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Location: Phoenix AZ | Well, we are here at the (Guild) factory tour. Al, T28, Mitch and myself. Day 1 all the guild guys except one went to bed around 830 pm. The one straggler Mark brings in the bottle of JD and we jam past midnight. Proud of my OFC boys. |
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Location: Hanau, Hessen, Germany | Sounds like fun. Enjoy it furthermore. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Pez is here as well. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Day 1 all the guild guys except one went to bed around 830 pm. Yaz gotts ta showz dem how itz dun boyz! |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
The one straggler Mark brings in the bottle of JD and we jam past midnight. Proud of my OFC boys. Especially since you all did it only last month.
Soldier on, boys! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Sounds like they got some learning to do |
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Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Day 1 all the guild guys except one went to bed around 830 pm. Where are you staying? The Moodyville Hotel? |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Tell my "cousin" Dave O. I said hi. |
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Location: East Tennessee | Any pictures??? |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I want to see a video of "The Performance" |
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Location: South of most, North of few | "Especially since you all did it only last month.
Soldier on, boys!"
practice makes perfect. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Pez is here as well. I was ...... |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Well, we are here at the (Guild) factory tour. Al, T28, Mitch and myself. Day 1 all the guild guys except one went to bed around 830 pm. The one straggler Mark brings in the bottle of JD and we jam past midnight. Proud of my OFC boys. I did not realize anyone was there past 8pm
The tour was interesting.
Kinda sad too..
Very few Ovations being made. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | I just got home from the tour and I'll share some of my thoughts with the OFC faithful.
Kim Keller put on this tour and he did his usual fantastic job. Kudos also to Dave Gonzalez, the head of Guild marketing. He conducted an excellent Q&A session.
Fender's objective in this venture is to preserve an American guitar manufacturing icon. To acheive that end they made the best possible choice by having all Guild production moved to New Hartford. The production guys, Frank Untermyer and Darren (Conners?), are the most enthusiastic, dedicated and knowledgeable people in the business. Guild guitars are not designed to be stage guitars. They are acoustic instruments. The factory is concentrating on a "Traditional" series of guitars. The finishes are nitro-cellulose. The neck joints are dove-tail. The bindings are hand laid. The factory tour was focused on wood quality, high technology for building the guitars and the labor intensive final finishing. The end product is IMHO the most consistent and highest quality line of acoustic guitars period. The level of craftsmanship is evident in every single element of the guitars. They are simply stunning and made in limited numbers. You're not going to find New Harford made Guild guitars at Guitar Center.
The factory graciously put out about 30 different examples for our review. Each has is own voice, but there remained a tone connection between all of them. Several examples with just strumming a few chords became alive with sound. Some would make most of us here drool and promote an instantaneous GAS attack.
The Tour itself was great. The factory has been re-vamped to build wood box guitars. I didn't see any completed Ovations, just some parts here and there. This is now a dedicated Guild plant. Some of the high tech machines are new, while some of the other machines have been re-programed to make the necessary parts for wood box guitars. The blanks for the sides, for example, are cut on the same laser cutter that is used to make Ovation epaulets. As always, the goal is consistent high quality for every part, operation and construction technique. The results are beyond impressive.
The folks from the Let's Talk Guild site were a friendly group. There were displays of some really unique vintage Guild stuff. Our own Al Pepiak topped everyone with a '55 gold arch-top electric that he actually played at the ski lodge jam. It looked and sounded way cool.
Unfortunately though, there weren't that many Guild devotees playing their guitars this weekend. The lobby jam group was a mere six people: me, my friend Craig, Dave/Gallerinski, Al, Steve/T28 and one lone LTG member Mark, a very talented player. Perhaps LTG members need some time to get acquainted with the concept of a lobby jam. The OFC Tours with the infamous all-nite lobby jams were well established by the time I went to my first OFC tour in '06. Were the lobby jams at the first few OFC tours as lively as the ones I attended?
I'll admit to being biased. I've met a whole bunch of great people here at OFC. We're an eclectic group with widely ranging ideas on life but we have one thing in common. We LOVE to play guiar. When we have a get together it's a real festival and celebration of that love. I just didn't feel that type of enthusiasm for playing from the LTGers. Kim assured me that they will get the hang of it. I sure hope so because they all were excellent at the tour but a bit lethargic when it came to jamming. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | IT was more museum art.
by that I mean a lot of the guild members would bring 2-3 or more guitars into the lobby or skidown, set them up on stands for everyone to see....and then NEVER PLAY THE DAMN THINGS!
Darren did "hint" that there was some exciting stuff in store with Ovation but he along with everyone else was really tight lipped about it. Time will tell!
The JAMS WERE GREAT (as expected) with Al, Dave, Mitch, ME, Craig, JOAN and JESSIE on vocals...
Fun times....last night we had a hotel employee join in and sing and also just a guest at the hotel.
