2011 Guild GAD-25

Guild Acoustic Design (GAD) series guitars sport the Guild logo, but are built in China.  This allows Guild to offer its traditional designs in solid woods at half to a third of what similar US-built Guilds go for.  If you are looking for a lot of guitar for short money, these are worth at least a try.  I have been curious about this series and yesterday I got my opportunity to check it out when a recently purchased GAD-25 was listed and priced to sell. The gentleman who just bought it in January was unfortunately due for hand surgery.

The Guild GAD-25 is a dreadnought-sized guitar with solid Mahogany front, back, and sides, wood binding, three-piece Mahogany neck, and Indian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge.  The headstock has the Guild name and Chesterfield pearl logo, like the vintage Westerly Guilds. The guitar comes with a distinctive tweed-covered arch-top hardshell case with leather-like trim that is Guild-branded as well.  The GAD-25 listed for $900, and retailed for $500-600.  It looks to have been discontinued for 2012.  

This guitar appeared well-made with a clean finish.  I was pleasantly surprised with the playability and tone.  It is loud with a rich sustain.  Built to Guild specs, the guitar does play and sound like a Guild. I found the factory-set action comfortable and responsive for both finger-picking and strumming.  Being practically new, it has no playing wear and only one unfortunate small scratch on the front of the headstock. It still has the pungent Mahogany smell from the factory.  With a new set of Elixir strings on it, it will be ready for a good home.  In the meantime, welcome to the family!

You can also read about my A/B comparison of the GAD-25 with a vintage US-made D-25.

2002 Martin 000-1

Friday was a good day!  I jumped on a Craigslist listing for a Martin 000-1 guitar that popped up late in the afternoon, and went out to see it that evening.  This guitar has a solid Spruce top with satin finish, solid Mahogany back, and Rosewood bridge and fretboard.  The 000 models are a couple body sizes down from the Dreadnoughts, but the 000-1 retained the full length neck (25.4 in.).  The 000-1 model was in Martin's middle-level line with a solid wood back and front, but laminate sides, that sold for under $1000 between 1995-2005 and has since been discontinued.  This guitar is occasionally available used for around $500 if you're lucky.  By comparison, new Martins below $1,000, including the 000 size, now have high pressure laminate (HPL) back and sides (compressed wood particulates, much like formica). Because the older 000-1 is such a quality guitar in an affordable price range, it usually gets snapped up anytime it appears second-hand.

Having never played this model before, I was immediately struck by how well-crafted it appeared despite its unadorned features.  It was extremely light and comfortable to hold with easy playability and that wonderful Martin tone. There were several deep scratches/gouges in the top of this one, but the satin finish made these less jarring to the eye. That it was not pristine worked for me in any event, because of the reasonableness of the asking price and the fact that this size guitar would be perfect for my son who was showing an interest in taking up the guitar.  His first guitar could be a Martin, just like his dad, and something worth holding on to!  Rounding out the deal was the Martin hardshell case with attractive dark green plush lining (my son's favorite color) and a new set of strings in the pocket.  It was an opportunity I could not let pass.  After a bit of haggling I closed the deal. And I'm so glad I did. This is a guitar that you just want to pick up and play as soon as you put it down.

Guitar Caddy

So last weekend I bought a used Gator guitar case for short money and inherited the cheap guitar in it that had been abused by its previous owner.  The seller told me he actually got mad and split the neck at the heel.  I guess he wasn't meant to be a great guitarist...

After stripping the guitar of its tuners, bridge pins, and pre-amp, and putting the neck out its misery by completely breaking it off the body of the guitar, I wondered how to recycle the remaining parts.  Today I finally took a circular saw to the body, cutting just above the bridge. After sanding down the edges and notching the back brace to accept the truss rod sticking out of the back of the neck under the fingerboard, I reattached the neck to the back of the guitar with wood glue.  Now I've got a uniquely appropriate guitar caddy for my guitar strings and other small guitar accessories and parts that have been cluttering the coffee table in the living room lately!

