Best Guild 12 string?

[taabru45]

Ok Charliea....here is a clip, and the only film of Leadbelly performing....dynamic player...made in 1945, and now in 2010 we have a chance to watch it...gotta love Youtube....Steffan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlszmjNhaVQ

.....and here is a clip from a 'newsreel' but looks almost like part of a documentary...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxykqBmU ... re=related

 

[fungusyoung]

The jumbos I have played have been great, if you can handle them.

This is a great point. I still miss the tone of my Westerly era JF30-12 & probably always will, but I was just never real comfortable playing that guitar. It was a great guitar for recording & I thought the tone was magnificent... but the body depth & size was just too much for me. I ended up with an early 70's F112 as my only 12 stringer, which is great for a smaller mini jumbo option, but I miss the gorgeous & booming sound of that maple! Though, I know the F112 is the best fit for me.

I'd just caution you to play some jumbos if you haven't already before buying. Consider how you'll be using it & if it's the right size/fit for you.

The F212XL & JF30-12 (Westerly era, I'm biased!) guitars are fabulous. So is the F212 if you want something slightly smaller than the F212XL. You can find VERY good F212XL, JF30-12 & F212's in your price range. If you like snazzier appointments or if you have a preference for rosewood, there are more expensive options (F412, F512, JF55-12, JF65-12) as already mentioned. I'm not nearly as familiar with those, but never felt I needed more than the JF30-12.

I don't think the G212 (mahogany) or G312 (rosewood) have been mentioned, but they are wonderful dreadnought 12'ers along the lines of a D40 (G212) & D50 (G312). They're a little harder to find, but they are out there within your range also.

We have a thread here that includes most of the basic specs. for Guild 12 stringers (at least for the Westerly era guitars), but I can never find the link to it... and the Search function isn't working at the moment.... hopefully somebody can find & post the link to that as it might be helpful.

 

[chazmo]

The jumbos I have played have been great, if you can handle them.

This is a great point. I still miss the tone of my Westerly era JF30-12 & probably always will, but I was just never real comfortable playing that guitar. It was a great guitar for recording & I thought the tone was magnificent... but the body depth & size was just too much for me. I ended up with an early 70's F112 as my only 12 stringer, which is great for a smaller mini jumbo option, but I miss the gorgeous & booming sound of that maple! Though, I know the F112 is the best fit for me.

I'd just caution you to play some jumbos if you haven't already before buying. Consider how you'll be using it & if it's the right size/fit for you.

The F212XL & JF30-12 (Westerly era, I'm biased!) guitars are fabulous. So is the F212 if you want something slightly smaller than the F212XL. You can find VERY good F212XL, JF30-12 & F212's in your price range. If you like snazzier appointments or if you have a preference for rosewood, there are more expensive options (F412, F512, JF55-12, JF65-12) as already mentioned. I'm not nearly as familiar with those, but never felt I needed more than the JF30-12.

I don't think the G212 (mahogany) or G312 (rosewood) have been mentioned, but they are wonderful dreadnought 12'ers along the lines of a D40 (G212) & D50 (G312). They're a little harder to find, but they are out there within your range also.

We have a thread here that includes most of the basic specs. for Guild 12 stringers (at least for the Westerly era guitars), but I can never find the link to it... and the Search function isn't working at the moment.... hopefully somebody can find & post the link to that as it might be helpful.

I think I know why you *really* miss the JF-30-12, fungie...

By the by, she really did need a new nut; I'll be you played her capo'd most of the time, didn't you? Or did you use very heavy strings?

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

LOVE my '06 F-412!

Even so, I would also try a vintage Martin D-12-20 before buying anything else.

6

A word of caution though.....My first decent 12 was the 12-20....I liked it a lot.....I think though that they were made without a truss rod.... :shock: Steffan

The older Martins, like before 1985, had truss rods that were not adjustable.
The rod is there, you just can't tweek it.

 

[fungusyoung]

I think I know why you *really* miss the JF-30-12, fungie...

By the by, she really did need a new nut; I'll be you played her capo'd most of the time, didn't you? Or did you use very heavy strings?

Ugh... most beautiful striped neck I've ever seen & yet I still had to part with it.

I did use a capo almost all the time (light strings) with that guitar so the need for a new nut doesn't shock me. For some reason, I rarely use a capo now with the F112... something about that guitar, it just sings when tuned down. But, I don't think I was writing much stuff while tuned to D back when I owned the JF30-12... if I had, who knows.... I might've had to keep her!

It's funny because I would have guessed the width of the neck would've cause me more issues than the comfort of the body size, but I always found that guitar to be quite playable even though it was in need of a setup.

 

[Dennis M]

This is the grand daddy of them all. The big kahuna. Not quite the "holy grail", we reserve that for F-312s, etc. But this is the one at which we all bow down to . . .