Strange that we got more enthusiasm and participation from casuals than from the group that was sponsoring the event. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | We were a little timid the first OFC Event, but maybe not quite as much as this new group. Everything was new the first time. But the "lobby jam" took shape in proper form early on year two especially with the encouragement of the hotel staff that actually had employees asking for the shift that evening.
Sounds like a good time had by all. |
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Location: SoCal | In 07 (5th tour?) I stayed in CT to do some work and spent my last night there in our hotel. I talked to people working there and they loved the music and party atmosphere of the gathering. I think it helped that nobody was overtly obnoxious or drunk and everybody was polite to anybody walking thru the lobby.
And nobody put their guitars out to just be on display. Every guitar put out was played by anybody who wanted to play them. In 07 when Al devlived my OFC guitar (ding!) that Thursday nite, I took it out to the lobby and didn't see it for the rest of the evening. Everybody played it. Even (choke) Weas.
Fun times. I miss them..... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
We were a little timid the first OFC Event, according to the t-shirts, this was their 4th gathering. |
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Location: NJ | well we rocked the house.
it was a fun time.
as for ovation remember this was a GUILD event and we did not even get onto the main ovation floor in the building.
there is new stuff in the works that I cannot talk about and will not until given the ok by "management" |
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Location: south east Michigan | One of the best parts of the Ovation Tour was the included Hamer Tour.
If (and that's a big if) there is ever another Ovation thing I sure hope it includes some time with Guild. |
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Location: Tennessee | I wish I could've been there. Lots of memories of playing lots of guitars in that lobby. There's lots of pictures too. :rolleyes: I always have so much fun jamming with all the ofc'rs. Especially alpep and all the usual suspects. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | I was there for 3 of the Tours...bringing young,impressionable guitar loving teens with me. It's been a few years and I have a ton of fond memories. If there's another one I will be there for sure. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | "And nobody put their guitars out to just be on display. Every guitar put out was played by anybody who wanted to play them. In 07 when Al devlived my OFC guitar (ding!) that Thursday nite, I took it out to the lobby and didn't see it for the rest of the evening. Everybody played it. Even (choke) Weas."
That's absolutely correct. If I recall, I was sitting with Jerome, Tom and Waskel and I was trying to pry up a couple of the eppys to see if they had changed the glue at all on the OFC's but ran out of Tequila before I could get into it...ah, good times. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | The QA session was right out the Ovation book ...
Why don't you still build electrics
Why don't you have any endorsees
Why can I never find your guitars in stores
Gee, sounds like THEY GET NO RESPECT!
The tour was extremely impressive. To see what they have done to transform the factory was amazing and only took a few minutes to see that the complete emphasis was on quality, not one just building a certain quantity. It was easily as impressive as Martin or Collings tours. If you like the Guild guitars is just personal preference. And if you resent the fact that the hands that used to build round backs are now building wooden boxes, well nobody can help that. But as Mitch said, Fender object was not to squeeze the last nickel out of the bottom line. Their objective was to preserve an American icon in new England and build the best darn wooden box that they could. Inthink the result spoke for itself.
Now, AL ... How do I get one of those 10 GSR-30 models? |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Does this mean there about to be a Guild Gallery?
I think the OMG Guild are being made by Ovation will pass in time.
Guild was no respect brand even before Ovation was. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Does this mean there about to be a Guild Gallery?
I think the OMG Guild are being made by Ovation will pass in time.
Guild was no respect brand even before Ovation was.
Also undersearved |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Now, AL ... How do I get one of those 10 GSR-30 models? Now THAT'S something I would also be interested in knowing. Killer guitar that I wouldn't mind owning. Al, let me know also! |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by PEZ:
[QB)Guild was no respect brand even before Ovation was.[/QB] That is so true. My first real guitar was a Guild G-37. It cost about half that of a comparable Gibson, but was just as good in every aspect. It was my only guitar for 26 years and I literally wore it out. It needed a neck re-set, re-fretting, fingerboard leveling and some lacquer re-finishing. I brought it to my local very experienced luthier and he said that it would cost over $500 to do the work. He didn't recommend putting that much money into a guitar that cost $260 new. His last remark to me was "Well, maybe if it were a Gibson." |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | COI |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Well, I have three Guilds, so I guess I should plan to attend one of these future tours, and I'm always interested in special gear offerings, too. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Brad, any acoustics or all electrics? |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by stephent28:
Brad, any acoustics or all electrics? All 'lectrics. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | That was a big deal at the tour.
Almost all of the LTG members were whining and lamenting that Guild no longer made electric guitars. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | My blonde maple Starfire IV is a 1996, the last year they were made in the USA. The other two are also USA made and include a Pilot Bass and a vintage S-250. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by ProfessorBB:
My blonde maple Starfire IV is a 1996, the last year they were made in the USA. The other two are also USA made and include a Pilot Bass and a vintage S-250. Brad:
Those guitars would have been a big hit at the tour. |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Originally posted by Weaser P:
"And nobody put their guitars out to just be on display. Every guitar put out was played by anybody who wanted to play them. In 07 when Al devlived my OFC guitar (ding!) that Thursday nite, I took it out to the lobby and didn't see it for the rest of the evening. Everybody played it. Even (choke) Weas."