It's also appropriate to take a moment to mention the painting in the picture above the piano by Swiss artist and singer-songwriter-guitarist Jean-Pierre Huser.  Thirty years ago almost to the day, Jean-Pierre was embarking on his first American tour and invited my brother and me to perform with him in several local concerts including at Harvard University.  He was the first professional musician to encourage us to perform publicly and pursue professional gigs while we were still in high school.  We learned a lot from just a couple of weeks of playing together with him, dissecting his well-constructed songs, and watching him work the audience.  His playing could be so ferocious that his Martin had pick wear clear through the top.  The following year we traveled to Montreux from Paris to record half a dozen original tracks at his Swiss studio during an intense week of creative activity.  The painting was a gift after a more recent showing of his art and concert at the Swiss consulate in Cambridge a couple of years ago.  Give his music a listen courtesy of Amazon.  Good stuff.

Martin North Street Factory, 1939

Here's some great footage of the Nazareth, PA Martin guitar factory in 1939.

Note the soundtrack "Thank You Mr. Martin, I'm Alright," a song extolling the virtues of a beat up '43 D-18 pawnshop find for $100 (in 1964)!  Makes me wonder who is playing my beat up '72 D-18 these days.  I can still describe every major scratch, crack, and puncture.  Should our paths cross again, a positive identification would be easy...

1928 Martin 00-44!

For you collectors out there, here's a real prize!  Matt Umanov Guitars in Manhattan has a 1928 Martin 00-44 that is the only extant model known (only four were made between 1913 and 1931).  To boot, the guitar is all original, in excellent condition, and has never needed a repair.  Matt Umanov should know.  He is a sought-after luthier whose clients have included Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Judy Collins starting in the 1960's.

Quite a find.  Price tag: $100,000.  If anyone is in New York City, I'd be curious to know how this guitar is displayed.  Behind bullet-proof glass?  Do you have to submit to a background check and put up a bond just to give it a try?  I imagine owning such a museum piece creates all sorts of insurance and security headaches with which we mere mortals need thankfully never deal.

Makes me grateful to be able to enjoy my Guilds without any drama.  I'll take these fine journeyman's guitars every day over a prima donna that has to be practically played with gloves on.  BTW, Matt Umanov carries Guild guitars because according to him they are "beautifully built and have tremendous value" that will last.  My sentiments exactly.

Pat Metheny Summer Workshop

If you cannot make it to France this summer for Pierre Bensusan's guitar workshop at his country place, maybe Norwich Connecticut with 17-time Grammy winning jazz guitarist Pat Metheny is more doable.  This five-day Master Artist Workshop in August is a chance to study in an intimate setting with one of the greats.  Private concerts with Pat and special guests every evening will be among the perks.  An all-inclusive package at the Spa at Norwich Inn will only run you $4950.  Space is limited so sign up soon!

BTW, if you want to reproduce the sound Pat achieves above, you'll need a baritone guitar (tuning is down a fifth from a standard guitar).  On this particular song he is using an open A-D-G-C-E-A tuning and no doubt one of his three Manzer baritone guitars made by Canadian Luthier Linda Manzer.  Pat has been playing Manzer guitars for over 25 years.  One of the 30 Pat Methany Signature 6 Limited Edition Manzer guitars will set you back $32,000.  Paul Simon chose #10.  Happy picking.

2009 Breedlove Atlas Stage C25/SR (3)

I closed my first sale today after a number of emails and texts inquiring about my Breedlove Atlas series guitar I had re-posted with a slightly lower asking price.  I'm glad to have found her a good home.  The guitar was sounding much better after a neck set-up to elevate the action and eliminate buzzing.  A new set of Elixir strings completed the transformation.

The Elixir strings were another Craigslist score, part of a stash of a dozen sets of these expensive strings I bought for less than the price of two sets.  I chose to put on the heavier gauge "medium" strings for more tone and sustain.  It was like breathing new life into a dead instrument!  One last once over with a polishing cloth and she was ready to meet her potential new owner.

The meeting did not last more than ten minutes.  The guy had checked out a couple Breedlove models at Guitar Center so he was familiar with the guitar and evidently ready to purchase as long as she was as advertised.  So long Breedlove.  Hope you continue to make music for many years to come.