Differences between JF-30 and F-50, besides the bling?

[Zelja]

I'm pretty sure the JF30s have straight braces while the F50s, especially the later ones would have carved or scalloped bracing. That should make a sonic differences. Also absolutely nothing wrong with a rosewood fingerboard (JF30) but I really appreciate an ebony board & some others might too.

 

[SFIV1967]

If a JF-30 is basically an F-50 without the bling, is it the same as an F-50 Standard? Why would they have both?

The F-50 Traditional and F-50 Standard were something New Hartford had. The JF-30 was discontinued many years already at that time. So they were not available in parallel. And the specs between Westerly or Corona guitars were different from Tacoma or New Hartford guitars. You can't compare them 1:1 but really have to read and study specs of each time when the specs changed. Even during the few New Hartford years the "Standard" model specs also changed.

I add two examples of New Hartford made guitars with the detailed specs shown:

F-50 Standard: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/guild-f-50-standard-acoustic-guitar?_requestid=4555211
F-50 Traditional: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/guild-f-50-jumbo-acoustic-guitar
And here's a JF-30 from Westerly 1996: http://elderly.com//vintage/items/20U-15783.htm

Ralf

 

[West R Lee]

I've owned both and see little difference other than the abalone on the F50 (JF65).

West

 

[txbumper57]

Bumper ditto on all those bands. We have discussed Tesla and their Guild arsenal here before, and posted a number of videos from 5 man acoustical jam. Notably "the way it is," "love song" and "signs". Id like to keep this thread on the subject guitars but if u want to see a songbird and some F-412s in action, check them out!

Sorry for the Veer, Just brought back Memories when I saw the Patience Video! :tears_of_joy:

 

[Neal]

There is a 2010 F-50 "Standard" on Reverb right now. It has even LESS bling than the JF-30. Now I'm REALLY confused.
If a JF-30 is basically an F-50 without the bling, is it the same as an F-50 Standard? Why would they have both?

I have a '12 F-50 Standard in sunburst, and although it is totally stripped down in the bling department, it does have the same back, sides and top as the F-50 Traditional, and the same red spruce bracing. It also has a rosewood fretboard and bridge (in lieu of ebony), a two-piece neck (instead of three), a satin neck (instead of gloss).

But man, the tone is totally comparable to the blinged-up F-50. I have been so impressed with the value of the Standard Series (especially the ones from 2010-early 2012 that have gloss back and sides compared to the later '12 models that got satin back and sides), that I also bought an F-30 Std, and am looking at a D-50 Std right now.

Here's the F-50 Std, no slouch in the looks department...

Neal

 

[adorshki]

I'm pretty sure the JF30s have straight braces

post #4 in this thread:

Now as for scalloped vs standard or shaved: Depends on when built. First and second year ('87-'88) price lists show scalloped bracing but winter '97-'98 catalog shows standard

The F-50 Traditional and F-50 Standard were something New Hartford had. The JF-30 was discontinued many years already at that time. So they were not available in parallel.

It never occurred to me before but it appears that the F50 Standard does fill the slot that used to be occupied by the JF30.

 

[The Retro Rocker]

Actually, in the Patience video, it looks like Slash is playing a few different guitars, but in the beginning, and later, doesn't it look like Slash's guitar is a sunburst maple JF-30?
At 2:28 you can see that it's sunburst, but inside the soundhole, it appears that there is no bracing. I had to pause the video to see for sure. And no bracing indicates laminated maple arch-back, yes?

 

[adorshki]

Actually, in the Patience video, it looks like Slash is playing a few different guitars, but in the beginning, and later, doesn't it look like Slash's guitar is a sunburst maple JF-30?
At 2:28 you can see that it's sunburst, but inside the soundhole, it appears that there is no bracing. I had to pause the video to see for sure. And no bracing indicates laminated maple arch-back, yes?

Yes, and now that you mention it, I think it's been identified as a JF30 before, or at least that he had one as a "go-to" acoustic for a while.
Without looking at the video, a chesterfield on the headstock would be an easy to spot visual clue too, if it was hard to see the fretboard to check for block inlays, for example.

