tacoma guilds

guildguyinks · Jul 22, 2005

I read an earlier post that someone had concerns about the new guilds from tacoma. I have a d-55 and a f-512 and these guitars are the best i have ever played or owned. the tone is wonderful and no flaws in the finish. I have played martins, gibsons, and takimines and i love the guild tone and feel. Due to the guild move i had to wait 6 months to receive the guilds but it was well worth the wait.

Mo · Jul 27, 2005

All the USA Guilds are now being built in the Tacoma factory. I spent a fair amount of time playing all the USA models and I was impressed with all aspects of the guitars. I couldn't find anything wrong with any of them. Now that they are sort of cousins to my Tacomas, I'd like to own one some day, but for now, they are a bit out of reach price-wise. I'm hoping to catch a J50 some day!

prof_stack · Sep 16, 2005

Wow, I played a Jumbo 50 today, fresh from Tacoma, and I was so impressed I just about bought it on the spot. What a sweet warm tone on that rosewood beauty. I also played some nice Martins and Breedloves, but this Guild was really, really nice.

It spoke to me...

Cypress Knee · Sep 20, 2005

F50 comparison

I just got an F 50R made in Tacoma. I already have a 1980 F50 (maple).

The older Guild is much heavier than the new one. And I still like the tone alot better, now that I have played them side by side several times. I always wanted an F50R, which is why I went for the Tacoma when I found it.

In addition to being lighter, it is also about a 3/8 inch shallower than the older F50. I didn't notice that until I had them side by side.

(I am not a very good guitar player, just someone who has liked Guild since I got my first D-35 back in the early 70's, so I can't speak with the authority of a professional or just a talented musician)

All in all, the Tacoma Guild plays well and sounds real good, but if I only had one to keep, I think I would keep the old beat-up version.

William63 · Sep 20, 2005

I used to own a Corona made Guild F512. I just perchased a new Guild F512 that will be coming directly from Fender the salesman said. It is brand new but I don't know if it was made in Tacoma or not. But if it is as good as the F512 I used to own I won't care where it was made.

Also, I have a 1995 Guild JF55 which is very very nicely built!

Mo · Sep 23, 2005

Re: F50 comparison

Cypress Knee said:
I just got an F 50R made in Tacoma. I already have a 1980 F50 (maple).

The older Guild is much heavier than the new one. And I still like the tone alot better, now that I have played them side by side several times. I always wanted an F50R, which is why I went for the Tacoma when I found it.

In addition to being lighter, it is also about a 3/8 inch shallower than the older F50. I didn't notice that until I had them side by side.

(I am not a very good guitar player, just someone who has liked Guild since I got my first D-35 back in the early 70's, so I can't speak with the authority of a professional or just a talented musician)

All in all, the Tacoma Guild plays well and sounds real good, but if I only had one to keep, I think I would keep the old beat-up version.

A couple of things to keep in mind. Your old F50 has 25 years on the new one and that's a lot of time in tone years! The Maple also has a laminated arched back. Is that why you say it has a deeper body?

Give that F50R some time to settle in and open up and I'll bet she'll be a keeper.

Mr.Tidy · Sep 24, 2005

If you really like the Tacoma Guilds, save yourself some money and buy an old Tacoma.
There's lot's of them out there and as far as I can tell, they all play and sound great

Mo · Sep 26, 2005

Mr.Tidy said:
If you really like the Tacoma Guilds, save yourself some money and buy an old Tacoma.
There's lot's of them out there and as far as I can tell, they all play and sound great

Totally different animal. Construction, sound, asthetics, finish, tradition & history, etc...

William63 · Sep 30, 2005

My Guild F-512 came yesterday and it is a Tacoma built model. It does feel different than the F-512 I owned that was built in Corona. But it is impossible for me to put my finger on what is different. But I do think the Tacoma Guild is better made.I will say I too am impressed with the quality.

HoboKen · Mar 28, 2006

The real question for me is "Is a Tacoma D55 as good as a Westerly D55?" It has to equal my Westerly JF-55-12 and DV-72 in all quality respects for me to put one on stage next to the Westerlys.

I hope such places as Jimlaabs in WI are wrong when they advertise a new Tacoma D55 as having a matched mahogany two-piece back and rosewood sides. "Say it isn't so Joe!"

Darryl Hattenhauer · Mar 28, 2006

HoBoKen,

What was that again? Mahogany back and rosewood sides? There's an old Guild on ebay now that fits that description. Is this something that people do?

I once saw a dread that had rosewood on the bass side back and mahogany on the treble side back, as if that would sound different. Would it?

HoboKen · Mar 29, 2006

Mahogany and Rosewood back......it would sound quite different and accentuate tonal quality of the bass & treble differently depending on which wood was on which side.

I just hope that Fender is not cutting corners and making the D55 in multiple woods as Jimlaabs is advertising. I hope its just a case of a music store not knowing it's own business and products. This is the store that won't answer even the most basic of e-mail questions about the guitars they put on E-Bay, so that is a possibility.

SteveYork · Nov 9, 2006

This is what I don't understand: If the guitar has the same specifications and built with the same quality of wood, then why wouldn't it -- in the mass production shops -- Martin, Guild, Gibson, Larrivee, ect. -- sound the same? I can understand where you have an individual luthier whose presence or absence can be felt, but that's generally not the case for these assembly line guitars.

Were the specs of the RI or Hoboken Guilds different then the Carona or Tocoma Guilds? I realize that in the 70's, 80's and even the early 90's, everyone was building guitars heavier, largely to reduce warranty issues, but not too suprisingly reducing tone also, but I would assume the Carona Guilds were probablu lighter built then many of the RI ones. So what's the difference?

6L6 · Nov 9, 2006

LOVE my Tacoma D-55!!!

6

'06 Guild D-55
'74 Guild D-40
'98 Collings D-1
'98 Martin D-45V
'71 " D-35
'70 " D-12-20
'03 Taylor 214

tacoma guilds

guildguyinks

Mo

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prof_stack

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Mo

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Mr.Tidy

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Mo

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William63

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HoboKen

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Darryl Hattenhauer

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