wileypickett
Enlightened Member
I lost the thread (t'was ever thus!) but I wanted to follow up on some other recent comments on the Guild JF-30, and also to suggest a solution to the bellying behind the bridge problem.
The JF-30 (from what I've learned reading through the archives) was Guild's bid to offer a more readily affordable, U.S. made, 12-string, as opposed to their Asian-made budget line, Madeira.
(Come to think of it, maybe Guild should have just changed their name to Madeira when they switched over, no?)
They cut corners on the inlay and binding, and instead of doing a braced back, they made a single-piece, bowl-shaped laminate (?) back.
But, comparing my 512 and JF-30, they sure didn't sacrifice anything soundwise. In fact I'd give a slight edge to the JF-30 in the bass range, more growly and piano-like, at least mine is.
(BTW, since folks are discussing are what they put on their 12s -- I use D'Addario EJ37 Medium / Heavy sets -- 056 - 012, and I replace the high pair of E strings with a single 013, and the high B pair with a single 017. I also play strictly in open tunings with low E tuned down to B-flat, generally. I don't sing, so I'm not concerned about key, just the sheer sound and playability of the guitar.)
People have also discussed the tendency of Guild 12-strings to belly behind the bridge -- not unusual in any 12-string that's been tuned to pitch for years.
Both my JF-30 (slight bellying) and 512 (pronounced) suffered from this. For the 512, I had to have the bridge removed, some leveling done, and a new bridge put on. As a final step, my guitar tech recommended I have a JLD Bridge Doctor installed, which I did.
The 512 now shows almost no bellying at all; there's no tilt to the saddle, and the intonation is perfect. It may even project more. (JLD claims a side-effect of their invention is enhanced projection.)
I was so impressed with it, I installed one on the JF-30 myself, more as a preventative than anything else (it's a no-brainer to put in) and damned if it doesn't seem punchier too.
I have to say, they work remarkably well -- and they're cheap! (I believe Breedlove now installs Bridge Doctors on all their guitars.)
Anyway, for what it's worth, allow me to recommend this little device to folks with 12-strings who are concerned about this problem. For less than 50 bucks, it's an amazing fix. (They work for six-strings too, of course, though I've never had a bellying problem on any of my six-strings.)
(BTW, I have no affiliation with the company, just a satisfied customer.)
See: http://www.jldguitar.net/warped_tops/fixtop.html
Cheers!
Glenn//.
The JF-30 (from what I've learned reading through the archives) was Guild's bid to offer a more readily affordable, U.S. made, 12-string, as opposed to their Asian-made budget line, Madeira.
(Come to think of it, maybe Guild should have just changed their name to Madeira when they switched over, no?)
They cut corners on the inlay and binding, and instead of doing a braced back, they made a single-piece, bowl-shaped laminate (?) back.
But, comparing my 512 and JF-30, they sure didn't sacrifice anything soundwise. In fact I'd give a slight edge to the JF-30 in the bass range, more growly and piano-like, at least mine is.
(BTW, since folks are discussing are what they put on their 12s -- I use D'Addario EJ37 Medium / Heavy sets -- 056 - 012, and I replace the high pair of E strings with a single 013, and the high B pair with a single 017. I also play strictly in open tunings with low E tuned down to B-flat, generally. I don't sing, so I'm not concerned about key, just the sheer sound and playability of the guitar.)
People have also discussed the tendency of Guild 12-strings to belly behind the bridge -- not unusual in any 12-string that's been tuned to pitch for years.
Both my JF-30 (slight bellying) and 512 (pronounced) suffered from this. For the 512, I had to have the bridge removed, some leveling done, and a new bridge put on. As a final step, my guitar tech recommended I have a JLD Bridge Doctor installed, which I did.
The 512 now shows almost no bellying at all; there's no tilt to the saddle, and the intonation is perfect. It may even project more. (JLD claims a side-effect of their invention is enhanced projection.)
I was so impressed with it, I installed one on the JF-30 myself, more as a preventative than anything else (it's a no-brainer to put in) and damned if it doesn't seem punchier too.
I have to say, they work remarkably well -- and they're cheap! (I believe Breedlove now installs Bridge Doctors on all their guitars.)
Anyway, for what it's worth, allow me to recommend this little device to folks with 12-strings who are concerned about this problem. For less than 50 bucks, it's an amazing fix. (They work for six-strings too, of course, though I've never had a bellying problem on any of my six-strings.)
(BTW, I have no affiliation with the company, just a satisfied customer.)
See: http://www.jldguitar.net/warped_tops/fixtop.html
Cheers!
Glenn//.
