Gurians Anybody??

$ongWriter · #1 06-01-2009, 09:03 AM

I know this topic comes up from time to time but since I've been on these boards I don't believe I've seen it. Are there any Gurian owners out there and what do you think about them?

Sorry guys thought I was in the general thread could someone move this for me...thanks..

MikeMcKee · #2 06-01-2009, 11:15 AM

I had one for awhile and liked it. Problem with them is that horribly narrow nut width.

Wade Hampton · #3 06-01-2009, 02:25 PM

Mike put his finger on the same reason I have for never quite warming to the Gurian guitars I've played: the necks are truly narrow. For someone with small hands they might be ideal, but I've got long fingers, and they don't quite work for me.

Gurian guitars these days are not something that most players ever get a chance to see, much less play or own. They were made in a small shop operation, which lasted for only a few years in the mid- to late-1970's.

What they attempted to do was take established ideas about classical guitar construction and apply them to steel string acoustics. Particularly in the smaller body shapes Gurian made, that classical guitar influence is visually obvious.

If I remember correctly, Gurians came in three body styles, the largest of which was a jumbo. Most that I've seen and played were made from mahogany, but I know some were made of Indian rosewood, and they might well have come in other tonewoods, as well.

I'm scarcely a Gurian scholar, never having owned one. As I mentioned, they never quite worked for me. But there are some Gurian fans out there who really love them and for whom they're the perfect guitar.

Short version: Gurians were an innovative steel string acoustic brand that didn't last long enough in the marketplace to make a strong impression. But they are of professional quality, and since enough of them were made that they're not truly rare, when you can find one for sale the prices on them have remained reasonable. They're also an excellent choice for players with small hands.

Hope this helps.

Wade Hampton Miller

FredB · #4 06-01-2009, 04:07 PM

In the early seventies, I owned two Gurians, a Jumbo and a Size 2 (roughly 00). The jumbo was just too big for me to handle, so I sold it but kept the Size 2 (for about 26 years). The neck on the smaller guitar was slightly wider than the neck on the Jumbo, and the sound was more balanced, overall (Brazilian rosewood, too, although that wasn't as 'important' in those days as it seems to be, now).

Fred Baldwin

TritoneMalone · #5 06-01-2009, 05:43 PM

I tried a well-used Gurian dread recently. It had a huge neck and a narrow nut. It was weird...

That particular guitar had uninteresting sound to my ears.

Wade Hampton · #6 06-01-2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TritoneMalone

I tried a well-used Gurian dread recently. It had a huge neck and a narrow nut. It was weird...

That particular guitar had uninteresting sound to my ears.

I think I know what you mean about the sound.

I used to play a lot of music with a friend of mine in Chicago who owned a 13 fret Gibson Nick Lucas model, which was an extraordinary guitar. Mike, the guy who owned it, did a lot of playing on my solo album. Then one day about two thirds of the way through the recording process Mike showed up with a Gurian instead of the Nick Lucas - he'd traded it straight across.

Never did figure out why - the Nick Lucas was easy to record and sounded great, the Gurian was difficult to mic and sounded murky when anybody but Mike played it.

Mike was able to coax a good sound out of the Gurian, I'll give him that much credit, but it mystified me as to why he made that swap. Still does....

whm

crikey · #7 06-01-2009, 07:51 PM

I got to play Weatherford's Gurian when I was in Ireland. Wonderful guitar, sounded and played beautiful.

nuclearFishin · #8 06-01-2009, 09:14 PM

My first guitar was a Gurian, size 2 if I remember correctly. I kept it for over 30 years before finally selling it because it wasn't getting played. It was a strummers guitar and sounded better than any dread I ever played, however the volume was slightly less than your typical dread. The Gurian factory burned down and Michael Gurian never started building guitars again, at least not to sell. Many of the luthiers he trained went on to be huge names in both steel-string and classical guitar building. Michael Gurian still owns a business where he sells lutheir supplies such as bindings and perflings to builders. I think Paul Simon mentioned that his Gurian was his favorite guitar of all time. They are unique guitars and like was mentioned, still very affordable when you see one come up for sale.

