Guild bracing?
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SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Are you talking Oxnard made guitars or other former factories like NH, Tacoma, Corona,...? Also what years? I don't have the answers but things changed over time.
Ralf
Ralf
adorshki
Reverential Member
I have never seen a size spec for Guild bracing for any model. I don't believe there ever was an actual "spec" due to the way they did things.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
True. No specs ever published I believe. New Hartford used CNC machines and I can only guess they transferred to Oxnard.
Scalloped top bracing
What's the verdict on scalloped bracing? My DV52 had it; my D25 doesn't. I think the D25M sounds better. Do all the USA Guild acoustics have scalloped bracing now?
letstalkguild.com
Ralf
fronobulax
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My memory is fading and somewhat suspect since bracing is not a real issue on non-acoustic basses but I remember they had a rectangular slab of wood. They fed it into the machine. What came out was a bunch of identical braces. They were easily separated and put into a bin for transfer to another assembly station. They were scalloped. The tour guide was "excited" because the braces were identical and thus installation was faster and the end product was more standardized. There was also excitement since making different sizes of braces was a comparatively trivial change, at least compared to cutting shaping them by hand for different models.
SFIV1967
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fronobulax
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The Guilds of Grot
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Why in this everlovin' world would you need to know that?
fronobulax
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The Guilds of Grot
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Don't see that as comparable Mr Five Guys! What kind of wood maybe, scalloped maybe, but .375" vs .380"?
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fronobulax
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Was striving for a humorous analogy. That said, however there is a thread (you can look yourself) that is discussing the possibility that larger than necessary braces were used on some Westerly Collection acoustics in order to deaden the top and make them less competitive with Oxnard made instruments with similar specs. So size may matter to someone.
If you want to discuss business practices please consider finding that other thread and posting there.
The Guilds of Grot
Enlightened Member
Well I guess that is a thing then.
Br1ck
Senior Member
Once upon a time, in a Galaxy far, far away, people would walk into a store, play guitars, and pick the one they liked. Then I first heard the words scalloped bracing, when the new HD 28 came out. It's been downhill ever since. Why would you need to know a guitar had adirondak bracing? You'd hear it as liking the guitar better. Or you'd like sitka bracing better. Your ears and not marketing hype would tell you.
A friend recently called me in a tizzy. He bought two 000 18s with the intention of sending one back. One was a stock 000 18, the other had hide glue, adirondak bracing, and some cosmetic upgrades. He by far liked the stock 000 18 better, but was so freaked out about liking the much cheaper guitar. Thought there must be something wrong with him. I had to slap some sense into him. It's indicative of how far marketing has come in getting you to doubt your own senses.
A friend recently called me in a tizzy. He bought two 000 18s with the intention of sending one back. One was a stock 000 18, the other had hide glue, adirondak bracing, and some cosmetic upgrades. He by far liked the stock 000 18 better, but was so freaked out about liking the much cheaper guitar. Thought there must be something wrong with him. I had to slap some sense into him. It's indicative of how far marketing has come in getting you to doubt your own senses.
Nuuska
Enlightened Member
And after the discussion of the size and exact shape is mellowing down - there lurks the question of the wood-growth speed.
As many of you are aware - in the north the trees grow slower than in south - thus less thickness per year - whis is visible on a cut piece of wood - but now comes The Horror Part - "Is It Audible?"
w my 2114 Hz tinnitus - definitively NO - for those w golden ears - get ready for comparision. . . .
As many of you are aware - in the north the trees grow slower than in south - thus less thickness per year - whis is visible on a cut piece of wood - but now comes The Horror Part - "Is It Audible?"
w my 2114 Hz tinnitus - definitively NO - for those w golden ears - get ready for comparision. . . .
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
I remember those days!
adorshki
Reverential Member
Industrial espionage.
GGJaguar
Reverential Member
I laugh, but that's a real thing.
Fro, not sure if we were in the same tour group, but I remember Darren telling us that they only used the brace cutter CNC machine sporadically because the shop didn't make enough guitars to put it into frequent use.
Darrin Wallace, my tour guide.
fronobulax
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Related, I find it interesting to look at published spec and how they evolve. Some specs change because of material availability. Some specs seem to be responding to market forces. But some specs are not even published and that is because the manufacture finds no reason to do so. So while the inner wood species of a laminate may be of interest to someone it is not anything the makers think makes any functional difference. Sometimes the concern over specs is legitimate - the spec makes a difference or the buyer has experience with a spec and wants to replicate or avoid the experience. I am a firm believer in playing something and going with what works but I also acknowledge that in a market that is becoming Buy then Try some specs are going to drive the decision of what to try.
I think the experience with online clothing and shoe sellers has been that they are not making much profit when they allow unlimited, no questions asked, returns, but wouldn't it be neat if there was an online retailer of new guitars who would let you order two instruments at once and offer a free return on the other and do so at a competitive price?
Guitar Center could come pretty close if they offered more brands as new and extended the ship to local store policy from used and vintage to include new.