JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 "FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION TO CLOSE NEW HARTFORD, CONN. FACILITY; OVATION® TO CEASE U.S. PRODUCTION Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is proud of the products that are built in our New Hartford, Conn. manufacturing facility and appreciates the talented group of people that hand craft them. However, due to current market conditions and insufficient volume levels, the company has made the decision to cease production there within June 2014. This decision represents a consolidation of production capabilities for FMIC U.S.-made acoustic instruments. “We are committed to providing the same high quality musical instruments our artists, consumers and customers expect and demand, and will continue to support the brands that are currently being produced in New Hartford,” said Richard McDonald, senior vice president of Fender®. U.S. production of Fender acoustic and Guild® instruments will transition to other facilities at a later date, while domestic production of U.S.-made Ovation musical instruments will cease. Forty-six New Hartford-based FMIC employees will be affected by this decision over the next several months. These impacted employees served the company well and will be treated fairly and with respect; they will be provided comprehensive assistance, including severance packages, outplacement services and other related assistance." I guess what Ren told me at the NAMM show was a hint this would happen JC
MissouriPicker Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Aside from the imports, I wonder if this is the end of Guild. I hope not.
slimt Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Guild has always been a well built guitar.. maybe to well.. to bad so many will be without work.. is Ren Building or just overseeing Work?
JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 23, 2014 Author Posted April 23, 2014 Guild has always been a well built guitar.. maybe to well.. to bad so many will be without work.. is Ren Building or just overseeing Work? S, he build prototypes from what he told me at the NAMM show he did the 60th ann Koa guitars last year . he told me they were losing money on every guitar they built , they had some kind of old debt or something of that nature and he said that they couldn't aquire new materials to experiment/build with because they needed a capitalist with deep pockets to be able to invest in the buisness and settle the debt so they could move forward . The quality of the instruments were fantastic ! I played a few models upside down and they all played well . JC
slimt Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Guild was in trouble a long time ago... it didnt just happen.. kinda sad for the employees...
duluthdan Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 This is sad to hear. If I were a younger man... This is one that might be worth trying to put back together, at th right price.
MR GIBS Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 I am very, veRy, VERY sad to read this ..... Too bad for the workers there - they make fantastic guitars! I am happy that in the beginning of 2014 I purchased a Guild D55 made in 2013 in this same New Hartford facility and this is a KILLER GUITAR! My M-R GUILD. I am proud to have such a tone monster!!! I wish FMIC a very good consolidation of production capabilities for U.S.- made acoustic instruments
aerohead Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Boooooo! I was contemplating buying a new Guild. I bought my JF-30 new in 1995 and it has been a workhorse since day 1 and still is today. Guess I'm gonna have to buy another Gibson instead! Maybe an F5G just to keep it interesting!
zombywoof Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Lots of folks hold those New Haven-made Guilds in very high regard.
onewilyfool Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Fender does it again……..these guys are like cannibals…….they eat and spit out whatever company they buy…..pity Companies Fender bought and then disappeared: 1. Tacoma Guitars 2. Hamer Guitars 3. Ovation Guitars 4. Fender bought and shut down Sunn Amplifiers, SWR bass amps, Groove Tubes amps 5. Fender bought and shut down DeArmond Guitars, turned formerly USA-made Traveler Guitars into a China brand, shut down Japan made Heartfield guitars, and shut down Rhodes Pianos 6. Closing Gena Benz and SWR??? It's like these guys are the kiss of death? These were all good American Companies, American jobs??? Is this a philosophy of buying and eliminating the competition???? Just pathetic….
MR GIBS Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 Fender does it again……..these guys are like cannibals…….they eat and spit out whatever company they buy…..pity +1
BigKahune Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 . Yes that is sad news. Just when things were looking up - with Guild starting to produce their electric line again and bringing Ren onboard. I've owned Guild guitars off an on since the 70s. I have a beautiful Westerly, RI X-700 from the 90s that I love, and I found a fantastic F412 a few years back that came out of Tacoma WA before they moved to Conn. What a shame. I hope FMIC doesn't resort to drastically reducing quality and materials cost. .