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-F512-12-Strin ... 3a5e6fe2d8

And it is in your price range.

Dennis M.

 

[fungusyoung]

Here's the thread I was trying to find... see the LONG post near the bottom of the first page:

http://letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3915

 

[Brad Little]

Even so, I would also try a vintage Martin D-12-20 before buying anything else.
6

Interesting. I had a D-12-20, probably from around 1970, didn't particularly like it compared to my F-212. Can't compare them anymore, I lent it to my son and it was stolen. Never felt any desire to replace it.
Last night I A/Bd my 212 and 512 and, boy, are they different animals. The 212 neck is flat, and after playing the 512 mostly the last few months it felt almost concave. It is also louder and has more of an edge than the 512, but I don't know if that's the guitar or the fact that it's been played for 45 years. You can't go wrong with a 512, though, just one very nice guitar and I really like the D-Tar pickup system, not really any Piezo quack.
Brad

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

http://jdgrs.com/guitars_detail.php?ID=20
Nuff said!

 

[chazmo]

Oh you bad boy, TMG. I guess I wasn't including unobtanium in my list

 

[charliea]

This is the grand daddy of them all. The big kahuna. Not quite the "holy grail", we reserve that for F-312s, etc. But this is the one at which we all bow down to . . .

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-F512-12-Strin ... 3a5e6fe2d8

And it is in your price range.

Dennis M.

He wants a lot for that guitar, considering the top crack. Doesn't have the abalone rosette, either, though I guess that's a matter of taste. One of these days I might wave my magic checkbook over my G312 and convert it to a 512, but I'll need a better deal.

 

[spiderman]

Well if not the best, one of the more interesting ones, a bunch of Judy Collins' guitars are up for auction on Christies including a 1968 Hoboken F-312. See link at LTGers only.
Everyone has their own preferences, I am really pleased with my D12-20. Twelve frets to the body makes for a great guitar, although if you play up the neck you are getting dangerously close to classical guitar country.

Harmony H-173 bought in 1960 (retired), Alvarez AC60S 2008, Eastman AC320ce 2008 "Hybrid", Guild GAD-JF30E(blonde) 2008, Guild JF55 1997, Guild D25M 1974, Martin Grand J35E 2009, Martin D12-20 1970
"I'm glad there are a lot of guitar players pursuing technique as diligently as they possibly can, because it leaves this whole other area open to people like me."
Richard Thompson

 

[bodde]

Are you the Richard Thompson that also plays with Danny Thompson? One of my favourite bassplayers!!

http://jdgrs.com/guitars_detail.php?ID=20
Nuff said!

exactly what model is that?

 

[killdeer43]

Can't pass up the opportunity to insert the perfect lyrics to accompany this thread:

If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with

I love my plain-vanilla D4-12.

Joe

 

[bruzmuse]

I agree, the jumbos are an arm full. Back in the early '80's I had the chance to strum a Guild 12 and I never forgot that feeling, that sound, that look. When I finally could afford one I snagged a B-E-A-utiful JF30-12. Just last night I was playing it and because I kinda have to really get my arms around that big beautiful maple body when I play it, it just resonates through my whole body. Doesn't get any better than that. I think someone once said, "Like a grand piano in your lap." A lot of power and fullness there. I would never part ways with my big blonde beauty, never ever.

 

[killdeer43]

I think someone once said, "Like a grand piano in your lap."

I've often said that it's like a harpsichord that you can carry around in a case, take camping, etc. :wink:

I keep mine tuned down to D and we're both happy....less tension in our lives!

Joe

 

[fungusyoung]

I think someone once said, "Like a grand piano in your lap." A lot of power and fullness there. I would never part ways with my big blonde beauty, never ever.

I know I used to refer to the sound of my JF30-12 as grand piano-like. I completely agree with your assessment on the power & fullness. Truly mindblowing tone. While my F112 doesn't get near the same punch, I still love it to death & it's as easy to wrap my arms around as my 000. I must admit if I was in Guild's development division, I'd be pushing hard for new F112-R & particularly F112-M models (M as in Maple!).

 

[12 string]

+!

' Strang (State College and New Canaan)

 

[spiderman]

Sorry for the confusion bodde, the Richard Thompson is not me, but the author of the quote. He is a well known English singer/songwriter who was one of the members of Fairport Convention, and noted for his collaboration with ex-wife Linda Thompson post-Fairport. The ironic thing about that quote is that he is a master of unusual techniques, look him up in Wiki.

Harmony H-173 bought in 1960 (retired), Alvarez AC60S 2008, Eastman AC320ce 2008 "Hybrid", Guild GAD-JF30E(blonde) 2008, Guild JF55 1997, Guild D25M 1974, Martin Grand J35E 2009, Martin D12-20 1970
"I'm glad there are a lot of guitar players pursuing technique as diligently as they possibly can, because it leaves this whole other area open to people like me."
Richard Thompson