ladytexan
Senior Member
As I had mentioned in the Fender sells Guild thread, I had sent an email directly to Jonathan Thomas, President of Corboda Music Group (CMG). Here is my email to Mr. Thomas:
Dear Mr. Thomas,
As a Guild guitar owner for 41 years, I wanted to send you a short email to let you know how many members of the Let’s Talk Guild (LTG) forum are excited and hopeful about ‘our’ new owner. As one can imagine, there’s been quite a bit of discussion about Cordoba Music Group buying Guild Guitars. LTG is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Guild Guitars over its 61 year history. Perhaps, you and other CMG team members might want to join LTG.
Many LTGers have attended the Let’s Meet Guild (LMG) events held at the New Hartford factory over the past four years. Kim Keller, Customer Service Manager, Guild and Hamer USA Guitars, coordinated and was our host for the LMG events. We love Kim! I have been fortunate enough to have attended the last three LMG get-togethers. The LMG events allowed Guild guitar owners to meet the talented, skilled folks who made our beloved Guilds, Ren Ferguson, and Doyle Dykes. What fun we have had! It was like a homecoming of sorts. At the last LMG (the Guild’s 60[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary Celebration), there were about 85 LTGers who travelled from all over to attend. Folks have come from Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and all over the USA. Yep, there’s lots of love for our Guilds.
One member of LTG is Hans Moust, the author of the renowned book, The Guild Guitar Book. He always serves as a resource when we have specific questions about any of the acoustic or electric models.
JT, I know CMG does not have any commitment to the employees of the New Hartford facility, but they are such a talented group of folks who know how to make wonderful guitars. It is my hope that at least a few of the former employees might transition to your Oxnard facility. There is concern for the employees.
And finally, congratulations to CMG on the purchase of Guild Guitars! What a gem you have bought! I want to wish you much success and hope the transition is not too stressful for everyone. If there is anything I can do to help, I would be glad to do so.
I received a response email from Mr. Thomas this morning:
Dear Toni,
Thank you for your thoughtful email. We’ve been monitoring the conversations on the Let’s Talk Guild and Acoustic Guitar Forums and want to assure the Guild community that their brand is in very good hands. At this time there are still a lot of details that we’re working out, but we can at least address some initial common concerns. First and foremost, we do plan to continue building USA-made Guild acoustic and electric guitars. Much of the materials and machinery that was used in New Hartford will remain the same. The talented employees of the New Hartford factory are a fluid topic of conversation at the moment, and we’ll have more updates in the coming weeks.
We love Guild guitars as much as you do, and hope to gain your help and support as we make this transition. LTG is an extremely valuable resource and we look forward to involving you and the members as we move forward. Together we can make this an exciting time for Guild and see that it thrives in its new home. One of the hallmarks of the Guild brand is its loyal community, which has followed the brand since its inception, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.
Upon the closing of the deal, we’ll have many more details to share and will provide updates as soon as we have them. Feel free to repost this message in the LTG forum, as I know you’re a very active participant.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Thomas
This is such GOOD NEWS!
Dear Mr. Thomas,
As a Guild guitar owner for 41 years, I wanted to send you a short email to let you know how many members of the Let’s Talk Guild (LTG) forum are excited and hopeful about ‘our’ new owner. As one can imagine, there’s been quite a bit of discussion about Cordoba Music Group buying Guild Guitars. LTG is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Guild Guitars over its 61 year history. Perhaps, you and other CMG team members might want to join LTG.
Many LTGers have attended the Let’s Meet Guild (LMG) events held at the New Hartford factory over the past four years. Kim Keller, Customer Service Manager, Guild and Hamer USA Guitars, coordinated and was our host for the LMG events. We love Kim! I have been fortunate enough to have attended the last three LMG get-togethers. The LMG events allowed Guild guitar owners to meet the talented, skilled folks who made our beloved Guilds, Ren Ferguson, and Doyle Dykes. What fun we have had! It was like a homecoming of sorts. At the last LMG (the Guild’s 60[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary Celebration), there were about 85 LTGers who travelled from all over to attend. Folks have come from Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and all over the USA. Yep, there’s lots of love for our Guilds.
One member of LTG is Hans Moust, the author of the renowned book, The Guild Guitar Book. He always serves as a resource when we have specific questions about any of the acoustic or electric models.
JT, I know CMG does not have any commitment to the employees of the New Hartford facility, but they are such a talented group of folks who know how to make wonderful guitars. It is my hope that at least a few of the former employees might transition to your Oxnard facility. There is concern for the employees.
And finally, congratulations to CMG on the purchase of Guild Guitars! What a gem you have bought! I want to wish you much success and hope the transition is not too stressful for everyone. If there is anything I can do to help, I would be glad to do so.
I received a response email from Mr. Thomas this morning:
Dear Toni,
Thank you for your thoughtful email. We’ve been monitoring the conversations on the Let’s Talk Guild and Acoustic Guitar Forums and want to assure the Guild community that their brand is in very good hands. At this time there are still a lot of details that we’re working out, but we can at least address some initial common concerns. First and foremost, we do plan to continue building USA-made Guild acoustic and electric guitars. Much of the materials and machinery that was used in New Hartford will remain the same. The talented employees of the New Hartford factory are a fluid topic of conversation at the moment, and we’ll have more updates in the coming weeks.
We love Guild guitars as much as you do, and hope to gain your help and support as we make this transition. LTG is an extremely valuable resource and we look forward to involving you and the members as we move forward. Together we can make this an exciting time for Guild and see that it thrives in its new home. One of the hallmarks of the Guild brand is its loyal community, which has followed the brand since its inception, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.
Upon the closing of the deal, we’ll have many more details to share and will provide updates as soon as we have them. Feel free to repost this message in the LTG forum, as I know you’re a very active participant.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Thomas
This is such GOOD NEWS!
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