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  #1  
Old 09-04-2015, 07:37 PM
jylarkin jylarkin is offline
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Default Question about Tacoma-built Guilds

To the diehard Guild-o-philes,

I'm a newbie to the Guild guitar world so please excuse a question that might seem too dumb to answer.

I have the opportunity to purchase a 2007 Tacoma-built F50R.

How would your guys compare these to the old Westerly-built guitars in terms of build quality, sound, playability, etc.

What have you all observed to be the major differences?

Thanks for your help!
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  #2  
Old 09-04-2015, 07:43 PM
PTC Bernie PTC Bernie is offline
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Default Tacoma Guilds

First, welcome to the forums!

The are many good Tacoma built Guilds, but the Westerly have a better reputation.

You might also want to post your question over on the Let's Talk Guild forum.
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  #3  
Old 09-04-2015, 07:46 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is offline
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You might get some info here, but Let's Talk Guild will be the place to go.

Tacoma Guilds are highly thought of.
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  #4  
Old 09-04-2015, 09:38 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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A 2007 Tacoma built F-50R should be an absolutely stunning guitar.
Guilds were built at Tacoma from 2004 to 2008 so 2007 sits nicely toward the end of the Tacoma era and avoids any possibility of 'early start' problems like the Corona Guilds 2001-2004 experienced.
The Guild F-512 is the top of the range rosewood 12-string jumbo, the F-50R is the 6-string eqivalent.
I'd love one.
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Last edited by Brucebubs; 09-04-2015 at 09:52 PM.
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  #5  
Old 09-04-2015, 10:24 PM
JohnW63 JohnW63 is offline
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Some people PREFER the Tacoma built ones. I really don't think Guild has a "dud" period, to be honest.
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  #6  
Old 09-04-2015, 11:13 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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I should add that the Westerly built Guilds also have a reputation for having rather thick and chunky necks and although Fender seemed to do very little to promote the Guild brand, I believe they did alter the necks to a more 'user-friendly' profile some time in the Corona era.
They are quite heavy guitars.
My F-412 is amazingly stable and stays in tune for months.
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  #7  
Old 09-04-2015, 11:41 PM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
I should add that the Westerly built Guilds also have a reputation for having rather thick and chunky necks and although Fender seemed to do very little to promote the Guild brand, I believe they did alter the necks to a more 'user-friendly' profile some time in the Corona era.

My F-412 is amazingly stable and stays in tune for months.
The neck changes were to the 12-strings such as your F-412. The Westerly Guild 12s have dual truss rods which accounts for their chunky necks (also why they are so incredibly stable). The Tacoma 12-strings have a single rod and dual carbon fiber reinforcing rods instead.

I do not believe that the 6-string necks were different.

Regardless, the Tacoma Guilds are well regarded.
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  #8  
Old 09-04-2015, 11:49 PM
6L6 6L6 is offline
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I've owned Guilds built in every factory except New Hartford and the latest spot. Tacoma-builts are my favorites.

The D-55NT I bought new in 2006 has been my main gigging guitar for nine years now. Love it and my 2006 Guild D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee!
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  #9  
Old 09-05-2015, 12:46 AM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZLiberty View Post
The neck changes were to the 12-strings such as your F-412. The Westerly Guild 12s have dual truss rods which accounts for their chunky necks (also why they are so incredibly stable). The Tacoma 12-strings have a single rod and dual carbon fiber reinforcing rods instead.

I do not believe that the 6-string necks were different.

Regardless, the Tacoma Guilds are well regarded.
I believe my Guild F-412 must be a very early Corona build because it still has 2 truss rods - extremely stable but a heavy guitar.
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  #10  
Old 09-05-2015, 04:28 AM
brijas99 brijas99 is offline
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The Tacoma Guilds are fantastic instruments. I prefer them. Build quality is outstanding, and that wonderful Guild tone. The F50R is kinda hard to find. Very sweet guitar indeed. If you decide to not buy it, please send me a PM, I would love to own one !
Mark
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  #11  
Old 09-05-2015, 06:18 AM
PTC Bernie PTC Bernie is offline
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Default "Chunky" necks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brucebubs View Post
I should add that the Westerly built Guilds also have a reputation for having rather thick and chunky necks and although Fender seemed to do very little to promote the Guild brand, I believe they did alter the necks to a more 'user-friendly' profile some time in the Corona era.
They are quite heavy guitars.
My F-412 is amazingly stable and stays in tune for months.
I would have to disagree. I've had a couple of 70's D25's and a JF 50 that had a particularly thin neck. But I have seen others with baseball bat necks, so I guess it varies over the years and models.
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  #12  
Old 09-05-2015, 10:48 AM
jylarkin jylarkin is offline
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Default Thank you so much for your help!

thanks everyone for your input! I really appreciate the welcome to the board and the obvious wealth of collective knowledge and experience among forum members. I hope I can be as helpful to others. And thanks for the suggestion about posting on the "Let's Talk Guild" section.

John
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  #13  
Old 09-05-2015, 11:09 AM
Andromeda Andromeda is offline
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Sometimes people can wax nostalgic for a guitar built in a certain building or during a certain era and that can create a mythology all of its own. Sometimes that mythology is deserved and sometimes it is not.

Yes, the old Westerly Guilds had necks that could be clubby like, mostly for their 12-strings. I have played and owned many Guilds and Tacoma Guilds are fantastic. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment grabbing one made there.
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  #14  
Old 09-05-2015, 11:25 AM
jimmyboy jimmyboy is offline
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F-50s from Tacoma are excellent.I love mine.Neck feel about the same size as Gibson J-35.


.

.

If possible, try maple version VS. rosewood. They are different. My blondie doesn't has any bracing on the back and it's arch back.
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  #15  
Old 09-05-2015, 12:22 PM
jylarkin jylarkin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmyboy View Post
F-50s from Tacoma are excellent.I love mine.Neck feel about the same size as Gibson J-35. If possible, try maple version VS. rosewood. They are different. My blondie doesn't has any bracing on the back and it's arch back.
Yes, I first fell in love with a Guild over 20 years ago when I played an archbacked maple like yours. It's taken me all this time to find the right Guild, and I am pulling the trigger on this F50R this weekend! Maybe my next guitar will be a 12-String Blond Archback?
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