DanvillRob Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Red, he accepted their job offer and he will be working for them. I'm not sure he wants the details of what he'll be doing made public at this time, so I can't/won't comment on that now. He is very happy with his decision to leave Gibson at this time and is excited to start a new chapter in his life. I suggest Harmon101 start with the nut & saddle on his Martin, (easier to digest). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmonsh Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I suggest Harmon101 start with the nut & saddle on his Martin, (easier to digest). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I suggest Harmon101 start with the nut & saddle on his Martin, (easier to digest). The strings will be tricky. I wonder if they soften up, like pasta, if you boil them long enough. It's like eating an elephant: one small bite at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well....hopefully he will be only "designing" guitars for Fender as George Gruhn did for Guild, Tacoma and his own Signature series.......I would REALLY look forward to see the first Ferguson guitar!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well....hopefully he will be only "designing" guitars for Fender as George Gruhn did for Guild, Tacoma and his own Signature series....... I would be surprised if this were the case. If Fender wanted to hire a great luthier to design guitars for them, they could have done that a long time ago. Ren has a couple of knowledge/skill/experience sets that distinguish him from the scores, maybe hundreds, of great luthiers around. First, he can produce guitars that look and sound like classic Gibsons at least as well as anyone else, maybe better than anyone else. I doubt that's why Fender was so anxious to get him (although, as someone pointed out, maybe they want their overbuilt Guild jumbos to sound like recent J-200s). The second is that he knows how to put together a production line, in the U.S., starting from ground zero if necessary, that builds fine guitars in quantity (where quantity means, say, more than 50/day). If Fender wanted someone with a proven track record in that area, hiring Ren is unquestionably the best feasible choice in the universe, pure and simple. I guess we'll find out when NAMM gets rolling, unless Fender wants to play it coy. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harmonics101 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Show me the money !! :) And I'll put in my James Bond Mister Steel Teeth and start chewing on that Martin bridge and nut :) Harmonics101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I hope he Puts Guild at the Top to a strong Marketable Guitar like it once was.. and gets rid of those aweful arched back Flattops.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 I hope he Puts Guild at the Top to a strong Marketable Guitar like it once was.. and gets rid of those aweful arched back Flattops.. Are you referring to one of these.... Yeah, just awefull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dotneck Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Well....hopefully he will be only "designing" guitars for Fender as George Gruhn did for Guild, Tacoma and his own Signature series.......I would REALLY look forward to see the first Ferguson guitar!!! I would be surprised if this were the case. If Fender wanted to hire a great luthier to design guitars for them, they could have done that a long time ago. I remember at the forum in Bozeman when Ren was talking with us...somebody asked what kinds of additional things Ren would like to accomplish as a luthier. Ren talked about wanting to continue developing a system to build guitars more efficietly and reduce waste (time and material). It didn't really sound like a goal of a luthier but more of a goal of a manager. I wonder if Ren and O'Brien didn't see eye to eye on how to run the Bozeman facility which inspired Ren to go his own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratch47 Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Are you referring to one of these.... Yeah, just awefull Man that's some gorgeous maple... I've got an archback JF30-12 that projects and playes nicer than any other 12er I've tried. Very nice guitars. Fender's Guild marketing has been awful. For some reason, lots of them are showing up lately on TV and Doyle Dykes is now replacing his Taylor 12 with a New Hartford crafted Guild. Something's going on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I've played and owned Guilds (American made, pre- and post Fender) and they are really good guitars. The "problem" with the New Hartford Guilds, is PRICE POINT......for example retail for a Guild D-50 is $2,699.99....Martin D-28 $2999.00....and Gibson Songwriter Deluxe $3,049.00...all dreads, all Rosewood......So one question a buyer might pose..."For a little more, I could get a Gibson or even a Martin???" Another plus or minus for Guilds over the years, is that they are "built like a tank!" For longevity might be a good thing, for tone might not be the best thing. I would say that the fit and finish of the new Guilds I've seen is better than Gibson, and about the same as Martin....so if Ren can lighten up the beefy Guilds, and bring in some nice tone, this might be a marriage made in Heaven!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughdiamond Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 so if Ren can lighten up the beefy Guilds, and bring in some nice tone, this might be a marriage made in Heaven!!! Was very dissappointed when I played the only NH guild in town a little while ago, a D40BG. I relly thought it would be better. Admittededly, it was a rep's guitar with a small repaired crack at the top of the neck and a concealed battery PUP (couldn't tell if battery was in or not but saw the black velcro box on neck block). Yet, for a reduced1800 euro, it was not as responsive and resonant as the usual adi hog suspects. Had it's own little 'inner bounce' thing going on but you really had to dig it out from the mids. No high high cut sparkle for a typical 'bluegrasser' I thought and the thump was very 'veiled' more like a folky guitar rather than another vintage flavour version. I knew right away by the weight of it my expectations were going down fast. As thy say "could've been a dud"? I can't say. Probably sold now because its a NH guild. The main guild dealer in town sold out their GADS at the time too. The demand for the brand name is apparently evident here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I would like to see Fender use him to make a serious "Fender" acoustic line. I like just about every thing that Fender puts out except for their acoustics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Fender still owns the Tacoma plant, correct? A little shuttling for Ren from Bozeman to Tacoma maybe? I'd love to