The new Guilds

Further inspection, the laminated back is beautifully book matched. The solid top has a few flaws. Do I care? Frets are a bit sharp on the ends. Fit and finish is mostly very good. Finish is satin and feels thin. The neck feels good and I can wrap my thumb around to fret the low Es at the second fret -- barely. About the same as a Seagull S6, which is a really nice guitar with a pretty substantial neck. I looked for the big, solid block that my D25 has at the join at the neck inside the body. It isn't there.

I tuned it for the first time (don't laugh at me, too much anyway). That was a big milestone for me. I can't get over the sound! I'm using a stone pick to force me to use a light touch. The sound is big, chimey, nicely balanced between bass and treble. It is almost bigger than my voice after years of choir practice! Just a bit intimidating.

More later!
 
A friend of mine came by yesterday with his old Westerly Rhode Island made Guild 12 string. Also a jumbo. Bear claw maple sides, arched back, beautiful abalone trapizoid inlay on the fretboard, spruce top. Serial number check says made in 1974. The neck is bigger and rounder in cross section, more like a U. It is a much heavier guitar. It has much more in appointments and a period nitro finish. I give it the edge in sound to my new 12 string, but they are strikingly similar. Both guitars are incredibly loud. I actually have trouble singing over them. My F 251 has a flatter neck I find more comfortable, and feels easier on the fingers.. I know it is tiring to repeat it so much, but they are big and bright in voice. The Guild D25 is also right in there in terms of power and projection. Two cedar topped Seagull guitars with smaller dread style bodies were available for comparison. They sounded good, but nowhere near as resonant. The 3 Guilds sounded remarkably alike, despite variation in the age of the strings on each.

Unless it explodes tomorrow or something, the Guild 12 string is an amazing guitar for 500 bucks.

My friend's 12 string is an F412. The sides are curly maple, not bear claw. Beautiful whatever they are.
 
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