 

[The Retro Rocker]

Yes, and now that you mention it, I think it's been identified as a JF30 before, or at least that he had one as a "go-to" acoustic for a while.
Without looking at the video, a chesterfield on the headstock would be an easy to spot visual clue too, if it was hard to see the fretboard to check for block inlays, for example.

Chesterfield yes. No block inlays.

BUT...I goofed. I was looking at the guitar so much, and not at the faces of the band members! I think it's IZZY that's playing the JF-30 I was looking at. (Tobacco-burst JF-30 maple)

And honestly, I was never a huge GnR fan. I heard their stuff on the radio and thought they were good, even better than most of the bands they were usually associated with. But Patience was a kind of stand-out number because of it's great sounding acoustic-guitar essence, and I always liked it. But I never saw the video until this posting! I had no idea it was Guild-driven. Fantastic sound!

And as luck would have it, there's a guy selling one that looks a lot like the sunburst JF-30 that Izzy is playing.
It's a 1996 in tobacco-burst, which I actually like! Seems like good condition from the pics and description, with original hard shell case. And it has an LR Baggs I Beam pickup (passive). He wants $800.00. I am tempted...as you know I was originally looking at F-50s and even JF-65's...but this guitar is less than half the price! Maybe I CAN live without the extra bling!

 

[SFIV1967]

I don't know which exact Patience video you talk about but there was some discussion about the guitars earlier here:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?183092-Slash-s-Guild-in-quot-Patience-quot
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?157767-Guild-acoustic-identification
Ralf

 

[The Retro Rocker]

Well..I missed out on the JF-30. Looked like a nice guitar, but I just couldn't get there in time. Someone else bought it! Maybe they will pop up on LTG at some point!
So the search continues for a nice maple-backed JF-30, F-50 or JF-65 at a decent price. If you guys see anything, let me know! I know I'll find one at some point.

 

[txbumper57]

I don't know which exact Patience video you talk about but there was some discussion about the guitars earlier here:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?183092-Slash-s-Guild-in-quot-Patience-quot
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?157767-Guild-acoustic-identification
Ralf

He is talking about the video posted earlier in the thread Ralf.

 

[txbumper57]

Well..I missed out on the JF-30. Looked like a nice guitar, but I just couldn't get there in time. Someone else bought it! Maybe they will pop up on LTG at some point!
So the search continues for a nice maple-backed JF-30, F-50 or JF-65 at a decent price. If you guys see anything, let me know! I know I'll find one at some point.

I will keep my eyes peeled for ya, If I see anything you might be interested in I will drop you a line for sure. Sorry you didn't get to that one but that just means there is another one out there with your name on it!

 

[mavuser]

Chesterfield yes. No block inlays.

BUT...I goofed. I was looking at the guitar so much, and not at the faces of the band members! I think it's IZZY that's playing the JF-30 I was looking at. (Tobacco-burst JF-30 maple)!

Actually looks like Slash is playing a GF-50, and Izzy a JF-30 in the video, Slash an "NT" and Izzy an "SB". Duff has a GF-25 black.

Slash did have (2) JF30s- the one Patience was actually recored
with (which broke on tour in the 90s) and the second one seen in the Snakepit videos which is also from the GNR days, and was auctioned off several years ago.

Edit: yes I concurr Izzy has a JF-30 in the Patience video. I edited this post and my previous one

 

[mavuser]

I don't know which exact Patience video you talk about but there was some discussion about the guitars earlier here:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?183092-Slash-s-Guild-in-quot-Patience-quot
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?157767-Guild-acoustic-identification
Ralf

just read Ralf's threads, and I say Slash's guitar is still up for debate. i'd never heard of the JF-50R before. So Slash's guitar in the Patience video is either a JF-50R or a GF-50. Did not realize this had been discussed in such detail here previously, very cool. I do recall several years ago an LTG thread from when Slash's JF-30 was auctioned off.

 

[SFIV1967]

I say Slash's guitar is still up for debate. ...Slash's guitar in the Patience video is either a JF-50R or a GF-50.

Yes, and Hans wasn't 100% sure either as it sounds as he said the guitar was never in focus enough. So we would need better pictures of Slash holding that guitar in question. The only differences as I mentioned I saw was the distance of the pickguard to the edge of the guitar on the trebble side which backed up my GF-50 theory.

Ralf