lazarusvt84 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Son looking to upgrade his acoustic...looking to spend btwn $1200 to $1500. He'd like a Taylor (has played several)...but thinks Guild may make a decent guitar as well. Any thoughts? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I would certainly play a number of different versions of those 2 to find the one that feels right to him. Both are quality acoustics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 As Cookieman says, both are top quality brands....Equals IMHO.......Although, in my opinion, Taylor excells at six strings, and Guild excells at twelve strings.... If I had a choice for a six string, I'd go with a Taylor........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 . Both fine instruments and acoustically either would do just fine. However, I think Taylor does a better job with electric/acoustic setups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 If you are looking to buy brand new: Taylor If you are looking to buy used: Guild Guild was the sh+t back in the day...definitely check out some older ones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Id agree with the last post- if were talking new I'd buy a taylor before a Guild the older Guild acoustics fro the 60's and 70's are great guitars. And the arch tops from the 50's when they first started are pretty amazing guitars that really sing. Guilds a fairly new player in the game that started in the 50's with arch tops like the Granada. I have a 1963 D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee which is from the first year they made dreadnought model if I remember correctly. It's a great guitar and strongly built that has been one of my favorite acoustics for many years. The newer Guilds are still a nice guitar but not anywhere near the magic of the 1960's models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 From what I've played, Taylor 6 strings are the cats *** and Guild 12 strings turn me to butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 That being said I had the chance to play a few American made Breedlove acoustics and was incredibly impressed. I loved the look and feel of these and just may be my next purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 WTF? With $1200 to $1500 to spend why not get a better Acoustic then a Taylor or Guild. There are plenty of pre-owned Gibsons out there for that price point. Taylors are good......but ......NOT good enough......jmho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adius Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Can't go wrong with either. It comes down to taste. When I buy an acoustic guitar, I check the set-up including the condition of the strings, then do it with my hands and ears and take my time. For my taste, I have a couple Taylors, one Gibby and no Guilds. There is one model of Guild that is popular with collectors but i can't recall the name/designation. I think it is an F-50 but am not certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 WTF? With $1200 to $1500 to spend why not get a better Acoustic then a Taylor or Guild. There are plenty of pre-owned Gibsons out there for that price point. Taylors are good......but ......NOT good enough......jmho WTF indeed. In my experience, an acoustic Taylor or Guild is better than a Gibson acoustic. A guy I was in a band with had a Hummingbird and the binding started to do some pretty funky stuff within a year. I would also urge your son to play a Larrivee and/or a Alvarez-Yairi: both offer exceptional quality and value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adius Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 WTF indeed. In my experience, an acoustic Taylor or Guild is better than a Gibson acoustic. A guy I was in a band with had a Hummingbird and the binding started to do some pretty funky stuff within a year. I would also urge your son to play a Larrivee and/or a Alvarez-Yairi: both offer exceptional quality and value. Larivees are wonderful. Played one this PM at a local music store. You can feel the guitar vibrate in your hands like few I've played. They all do but no like the one I played today. All that I've seen are very light. Where I live the J 45 is a BIG favorite with Bluegrass people. Theannual Weiser Idaho Oldtime Fiddlers Contest turns the town into one big jam. The J-45 rules that venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Larivees are wonderful. Played one this PM at a local music store. You can feel the guitar vibrate in your hands like few I've played. They all do but no like the one I played today. All that I've seen are very light. Where I live the J 45 is a BIG favorite with Bluegrass people. Theannual Weiser Idaho Oldtime Fiddlers Contest turns the town into one big jam. The J-45 rules that venue. Don't get me wrong: I love Gibson acoustics, especially the Advance Jumbo. But I am a fingerstyle guy, so I tend to favor the OM style bodies. Larrivee makes great ones indeed, and actually the Taylor GS strikes a very nice balance between being great for fingerstyle and strumming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 .... In my experience, an acoustic Taylor or Guild is better than a Gibson acoustic. A guy I was in a band with had a Hummingbird and the binding started to do some pretty funky stuff within a year. ..... Don't get me wrong: I love Gibson acoustics .... :blink: . . . . . . :blink: . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 :blink: . . . . . . :blink: . . . I do love them, but their build quality is not all that great, at least in my experience. Was that post really necessary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I do love them, but their build quality is not all that great .... . . