What is going on with Guild?

[gearbasher]

I know, it's a sin to discuss other company's products, but What is going on at Guild? I've noticed a ton of Guild guitars being sold with a "USED" stamp on the back of the headstock. These are all USA made instruments. According the people selling them, Guild stamps guitars with minor cosmetic defects as "USED". I guess this is like the old Gibson "BGN" or "2" stamps that denoted factory seconds. There are currently seven such instruments on ebay alone:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-CO-1-USA-Handmade-Acoustic-Guitar-w-Guild-Case_W0QQitemZ110507229224QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item19babe8028

http://cgi.ebay.com/GUILD-CV-2-USA-American-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ110504543911QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item19ba9586a7

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-CV-1-All-Solid-USA-Made-Natural-Acoustic-Guitar_W0QQitemZ230442553265QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item35a7724fb1

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-CV-1-Contemporary-Vintage-F-40-Acoustic-Guitar_W0QQitemZ110505897616QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item19baaa2e90

http://cgi.ebay.com/GUILD-WILLY-PORTER-NATURAL-W-OHSC-MINT-CONDITION_W0QQitemZ170458727647QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item27b021c4df

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-Contemporary-Series-CV-2-W-OHSC-USA-Made-CV2_W0QQitemZ400106903658QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item5d283ad86a

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guild-CV-1-Natural-Acoustic-Guitar-with-hardshell-case_W0QQitemZ400109059815QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item5d285bbee7

 

Is the quality of craftsmanship declining that much at Guild?

Or, has their QC standards increased to a point where guitars that would have past are now being rejected?

[pohatu771]

I don't know about Guild, but many of the seconds I've seen from other brands are practically perfect - minor finish flaws and discolourations, generally. I played a Masterbilt once, and the only flaw I found was the "USED" stamp on the headstock.

 

I think the quality control has gone up - though it's not universal.

[ksdaddy]

I was under the impression the ones stamped 'used' were sales samples or NAMM samples. I've seen some Epiphones stamped that way also.

[davenumber2]

There were a lot of issues with Guild's contemporary series line while the plant was in Tacoma (have since moved to New Hartford, CT), mainly a new graphite neck block/bolt on neck system they were trying out. Apparently the design was faulty and instead of trashing them Fender started selling them marked USED to avoid warranty claims. As far as I know none of the the Traditional series guitars (D55, D50, D25, 12 strings, etc.) have had any issues.

[jgwoods]

When Fender closed the Tacoma Guild plant and relocated to New Hartford CT I think they sold off all of the stock remaining in Tacoma as seconds- auctioned them off to middle men shops- the kind with the ebay stores- and let them sell them as seconds with no warranty. Gibson didn't do much different when it shut the Garrison plant making Gibsons in Newfoundland- offered the remainder with no waranty.

 

It sure looks like there was a lot of Guilds marked as seconds- too bad in some ways because if they prove to be poor guitars they damage a fragile reputation, but a great chance to get a very nice guitar for cheap money on the other hand....if they are any good.

 

The new neck block system was abandoned in the move- I wouldn't dare buy one now unless I got a real steal- maybe $500 for one of their $2000 models. The DV4 and DV6 models production was moved to Mexico, and the composite neck block system may reappear on those guitars if they work out the kinks.