see Guild make a strong comeback. Had a number of wonderful Guilds in the '70s, so I've got a soft spot for 'em - but I agree, get rid of the arched back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratch47 Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I would like to see Fender use him to make a serious "Fender" acoustic line. I like just about every thing that Fender puts out except for their acoustics. Fender's marketing strategy, when they acquired Guild in 1995, was to add Guild as their higher end acoustic line augmenting the low priced Fenders. Their road has meandered from the inherited Westerly RI plant where most folks think of Guild's golden years, to Corona CA., to Tacoma WA., and now to New Hartford CN. (since January 2009). Their presence has drifted from the memorable days of Guild performers: Richie Havens, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, John Denver etc. to near invisibility on the stage. Since moving to New Hartford, they've expanded their line to include some high end GSR series guitars and prices are also escalating. They've taken a lot of heat for poor marketing strategy and now seem poised to expand their presence. I'm assuming Ren is part of this plan; the timing seems appropriate. I've been a Guild guy for some years, owning at one time 17 which didn't make home life easy. Of all the rosewood model Guilds I've owned (there have been many), the only one that came close to my J-45 was a Westerly era DV-52. If it had a shorter scale, it would still be in the closet. The J-45 is one of the best acquisitions I've made and I've finally trimmed the stable to a special few that get played often. And following a highly recommended kitchen remodeling, my wife is now a happy spousal unit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 The J-45 is one of the best acquisitions I've made and I've finally trimmed the stable to a special few that get played often. And following a highly recommended kitchen remodeling, my wife is now a happy spousal unit... You didn't have to say the last part. My wife encourages (sort of) my guitar habit, but the remodeling plans for the kitchen (not a trivial job!) somehow end up getting left out on my desk. I guess fair is fair, although I haven't yet figured out how to play the blues on a $10K stove! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Nick you play the blues on a $10K stove when you PAY for the thing!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrplefty Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I haven't found a J-200 custom to be able to A/B the two, but I love the sound that I get from NH Guild rosewood jumbo. I also I haven't had the ability to play any vintage Guilds from their glory years. Yeah, the J-200 has a little more bling to it, but I felt like I was getting the same amount of guitar at a more reasonable price. I have had the ability to as an audience member at an acoustic song swap with 3 singer/songwriters to hear a maple F-50 and J-200 standard, and to my ears the F-50 had a fuller sound to it, and was less tinny. To caveat this, the PA could have a lot to do with what I heard, as well as the fact that the J-200 had a feedback buster as the Guild did not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrplefty Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Fender still owns the Tacoma plant, correct? A little shuttling for Ren from Bozeman to Tacoma maybe? I'd love to see Guild make a strong comeback. Had a number of wonderful Guilds in the '70s, so I've got a soft spot for 'em - but I agree, get rid of the arched back! Tacoma is still owned by Fender yes, but my understanding is the Tacoma plant has been closed, and I'm not sure what kind of customer service is available. My dad found this out the hard way when he was trying to figure out something on their website, and there was no information to be found anymore. It is just a picture of what appears to be a Washington forest with the words, "We're seasoning the wood." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Nick you play the blues on a $10K stove when you PAY for the thing!!!! WAY too true! Could buy a couple of nice vintage J-45's for that....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 You didn't have to say the last part. My wife encourages (sort of) my guitar habit, but the remodeling plans for the kitchen (not a trivial job!) somehow end up getting left out on my desk. I guess fair is fair, although I haven't yet figured out how to play the blues on a $10K stove! You send it to National for a spot of customization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Still no announcement from Guild, Fender or Ren.......sigh...end of the era is tough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I talked to Ren today. In person. In the Fender booth at NAMM. He doesn't work there in the same capcitity he worked at Gibson. He stayed in Montana. He is doing some design for them though. HE doesn't even know all of the details though. He is available for working ideas on their full line though. He hasn't really thought about the Guild stuff he likes them already. I do too. I played them and liked them very much. Since he is not tied to Fender as tightly as he was to Gibson, he is also working on his own brand. So, he is now one of MANY consultants and R/D guys now. straight from the horse's mouth, in person. He is also finishing up some guitars for Gibson and will work with them in the future as the right situations present themselves. He is EXTREMELY happy with Gibson and thankful to Henry for allowing him to do what he did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-1854Me Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 I talked to Ren today. In person. In the Fender booth at NAMM. He doesn't work there in the same capcitity he worked at Gibson. He stayed in Montana. He is doing some design for them though. HE doesn't even know all of the details though. He is available for working ideas on their full line though. He hasn't really thought about the Guild stuff he likes them already. I do too. I played them and liked them very much. Since he is not tied to Fender as tightly as he was to Gibson, he is also working on his own brand. So, he is now one of MANY consultants and R/D guys now. straight from the horse's mouth, in person. He is also finishing up some guitars for Gibson and will work with them in the future as the right situations present themselves. He is EXTREMELY happy with Gibson and thankful to Henry for allowing him to do what he did. Thanks for that update, modoc. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Thanks for the Update Modoc.. I like many wish Ren all the best in his Future Endevours.. Ren, if you ever read this.. Thanks for Making Awesome Guitars that we all enjoy Playing and admire.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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