NAMM 2019: New "F-40 Traditional" jumbo-sized guitar

SFIV1967

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NAMM 2019: New USA-made "F-40 Traditional" jumbo-sized guitar


"
NAMM 2019: Guild Adds Premium Jumbo Acoustic to Lineup

The F-40 Traditional Builds on Guild’s Legacy of Beautiful, Elegant Jumbo-Sized Guitars

Guild continues to build out its line of USA-made jumbo acoustics this Winter NAMM with the release of the F-40 Traditional. The jumbo-sized guitar has long been a staple both in Guild’s history and many 60s and 70s-era singer-songwriters’ arsenals; adding premium appointments to this classic shape is a challenge Guild is uniquely qualified to tackle.

Made with a solid Sitka spruce and solid African Mahogany back and sides, the F-40 Traditional builds upon Guild’s Winter NAMM 2018 release, the F-40. These include a dovetail neck joint, tortoiseshell binding, a heritage chesterfield MOP inlaid logo on the headstock, and a thinly applied nitrocellulose gloss finish.

The F-40 Traditional is available in Natural or Antique Sunburst, ships in a hardshell humidity-controlled case and includes a signed certificate of authenticity.

F-40 Traditional in Natural – $2,399 Street • $3,000 MSRP
F-40 Traditional in Antique Sunburst – $2,499 Street • $3,125 MSRP
"

https://guildguitars.com/g/f-40-traditional-in-natural/

https://guildguitars.com/g/f-40-traditional-in-antique-sunburst/


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Source: https://guitargirlmag.com/news/namm/namm-2019/namm-2019-guild-adds-premium-jumbo-acoustic-to-lineup/

Ralf
 
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SFIV1967

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F-55C = US version of the F-150CE would also be very nice...
It's interesting that there was never a 17" Jumbo with cutaway in Guilds USA lineup in the past. At least not that I can remember. Maybe there was a Nashville custom shop version, I don't know.
So the Westerly Collection F-150CE and the new F-250CE are indeed something special.
CORRECTION: See posts below!
Ralf
 
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hansmoust

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It's interesting that there was never a 17" Jumbo with cutaway in Guilds USA lineup in the past. At least not that I can remember. Maybe there was a Nashville custom shop version, I don't know. So the Westerly Collection are indeed something special.

Not correct!

JFC_front.jpg


Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

SFIV1967

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Not correct!
Thanks Hans for the correction! Good that I wrote "At least not that I can remember." as disclaimer....I had looked through all literature but missed the little picture in the 1988 flyer where the model is shown...
So they were the JF-30C and JF-30CE models with 17" and cutaway.
Ralf
 

X-170AB

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Yes, I have a JF-30C in Antique Sunburst. Great guitar, the cutaway is useful when its time to go up the neck. I was thinking lately about letting this one go (chasing a JF55).
 

adorshki

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Thanks Hans for the correction! Good that I wrote "At least not that I can remember." as disclaimer....I had looked through all literature but missed the little picture in the 1988 flyer where the model is shown...
So they were the JF-30C and JF-30CE models with 17" and cutaway.
Ralf
I've been using that a lot lately myself.
:biggrin-new:
I was hoping that "Traditional" in this case meant they finally had a 16" lower bout jumbo.
But, no such luck.
I'm still adamant about Oxnard doing a disservice to the F40 model number.
It was born as a 16" lower bout jumbo shape and might even have yielded more variations on a body style than any other shape, even dreadnoughts, for them.
In my personal opinion, with just a couple of exceptions, ALL the F--ce models owe their creation to the original F40 and I find this verbiage to be disingenuous to the point of being offensive, right up there with internet sellers propogating the old myths like "Fender ruined Guild":
"The jumbo-sized guitar has long been a staple both in Guild’s history and many 60s and 70s-era singer-songwriters’ arsenals; adding premium appointments to this classic shape is a challenge Guild is uniquely qualified to tackle."
It implies F40's were 17" wide bodies, doing a disservice both to F50's (which actually got the lion's share of attention) and anybody who's seeking out an actual "traditional" F40 size body.
 
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SFIV1967

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It implies F40's were 17" wide bodies, doing a disservice both to F50's (which actually got the lion's share of attention) and anybody who's seeking out an actual "traditional" F40 size body.
Exactly! It's stupid to use a name of another model that existed since 1954 for a total different body shape! And even the 1973 small jumbo version was not a 17" model. So CMG should have really named this and last years F-40 model something else as they have nothing in common with the F-40 model that Guild was known for. What CMG reintroduced as F-40 was the F-48 model (which had more luxury appointments).
Ralf
 
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tommym

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Thank goodness Guild stopped making the F42, F44, F46, etc. with the 16" body size; some of the best guitars to come out of Westerly. It forced me and a lot of other Guild fanboys to move on to other guitar manufacturers. Thank you Guild!...:grumpy:

The Collings SJ is pretty much the modern replacement for the F42, F44, F46, with a lot more custom order options such as nut width, scale length, inlays, etc.. Maybe that is why Guild stays away from that market segment with the 16" body size?


Tommy
 

Westerly Wood

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But Collings is an extra 3k. At least. Prices many of us out of their market. Bet they are awesome though. Would love a Collings dread.
 

tommym

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But Collings is an extra 3k. At least. Prices many of us out of their market. Bet they are awesome though. Would love a Collings dread.

