Guild Nashville Custom Shop

HoboKen

Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
443
Reaction score
0
Location
Central PA
Those who read my inputs on these pages know that I call 'em like I see 'em....the good, the bad, and the ugly.......and not necessarily in that order.

I have a rare Westerly Guild DV-72 and while I simply love the guitar, I could not ignore that the neck was indeed twisting over the years....first one way and then the other. A most unstable piece of wood! David Strait, a luthier and an authorized Guild field repair person in Boiling Springs, PA, does all my guitar work and even he said after 10 years of working on the situation, its the wood and as long as this particular neck is on this guitar, it was going to keep doing what its been doing. Alas, no joy in mudville!

So I did as he suggested and I paid the $35 to send the DV-72 via David to the Guild Nashville, TN Custom Shop for a neck replacement under the original owner (me) warranty.

I can honestly say that the guitar came back at no more expense to me,
better than when it was sent. The Guild Custom Shop worked wonders!
They replaced the neck while keeping the special turquoise finger-board and head stock in-lays and the multi-layered edging in tact. They perfectly matched the vintage color of the stain and finish on both the woods and the bindings (no easy feat!). I do believe they made it better than when it was new.

Now the real proof will be over the next few months and years in how well the neck remains stable. But, I do believe that will prove to be fact with what I've seen of the Custom Shop's work.

Is it still worth while to have an original owner Hoboken or Westerly Guild warranty? You Bet It Is!!

HoboKen
DV-72
JF-55-12
F-212
JF-30
S-100


[/b]
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
Guild Nashville Shop

Hello Ed,

Well, you might have seen my comments about the work they can do in the Nashville facility in another thread and I'm not surprised they handled your repair just fine.
There's one thing though that I'm curious about. Did they copy the 'old' serial number to the new neck or did they do something else?
Just curious from a historical point of view.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

Jeff

Enlightened Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
5,990
Reaction score
4
Location
seattle
I'd be curious what the non Warranty price would be for that service.
 

HoboKen

Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
443
Reaction score
0
Location
Central PA
Hans!

You blew my cover and called me Ed!! Now I can never just be HoboKEN.
Such is life.

To answer your question.......the Guild Custom Shop maintained the correct serial number, etc. on the back of the head of the guitar. Not quite as clear as the original, but its there.

As to the cost of the neck replacement given that they had to try to maintain the vintage classic look to match a 14 year-old guitar, with special inlay and a D-100 headstock of multiple woods w/turquoise....
My "guess" is about $800 to $1K. Maybe Hans (being a luthier) can give it a better educated "guess-ta-mation."
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
HoboKen said:
Hans! You blew my cover! Now I can never just be HoboKEN.

Sorry about that Ken! Don't know why that happened. Do you think anyone noticed?

As far as the repair estimate is concerned, I don't think anyone working without the supplies and materials to do regular Guild repairs, could do it for that kind of money. I'm not sure though how a place like the Nashville shop would calculate a job like that if it wasn't a Warranty repair.

Oh, and by the way, I do not consider myself a luthier. Guitar repairman pretty much describes it well.

Sincerely,

Hans
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
Guild Nashville Shop

tommieboy said:
Does the custom shop still take new orders?

Right now the Nashville Shop is the official repair centre for Guild Guitars in the US. They do the stuff that cannot be handled by the various repairman that are licensed to do Guild repairs.
I don't think they're set up to take Custom orders right now, but it's always possible that that might change in the future.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

Venerated Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
11,083
Reaction score
317
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
HoBoEd,

Did the Guild custom shop re-use the old fretboard or make a new one?

Do they do only repairs? Do they take only warranty work? Or can you send in a structurally sound instrument that's out of warranty and have it customized--refin, new pickups, different binding, etc?
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Do they do only repairs? Do they take only warranty work? Or can you send in a structurally sound instrument that's out of warranty and have it customized--refin, new pickups, different binding, etc?

Darryl,

They do other stuff as well over there and the repairs can be both warranty and non-warranty. Don't think they will customize your guitar but I guess you can always ask.
Either way, the work has to go through an official Guild/Fender dealer or repair centre, so it's not like you can give 'm a call or drive up there and discuss the work you would like them to do.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

Venerated Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
11,083
Reaction score
317
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Thanks, Hans. I was wondering what the custom shop would be like after the Tacoma move. The job they did on that D72 sounds like they are miracle workers. The guy who is doing a repair on one of my banjos used to be a finisher for _ibson, and he has told me how hard it is to get it right, so matching that neck sounds to me like they accomplished the impossible.
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
Guild Nashville Shop

Darryl Hattenhauer said:
Thanks, Hans. I was wondering what the custom shop would be like after the Tacoma move.

Hello Darryl,

The place where HoboKen's DV-72 was repaired is the repair facility in Nashville. This is the location that used to house the Guild Custom Shop until production of Guild guitars was moved to Corona, CA. I don't think they still refer to the Nashville facility as the Guild Custom Shop although they have quite a few of the same people working there.
Just wanted to point out that the guitar was not repaired at the Fender Custom Shop in Corona.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
 
Top