Guild F-512

118 Guitarist March 2014
GUILD F-30, D-55 & F-512 £1,966, £2,470 & £2,422
Acoustics
because, frankly, even the
cheaper specimens sound
pretty cool and different when
they’re first strummed.
This, however… oh lordy. You
just revel in the sheer depth of
the bass and the impressive
punch with which notes and
chords throw forwards. It’s
such a sonorous instrument,
one of those guitars that even
gets non-guitar-players excited
by the noise it’s making: very
close to genuine magic. Go on,
just try not playing Pink Floyd’s
Wish You Were Here for literally
hours on end – an indulgence
for sure.
Verdict
It’s a genuine pleasure to hear,
see and feel Guild at the top of
its game. If these three are
anything to go by, the latest
Traditional and Standard
models are absolutely up there
with the other big American
names, offering superb quality
craftsmanship and world-class
tone. Any criticisms we could
level are purely subjective in
terms of aesthetic or personal
tonal biases: and besides,
we’re genuinely struggling to
think of any.
Handmade in the USA,
they’re certainly not impulse
purchases; to whit, we’d say
that the F-512 is either a totally
frivolous, got-to-have-the-best
choice for the guitar player
who has everything or,
conversely, the realisation of
the 12-string dream for anyone
deadly serious about playing
them professionally. Either
way, it’s melted every heart at
Guitarist Towers.
The D-55 and F-30 are
potentially more serious
workhorses that have every
likelihood of outlasting and
outperforming any one of us as
long as we can keep on picking:
the dreadnought as a
sumptuous strummer and
flatpicker, the F-30 as the
no-nonsense, yet thoroughly
pro fingerstyle instrument.
These are three must-try
guitars that absolutely nail each
of their respective genre’s most
desirable qualities at a
professional standard. Hooray
for New Hartford.
Guild F-512
PRICE: £2,422 (inc case)
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: 12-string jumbo acoustic
TOP: Solid Sitka spruce
BACK/SIDES: Solid rosewood
MAX RIM DEPTH: 120mm (4.72”)
MAX BODY WIDTH: 437mm (17.2”)
NECK: Three-piece mahogany/
walnut/mahogany
SCALE LENGTH: 650.8mm (25.625”)
TUNERS: Gotoh open-back –
gold-plated
NUT/WIDTH: Bone, 46mm
FINGERBOARD: Ebony with mother
of pearl and abalone inlays, 305mm
(12”) radius
FRETS: 20, medium
BRIDGE/SPACING: Bone, 64mm
ELECTRICS: None Optional
(none fitted on review model)
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 2.6/5.8
OPTIONS: Antique Burst finish, and
D-Tar Multi-Source pickup system
LEFT-HANDERS: Yes, Natural and
Antique Burst
FINISH: Natural gloss nitrocellulose
(body), gloss lacquer (neck)
Guild F-30
PRICE: £1,966 (inc case)
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Orchestra-sized acoustic
TOP: Solid Sitka spruce
BACK/SIDES: Solid mahogany
MAX RIM DEPTH: 109mm (4.3”)
MAX BODY WIDTH: 381mm (15”)
NECK: Mahogany
SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
TUNERS: Gotoh die-cast – chrome
NUT/WIDTH: Bone, 44.45.mm
FINGERBOARD: Rosewood with
pearl dot inlay, 305mm (12”) radius
FRETS: 20, medium
BRIDGE/SPACING:
Rosewood/55mm
ELECTRICS: Optional (none fitted on
review model)
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 1.95/4.3
LEFT-HANDERS: Yes
FINISH: Gloss nitrocellulose (body)
satin lacquer (neck)
Fender GBI
01342 331700
www.guildguitars.com
Guild D-55
PRICE: £2,470 (inc case)
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Dreadnought acoustic
TOP: Solid ‘AAA’ spruce
BACK/SIDES: Solid rosewood
MAX RIM DEPTH: 125mm (4.9”)
MAX BODY WIDTH: 404mm (15.9”)
NECK: Three-piece mahogany/
walnut/mahogany
SCALE LENGTH: 650.8mm (25.625”)
TUNERS: Gotoh open-back –
gold-plated
NUT/WIDTH: Bone, 42.9mm
FINGERBOARD: Ebony with mother
of pearl and abalone inlays, 305mm
(12”) radius
FRETS: 20, medium
BRIDGE/SPACING: Bone, 55mm
ELECTRICS: Optional (none fitted on
review model)
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 2.3/5.1
OPTIONS: Antique Burst finish, and
D-Tar Multi-Source pickup system
LEFT-HANDERS: Yes, Natural and
Antique Burst
FINISH: Natural gloss nitrocellulose
(body), gloss lacquer (neck)
GUITARIST RATING
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
Guitarist says: The dream
12-string: either the realisation of
a dream, or a serious pro-grade
working guitar (as long as you
buy the one with a pickup!)
GUITARIST RATING
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
Guitarist says: A superb, pro-
grade picker that trades visual
niceties for the most important
tonal features and build. Needs a
pickup as standard, though
GUITARIST RATING
Build quality
Playability
Sound
Value for money
Guitarist says: A loud, proud and
classy dread offering serious
credibility, quality and tone. Just
make sure you bond with the
flattish neck profile
http://vault.guitarist.co.uk
GIT378.rev_guild.indd 118 1/23/14 4:19 PM