That's absolutely correct. If I recall, I was sitting with Jerome, Tom and Waskel and I was trying to pry up a couple of the eppys to see if they had changed the glue at all on the OFC's but ran out of Tequila before I could get into it...ah, good times. 
Not exactly who you mentioned but this also happened. |
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Location: closely held secret | Ah, yes. I believe I'm playing Jeff's custom Ute there.
I've seen that look on Weaser's face. Just before I hit the deer. |
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| Ah yes - The Committee For The Preservation Of The E Chord.
Jeff's ute twins are cutaways. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Normally people wait until they're out of a situation before they try to block it out of their minds forever.
I was trying as it happened. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Everyone bitches that Guild isn't making electrics anymore
Everyone bitches that Ovation isn't making electrics anymore
Can you say Hamer? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | We can......... but I think it is beyond the comprehension of the Guild crowd (brand loyalty and all that).
I bet if the Guild tour would have included just a bit of the Hamer facility there would have been some converts. As it was, Hamer was mentioned in passing as pretty much doing only custom orders. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by schroeder:
Jeff's ute twins are cutaways. What the heck was I playing then? |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Waskel:
Originally posted by schroeder:
Jeff's ute twins are cutaways. What the heck was I playing then? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | It was Jason's Export W681-T2 Adamas |
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Location: closely held secret | Thanks, Dave. How do you remember all this crap?
Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Those of us who were listening to you play have been asking that question ever since...... At least it was memorable. |
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Location: SoCal | Dave owned one of these once. I couldn't name the model number but know that it was a "made for export" Adamas. Al had several for sale at one time.... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | They are HONKING GOOD GUITARS !!!
Mine (-8) is with my son, who ironically I visited this past weekend and played it. Absolutely as nice as I remembered it. Oh, and the neck was glossed. |
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Location: SoCal | I never cared for the dramatic reverse burst on the top, but I remember the first time I played one (in a guitar store in Hollywood, wondering around with Temp). I hit a chord and my reaction was "Holy Gert Stonkers"! They are/were monster guitars.... |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by Beal:
Everyone bitches that Guild isn't making electrics anymore
Everyone bitches that Ovation isn't making electrics anymore
Can you say Hamer? The LTG folks know nothing about Hamer. There was very little mentioned about Hamer at the tour. The Guild fans simply want to see a full line of Guild guitars, including electrics, produced in New Hartford. Frank Untermyer appeared to be very eager to start a new line of Guild arch top electrics if given the "go" from Fender, but there's no real market for a new line of Guild electrics. The economic realities will eventually dictate what Guild guitars will be produced at the New Hartford factory. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | If they saw Hamer that might change.
My Newport Pro is far superior to any Guild electric. |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Another Tour attraction from the past.
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | S'pose that thing would toss a Guild as far as an Ovation? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | That's a good question. I would imagine that an Ovation is a bit more aerodynamic and certainly has a lot more weight to it. But a Guild, especially a jumbo, could take advantage of the winds and perhaps eek out a few extra meters. On the flip side I would guess that the Guild would be a bit more difficult to reassemble afterwards. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Guild does not have an aerospace background, won't fly ferstchit. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Just imagine the looks of sheer horror if Jeff rolled up to the Guild tour with that in tow. |
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Location: south east Michigan | . |
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Location: south east Michigan | . |
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Location: closely held secret | Imagine the looks of sheer horror if Jeff rolled up to the Guild tour. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Well... that too. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by Waskel:
Imagine the looks of sheer horror if Jeff rolled up to the Guild tour. Particularly if he had his device in tow. |
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Location: closely held secret | With or without... just the aura of carbon fiber on him would send them running. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Oh Yes......... |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The really cool Guild coaster set that they gave us at the tour had the top of the container made from lyracord. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Waskel:
Imagine the looks of sheer horror if Jeff rolled up to the Guild tour. yes Yes I can! |
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Location: Rego Park, NY, | Guild Rep: Good morning sir how can I help you.
Jeff: I am here to run a scientific experiment on your guitars. I want to run test involving size, shape, acoustic properties etc.
Guild Rep: most certainly. Anything in the name of science. I would be very happy to help.
Jeff: Okay then the first experiment involves the sustain of your guitars.
Guild Rep: any particular model?
Jeff: No preference. I will make note of the model in my report.
Guild Rep: Okay then I'll just grab the nearest one.(Goes back in the factory)
Jeff: (Drives Trebuchet up to the service entrance)
Guild Rep:(Hands Jeff a guitar) I don't understand.
Jeff: I'm going to check the sustain of this model. It's okay I'm a professional
Guild Rep: Uh okay then.
Jeff: I'm going to measure how much damage the guitar will sustain when I load my trebuchet with 150 pounds.
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Location: closely held secret | "I'm going to measure how long it can sustain altitude." |
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Factory Tour Report