Any Guild F-130 owners out there?

jwmtele · #1 07-16-2012, 12:14 PM

Hello,anyone have or have had a Guild F-130?I am looking for a replacement for my Epiphone EL00.I play fingerstyle blues,alot of Mance Lipscomb type
blues.How do you like your Guild F-130?Would it make a nice Blues guitar?
How is the quality?I used to own a Guild D35 it was a wonderful guitar,I would like to how the new asian made Guilds are.Thanks for your help.
cheers,
James

TJed · #2 08-17-2012, 12:21 PM

I also have an EL-00 and was looking at the F-130 as well.
If my GAD-50 is indicative of chinese made Guilds then you will be most satified with that guitar.. I absolutely love it and it was a bargain at the 650.00 or so I paid for it. All solid wood, excellent construction, bright balanced tone, but warm not tinny. I'd be curious to hear about the F-130 if you do end up purchasing one.

Jim · #3 08-17-2012, 04:01 PM

The F-130 is not made by Guild, it is a Guild GAD model. Guild GADs are made for Guild in China. Guilds are made by Guild in New Hartford, Connecticut. Guild GADs are to Guilds as Epihones are to Gibsons.

jpd · #4 08-17-2012, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim

The F-130 is not made by Guild, it is a Guild GAD model. Guild GADs are made for Guild in China. Guilds are made by Guild in New Hartford, Connecticut. Guild GADs are to Guilds as Epihones are to Gibsons.

That being said...how do the F-130 and F130R sound? They are close in price to the well respected Eastman E6 and E8. All from China, but bought by musicians across North America.

L20A · #5 08-17-2012, 04:19 PM

I have played several Asian made Guilds All were very nice guitars.
I owned a GAD JF-48 a few years ago. It was a great guitar for the money.
I have not played an F-130 though.
I have also been very impressed with the Eastman guitars that I have played.
Both of these companies are producing fine instruments.

learner · #6 08-17-2012, 04:59 PM

Hi jwm,

Disclaimer: I am a big fan of the Made in China Guilds, whether GADs or 100 series. I've owned three - GAD-30RE, GAD-F20, and GAD-F40P. I've played two F-130s and I liked them as much as the GADs. I once played my GAD-30RE side by side with the American-made F-30RE. The only difference I could detect, at least in these two guitars, was volume. Tone was identical to my ears.

I encourage you to play them and decide for yourself. And beware of those who express knee-jerk bias against Asian made guitars.

van6143 · #7 08-18-2012, 09:09 PM

Bought a Guild f-130 about 3 months ago happy with my purchase, all solid wood construction workmsnship is top notch has a great sound.

Bill17 · #8 09-01-2014, 11:32 AM

I just got the Guild F-130R which has the rosewood back and sides with natural sitka spuce top. Yes, it's in the GAD series (GAD is in the serial number) meaning it is made in China. I own an American made Gibson J-45 and this guitar is in the same league for quality. The guitar is solid wood - top, back, and sides! No laminate. The wood selection is top grade. Finish is excellent and has a high gloss body with satin neck. The headstock face is gloss with the Guild logo in mother of pearl. Open back tuners similar to Waverly. I strummed F-130R in the store and the projection blew me away. Very full sounding and woody. Not boxy or toy-like at all. By the way the body measures only 3.5 inches deep and projects nearly like a dreadnought. I paid $500 on sale with the case. I really like the sunburst top on the F-130 mahogany but the store only had the natural top and I couldn't pass it up after playing it at that price. You won't be sorry with the F-130.

painasusual · #9 09-01-2014, 11:58 AM

I own the F130. It'a great finger style guitar. The sound is bright, balanced and lively. The 1 3/4 nut and 2 1/4 bridge string spacing make it a terrific guitar for finger style . And it sounds better than my 000 28.

ocmcook · #10 09-01-2014, 12:09 PM

i have a guild gad-125 all mahogany and i bought it over the martin d-15.
the two guitars were equal in sound but not even close in price. i don't know why guild owners are so quick to disown what is a very nice guitar.

Knollhaven · #11 09-01-2014, 12:14 PM

No affiliation, but somebody has one in age classifieds - today is the last day. FYI.

Knollhaven · #12 09-01-2014, 12:17 PM

...that should've said AGF classifieds.

AndrewG · #13 09-01-2014, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ocmcook

i have a guild gad-125 all mahogany and i bought it over the martin d-15.
the two guitars were equal in sound but not even close in price. i don't know why guild owners are so quick to disown what is a very nice guitar.

Why? Snobbery; if it's made in China it can't possibly be as good an instrument as one built in the USA...trouble is they are frequently better.

Ikeepem · #14 09-01-2014, 10:27 PM

It's my most played guitar and I have a boatload of more expensive ones too. I wasn't planning on buying one but I picked one off the wall at a local shop for about a half hour not believing what I was playing, China or no China, it didn't matter to me, she came home.....I did a bone nut a saddle and sounds beautiful, it's probably my favorite neck out of all of my guitars.. try and play one of each before you commit if you get a chance, but honestly, and I played the Rosewood after I bought it and could have just as easily came home with that too, the solid wood on mine is gorgeous..

Ikeepem · #15 09-01-2014, 10:36 PM

It's my most played guitar and I have a boatload of more expensive ones too. I wasn't planning on buying one but I picked one of the wall for about a half hour not believing what I was playing, China or no China, it didn't matter to me, she came home.....I did a bone nut a saddle and sounds beautiful, it's probably my favorite neck out of all of my guitars.. try and play one of each before you commit if you get a chance, but honestly, and I played the Rosewood after I bought it and could have just as easily came home with that too, the solid wood on mine is gorgeous..