Just called Guild regarding the GAD Chinese factory...

DCannon said:

Yoko Oh No said:

i've toured the chinese factory....everything seemed in order, good working conditions, happy, enthused workers, i saw only guilds being assembled.

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There ya go. It's nice to know the person I spoke to at Guild did in fact know what he was talking about. And it's hard to dispute facts presented by an LTG member who's actually been there and verifies it's a Guild-only factory. Thanks, Yoko Do you remember the name of the town? When did you do the tour?.

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Hold on. It sounded to me Yoko was just making fun here, or? He wasn't there actually, or ? Especially with the picture after that comment...
Ralf

let me clarify my statement...and maybe tom can jump in too:

I'm not debating whether or not REAL guilds are made only in the usa

I'm saying there are many REALLY REALLY well made, great sounding guitars made in China, (and Japan) just as there are many REALLY REALLY crappy built, lousy sounding guitars made in the USA.

some of the early alvarez, blueridge, and guilds made in china are sought after for their quality of build, craftsmanship, and sound.

i'd rather own a sweet chinese guitar than a sour american made guitar, no matter the brand.

you see, it doesn't matter to me where it was built, and i'm fine with that.

if it matters to many of you where it was built, well then, i'm fine with that too

don't shut the thread down....that would be unamerican...in fact, it would be....CHINESE

RussB said:

Grand Reward factory pics...see if you can spot some Guilds
http://www.faridaguitars.com/e29n0116.htm

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If you save that picture and open it with 400% I see one guitar with a potential Guild sign and Chesterfield logo. It's at about 4 o'clock the first one in the rack with the Ice Tea Burst. Just left of the buffing wheel. Since the picture is from year 2009 (They are all old pictures) that might fit.
All other guitars have different headstock logos.


Ralf

Yoko Oh No said:

let me clarify my statement...and maybe tom can jump in too:

I'm not debating whether or not REAL guilds are made only in the usa

I'm saying there are many REALLY REALLY well made, great sounding guitars made in China, (and Japan) just as there are many REALLY REALLY crappy built, lousy sounding guitars made in the USA.

some of the early alvarez, blueridge, and guilds made in china are sought after for their quality of build, craftsmanship, and sound.

i'd rather own a sweet chinese guitar than a sour american made guitar, no matter the brand.

you see, it doesn't matter to me where it was built, and i'm fine with that.

if it matters to many of you where it was built, well then, i'm fine with that too

don't shut the thread down....that would be unamerican...in fact, it would be....CHINESE

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Well, exactly. I own a Chinese built guitar. It's a great guitar. I have no animosity towards the country or the people or the products. I understand people wanting to know WHEN their guitar was built. Dating guitars is something that people do and they want to know WHEN they were made. I understand that. As far as where they were built.... they were built IN CHINA!! I'm just trying to understand why people think they need to know what village or town the construction took place in. So they can do the same thing they do with Corona Guilds??

"Oh, the guitars that came out of ________, China are CRAP! Those villagers just didn't even care about the product any more...."

Maybe putting American romanticism on their guitars makes them feel better about their purchases? I'm not sure....... the guitars are good or we wouldn't have bought them, now, would we?

I find it curious that we always have these discussions about Guilds made in China but never about the Guilds made in Mexico.

fronobulax said:

I find it curious that we always have these discussions about Guilds made in China but never about the Guilds made in Mexico.

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Three words: Mexican Guitar Cartel :lol:

BTW, I'm in the process of purchasing a GAD F20. Can't afford the current USA version. Great travel guitars, I understand...

fronobulax said:

I find it curious that we always have these discussions about Guilds made in China but never about the Guilds made in Mexico.

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It's not about if they are made in China or Mexico, I think what doesn't sit well with "us" is a Guild not being made here. :wink:

ok...i didn't want to reveal this, but this is the god's truth

i have a friend who has an epiphone that was made by a mexican in a chinese factory!

:shock:

CA-35 said:

fronobulax said:

The factory is extremely good at doing what they are told but if it is not specified, the factory tends towards the lowest cost solution.

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My point exactly, which was debated in another thread.

Trying very hard not to be incendiary, and if you own a GAD and are happy then more power to you.

However, if Harley Davidson motorcycles were made outside the USA how many do you think they would sell?

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Actually, Harley did import some 350cc (2 stroke?) motorcycles a while back. IIRC, they were Italian, and did not sell well.

SFIV1967 said:

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I just noticed all the guitars hiding above the ceiling. Whoa!

charliea said:

Looking at these, a couple of the Epi headstocks could pass for Guilds from behind, or from a distance.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... headstocks

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Well, that makes a lot of sense, since Guild was started by disgruntled Epiphone employees...

:lol:

Default said:

Actually, Harley did import some 350cc (2 stroke?) motorcycles a while back. IIRC, they were Italian, and did not sell well.

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My brother had one of these;



It was a piece of crap from the AMF days. It rode horrible. We always said it was like riding a motorized garbage can! :lol:

Heres something from Mellogerman, Here on LTG, Nov 19 2009. Even more Guild shape headstocks, but again, Made in the 70's -80's.
"My guitarist just picked up a Penco dread that is obviously a Guild clone. With that said, this thing blows me away!! It's one of those astonishing Japanese products from the 70's. The pickguard, headstock shape, and neck-joint are almost identical to Guild stuff. Not to mention the TRC is pretty much the same too just that it has 3 screws instead of 2.
Tone and playability is beyond belief. If you close your eyes you'd swear you're playing a vintage Guild. One of the sweetest dreads I've ever had the privilege of playing.

