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Guild M-20 (Made in USA)
My search for a small-bodied, all-hog, short-scale 12-fret continues, and I've been looking at the Guild M-20. It looks like it checks all the boxes except one- it's not a 12-fretter, but that is not a deal-breaker.
I know these were made in Westerly originally, and the GAD version was made in China. If you have one of those, I'd be interested in hearing about it. But if you've got the new one, please tell me about it. I'm a big fan of Guild guitars, and would really like to buy something made in America. I would specifically like to know about the neck, how it feels. Thanks.
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2002 Martin OM-18V 2012 Collings CJ Mh SS SB 2013 Taylor 516 Custom |
#2
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To be technically accurate, they were ORIGINALLY made at the very first Guild factory in NYC, then in New Jersey before Westerly. (My '56 has the New York Label). Great guitar.
Mines obviously not new, but the neck is smallish. It fits me perfectly, but if you have larger hands, it may not suit you.
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1956 Guild F-20 1979 Martin D-18 12-string 1983 Ovation Custom Legend 1986 Squire Fat Strat (Korean) 2004 Gibson Les Paul Classic 2007 Fender Standard Stratocaster (Mexican Strat) 2010 Guild F-47rc (Purchased in 2012) 2013 Home-made Stratocasters (x2) 2017 Martin GPCRSG |
#3
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Thanks, mjudd. My experience with Guild begins with the Westerly builds, don't know much about the earlier days.
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2002 Martin OM-18V 2012 Collings CJ Mh SS SB 2013 Taylor 516 Custom |
#4
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They have a fascinating history, a brief version of which can be found on Wikipedia. Hans Moust, who posts here and on the letstalkguild forum, wrote the book (literally) on Guilds, including the company's history.
The short version is that the company began building guitars in '53 (I think) with a collection of former Epiphone employees who suddenly found themselves out of work when Gibson bought epiphone and closed the factory with no warning to its employees. They built in a New York City warehouse from then until late '56, then in early '57 began in a facility in Hoboken, NJ. From there they moved to Westerly, I think sometime in the late 60s
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1956 Guild F-20 1979 Martin D-18 12-string 1983 Ovation Custom Legend 1986 Squire Fat Strat (Korean) 2004 Gibson Les Paul Classic 2007 Fender Standard Stratocaster (Mexican Strat) 2010 Guild F-47rc (Purchased in 2012) 2013 Home-made Stratocasters (x2) 2017 Martin GPCRSG |
#5
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Guild M20
My understanding is that the current M 20 has a wider neck.
Last edited by Kerbie; 03-09-2018 at 09:18 AM. Reason: Removed details |
#6
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I have an OM-120, latest version, "Westerly" line, made in China
It's the OM version, so slightly bigger than the M, with longer scale. But I love it. I believe the neck is the same as the M-120. The neck was a big selling point for me. Thick, chunky. Feels substantial in the hand. That and the 1 3/4" nut make it my most comfy neck. It sounds terrific as well. Loud, projects well. Terrific for bluesy fingerstyle stuff. I tried both a M-120 and an OM-120 and greatly preferred the OM. I was not moved by the M, but was moved enough to happily purchase the OM. Thought it sounded better. |
#7
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I had a m120 gad that had great tone. They varied quite a bit from guitar to guitar so I had to play a few to get the tone that I liked. It was so small, loud,
and comfortable to play. I could play it laying back in my recliner with my dog stuffed in there with me. The pre- "Westerly Collection" model had very narrow spacing at the nut and saddle. This became a problem when I started to play finger style only so I sold it. If it had the 1 3/4 nut and 2 1/4 saddle like the new gad or American made M20, I would still have it. I am currently gas free but the notion of a M20 passes through my head from time to time. |
#8
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Quote:
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#9
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"The neck was a big selling point for me. Thick, chunky. Feels substantial in the hand."
That is what I was hoping to hear. I've read that some have slender necks, but this is the first I've heard of a chunky neck. That's what I'm looking for. Thanks, QP!
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2002 Martin OM-18V 2012 Collings CJ Mh SS SB 2013 Taylor 516 Custom |
#10
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I used to have an older GAD-30 that had the slimmest neck I'd ever encountered on an acoustic. It was a great guitar, but I'd always wished it had a thicker neck. The OM-120 is quite similar, but with a thicker neck. It pays to wish for things!
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#11
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I have a GAD M20, and I like it a lot. It's been my only (acoustic) guitar for the past few years, so I've gotten to know it well. It's a comfortable guitar to play. The sound is very good, and much fuller than you might be expecting from such a small guitar; I still prefer the GAD M20 over the 00-15 and 000-15. Lately I've decided I want to sell it, but that's only because I want to change up my sound a little bit. I'm still pretty happy with the sound, which made demoing guitars an interesting process, since I still prefer the M20 to most things I've played. I haven't played the new US version version yet, so I don't know how they compare, but the reviews are all positive; if they really are an updated version of the GAD model, I'm sure they live up to the hype.
The neck on mine has a medium-ish profile that probably trends to thick; I usually prefer thick necks, and it's still comfortable for me. I'm not sure if that's typical, because I remember a lot of reviews complaining about thin necks. Ideally, a wider nut would be nice, but I've managed fine with the 1 1/16." Last edited by Archsas; 09-30-2017 at 01:54 PM. |
#12
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Hi
I recently contacted Guild for a comparison between the Westerly M-140 that I own and the USA built M-40. From their response, I get the impression that spec wise they are similar, but the M-40, other than bring built in the USA, has better hardware and the finish is satin (as opposed to Gloss on the M-140). I believe the neck specs are similar - both C shape, but the fretboard radius on the M-40 is now 12" as opposed to 16" on the M-140. Would imagine comparisons between the M-120 and M-20 are the same. I was also interested in the M-20 because a couple of shops here in the Uk had it on offer, however, despite a couple of really good reviews on the Internet, feedback on the forum was no great - some raising issues re the finish (after a short period of ownership). As suggested by another poster, I would recommend you looking at the Guild forum - there is an thread re the M-20 Guild put a big emphasis on the Ren Fergusson input with the new US build series models, but I understand that he has now left the company. Cheers Rich Last edited by Kerbie; 03-09-2018 at 09:18 AM. Reason: Removed details |
#13
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I've got an OM-140 (spruce/hog) and chose it out of many different guitars with similar specs from different brands in its price range (Eastman, Yamaha, Fender, etc.). The Guid Westerly Collection in general I've found has a very vintage tone which I tend to love.
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#14
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The new Guilds have a tight 12" fretboard radius which makes them very hard to play (for me).
Which is a shame, because I really want to like them otherwise.
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Larrivee OM-03RE; O-01 Martin D-35; Guild F-212; Tacoma Roadking Breedlove American Series C20/SR Rainsong SFTA-FLE; WS3000; CH-PA Taylor GA3-12, Guild F-212 https://markhorning.bandcamp.com/music |
#15
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Quote:
ETA: after re-reading your question, maybe you weren't asking about the original ones... |