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 . . . . . . I hope you feel good about pointing out the imperfections of others. I know some people really do get off on it. If you ask me, the only thing Big about you is your ego. Get a life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I hope you feel good about pointing out the imperfections of others. I know some people really do get off on it. If you ask me, the only thing Big about you is your ego. Get a life. Ouch. I'm not pointing out anything but the trashing you've given to Gibson guitars, while justifying it by saying you love Gibson guitars. Sorry that upsets you. But you shouldn't trash Gibson guitars on a Gibson forum and not expect to get comments about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I'd like to echo the comments already made here. I played about 50 (new) acoustics before I settled in on a Taylor. I think they give the best overall characteristics in terms of acoustic sound, electric sound (their Expression System is second to none IMHO), balance, service, and overall quality. My guitar tech told me that he had to replace the Expression System for an expired warranty guitar. Still, Taylor didn't charge the customer a dime. That's service!!! Of course this is just my opinion, but that's what you asked for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazarusvt84 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Share Posted June 7, 2011 Thanks Guys...feedback VERY much appreciated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enmitygauged Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 if he is going for an electric acoustic I would go the taylor I prefer the sound of the Bracing system body sensors over the Dtar system. I have had my eye on a Beautiful Iced Tea Guild here in Adelaide for about 2 years now. It balances beautifully across the strings but each to their own. I have never bought a guitar on anything but a must have response. they have a tendency to call to you from across the room usually they are also the prettiest and most expensive. Ok I admit I have a problem. G.A.S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 In my olden days before anybody heard of Taylor, Guild made a darned nice guitar. I'll match my early/mid 1970s S100c version of the SG against any other solidbody for general playability, at least in my opinion - and note that it's been around a bit and still plays and functions exceptionally well. As for a Gibbie losing binding... I'm not at all surprised. It can happen. OTOH, it can happen with almost any guitar depending on where and how it's played and what the chemical surroundings might be. In ways I'm surprised any guitars survive as well as so many I've seen that still are around from the 1950s. But my bottom line is this: First, figure your max spending on a guitar. Then study what's available for you to try in your area. Now figure what you can afford in terms of travel to play before you buy, a decent hard case and the whatevers you're going to end up with. The reason I say cost of travel is that it'd take me a minimum of a two-day and an overnight trip to play an instrument over the cost of an Epi Masterbuilt. Nowadays that's not inexpensive and would functionally add around $300 to whatever. Then after you figure your budget, cast a net on the Web to see what guitars of the sort you want would fit that price tag _with the case etc. Then find out where within your "area" you could try out a half dozen different brands/models in your budget. For a $1,000 or up total cost guitar, you should be able to find several that meet your needs. I know this may bother somebody on here, but I think Epis are far underrated if you have a couple to try. I think most current A-E guitars don't have pickup configurations that last as well as some of the early piezos regardless that they may excel in other ways. There are at least a dozen decent brands of guitar out there that are of sufficient quality to make somebody quite happy with an acoustic/acoustic-electric for $1,000 to $2,000 street, including Gibson. It may not have diamond inlays, but I've never played an inlay. So... whatta you really want, a given brand, or an acoustic or acoustic-electric guitar that will do "X" that you plan to play, will sound good, will seem to play itself and that you think is half pretty from the driver's seat. Assuming I were given $5,000 I had to spend on an acoustic or A-E, too, I'd not start looking at $5,000 guitars, but at guitars that can do what I want done. I'd rather have a guitar that's a perfect fit for me at $2,000 even if I hadda give the rest back, than to figure how to spend the whole $5,000 just so I could show off my bling that I'm not necessarily all that comfortable playing. To the question "Guild or Taylor," both should have a decent warranty. But how do they play for you, not just one, but "the" one you're willing to buy? And why not Epi, Gibson, Martin or some of the other fine brands mentioned? m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I do love them, but their build quality is not all that great, at least in my experience. Was that post really necessary? Your experience seems to be someone else's H Bird ....... which leads to.... Taylors suck because one time at band camp this guy dropped his 510 CE and it broke. You paint with a very broad brush questioning quality based upon a band mates guitar. How many Gibson's have you owned? I have sold all the Taylors I have ever had. Have not sold one Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I have a Guild GAD-JF48 and I love it, mine is from the line made in China, these guitars are perfectly well made but if you are looking for brand new Guild made in the USA it is definitely more expensive. I spent $650 on mine 5 years ago, I went with Guild because I got alot more guitar for the money than a Taylor or Martin of the same price point. The craftsmanship is great on this guitar and even the case is nice. What I find incredible is that Taylors have gone up in price a lot in the last 5 years, and I mean a lot. I wonder if they revamped their line up or what. I remember looking at a 314 and now they are way up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Son looking to upgrade his acoustic...looking to spend btwn $1200 to $1500. He'd like a Taylor (has played several)...but thinks Guild may make a decent guitar as well. Any thoughts? Thanks. Lazarus, I found I had to go up the price ladder (a bit more than you seem to thinking) to get the Taylor I felt was a truly "good" one, re: 714 and, in my case 814CE. The Taylor guitar shows its' worth fully when it is plugged in to a nice acoustic amp. It's then you know best what you have in your hands. Good hunting! Hall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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