The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:04 PM
piper_guitarist piper_guitarist is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 1,392
Default School Me On Guild 12 Strings

So I've decided to start saving up for a 12 string. I used to own a Takamine 12 string Dread with electronics. I sold it because I didn't play it much as I found it difficult to play. If I knew then what I know now I'd have probably kept it and had a setup done on it.

Alas, I've started looking around at 12 strings that won't absolutely break the bank. My requirements are all solid wood and large body, and easy to play. I looked at the Taylor 356 and 456 and they do seem like solid, easy to play instruments, but then in my quest I came across the Guild GAD Series F-1512. Solid Sitka over solid EIR, and a Jumbo (as opposed to a GS/mini jumbo) body, at pretty much the same price point as the 356 and/or 456.

I'm thinking a jumbo body with rosewood might be more to my liking. Now, I know there's that saying if you want a guitar that plays like a Taylor buy a Taylor. I have no expectations that a Guild will play exactly like a Taylor. I would like it to play easily with low action though. I know I can get it set up, but just how easy can you make a Guild 12 play?

Any advice or information is appreciated.
__________________
Lynn B.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:17 PM
robj144 robj144 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,430
Default

My Guild 12 string is extremely easy to play.
__________________
Guild CO-2
Guild JF30-12
Guild D55
Goodall Grand Concert Cutaway Walnut/Italian Spruce
Santa Cruz Brazilian VJ
Taylor 8 String Baritone
Blueberry - Grand Concert
Magnum Opus J450
Eastman AJ815
Parker PA-24
Babicz Jumbo Identity
Walden G730
Silvercreek T170
Charvell 150 SC
Takimine G406s
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:19 PM
drive-south drive-south is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4,630
Default

Guilds have big fat necks. You might like, or not. Make sure you play before buying.
__________________
"Vintage taste, reissue budget"
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:37 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Eden, Australia
Posts: 17,792
Default

I own a 2001 Guild F-412.
It is a factory 2nd from Corona when Fender shifted Guild from Westerly.
It has a faulty clear top coat only.
It has Maple back and sides and features an unbraced arch back.
The neck is dead straight and it holds tune for months.
It is very loud and clear with a balanced tone, just a nice bass/treble mix.
It is heavy, probably one of the last dual truss rod models before Fender modified the neck.
Very low action, I love this guitar and would replace it with the same if I lost it.
I also have a Taylor 355 which is a slightly unfair comparison because the Guild is a higher spec model.
The Taylor has a thinner neck profile that some may prefer, I'm comfortable with both guitars.
The Taylor was the guitar that convinced me that the jumbo body was the right direction for the 12-string sound I was wanting but it was the Guild that went 'bang there it is!' The Guild makes the Taylor sound a little too jangly.
I don't have a rosewood Guild F-512 but my Martin Grand J12-40E Special is a full size rosewood jumbo 12-string and one of the few guitars that rated a tiny bit higher than the F-512 - but at twice the cost it was dropped from production after just 3 years, only 231 were ever built. It has a much richer, deeper, warmer tone than my Guild F-412.
I use the same strings on all my 12-strings D'Addario EXP38's and keep them all tuned down a 1/2 step.
Another beautiful rosewood jumbo 12-string is the Taylor 855.
This Guild F-412 listed here in the AGF classifieds is an absolute bargain, it's just under twice the cost of a new Taylor 150e for 10 times more guitar! http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=367389
If I didn't already have one, I'd buy this myself.
__________________
Brucebubs

1972 - Takamine D-70
2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone
2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo
2012 - Dan Dubowski#61
2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo
2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200
2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird

Last edited by Brucebubs; 12-12-2014 at 04:47 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:49 PM
difalkner difalkner is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NW Louisiana
Posts: 1,187
Default

In 1974 I ordered a new F-512 and still have it. It's a great guitar! It is also very heavy but I kind of like that. I play it at concert pitch just like my 6 string guitars and play the same style of strumming, flat picking, and finger picking. I find it to be very loud, which is cool, stays in tune, and is not difficult to play.
__________________
David

My Woodworking YouTube channel - David Falkner Woodworking --------------------------------------------
Martin, Gallagher, Guild, Takamine, Falkner
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:51 PM
6L6 6L6 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 5,506
Default

USA-built Guilds are in a class of their own when it comes to 12 strings (although, there are some mighty fine Martin D-12-20's around too).

My '71 Guild F-312NT plays effortlessly up and down the next and sounds absolutely incredible:



Go for a nice Guild, USA-built if you can spare the change.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-12-2014, 05:34 PM
buddyhu buddyhu is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 8,127
Default

I had a Guild 212XL for a number of years. I think of it as having a wide (but not fat) neck. Dual truss rod. Broad shoulders on the neck. It was a substantial/heavy guitar, too.

I thought it was very easy to play, and I liked the tone much more than the handful of Taylor 12's I've tried. In fact, I thought that guitar sounded EXACTLY like a 12 string should sound. Loved it. It was the first time I loved the sound of a mahogany guitar.

Definitely worth considering, Lynn.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-12-2014, 06:07 PM
44Runner 44Runner is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 1,003
Default

My personal opinion is that FOR ME, they do not play as easy as a Taylor, but tone wise they are great. I have no experience with that particular model though.

My 456ce is EIR back and sides. Perhaps if you are after rosewood, you could look for a similar one. Taylor has put EIR on lower series limited editions multiple times in the past. In fact there is such thing as a 455Rce which was a limited 12 string jumbo with sitka over EIR...

That way you can get everything you desire.
__________________
Taylor 810ce, 416ce LTD (sitka/granadillo), 456ce FLTD (sitka/EIR), 314ce, 324e, HV GS Mini
Gretsch Honey Dipper Special
Halcyon Lutz/Black Limba Dread
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-12-2014, 06:56 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Eden, Australia
Posts: 17,792
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by drive-south View Post
Guilds have big fat necks. You might like, or not. Make sure you play before buying.
I've seen this statement several times and it just doesn't seem to be the case with my guitars. I've run these measurements on the forum a couple of times before but I'll do it again. Measurements taken with digital Vernier calipers - top of the string to back of the neck.
Taylor 355 - 1st fret; 23.11 mm 9th fret; 25.19 mm
Martin G J12-40E S - 1st fret; 23.28 mm 9th fret; 26.69 mm
Guild F-412 - 1st fret; 24.82 mm 9th fret; 28.12 mm
Morris B-50 - 1st fret; 27.17 mm 9th fret; 30.35 mm

So you can see my Martin is very close to the Taylor and my Japanese Morris 12-string is much thicker than all of them!
__________________
Brucebubs

1972 - Takamine D-70
2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone
2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo
2012 - Dan Dubowski#61
2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo
2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200
2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:42 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=