guild gad30 padauk

CoffeeGuitar · #1 07-10-2011, 10:15 AM

any had a chance to try the padauk guild gad 30

found one at an excellent price and as financial circumstances have reduced me to a very poor guitar (oh the might have fallen) i am thinking about getting one

gary0319 · #2 07-10-2011, 10:58 AM

I own a GAD 30R and have had ample offortunity to play the Padauk 30 at a local shop which has had one on the wall for about 6 months.

I'd place the Padauk tone close to Ovangkol (betwen Rosewood and Mahogany), but I've been unimpressed. The one I've played seemed to require a lot of effort to get any sound out of it.... just seemed unresponsive. Looked nice on the wall, though.

DrDavid · #3 07-10-2011, 11:04 AM

I have a Guild GAD-30PCE, and it is VERY loud and responsive. Amazingly projective for its size.

Also, the neck is extremely fast and comfortable, and there is ample string separation at the saddle.

All in all, imho it's a versatile instrument and a remarkable value.

..

RiloKiley · #4 07-10-2011, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary0319

I own a GAD 30R and have had ample offortunity to play the Padauk 30 at a local shop which has had one on the wall for about 6 months.

I'd place the Padauk tone close to Ovangkol (betwen Rosewood and Mahogany), but I've been unimpressed. The one I've played seemed to require a lot of effort to get any sound out of it.... just seemed unresponsive. Looked nice on the wall, though.

Maybe this was moreso an issue with the top than the wood on the sides and back? Padauk has quite a distinctive red/orange look to it from what I've seen. Dennis Kwasnycia speaks very highly of it. The most common comparison that I've heard is between it and rosewood, so I assume that it is a bit closer to that side of things, but hard to tell since it is relatively rare in acoustic guitars

I'm going to have a guitar built with it as the wood for the sides and back.

Wade Hampton · #5 07-10-2011, 04:52 PM

I own a Beneteau baritone made from paduak. I would definitely classify it as a rosewood-like tonewood.

CoffeeGuitar, like any other solid wood instrument you're going to run into tonal differences from one example to the next. But I should think that a Guild with paduak back and sides should be good-sounding guitar. I haven't run across any myself, but I'll be on the lookout for them now.

whm

earwighoney · #6 07-11-2011, 10:32 AM

i have tried the guild paduak 12 fretter. preferred to all other 6 string guild gad guitars i've tried (which is probably 3 gad30r's, and 6-7 guild gad30's)

it was quite bright sounding though, but a very well built and constructed instrument.

keembo · #7 07-22-2011, 07:48 PM

I have had the GAD 30PCE for over a year, and it is a wonderful sounding guitar. The poster that said they were unimpressed may have played one with strings older than this forum, and you could put those same strings on a new Collings and it would sound bad. It is a very versatile and strong projecting guitar that handles fingerpicking very well, as the 1-3/4" nut width is on the wide side. I have Martin FX light-mediums phosphor bronze on mine and keep it tuned down a full note, as I always downtune my instruments. The electronics are good and the quality of the build was very nice. If you get one a good price, I would jump on it. I actually enjoyed the GAD 30 PCE more than the GAD 30RE as the sound was more pleasing. It is an interesting sized body and louder than any other OM that I have.

vintageparlors · #8 07-23-2011, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by earwighoney

i have tried the guild paduak 12 fretter. preferred to all other 6 string guild gad guitars i've tried

I've also played the paduak 12-fret model and found it extremely responsive, with nice projection and note separation. If I was to buy another GAD series, it would be the paduak 12-fret.