Yamaha acquires Guild

Aahzz · #1 02-07-2023, 07:33 AM

Well, Cordoba music group, which includes Guild among others.

Seems like current Guilds are already pretty well regarded - do we think this might improve them?

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/yam...-guild-guitars

JPCary · #2 02-07-2023, 07:36 AM

they can't do worse than fender

egordon99 · #3 02-07-2023, 07:42 AM

The poor Guild brand has been bounced around so much over the years...

I owned a RI-built D4 and D25 in the late 90s. Really nice guitars I wish I held onto.

Back then, the big three were Martin, Taylor, and Guild.

I hope this move is good for the brand.

srick · #4 02-07-2023, 07:44 AM

That's very interesting indeed.

Yamaha has had, and continues to have, high standards throughout their musical line. And, they've been at it for decades. Best wishes to everyone at the Cordoba\Guild factory in Oxnard, CA and here's to you Yamaha - make these iconic guitars all they should be.

Maybe Guild has finally found its permanent home under the aegis of Yamaha.

Howard Emerson · #5 02-07-2023, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srick

That's very interesting indeed.

Yamaha has and continues to have high standards throughout their musical line. And, they've been at it for decades. Best wishes to everyone at the Cordoba\Guild factory in Oxnard, CA and here's to you Yamaha - make these iconic guitars all they should be.

Maybe Guild has finally found its permanent home under the aegis of Yamaha.

It really would be a beautiful thing. I've been a Guild guitar fan for a very long time, and actually induced them to do an early 're-issue' of their F-20 when I worked at Sam Ash, NYC in the mid 1990's.

The best 12 string I ever owned was a 1964 F-212, the first full year of production. No fret markers, 2" nut, flat fingerboard, no volute.

If I was a foot taller I'd have kept it....

Anyway I bet Yamaha will do the right thing if history is any indicator.

Best,
Howard Emerson

Steve DeRosa · #6 02-07-2023, 07:57 AM

Got the chips and salsa one the table, and some cold Bitburger in the fridge...

This should get real interesting...

#7 02-07-2023, 08:06 AM

I think this is actually terrible news. :/

I would have been a lot happier to read "Martin Acquires Guild," or something along those lines.

No knock on Yamahas; they are fine guitars. I just hate to see a small US-based company that produces quality products get swallowed up by a foreign corporate giant.

mcduffnw · #8 02-07-2023, 08:23 AM

I think that Cordoba has done a really great job of keeping Guild alive and well and really well made, albeit with a fairly limited production and marketing/distribution level.

Same goes for their very very fine classical guitars as well.

I think that Yamaha will bring their very consistent high standards for quality at all price levels, and the ability to produce and market at much higher volume levels, which would really help Guild gain a solid foothold in market share.

Maybe now Guild will finally have some longer term stability, which the brand really needs, and, IMO, deserves.

Yeppers...I think this is GOOD news for Guild.

Fingers Crossed...

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

egordon99 · #9 02-07-2023, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janinep7

I think this is actually terrible news. :/

I would have been a lot happier to read "Martin Acquires Guild," or something along those lines.

No knock on Yamahas; they are fine guitars. I just hate to see a small US-based company that produces quality products get swallowed up by a foreign corporate giant.

I don't think you have been following Guild over the last ~20 years. It's been a LONG time since they've been a "small US-based company that produces quality products"

Yamaha will probably be the best thing to happen to the brand since they left Rhode Island.

And pretty sure Martin is NOT in the business of acquisitions

#10 02-07-2023, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egordon99

I don't think you have been following Guild over the last ~20 years. It's been a LONG time since they've been a "small US-based company that produces quality products"

Yamaha will probably be the best thing to happen to the brand since they left Rhode Island.

And pretty sure Martin is NOT in the business of acquisitions

You are correct; I have not been following Guild for the last 20 years. I just started playing less than a year ago, but I have a natural eye for the good stuff.

Martin is *definitely* in the business of acquisitions... They are rapidly acquiring all of our disposable income. LOL!

I keep my fingers crossed that Guild doesn't just disappear, or that all of their production moves overseas. When the production goes overseas, the workers left behind have no jobs. :/

rstaight · #11 02-07-2023, 08:43 AM

I hope Yamaha keeps the brand going and imparts it's, lessons learned into the brand.

I worked at a fortune 100 company for twenty years. A privately owned company that was a leader in their niche. And now for a large publicity traded company.

What I have seen all too often, is a large company buys a smaller competitor. Then takes what they are doing better, be it processes, engineering, or customer base. Then shuts it down.

I hope this isn't a step in eliminating the competition.

brad4d8 · #12 02-07-2023, 08:52 AM

We're looking at this from a Guild/steel string perspective. I wonder how much the Cordoba line entered into the decision. Before Cordoba started making inroads, Yamaha was the leading player in the world market for intro and student level classical guitars, even marketing a concert level instrument in the '70s (Konrad Ragossnig played one for a while). This union would in all likelihood restore them to that sales pinnacle.

Aahzz · #13 02-07-2023, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janinep7

You are correct; I have not been following Guild for the last 20 years. I just started playing less than a year ago, but I have a natural eye for the good stuff.

Martin is *definitely* in the business of acquisitions... They are rapidly acquiring all of our disposable income. LOL!

I keep my fingers crossed that Guild doesn't just disappear, or that all of their production moves overseas. When the production goes overseas, the workers left behind have no jobs. :/

Guild first started import lines in the early 70s. Fender bought them in 1995, and in the early 2000s started selling imports with the Guild name, while relocating their US production multiple times.

Cordoba bought them in 2015, and seems to have stabilized the brand again. And, of course, now Yamaha has bought Cordoba, and with it, Guild.

Yamaha is an excellent company, and sticks to high quality standards. I foresee this being good for both the import Guilds and the US production.

Osage · #14 02-07-2023, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rstaight

I hope Yamaha keeps the brand going and imparts it's, lessons learned into the brand.

I worked at a fortune 100 company for twenty years. A privately owned company that was a leader in their niche. And now for a large publicity traded company.

What I have seen all too often, is a large company buys a smaller competitor. Then takes what they are doing better, be it processes, engineering, or customer base. Then shuts it down.

I hope this isn't a step in eliminating the competition.

I wouldn't think that Guild is really all that much competition for Yamaha. It's been a long time since Guild was one of the "big three". They've bounced around with different owners and factories for decades now. I mean, anything is possible. They could change Guild to a high end company or a low end import company or keep it the same but the name has value and I can't see Yamaha just shuttering the brand. Heck, they could have bought Cordoba for the string division and are planning on selling Guild.

Aahzz · #15 02-07-2023, 09:01 AM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild_Guitar_Company#