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Old 04-17-2018, 01:10 PM
BluesyRob BluesyRob is offline
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Default Would this be a stupid mistake? (Trade content)

So I've been playing an Alvarez AG60CE at a music store I frequent. I really like it a lot. I'm not in the market to buy new right now, even though the price would be <$500 USD. My only choice would be trading in my 2006 Guild CV-1. The Guild is USA-made, all solid wood and sounds awesome. I'm thinking of going to some open mics and playing out more, which would require plugging in. I use a soundhole pickup now, but I was thinking of getting something more permanent installed. There are some other issues with the Guild, just minor ones, like the honky fret at the 15th (only on the low E) and other minor details.
The Alvarez has a cutaway, which I've always liked and would utilize, a strap button pick-up jack (instead of a "barn-door" pick up jack that some guitar companies are installing recently), solid top, laminated b/s.
Both are Concert size guitars.
So would it be really stupid to trade the Guild for the Alvarez?
Your brutal honesty would be appreciated! TIA
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Old 04-17-2018, 01:23 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is online now
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Well, it sounds as though you’d be trading down, in overall market value if not in musical utility. Is there any way you could put the Alvarez on layaway at the store and pay a manageable sum on it every month until you’ve got it paid for? I think that’s what I would do if I was in a similar situation.


whm
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Old 04-17-2018, 01:35 PM
pieterh pieterh is offline
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I’m with Wade on this one to be honest. I love having a cutaway on my Taylor but love my other two acoustics too.

If the Alvarez is really what you want then go for it - but I would be reluctant to sacrifice a Guild in order to make it happen...
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Old 04-17-2018, 01:38 PM
pieterh pieterh is offline
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What’s more, installing an end-pin preamp pickup or even a passive K&K Pure Mini would make your Guild more plug and play than it is now and isn’t hard to do (or expensive if you get the store to do it).
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Old 04-17-2018, 01:43 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is online now
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Get your Guild fixed. Put some good soundboard pickups, my preference are Dazzos but K&Ks acceptable, and run a good DI unit outboard. A RedEye or the new almost but not quite on the market Sunnaudio, and you will sound great. If you are only going to have one acoustic with pickups, put a Sunnaudio circuit onboard your guitar. It really will blow a RedEye away. I've loved my RedEye, but there is better to be had now.

Disclaimer: SunnAudio custombuilt me a DI box for my open mic, and gave me a discount on it for real world feedback.

An under $500 guitar will have underwhelming electronics.

Please don't think you can run K&Ks into a mixing board and sound good. It will make sound though.
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Last edited by srick; 04-17-2018 at 02:14 PM. Reason: Rule #1
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Old 04-17-2018, 02:27 PM
jpd jpd is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pieterh View Post
What’s more, installing an end-pin preamp pickup or even a passive K&K Pure Mini would make your Guild more plug and play than it is now and isn’t hard to do (or expensive if you get the store to do it).
+1.....keep that Guild! Bolt on neck? All solid? Throw on a K&K and move on
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Old 04-17-2018, 02:34 PM
taylorgtr taylorgtr is offline
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If you have a guitar that you're attached to for any reason, don't trade it (especially trading down) if the issue you don't like can be addressed.


I had a '98 Huss and Dalton TD-R (Adi/Rosewood dreadnaught, maple binding, radius top, Waverly tuners). The top would get sticky in hot weather, and according to H&D the fix was to do a refinish, which would have been about $300. Instead, I traded straight up for a Taylor W10 - which is a nice guitar, but never as nice as the H&D. Today, the H&D is worth about 2X what the Taylor is, and I've kicked myself ever since.
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Old 04-17-2018, 03:32 PM
BT55 BT55 is offline
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+1 Keep the Guild !
Add a K&K Ultra Pure Mini - includes the preamp and is a simple install.
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Old 04-18-2018, 04:25 PM
Oldguy64 Oldguy64 is offline
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I’m an avowed Alvarez guy.
I have five of the seven I’ve bought for myself over the years.
And quite frankly while the AD60 is a great guitar, it ain’t a Guild. Not by a long shot.
A new AD60 is under $500, and an used one can often be had under $300.
You can throw a K&K in the Guild and add any one of a dozen DI’s and sound better than decent.
You’d spend about what an AD60 goes for to “hop up” the guitar you already love.
The issues you mention are pretty easy fixes.
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Old 04-18-2018, 04:44 PM
backdoc backdoc is offline
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Not to pile on, but I'm going to anyway. Keep the Guild. Find some other way to afford the Alvarez.
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Old 04-18-2018, 04:46 PM
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Yrksman Yrksman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pieterh View Post
I’m with Wade on this one to be honest. I love having a cutaway on my Taylor but love my other two acoustics too.

If the Alvarez is really what you want then go for it - but I would be reluctant to sacrifice a Guild in order to make it happen...
Agree completely with this advice.
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Old 04-18-2018, 04:52 PM
jrb715 jrb715 is offline
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Just in case you need one more voice: keep the Guild! What are you thinking?
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Old 04-18-2018, 05:52 PM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
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If you like the Alvarez and I don't see why you don't, sell the Guild and then use that money to buy the Alvarez. It's not that Alvarez are not very good guitars, they are. It's just they sell for a lot less than most of the competition.
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Old 04-19-2018, 10:17 AM
jricc jricc is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
Well, it sounds as though you’d be trading down, in overall market value if not in musical utility. Is there any way you could put the Alvarez on layaway at the store and pay a manageable sum on it every month until you’ve got it paid for? I think that’s what I would do if I was in a similar situation.


whm
Agree with Wade on this. Hold on to your Guild.
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  #15  
Old 04-19-2018, 10:31 AM
Athens Athens is offline
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Default Trade advice

Bad trade, IMHO.

A US made all solid wood guitar for, well, a lesser guitar?

If your main issue is a pick up, a K&K mini would be a great choice, minimal modification to install and sound great. In addition, no battery to die in the middle of a gig so you don't need to detune to get to the battery bag.

Keep the Guild!
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