MR GIBS Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 . I hope FMIC doesn't resort to drastically reducing quality and materials cost. . But that is exactly what they plan to do.
aerohead Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 I just reread JCV's post and realized that Fender will still be producing Guild guitars at another location hopefully still somewhere in the U.S.
onewilyfool Posted April 23, 2014 Posted April 23, 2014 I mean, it must cost Fender more to buy/terminate than to just buy the company, run it into the ground, then why not sell the darn thing to someone or some company that will make a go of it???? If Guild goes the way of Tacoma, and others….it will be a real shame!!!!! Where does Ren go next????
JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 23, 2014 Author Posted April 23, 2014 I mean, it must cost Fender more to buy/terminate than to just buy the company, run it into the ground, then why not sell the darn thing to someone or some company that will make a go of it???? If Guild goes the way of Tacoma, and others….it will be a real shame!!!!! Where does Ren go next???? Hopefully he builds a batch of Ferguson guitars JC
Hogeye Posted April 24, 2014 Posted April 24, 2014 Hopefully he builds a batch of Ferguson guitars JC Hi J.C. I hope he does his own as well. I would love to have one. One of my goals is to sell my Montana customs and buy a Walker, Kopp, Roberts and a Ferguson. So how is your Master Museum coming along? Any update? We would all love to see some photos of the build in progress.
mooseguy Posted April 24, 2014 Posted April 24, 2014 Hi J.C. I hope he does his own as well. I would love to have one. One of my goals is to sell my Montana customs and buy a Walker, Kopp, Roberts and a Ferguson. So how is your Master Museum coming along? Any update? We would all love to see some photos of the build in progress. Hi Hogeye I have #2 of the 9 Montana 93 Excellentes built by and label signed by Ren Ferguson and John Walker. It is in unplayed new condition as also is the custom case. I found it in Japan.Here is your chance to own what you may be looking for. Moose My Email is d.dogs@verizon.net in case you are interested
zombywoof Posted April 24, 2014 Posted April 24, 2014 Hi J.C. I hope he does his own as well. I would love to have one. One of my goals is to sell my Montana customs and buy a Walker, Kopp, Roberts and a Ferguson. I would add a Triggs if you want an an archtop or mandolin.
blindboygrunt Posted April 24, 2014 Posted April 24, 2014 Hi J.C. I hope he does his own as well. I would love to have one. One of my goals is to sell my Montana customs and buy a Walker, Kopp, Roberts and a Ferguson. So how is your Master Museum coming along? Any update? We would all love to see some photos of the build in progress. With the greatest respect , why hold on to a bunch of guitars you arent happy with? Why not buy a kopp or walker , or whatever it is your heart desires ?
Tarrr Posted April 24, 2014 Posted April 24, 2014 Merrill, Posch, Kopp, Walker.... yea, how about Ferguson Guitar Co.
onewilyfool Posted April 24, 2014 Posted April 24, 2014 Does Ren live in New Hartford or in Bozeman??? Where is his shop? Maybe Guild will move there???
JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 25, 2014 Author Posted April 25, 2014 With the greatest respect , why hold on to a bunch of guitars you arent happy with? Why not buy a kopp or walker , or whatever it is your heart desires ? BB, Hogeye has stated before that the market for gibsons in tough right now . But he is looking to sell them JC
JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 25, 2014 Author Posted April 25, 2014 Hi J.C. I hope he does his own as well. I would love to have one. One of my goals is to sell my Montana customs and buy a Walker, Kopp, Roberts and a Ferguson. So how is your Master Museum coming along? Any update? We would all love to see some photos of the build in progress. No word yet but I will keep you posted . Will you be keeping the Dylan J 45 ? JC
JuanCarlosVejar Posted April 25, 2014 Author Posted April 25, 2014 Does Ren live in New Hartford or in Bozeman??? Where is his shop? Maybe Guild will move there??? He still lives in Bozeman and travels to CT. JC
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