Sam Powrie
Junior Member
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2021
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 45
- Guild Total
- 3
Hi Folks,
As discussed briefly here a few months ago, I have found & purchased a 1984 Guild F-30 in great condition. I'm in Adelaide, Australia & it the owner freighted it to me via a very reputable shop in Sydney. I arranged for them to do a clean & set-up & they did a great job. However they installed D'Addario 11-52 light gauge strings (probably the EJ26 Custom Lights) & after a few months playing I've decided that they aren't quite getting this guitar's full potential. It just sounds a tad plinky on the G,B & top E strings. I suspect that many guitar techs are used to setting up very lightly built acoustics played with a pick & maybe don't quite understand the demands of tapered or straight-braced instruments played finger style!
Incidentally, many of the older Guilds I've played (I currently also have a 1970s D-35) have felt & sounded relatively 'heavy' compared to Martin-style instruments & they've also sounded to my ears as if they've been built a bit more heavily inside - tapered or non-scalloped bracing etc. I'm not complaining - I play finger-style most of the time & prefer an articulate & clearly-voiced guitar. Indeed I've found many Martins - especially smaller rosewood models - to have a really 'muddy' low-end thud which I dislike!
Anyway, back to the F-30. I'm wondering if heavier gauge strings might be worth trying. Maybe mediums? Or maybe the D'Addario 'True Mediums' (13-56 - heavier 1st, 2nd & 6th strings)?
Can I please ask what others have found to work best on their F-30s? Thoughts?
thanks, Sam.
As discussed briefly here a few months ago, I have found & purchased a 1984 Guild F-30 in great condition. I'm in Adelaide, Australia & it the owner freighted it to me via a very reputable shop in Sydney. I arranged for them to do a clean & set-up & they did a great job. However they installed D'Addario 11-52 light gauge strings (probably the EJ26 Custom Lights) & after a few months playing I've decided that they aren't quite getting this guitar's full potential. It just sounds a tad plinky on the G,B & top E strings. I suspect that many guitar techs are used to setting up very lightly built acoustics played with a pick & maybe don't quite understand the demands of tapered or straight-braced instruments played finger style!
Incidentally, many of the older Guilds I've played (I currently also have a 1970s D-35) have felt & sounded relatively 'heavy' compared to Martin-style instruments & they've also sounded to my ears as if they've been built a bit more heavily inside - tapered or non-scalloped bracing etc. I'm not complaining - I play finger-style most of the time & prefer an articulate & clearly-voiced guitar. Indeed I've found many Martins - especially smaller rosewood models - to have a really 'muddy' low-end thud which I dislike!
Anyway, back to the F-30. I'm wondering if heavier gauge strings might be worth trying. Maybe mediums? Or maybe the D'Addario 'True Mediums' (13-56 - heavier 1st, 2nd & 6th strings)?
Can I please ask what others have found to work best on their F-30s? Thoughts?
thanks, Sam.