Guild Classical Guitars

Company History

Guild was founded in 1952 by a professional guitarist named Al Dronge who opened the first Guild factory in New York City. The 1950s were the heyday of the jazz scene in New York, and Guild originally served the guitarists in the jazz community. A few short years later, Guild moved their factory to a larger location in Hoboken, New Jersey where they continued to build excellent guitars for working musicians like George Barnes and rockabilly legend Duane Eddy. Business continued to boom through the 1960s as rock-n-roll drove the guitar market to all time highs. Guild moved out of the Hoboken factory in 1967 and took up residence in a larger warehouse in Westerly, Rhode Island. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation purchased the Guild Company in 1995, but Guild guitars continued to be built at the Westerly plant until 2001 when Fender shut down the facility and moved production to Corona, California. Guilds are still produced with the same high-quality standards and are considered some of the most respected guitars available.

Guild's Classical History

Guild first entered the classical guitar market in the early 1960s with their Mark line of guitars. The Mark series was based on traditional German and Spanish production techniques and originally featured five models, Mark I – Mark V. Different wood options and inlay options delineated the different models. The Mark line of classical guitars was produced into the late 1980s, and to this day, these guitars remain highly regarded for their excellent craftsmanship, playability, tone and affordable price.

Guild dropped out of the classical market for a number of years after the Mark line ceased production. The company's purchase by Fender highlighted a decade long transition period for Guild during which the company produced no new classical guitars. Luckily, this transition period has ended, and Guild returned in 2007 with an exciting new lineup of beautiful classical guitars. This new lineup caused a stir in guitar circles as devotees of the old Mark line of nylon string instruments hoped that Guild had returned to their classical glory days.

The New Guild Classical Guitars

The new "Guild Acoustic Design Series Classical" guitars are available in three models. They are intended to combine the same level of craftsmanship and excellent value that Guild first introduced back in 1961.

• Guild GAD-C1: The Guild GAD-C1 is the company's base model and is comparable to the old Mark I in many respects. This guitar spares no expenses when it comes to materials. It boasts a solid American red cedar top with the back and sides made of solid mahogany. The neck is a single piece of solid mahogany and the fingerboard is ebony. The nut and saddle are carved out of bone. All wood binding and purfling complete the package.

• GAD-C2: The GAD-C2 features all the same components as the GAD-C1 except for its Indian rosewood back and sides. This different type of wood creates a different tone, giving the artist a different option when choosing how he or she wants their guitar to sound.

• GAD-C3: The last member of the line, the GAD-C3 is designed as a flamenco guitar and has a solid American Sitka spruce top. The GAD-C3 shares the same Indian rosewood back and sides of the GAD-C2 and the same high quality components as the other guitars in the lineup.

Choosing a New Guild

Unlike other manufacturers whose guitar lines vary greatly from the low end to the high end, the three new Guild classical guitars are all very respectable instruments. The variations are intended to provide sonic and aesthetic options for the guitarist rather than appeal to a wide price range. These instruments definitely are reminiscent of the golden age of Guild classical guitars. Find a dealer near you and try one out for yourself.