"Earth, third planet from the sun"

jbryant · #9 06-02-2009, 06:21 AM

I'm glad someone brought up these great guitars. I was thinking about them the other day. I used to work for a company in Stockbridge Michigan called "The Guitars Friend" and we were one of the first folks to offer Michael Gurians guitars. I do remember the neck being quite narrow but that they sounded great. His unique body style kind of reminds me of Larrivees O-3 series a little bit. If anybody still has one I bet everyone would like to see pics.

Jim B

LarryL · #10 06-02-2009, 08:02 AM

I had a Gurian back in the eighties. As I recall,it was a size 2. Classical style body, but deeper. The wood was mahogany. I remember the neck as large. Very high level of craftmanship.

My LoPrinzi was getting most of my time, so when money got tight, I sold the Gurian. I wish I still had it. It was a unique instrument that had it's own voice.

weatherford · #11 06-02-2009, 02:20 PM

Thanks, Crikey, and my strings were the newest, either!

As I've said before, I played a LOT of guitars up and down the east coast of the US in the mid-70s before finding MY Gurian. I must have played four or five Gurians (as well as other makers) in Matt Umanov's store before mine found me. I wasn't thrilled with the rosewood ones and the first mahogany one I played was nice... but the one I bought - absolutely grabbed me (and blew away everyone else in the shop. It's a jumbo Mahogany, circa '75 or '75. The label reads "made on earth third planet from sun"

I don't get the narrow neck - mine is much wider (and far more comfortable for me) than any of the Martins I played. He must have done several neck sizes!

I cannot for the life of me describe the tone, but it is what was recorded on my MySpace page - the song "Old Friends' Love" has a guitar intro. I don't remember the mics, but I do know I also had a Martin thin line in it.

Even though I have other incredible guitars, the Gurian remains my baby - I don't always pick it up to play in the middle of the night anymore (the Adrian Lucas is smaller and lighter!), but it is always the one I go to when I really need to play. Finger style, flatpick, whatever. I would hold my instrument up against any moden builder, and I know it would come out on top - or at least so for my ears

Did I mention that I love my Gurian??

Mauvais Beal · #12 06-02-2009, 03:59 PM

The first guitar I ever bought was a Gurian, size 3 indian rosewood. They had a size 2, 3 and the largest a Jumbo. Made them in mahogony, indian and brazilian. I also have had two Size 3s in maple with a cutaway. Michael started in New York and there made some classical guitars as well. Moved to Hinsdale(sp?) NH to an old factory. Built for a few years, it burned down. Built a new factory in West Swanzey and it ran for a couple of years before the bank put him into recievership and sold it all off at auction.
Last I knew Michael was in Washington State making fret files and rosettes and herringbone binding and the ,ike.

mmmaak · #13 06-02-2009, 04:50 PM

I know it's completely juvenile, but being Malaysian, I can't help but think of this every time I see the thread title

Martin_Nut · #14 06-02-2009, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mauvais Beal

The first guitar I ever bought was a Gurian, size 3 indian rosewood. They had a size 2, 3 and the largest a Jumbo. Made them in mahogony, indian and brazilian. I also have had two Size 3s in maple with a cutaway. Michael started in New York and there made some classical guitars as well. Moved to Hinsdale(sp?) NH to an old factory. Built for a few years, it burned down. Built a new factory in West Swanzey and it ran for a couple of years before the bank put him into recievership and sold it all off at auction.
Last I knew Michael was in Washington State making fret files and rosettes and herringbone binding and the ,ike.

I'd sure like to have one of those Maple cutaways now, I hear they are pretty rare ....

Wade Hampton · #15 06-02-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmmaak

I know it's completely juvenile, but being Malaysian, I can't help but think of this every time I see the thread title

Good thing there's no way to transmit the SMELL of that durian fruit over the Internet, Mmmaak!

For those of you puzzling over that little exchange, you should know that durian's nickname in certain circles is "the corpse fruit," because it has a stink to it like decomposing flesh. It's my understanding that in Singapore it's illegal to eat durian in enclosed spaces like elevators and buses.

whm