My main/favorite acoustic is a 1985 F44. I have loved it since the day I found it. It's a great strummed or fingerpicked. I mentioned on another post that a few years back I had to downsize my gear and it came between my F44 and a custom shop F30r-ls. I kept the F44, which admittedly was more emotionally attached to. But it was still a pretty close battle tone-wise. A maple mini jumbo will not sound like a rosewood dread or a maple F30, it will sound like a maple mini jumbo. Compare it to a Gibson J185. Actually, a number of years back I had a friend who spent like two grand a really nice Gibson J200 and she later ended up borrowing my F44 when she went into the studio.
The model number change, and then later discontinuation had more to do with changes at Guild (including ownership changes) more than anything.
The original F44 was available in blonde and amber, that's why some of them look darker than others.
Thanks,
Chris
p.s. here's my F44 in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJS0xvqmuYk
