Guild confusion
Is there a difference between a Guild F40 and a Guild F40 Valencia?
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I know about that site, which features a Guild F40 as well as a Guild Valencia, thus adding to the confusion, as Guild has an F40 Valencia model too. |
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F-40 (current model): http://guildguitars.com/g/f-40-in-natural/ F-40 Valencia: http://guildguitars.com/g/f-40-valencia/ |
Wasn't the F-40 originally called The Valencia? I know that somewhere along the years, the Valencia was dropped... but one of the companies that has owned Guild in the past years brought the name "back", if indeed it ever went anywhere!
Since Mark built it for me in 1979, I have owned and LOVED my Angus F-40... built from a template of a Guild F-40, with a Florentine cutaway. Black Forest German spruce over 'plain Jane" maple, rosewood binding on the body, mahogany neck. My Angus has been my "go-to" guitar since it came off the bench; until 2011, that Angus was my ONLY 6 string acoustic, and I never once thought about replacing it... just a wonderful instrument to hold; big, but not so big that it's at all unwieldy. I really think the shape and size contributes to it being a wonderful all-around guitar - strumming, flat picking, solo jazz lines, fingerpicking or fingerstyle... The F-40 Valencia (introduced in the mid-50's?) is VERY close to the size that many builders call their "Mini-Jumbo"... a fraction bigger than a Goodall Concert Jumbo or a Taylor Grand Symphony. As you can tell, I LOVE that shape/size! |
The F-40 Valencia was introduced in 1954 and stayed in the catalog until 1963. In 1973 is came back as the Bluegrass F-40. In 1976 it changed from a Mahogany neck to a Maple one. It's always had a arched Maple back and maple sides with a spruce top. I suspect the "bluegrass" name got dropped at some point after 1977.
The body has/had a 16" lower section and was 4-1/4" deep. Of course, Guild being Guild, could slightly alter those specs from era to era. |
I've seen this come up a few times. Back in the day, Guild in addition to the numerical nomenclature gave their guitars names. The F-40 was aka "The Valencia". :guitar:
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To further complicate matters, Guild in New Hartford, CT, from 2010-2013, produced two different F-40's:
F-40 Valencia (red spruce top, mahogany flat-back with tortoise binding and some additional bling). F-40 Standard (Sitka spruce top, mahogany flat-back with white binding and no bling). |
but one of the companies that has owned Guild in the past years brought the name "back", if indeed it ever went anywhere!
----------------- To further complicate matters, Guild in New Hartford, CT, from 2010-2013, produced two different F-40's: F-40 Valencia (red spruce top, mahogany flat-back with tortoise binding and some additional bling). F-40 Standard (Sitka spruce top, mahogany flat-back with white binding and no bling). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for all the replies. The 2 quoted above answer the question. The Valencia was an arch-backed model, the F40 was/is traditionally braced. Someone in my neck of the woods has listed an F40 Valencia (out of Tacoma). Hence my question. I probably shouldn't judge the guitar's lineage, but it's nice to have a clue as to what it is. And...I guess I kind of do? |
Guild did not make an arch-backed F-40 in Tacoma (2004-08).
The F-40 Valencia made in Tacoma was flat-back, braced mahogany with red spruce top. |
I do not believe that Guild made the original Valencia F-40 with an arched back... no way, no how...
I DO remember that Guild began making some laminate wood arch backs in the 70's... and I have never played one of those that would qualify as a "keeper" in my book... same with those pathetic Gibson acoustics with arch backs in nearly the same era... While I admit that, in the hands of a wonderful builder, an arch back acoustic flat-top "could" sound great, I have never played one that "did it" for me... |
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Well, jseth will need to check it out.
You have enough standing going on ! |
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