Better Guitar

player opinions

Name: Jeff
Band: -----
Model Year: 1997
Price Paid: $950
Performance
Awesome — extremely playable and responsive. I love this guitar. Its the only dreadnaught I’ll ever need.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Listeners are stunned by the rich tone and volume. I run D-Addarion phosphor br. x-lights for finger picking. It’s sweet and strong. Crisp.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
Strong and yet feels light — holds tune very well. No signs of stress. Why do people feel sheepish vs. Martins, etc.? This is much more playable than any Martin I have ever owned or laid hands on and sounds as good or better. So many Martins feel clunky. It absolutely blows away any Gibson I’ve ever owned/used. The only git I’ve ever liked as much was an 800-level Taylor dread and it cost 80% more.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: Stuart Maxwell
Band: -----
Model Year: 2001
Price Paid: $1,700 Canadian
Performance
The best guitar I’ve ever owned. A real joy to play.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Very rich and deep low end. I use medium gauge Martin strings. I find they get along with my DV52 very well.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
This guitar is as solid as a rock. It stays in tune even under extreme pressure.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: Noah
Band: -----
Model Year: 1998
Price Paid: $1000
Performance
Neck is thick. Absolute work horse. Stays in tune even under extreme conditions.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Absolutely amazing tone. Better than most Martins, Unequalled for the price.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
Solid built construction. Beautiful instrument all round. Worth 3 times the price I paid for it.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: Jim
Band: -----
Model Year: 1998
Price Paid: $1100
Performance
It had a great tone when I first bought it, but it is much sweeter now. There was a little fret buzz, but I bared with it and now it is completely gone. Playability is excellent. I own about 6 other name brand guitars, including Takamines and Fenders and the Guild’s ease of play has me picking it up steady. I prefer it over some of the Martins I have played.
Performance Rating: 9
Sound Quality
By itself, and with new strings (I use Martin Marquees) this guitar blows away the equally priced competition and does a real job on much more expensive gear. I installed a Fishman under-the-bridge pick-up, with a G2 pre-amp. I play it through our PA system. It sounds great to me and really impresses my friends with its full rich sound.
Sound Quality Rating: 9
Construction
This guitar is built to paddle canoes. I play really hard. I’ve been told that sometimes when I play, it looks like I’m going to blow my guitar up. Never happens. Only thing is that the string/peg hole tends to get elongated towards the soundhole. Doesn’t seem to be a problem though.
Construction Rating: 8

Name: Merritt W Johnson
Band: -----
Model Year: 199-something
Price Paid: $400
Performance
Plays beautifully and has good intonation. The on board pre-amp and pickup are nice. It compares with more expensive guitars like Taylors but falls shy on tone when compared with my Martin D35. It plays much easier though.
Performance Rating: 8
Sound Quality
Sounded pretty good.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
Nice finish, solid feel, construction sound. No problems with the product.
Construction Rating: 8

Name: Kevin Davey
Band: -----
Model Year: -----
Price Paid: $1000
Performance
My wife bought it for me as a Christmas present, so I needed to take it back to the store for an initial setup, which helped the playability a lot. The setup is still not completely to my liking, but it beats my old Gibson LG-something by a mile. I can play things I used to think were impossible unless you were Bruce Cockburn or Doc Watson. It sounds wonderful — blindfolded you’d have a hard time telling it from a comparable Martin, Taylor or Gibson, any of which would cost you several hundred dollars more. I think this is the Rosewood/Spruce dreadnought at exactly the point of diminishing returns. Even if I end up someday owning a better guitar, this one will always be my favorite.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Has no on-board electronics. Have played it through a few PA systems and acoustically in some medium-sized rooms. It gives you that classic dreadnought sound.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
Frets could use a little sanding. A slight buzz on one fret. Finish is near perfect, and only slight imperfections inside the soundbox. A real beauty.
Construction Rating: 10