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| Spent a number of hours in a couple of very nice music stores in Chicago. Make'n Music specializes in high-end guitars and has a boatload of H&D, R. Taylor, Bourgeois and Collings among others. I A/B'd many of these and came down with major GAS for a particular Collings OM2H Custom - even SWMBO was highly impressed. Also got to play a pre-war Martin D-18 they had in a display case that was owned and played by Kurt Cobain. Whether or not you like(d) his music, that guitar had some serious mojo.
Another treat was Chicago Music Exchange - a HUGE store with an acoustic room the size of a small house. The Kaman/FMIC rep for this area is doing a great job - 10 US-made Os and even an Adamas (2080) prominently displayed with Taks and Guilds occupying nearly half of one wall. The other wall was mostly Gibby's and Taylors. Celebs were relegated to a small room off to the side with other entry-level guitars.
The new Guilds are really nice. This BG model rivals the Tak BG and even some of the Collings:
They also had an original late 1920's Wiessenborn koa lap slide in excellent condition, rivaling the one Beal has, at a not-unreasonable price.
It sure was nice to see so many high-end Os featured. I guess that's the advantage to a big-city guitar store. Too bad most of the country has to suffer with the generic chains like GC. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Glad you liked the windy city. |
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | On Acuostic Guitar web site there's a review (with video) of one of the first Guild builted in N.Hartford. HERE |
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Location: Parrish, FL | Serge,
What size was the Guild you are holding? Looks kinda small to be a full dread.
Blues |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Sure is nice to see O's & A's in stock
D-40 are excellent guitars. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Nice Serge;
Guilds are great guitars...the 12's are incredible...I once had a J-65 12 that I lick my self for selling...
Glad to see someone is putting a nice selection of O's and A's up... |
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Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by BluesSailor:
Serge,
What size was the Guild you are holding? Looks kinda small to be a full dread.
Blues Brad, PEZ nailed it - it's a D-40 Jubilee Bluegrass - full size dread. Maybe it just looks small since I'm kind of a big guy. :D |
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Location: Parrish, FL | Given your desription that it compared favorably to the Tak BG's I figured it to be a dread, it just didn't look that big.
Suggestions for 'good value' OM28 style models with wider neck being accepted.
The OM/000-28VS Martins look good, but a little pricey for me at this time.
Blues |
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Location: Brisbane Australia | Originally posted by BluesSailor:
Serge,
What size was the Guild you are holding? Looks kinda small to be a full dread.
Blues Serge is a big guy! :)
AJ |
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March 2005
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Originally posted by MusicMishka:
I once had a J-65 12 that I lick my self for selling...
I hope this was a typo. I got a kick out of visualizing Mike licking himself. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I got a kick... Speaking of sick puppies...! 
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Location: South of most, North of few | That's enough for me... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I bought one of those first New Hartford Guild D40 Jubilee's. Outstanding guitar. Serge is absolutely correct, it rivals the Takamine BG and other highly touted dreadnaughts. I'll post some pics when I get a chance. It's everything you'd ever want in a great wooden box guitar and a quite reasonable price. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Serge, isn't that the one Beal brought to your house at the jam? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think that was a D50 |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by G8r:
They also had an original late 1920's Wiessenborn koa lap slide in excellent condition, rivaling the one Beal has, at a not-unreasonable price.
OK, that got me real excited, so I checked their website. It's a style 1, looks to be in killer condition and under $3K. I'm seriously considering that one. Bill's is a style 4, which are rarer, and consequently a lot more valuable |
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| PT, I thought of you when I saw it. I'm not up on those so I didn't know the different styles. But it IS in killer condition, nearly flawless. Hope it works out for you.
TJ, I'm pretty sure Toby's right and Beal brought along a D50.
Brad, look into Collings OMs. Their basic models retail for a lot less than you might expect, especially at some big indy dealer like Make'n Music or Elderly's.
As far as MM kicking or licking, I ain't going there! |
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Location: SoCal | Originally posted by G8r:
As far as MM kicking or licking, I ain't going there! I'm much more impressed by Mikey than I was in the past.
I've never played a Guild that I didn't think was killer. They always have been great guitars, and from what I'm hearing, the ones built in CT are the best yet..... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Paul, you gotta come and play mine. It'll really impress you. Beautiful spruce top and mahogany back/sides. The mahogany is almost red. Really nice tortie binding and one of the best neck shapes I've ever played. The quality is spot-on perfect. It's got the D-Tar electronics system which sounds amazingly natural. List is around 3k. Try it and I'll bet you like it. |
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Location: SoCal | No doubt. I'll get Bobbo on the phone later this week and we'll coordinate a road trip date, maybe in October..... |
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Location: Tennessee | I played a Guild dread on Amelia for a few days in March. It was a very good guitar; it didn't knock me out but it grew on me as the weekend progressed. Not sure which model it was, but it did not have tortoise binding ... which always makes guitars sound a ton better. And it was rosey, not hog. Of course, that Guild was competing in some pretty rarified air.
October works. No Fridays nights though. I'm booked solid. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Bob, you played the D50 Rosewood. Nice guitar but to be honest I think the D40 Hog sounds better. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | So many guitars . . . so little time (and space). |
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Location: Chicago | Wow, never even heard of the Exchange (and I've been here 10 years)! Sure beats what I've seen elsewhere. Gotta get out there; Thanks G8r!!! |
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Location: Chicago | Wow, never been there... GOTTA check it out, holy shnikey! |
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Posts: 3969
| Originally posted by dobro:
Wow, never even heard of the Exchange (and I've been here 10 years)! Sure beats what I've seen elsewhere. Gotta get out there; Thanks G8r!!! Definitely check it out, well worth it. Easy to get to, too. It's less than a block from the Paulina station on the CTA Brown Line. |
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Location: Reisterstown, Maryland | There's that handsome guy that pops up once in awhile when I post. Wonder what that means? And he always has a purty geetar in his hands.
Anita |
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Chicago Music Exchange - Os and As on Display