My CJ is short scale Sandy. It's rosewood with a German spruce top. An incredible guitar.
I have a good friend who used to be John Sebastian's road manager, and he owns his old CJ. His is standard scale though. I agree, it's a great guitar, much better than the D2H and DS2H I never bonded with.
The amount of bass that comes out of these smaller boxes (slope shoulders) just blows me away. I really like my D2HA, but this D1A takes the cake.
I think the D2H I had was a dud. It had a repaired top crack, which may have affected the tone, and had made the rounds of a few owners before me, and at least two that I know of after me. It was a nice guitar, just nothing special. The DS2H also had a repaired top crack, but it was much better. I just didn’t like the neck profile or the slothead. I sold it to a fellow down your way (in Uvalde) that liked it so much that he bought another! Meanwhile, the guy I bought the guitar from, was trying to buy it back from Jim, and he wasn’t selling.
Funny thing Sandy that we both love slope shoulder dreads, but I've played a couple of J45s and didn't care for either of them. No doubt though that you can get a dud by any manufacturer I'm sure. And I'd say some are nice sounding/playing, but then you'll run across an example of the same model, and that particular guitar will blow you away. I've owned three D55s, and only one really blew me away. Then too, sound/tone are so subjective. You might not care for what I think sounds great, and vice versa. Cool looking top on that guitar BTW.I think the D2H I had was a dud. It had a repaired top crack, which may have affected the tone, and had made the rounds of a few owners before me, and at least two that I know of after me. It was a nice guitar, just nothing special. The DS2H also had a repaired top crack, but it was much better. I just didn’t like the neck profile or the slothead. I sold it to a fellow down your way (in Uvalde) that liked it so much that he bought another! Meanwhile, the guy I bought the guitar from, was trying to buy it back from Jim, and he wasn’t selling.
I too love slope shoulder dreads. I’ve had two Bourgeois Slope Ds. The first was maybe the better of the two, and I foolishly sold it when I got my Gibson WM45, thinking I didn’t need two slope shoulders. Now that I have this ‘97 (with an amazing bearclaw top), I’ll never make that mistake again!
Bob - I think you could be right. I feel like the factory got off to a good few years start. Based on what I have seen so far they seem to put more energy into the overseas models - value models. I get this from a financial perspective. I think the US shop has suffered. Throw in inflation, a major pandemic, etc. and we're seeing QC issues etc. CMG could ( speculation - nothing factual ) be more concerned with image crafting the Guild brand right now than crafting great US made guitars. When I went by the clinical little 10x10 room they rented at NAMM it was more about a young and hip millennial type image than seasoned american tradition. In other words there didn't appear to be any old sh*ts there who know where the brand had been.
I pretty much agree with everything you've said Walter. I wasn't a big fan of CMG's stewardship of the brand until I played a D40 Traditional at my local Sam Ash, and it was superb. Better than the D40 Traditional from New Hartford that I owned briefly and think might have been a dud, and better than any D40 I've played, save the '66 that I bought recently. Those Hoboken flattops really are something else again, but then they've also had 50+ years of aging. Sad that I won't be around when these Oxnard guitars hit 50.
Thought they sold one of the 25th anniversary Brazilian D-55s... Maybe I got that wrong, Br1ck... Thought they were a Guild dealer back then. Maybe not.
Gotcha', Br1ck. No, I must be wrong. Maybe it's just that some folks had their Guilds repaired there? Dunno. Best wishes.
Chazmo, no you remember something else... Gryphons in Palo Alto were never a Guild dealer they had however from time to time some nice vintage ones. And due to Frank Ford a seriously cool shop all the time. I loved been there. But they had the Orpheums as Br1ck said.
But, all in a GOOD way!
No, they don't. They used to have them like is shown in that video but soon after replaced that all with Taylors.
Bummer. Guess I'm not moving back to the Bay Area...No, they don't. They used to have them like is shown in that video but soon after replaced that all with Taylors.
From time to time they have a used one, like that JF-30SB currently:
Ralf
