Hello Coastie and all others!
All right, I will try to write about me and the Guild scene here in Germany. I am 36 years old and started to learn playing in the summer of 2004. When I was a young boy at the age of twelve years I played for 1.5 years accordion. I stopped learning it because I had problems to spread my fingers for some chords I should play. My teacher let me play one and the same song many weeks again and again and I could not do it - so I was very angry and so I lost the interest completely for this instrument. When I was 19 years old I wanted to learn guitar playing but "I don't get the curve" (so we say in Germany).
Two years ago (in 2004) we sat in the garden, had a barbecue and a nice party. A friend of me took out his Guitar and played a few famous songs like "Southern California", "Father and Son" and so on. I got a feeling, I can't describe - but one thing was clear: I want to learn this, too! So I called one of my earlier girl-friends to borrow her Concert-Guitar. I bought a new set of strings and a beginners book. So I started to learn playing Guitar on my own. Just three months later I decided to must have an own guitar and asked her if she would sell her guitar to me. She denied because many feelings (memories) hangs on her guitar but I can borrow the guitar, so long I want to have it...
This friend, who played on the party bought at this time a new Takamine EF508CTS and put his Takamine G334 as trade-in to the shop. There I bouht it for the same price, he got from the dealer. (My friend doesn't know, that I was searching for a guitar...). At this time a beginners course (part one of three) for guitar playing was already closed and the second course already started two times. So I joined this second course and played along. Since the third Part ended I play just for me. I learned many chords, a bit harmony for myself and never get tired. I play every day about 30 minutes up to two hours or more.
A long text till now... it follows more about guitars:
It was at Christmas in 2004, I played just half a year with my Takamine G334 and saw a Takamine NP-18C at the guitar shop (also used but near mint). I must have it... Since then I played this guitar. My G334 stayed in the case. It followed in the early 2005 a Fender USA Deluxe fat Strat. The Takamines are very good, but I wanted to have a further acoustic guitar with a "big, fat sound" which brings my complete body in vibration from the hair to the feet
So I asked another good friend (he plays guitar since he was a boy and plays in a very good cover-band) for a famous acoustic guitar. So he was it, who told me the adress of "Antique-Acoustics" in Tübingen in Germany. Only 30 minutes by car to drive. I took my phone and called them. They told me that they are specialised in vintage guitars and that the prices for them are partial very high - not absolute this what I am searching for. But they also advised me to come and see - maybe there is a guitar, which I would like...
So I sat in my car and took a look there. It was fantastic!!! Many old Gibsons, Martins and Guilds with sounds that you don't want to lay them back out of your arms. Some new (mint) Stanfords and two mint Guilds from the year 2000 out of Rhode Island.
I took a seat and Wilhelm (one of the owners) gave me the JF-30. I began to pick some strings very careful and one thing was clear at the first moment - it was my guitar! I drove back home and had a sleepless night. I only just wanted to look at the guitars, but not necessarily buy the first one. So it comes, that I took freetime the next day afternoon and drove with my car again to Antique-Acoustics. As Wilhelm saw me, he smiled a bit... I told him about my sleepless night and that I must have this Guild.
Oh man, what a long story, sorry...
Now we come to the unfortunately shortest story - the Guild scene...
I don't know anybody else in my circle of friends, who own a Guild. There are only three people within me, who still play guitar since the course. All others gave up with their concert guitars. I was the only who started with a steelstring and the other two bougt one a Cort 730 and the other a Taylor 214. The others, I know are playing Takamine, Washburn, Ibanez or Yamaha. My teacher also owns a Martin but no one plays Guild - sorry...
I think, the reasons are the very high prices here in Germany for American Guitars and that we have not very much dealers which you can first test one of these Guitars.
So, I am ready with the story of me... hope you enjoy it and find not so many errors in the grammar or the words. It is very nice for me to write in english, so many words come out of "the edge of my brain". I think I should read more books in englisch not only some handbooks for computers or DVD-Players and other electrical machines - but I have no time to do this - must play guitar
all free time...
Best regards, Dietmar.