NS Aristo with minibuckers/ new leccy stuff repeat

GSFV

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No. Not implying that one is better based on the name. Just admitting to my own superficial tendencies in that it saying the name brand that is recognized is more important than country of origin.

And I think Guild still falls under that category of just as good or better at a fraction of the cost. Like I mentioned, side by side, my NS starfire V was a better instrument than the very nice 335 I was comparing it to. AND it came with a reputable brand name that has history and pedigree.

I guess I was trying to say that the fact they’re made in Korea doesn’t bother me the way it seems to bother others. But perhaps I misunderstood what was initially being said.
 

fronobulax

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Brand name is one of those subjective things that have an impact on consumer behavior and it is hard to quantify. My first "decent" bass was a Guild and it was chosen explicitly because it was not Fender. At that time and place "Fender bass" and "electric bass" were almost synonyms and there was a deliberate choice on my part to be different. Gibsons were around but I had played a friend's Starfire and it was just easier to buy a Guild than search out something else. It was all about the brand and many decades later the name on the headstock is more important to me than the country of origin. I don't pretend that is rational or that it "works" for anyone else.
 

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I choose by quality and materials and yes,I have specific other preferences on where and why I spend my money. It's the same if I am buying a car. I choose what meets my standards. I bought GAD's goldtop. It's nice. Tomorrow, I might dremel the top and drop HB-1s in. It's nice, but it's disposable, just like a lot of guitars now. Best way of explaining it is, 10 years from now, do you think it's owner is going to drop $350 for a refret?
 

adorshki

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I choose by quality and materials and yes,I have specific other preferences on where and why I spend my money. It's the same if I am buying a car. I choose what meets my standards. I bought GAD's goldtop. It's nice. Tomorrow, I might dremel the top and drop HB-1s in. It's nice, but it's disposable, just like a lot of guitars now. Best way of explaining it is, 10 years from now, do you think it's owner is going to drop $350 for a refret?
That used to be my argument about making the initial investment in the higher-quality tool, but now I think it'll depend on what's available in ten years.
NS guitars might justify the expense by then.
 

GAD

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I gotta admit that I like the look of this guitar:

Aristocrat_HH_TBB_side.jpg


CME's got them for pre-order at $799: https://reverb.com/item/26299907-guild-aristocrat-hh-trans-black-burst-pre-order

When they show up for $400 used I'll snag one. I'm interested to see if the HB2s (Grrr!) sound anything at all like HB1s. Regardless of size it's a crime for them to not have three adjustment screws.

The SFII with DeArmonds hurts my eyes. I want to like it but I don't. Put those pickups (in chrome/white please) in a SFIII and let's talk!
 
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That used to be my argument about making the initial investment in the higher-quality tool, but now I think it'll depend on what's available in ten years.
NS guitars might justify the expense by then.

If the necks are epoxied on, is not going to matter. Everywhere the wiring harness is a plug, adds a point of failure. Example: I picked up an Egnater TOL 50. His take on a Marshall Bluesbreaker with reverb and an effects loop. The reverb is borked. If it was any of my Fenders or Guilds, it would have been fixed and done the first day. With this, I have to troubleshoot a board full of push on connectors too. Pay me now or pay me later.
 

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If these were a matched set of minibuckers with normal-sized polepieces, that would get a stamp of approval from me.
 

matsickma

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Man o man! I can't believe all the negativity over these new models! I think they are great and will likely buy them on the used market. One of the things I like about NS guitars is your free to mod them at will with no concern of ruining a true Guild vintage guitar.

I am sure there will be other NS models that mimic the vintage models and a few suprises along the way.

M
 

GGJaguar

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The SFII with DeArmonds hurts my eyes. I want to like it but I don't. Put those pickups (in chrome/white please) in a SFIII and let's talk!

Yes, yes. Exactly!!
 

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Matsickma, what lead guitar player is going to want a 14 fretboard, stop tailguitar with DeArmonds? I expect this particular guitar to "not sell well", particularly when there are scads of them used on GC's website. Nobody seems to be sweatin' the details, or it may be that none of them play guitar.
 

Walter Broes

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Man o man! I can't believe all the negativity over these new models! I think they are great and will likely buy them on the used market. One of the things I like about NS guitars is your free to mod them at will with no concern of ruining a true Guild vintage guitar.

I am sure there will be other NS models that mimic the vintage models and a few suprises along the way.

M

As I've said before on this thread - if they go through the trouble to tool up for DeArmond pickups, that new Starfire II is a weird introductory model for them. I think what a couple of us feel about it and are semi-awkardly expressing is that that guitar doesn't feel like it was designed by someone with a big affinity for classic Guilds. It like a half-assed afterthought of a guitar. And the solidboy M-75-alikes....meh. Not exactly a new classic in the making, I think.
 

