep up here, Oxnard just needed to get some volume out the door and get some cash flow rolling before bring the (old Westerly) arched back press on line.
They do make arched back models now as mentioned earlier in this thread.ile:
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beecee
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Ha...if this is unkind and ungentle....
No issues at all Al. I value your posts..as infrequent as they are.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
Damn I wish I could have them all.
Cougar
Enlightened Member
You know I love mine.
Tonewise, how could it be much different than the 412?