Anyone else ever hear of these or have personal experience with them?

Here are some photos:"

He had photos, but I can't link them. He's my responce...way back then. Still no photos.

"Very interesting! Adorskhki made me aware of this thread as he knows that I have 'something' similiar. Looks much like a Guild F65.....even has the oval sound hole, great build and sound too, beautiful woods ( spruce and rosewood ) all the quality bits.......I scored it at a garage sale for $50, the owner knew little of its background, but it is a CHINESE build......HONGXUAN, but on the Guild shaped headstock, it says ACCORD, built for Australian conditions. The label inside says It was made in HONGXUAN USA ( isnt "USA" a little island just off of Shanghi?) Anyway..............A fine little guitar all in all, has electronics on her as well ( works but i never use it ) and the company from what I can gather is long gone.
I will post photos oneday....so you all can SEE. Strange stuff is out there!
SG."[/imgVery interesting! Adorskhki made me aware of this thread as he knows that I have 'something' similiar. Looks much like a Guild F65.....even has the oval sound hole, great build and sound too, beautiful woods ( spruce and rosewood ) all the quality bits.......I scored it at a garage sale for $50, the owner knew little of its background, but it is a CHINESE build......HONGXUAN, but on the Guild shaped headstock, it says ACCORD, built for Australian conditions. The label inside says It was made in HONGXUAN USA ( isnt "USA" a little island just off of Shanghi?) Anyway..............A fine little guitar all in all, has electronics on her as well ( works but i never use it ) and the company from what I can gather is long gone.
I will post photos oneday....so you all can SEE. Strange stuff is out there!
SG.
]

davismanLV said:

I'm just trying to understand why people think they need to know what village or town the construction took place in. So they can do the same thing they do with Corona Guilds??

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I started that question out of nothing more than "general brand knowledge curiosity".
IN a nutshell, a couple of years ago we saw pics and a thread ID'ing the "Grand Reward Factory" as the mfg. point of GAD's. From the photgraphic evidence presented then and now, it appears several brands are built there.
Then, in this thread, member DCannon passes on information from a spokesperson from Guild that the GAD factory, or at least a "building in the complex", is completely dedicated to GAD production.
I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of the poster or his source, but it does appear to contradict the earlier posts.
SO, I'm curious, is it a new manufacturing location in the same complex? Or is it the second factory be used? That's all, just a historical detail question, nothing more.
But now that I think about it, in fact for owners of GADs it could have just as much relevance in the future as the Hoboken/Westerly/ Corona debates have for owners of US built Guilds. :roll:

fronobulax said:

I find it curious that we always have these discussions about Guilds made in China but never about the Guilds made in Mexico.

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I'd hazard it may have to do with the fact that until recently only one model was made there, the DV-6, and it's outsold by GAD's by some large multiple. So simply by the odds more discussions are likely to be started in regards to GADs than DV-6's. I'm guessing they're just not even "on the radar" and so not likely to be dragged onto a sourcing discussion..
It'll be interesting to see how the Arcos series may change those percentages over the next couple of years. :wink:

At least we know where in Mexico they are done! Talking about Ensenada, some pictures from mid 2012: (Source)






Ralf

SFIV1967 said:

At least we know where in Mexico they are done!

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I was thinking about you when I made my last post: "If anybody here has the investigative chops to figure out "where" in China as well as "when", it would be Ralf...and if he can't find it, it can't be found....

[quote="adorshki
But now that I think about it, in fact for owners of GADs it could have just as much relevance in the future as the Hoboken/Westerly/ Corona debates have for owners of US built Guilds. :roll:[/quote]
Good points there Al. Seems to me, It would be like some guy in China, buying a USA Guild, and naturally wondering 'where' it was built, and being told....'It's made in USA, thats all that matters'. If I were that guy, I'd feel the responce is still a bit 'wanting' at a few levels.
That said, Having seen the beautiful ( and old Historic) New Hartford factory firsthand, The photos of the Grand Reward factory, where I assume mine was made, offers no mystique or mojo to me..... No surprises either. Thats pretty much what I expected.

adorshki said:

But now that I think about it, in fact for owners of GADs it could have just as much relevance in the future as the Hoboken/Westerly/ Corona debates have for owners of US built Guilds. :roll:

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Ooops, Thats the quote I was refering to above.
Meaning, ....well, all the aspects of manufacture that some here ask about their USA Guilds from various locations may be the kinds of queries GAD owners may ponder, as well as things that are more 'GAD specific'. Qusetions like, Were the first batches of GADS made any 'better', or to any higher standards than the years following? Or Visa versa? Were the workers on the First GADs long time employees with many years luthier experience? Or, First time guitar factory workers? If they have moved factory, what effect did that have on the quality, etc.
Many of the same Guild USA questions we ask.
But really, I've given up on such questions, To me, they are not so important. Too much else to ponder in this world. I just play and enjoy the GAD for what it is.
That actually works fine for me.

southernGuild said:

Questions like, Were the first batches of GADS made any 'better', or to any higher standards than the years following?

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We know for example, that when they changed the model number system earlier this year, there were some spec changes. That's what first led me to wonder if that was in fact coincidental with a change in manufacturing location, when considered in conjunction with the information that is the original topic of this thread. :wink:
You're right though, I'm also starting not to care anymore, except to confirm first hand whether or not the Employee Incentive Office really existed...