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I would have introduced them in a "Special Edition" with some unique features. A Starfire in green, or block inlays from the Capri, or a goldtop like the M-75s. Hell, if you are committed to the sustain block, throw a B-70 on it and you have a loud rockabilly machine. This just looks like it was born to be returned.
I remember Joe Carducci saying that when people on the Gretsch forum stopped bitchin', he knew they had gotten everything right. Like I said, there has to be half a dozen or more stoptail Starfires on the GC used page and those haven't been out very long, nor are the production numbers high.
 

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My guess is there isn't a "Joe Carducci" at CMG.

Edit: There are 11 SF ll stoptails at GC and one of them is down to $479.
 
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adorshki

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If the necks are epoxied on, is not going to matter. Everywhere the wiring harness is a plug, adds a point of failure....Pay me now or pay me later.
Oh I agree in principle, I just question how bad things are gonna be in ten years when it's comparing cost of repair to cost of new and what the quality of "new" will be then, that's all.
And I gotta assume epoxied-on neck is a problem for a re-fret?
Didn't know, as it's not a problem with flat-tops.
 

adorshki

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Which flat-tops do you think of when you talk about an epoxied-on neck ???
Ralf

nonononono!
:smile:

When I responded to his comment about spending $350.00 on a re-fret, his reply included the reference to epoxied-on necks and I assumed he was referencing the NS line.
I was questioning if he meant there was a problem re-fretting those guitars because the neck wasn't easily removed (epoxied on).
"It's not a problem with flattops" because the neck didn't have to be removed when my D25 got its re-frets, regardless of the adhesive used.
Thought perhaps for some reason the neck was removed from archtops or other guitars to make the refret easier.
I can see that removing a bolt-on neck would make the task easier but can't see why it would be mandatory, and then there're the archtops like Starfires with glued-in necks and those get refrets without much fuss.
So thought maybe I was missing something about electrics and re-frets.
PS as I'm sure you're aware there ARE flat-tops out there with epoxied-on necks but I don't think any US-built Guilds got 'em.
Not sure about the GAD's, though.
Probably Tite-bond or similar?
 
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The Seagull line(which is Canadian) actually has a bolt-on neck, but the fretboard is epoxied to the top. The point I'm trying to make is the cost-cutting that is going to make Guilds into commodities. Look at the difference between a real, handcrafted, taptuned Dangelico and the stuff today that they paste the name on.
 

SFIV1967

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PS as I'm sure you're aware there ARE flat-tops out there with epoxied-on necks but I don't think any US-built Guilds got 'em.
Not sure about the GAD's, though. Probably Tite-bond or similar?
I don't think any Guilds independend where in the world built had epoxied-on necks.
Oxnard as one recent example had Titebond II Premium Wood Glue on the work benches.

The point I'm trying to make is the cost-cutting that is going to make Guilds into commodities.
Best example are those "3 piece necks" on the Starfire II...Not 3 pieces laminated as usual but...That hurts.
Ralf
 
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adorshki

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The Seagull line(which is Canadian) actually has a bolt-on neck, but the fretboard is epoxied to the top.
OK that's just bizarre.
The point I'm trying to make is the cost-cutting that is going to make Guilds into commodities. Look at the difference between a real, handcrafted, taptuned Dangelico and the stuff today that they paste the name on.[/QUOTE]

In my case it was the choice to spend the money on a Guild because it would be worth re-fretting, was getting tired of $2-300.00 guitars that weren't worth re-fretting when compared to cost of another (new) 2-300.00 guitar.
I just wondered if, the way things were going, today's commodity guitars might actually turn out to be worth re-habbing 10 years in the future, compared to what's available new, then.
A new paradigm compared to what we grew up with.
I'm thinking about those paper-bodied Martins and their stratabond necks, for example.
What if those turn out to be the standard compared to real wood bodies, laminated or not?
How much ya wanna bet they'll have come up with plastic bolt-on bridges finally vindicating Gibson's premature '60's vision?
At least those didn't have fretboards epoxied to the top (did they?)
:eek-new:
I don't think any Guilds independend where in the world built had epoxied-on necks.
Oxnard as one recent example had Titebond II Premium Wood Glue on the work benches.
And they we using it even in New Hartford already, too.
Best example are those "3 piece necks" on the Starfire II...Not 3 pieces laminated as usual but...That hurts.
Ralf
Wait'll ya see the solid high-impact ABS Plastic designs currently on the secret drawing boards.
Featuring hyper-elastomer truss rods, pre-set at the factory and never need adjusting.
Standard colors Black and White with genuine wood veneer* available at extra cost.
(*Domestic species only)
.
.
.
.
.
.
:glee:
 
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