Yeah, they are not cheap, but if you can't handle a 17" Jumbo, at least you have an alternate choice. The Collings SJ's have been around for quite some time, so you can find a good deal on a used one every now and then.

Tommy
 
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bobouz

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I enjoy Guilds & Gibsons equally. Fortunately, Gibson has long produced the maple-bodied 16" short-scale J-185 small jumbo, and it is one of my all-time favorites for tone, comfort, and playability.

In 2006, Gibson also began producing the CJ-165, a 15" short-scale small jumbo, with maple or rosewood versions. These Ren-era instruments are quite similar to the '70s small jumbo-shaped Guild F-30 & F-30R. A few months ago I lucked into an '07 version in maple, with a cutaway & soundhole electronics - a very nice instrument overall. These later morphed into the J-165, and currently into what is simply called their Parlor model, with a number of body & finish options.

These are two guitar-size niches I'd love to see Oxnard fill, especially with a short-scale fingerboard (1-11/16" please!).
 

Walter Broes

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Exactly! It's stupid to use a name of another model that existed since 1954 for a total different body shape! And even the 1973 small jumbo version was not a 17" model. So CMG should have really named this and last years F-40 model something else as they have nothing in common with the F-40 model that Guild was known for. What CMG reintroduced as F-40 was the F-48 model (which had more luxury appointments).
Ralf

If/when they're going to build F40's again (16" guitars!), I wonder what they're going to call them.
 

adorshki

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Exactly! It's stupid to use a name of another model that existed since 1954 for a total different body shape! And even the 1973 small jumbo version was not a 17" model. So CMG should have really named this and last years F-40 model something else as they have nothing in common with the F-40 model that Guild was known for. What CMG reintroduced as F-40 was the F-48 model (which had more luxury appointments).
Ralf
Actually the F48 was a full 17" bout jumbo, but it was 'hog bodied; essentially an "F50 mahogany".
I know when Cordoba introduced their F40 one member said the Navarre name for it was traditionally used to denote the luxury appointments used on the F50 but I can't recall seeing that spelled out in any Guild lit, or even Hans' book.
I always thought it strictly described a certain model and the Spanish province names had good recognition and tradition in guitar-building:
F50 Navarre, F40 Valencia, F30 Aragon .
In the beginning those models were what they were, the appointments for 'em were how were built, the model names had nothing to do with the appointments until Tacoma reintroduced the "Bluegrass" and "Aragon" names..(Westerly had already revived the "Valencia" name for a production version of the 45th Anniversary (loosely) but it was a Custom Shop model not "regular production")
In fact very early F40's got G-shields and block inlays but they were Valencias, not Navarres, see what I mean?.
Hans strike me with lightning where I stand if I'm wrong.
To me the F40 IS possibly the single most important Guild rootstock:
F40;F42; F47; F44, F46; Gf25;Gf30;Gf40;Gf50;Gf60;Gf60r; The Prestige series Excellence/Standard/Classic; F4ce, F5c; F15ce; F35ce; F45ce; F47ce, F47Mce, F47Rce, F65ce...45th Anniversary, Valencia; CV-1(and C), CV-2 (and C).
Oh yeah, almost forgot:
F212 (and C); F312.
Ok I count 32 F40 derivatives, and I might have missed a couple, and you can subtract the 45th Anni as a limited edition if you wish, but it does point up how highly Guild valued that 16" f-body in their heritage.
Somebody care to tot up standard size dreadnoughts?
(Hint: I just did and actually came up dead even with the F40 family if I included 12-strings and the D100 and D130 which were Custom Shop models like the Valencia. And suspect there's still at least a couple I missed.
Still I think my point is made)

These are two guitar-size niches I'd love to see Oxnard fill, especially with a short-scale fingerboard (1-11/16" please!).
Right, my pipe dream, too, with arched maple back.
J185's flat.
Or maybe flat rosewood.
It would probably sound just as good to me, and I need some rosewood to round out the family, but that 24-3/4 scale with a 1-11/16th nut is something I can't find Guild ever built, at least I can't find it spec'd on an F40 derivative.
If/when they're going to build F40's again (16" guitars!), I wonder what they're going to call them.
I vote for F7 or F85 Cutlass.
They've both got retro vibe:
F7 Cutlass:
17b_fm2017_cutlassinclouds_live-wr.jpg

F85 Cutlass:
1962_Oldsmobile_F-85_Cutlass-july20a.jpg

.
.
.
.
.
.

They can call the MIC version a Valencia Junior.
 
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gjmalcyon

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Ahhhhhhh......the good old F7 "Gutless".......:encouragement:

Continuing this veer (and it just happened to show up in one of my blog feeds today): "Indeed, retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Edward Lewis "Whitey" Feightner—a former Blue Angel— told the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine that he offered his resignation on the spot when he was told the team would fly the Cutlass. “The Cutlass could be made into a pretty good flying machine with a few modifications,” wrote F7U-3 pilot John Moore in The Wrong Stuff, Air & Space reported. “Like a conventional tail, tripling the thrust, cutting the nosewheel strut in half, completely redoing the flight control system, and getting someone else to fly it.”
 
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