New Guitar Day!

[Bill Ashton]

Well, been trying and thinking and trying and thinking...and events shook out today that found me purchasing a GAD-30PCE from a local store. As much as I tried to resist, as much as it is a Chinese Guild, her voice just spoke to me. "Resistance is futile..."

The piece was heavily discounted due at least in part for a very small ding between the bridge and the lower bout, which I had to look hard for but can be seen in the right light.

But that wasn't the issue...I gotta say that the combination of the spruce top and the Paduak (Podunk?) back and sides really shouts out, this small body had to have the loudest voice in the store! I would call the loudness similar to cedar, although that wood has a different "voice."

May be either a recent production modification or older NOS, as the electrics are "plug and play" with no volume or tone controls at the soundhole. The tuners are Grover open style, very much like Waverly's.

The reddish paduak back and sides are quite nice, although the guitar has a certain "plaid shirt with striped pants" look, as the mahogany neck is brown...why couldn't they have stained it the same?

Will post more on this new girl as I get her played in...

 

[taabru45]

Excellent.. great news, are you handing out cigars? :lol: :lol: Steffan

 

[dreadnut]

Congrats! (There's a small bodied Alvarez singing a siren song to me at the local music store) :roll:

And hey, what's wrong with a plaid shirt and striped pants anyway?

 

[taabru45]

Congrats! (There's a small bodied Alvarez singing a siren song to me at the local music store) :roll:

And hey, what's wrong with a plaid shirt and striped pants anyway?

Yeah...and they happen to be on sale too :!: :!: Steffan
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/175, ... r-Men.html
http://www.onestopplus.com/1/5/tall-tan-plaid-shirts

and there is even a forum.....Hey, just tryin' to be helpful. :lol: :lol:
http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/foru ... 65670.html

 

[jphal]

Congratulations Bill. I too just purchased the same model, and have really enjoyed playing it. I have an '87 GF-40, and the GAD30-PCE has a wider neck and is so much lighter (yet sounds just as resounding). I play at an open mike and the output on it is high, so the sound man knows to engage the 'Flux Capacitor' setting on his board (since there is no way to control it that I've found in the guitar itself). Hope you enjoy it.

 

[Bill Ashton]

Yes, I must send in inquiry to Guild, as the current catalog speaks to volume and tone controls within the sound hole, which this one does not have. Additionally, the website and the current catalog show a strap button on the upper side near the neck, however mine does not have that either. So, I don't know if this is a newer or older piece. Neither item would have been a deal breaker, and in fact I tried it electrically through a little Crate CA-10 amp and it sounded quite wonderful...the limited eq on that little thing suited the needs just fine, so whatever pre-amp is on board must be taking the lack of control into account.

In fact, as it turns out my girl doesn not even have the supplied D'Addario phosphor broze strings on it, as I was told they were changed out at some point with the store's "house strings" (probably D'Addario anyway). That may point to this one being older rather than newer, however she is certainly not shop worn save the little ding on the front.

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Bill; I think that wood is from Paducah ... congratulations on your new guitar! J

 

[Bill Ashton]

Well, she deosn't have the low end rumble of a Paducah-built, but she does have the top end of a nice 5-chime horn!

Figure one railroad metaphor serves another...actually that is where I am supposed to be this morning, watching trains in Ayer, but slept in too late...

 

[JerryR]

Nothing like having a new (to you) Guitar to play

 

[Bill Ashton]

I just got an email back from Fender/Guild. My GAD30PCE is "older," so it has the Fishman Matrix Natural 1 instead of the "upgraded" to the Fishman Matrix VT. They also note that to add the strap button is not a "simple" job, as it needs to be backed up by a wood block and suggest that a Guild service center perform that work. Well, I'll be sitting down with the guitar for a while , but eventually will probably see about doing that.

Now, if the weather could just cool off so I can stop sweating all over it...thank goodness for the poly finish in this case, eh?

 

[Bill Ashton]