Gurian guitars

[PaperSpoon]

Picking up a Gurian JM here in a few days.
Hard to get a lot of information on their tone.
Anybody have experience with the JM?

[thingthatisdone]

Many years ago they had one at Maple leaf music in Brattleboro, VT (very close to the Gurian factory). First thing I noticed was how interesting they look. The shape is based on a classical guitar, but it looks very unique and cool. Love the pick guard and the logo. I remember the neck was very skinny. Not just the nut width, but the neck shape was almost round, and reminded me of a baseball bat. Wasn't a huge jumbo guitar, maybe in the ballpark of a 000-12fret. Medium weight. The tone was nice, but the guitar needed new strings. It was balanced, blend-y; average decay/sustain, soft, kinda quiet. I didn't use a pick. Just travis picked some dylan tunes, but it didn't really fit that style. I think someday I'd want one. I still check reverb from time to time. Happy NGD.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

They were grand for their time, but unless you are buying nostalgia there are so many other options available today.
I owned one for a while in the 80's, very narrow string spacing and skinny necks.

[Osage]

I've played a handful of them and they have all sounded great! Very balanced and even. Not super loud but very rich with good treble. They made different neck widths to order. I've played two that were 1 3/4" and the others were pretty skinny. The first 100 or so built had a weird neck joint that makes doing a proper neck set impossible. If you have one of these early ones and it needs a reset, you have to cut the neck off at the body! I've seen it done. Paul Simon played and recorded with one for years.

[Wade Hampton]

I’ve read quotes from Paul Simon where he said that the Gurian is his favorite guitar. His is one of those special orders with a larger neck on it.


whm

[R22]

A JM was my one and only for many years. Very even. Great for fingerpicking and strumming. Dumbest move of my life trading it in for a Taylor I soon got rid of.

People talk about the narrow necks. I just don't remember it being a problem. Especially when you consider I was just finishing up my music degree with an emphasis on classical guitar. I was almost exclusively fingerpicking back then. When I did strum, no picks, just fingers.

Life was so simple back then.

[rwe]

Bought my 1st JM in 1979 and selected it among about 100 medium and high priced steel strings, from Yamaha, Aria and Ibanez to Martin D45, Gibsons, Guilds, Mossmanns. It's a "mahogany tone", very well balanced between the strings and along the scale. More mids than Martin, very long sustain. Years later I bought a second JM, used, as backup instrument. The tone is very similar. Unlike a Martin or Gibson, it's no "trademark sound" that you can identify immediately, but the instrument is a very flexible tool.

[Jim Owen]

I have a S3R that I bought new in 76–it currently needs a neck reset I have played only one JM and I wish I owned it. Further, I kick myself for not buying the used S3M that was hanging up at Harry’s in Raleigh back around 2003.

I have lost my Gurian catalog from the 70s, but someone in the misc for sale section of classifieds has a batch of old music store papers, including a 75 price list.

[b1j]

My S3R3H is still in fine shape after decades as my only guitar. It has two brothers now and has found its place as the Nashville-stringed member of the family. What a revelation. The 44-year-old rosewood body rings out undertones of the silky high notes. It is a thrilling complement to the J-45, especially when I double a part to simulate a 12-string.

I kind of hijacked this thread because mine is not a J and is not mahogany. Sorry.

My Gurian has been a treasured little secret among other guitar makes, and it seems destined to stay that way.

PaperSpoon, come back when your JM arrives and share your experience with it.