Talk to me of Guild and other maple jumbos

Stuckfast · December 2022

I played a Guild maple jumbo at a studio yesterday and it was fantastic. Incredibly loud but balanced and not boomy, with a really tight sound that recorded beautifully. I didn't look at the model number, but it was clearly old-ish and US-made. Now if I search "Guild maple jumbo" I get a million different models and I have no idea which is which, or what the difference is. Can anyone make sense of the maple jungle for me?

Cryptid · December 2022

They're great aren't they?

The standard maple jumbo from Guild was the F-50; it has an arched, laminated maple back and solid maple sides (the rosewood variant called the F50-R).

In the 90's there was also the JF-65 and a JF-30 - similar to a F-50 Standard but with plainer aesthetics. The few of these I've tried sound quite brash and strident to my ears, but some of the loudest guitars I've ever heard.

When Guild moved production to Oxnard in 2014, the model number changed to F-55. Generally lighter built than the previous F50's and more responsive.

The other famous maple jumbo is of course the Gibson SJ-200 / J-100 / J-150. Generally less responsive and quieter than a Guild, with drier more prominent mids, which IMO make the Gibsons one of the ultimate strummers. They really come alive when strummed hard with a pick.

The Gibson J-185 is a smaller maple jumbo with a 16" lower bout and a shorter scale.
Guild's version of this was the F-40, same 16" lower bout but with a 25 5/8" scale length and arched lam maple back. I saw a '76 for sale last year in great condition for £1400 and was absolutely kicking myself for not snapping it up immediately!

Confusingly, the new Guild F-40 is full jumbo size but with a flat mahogany back and sides.

Atkin offer a maple jumbo with a slightly shallower body which I'd love to try but it's a custom order.

Maton have their Royale Grand Jumbo with a euro spruce top that I'd also love to try one day.

Tannin · December 2022

The only one I have played is the F-512 Maple (formerly known) as the F-412) 12-string. I played an F-512 (standard rosewood model) and an F-512 Maple side-by-side, and the rosewood one was a beautiful instrument but the maple one was one of the best three or four guitars I have ever played. It stood out from the crowd like the dog's proverbials. Stunning.

If I still played 12-string, I'd sell a grandmother for one. (If I still had a grandmother, that is.) Even as a 6-string player these days, I've thought about buying an F-512 Maple (at vast expense) and stringing it up as a 6. Guild's standard 6-strings are a bit too narrow in the neck for me. If I'm going to pay custom-made prices (and any new US Guild costs as much or more than a good luthier-made guitar) I want a comfortable neck width. The Guild12s, of course, have 48mm nuts, which is right in my sweet spot. And they are solidly built (as 12-strings have to be) which is something I like. Some people would say "over-built" but I like a guitar with a bit of body.

Cryptid, I haven't tried the Maton Royale Grand, it's quite new. It's a Custom Shop model which means (in Matonland) that it is hand-made by Andy Allen. Andy's guitars are all beautiful. I've played four more-or-less randomly-chosen ones now, all different, and every one has been a corker. The Flatpicker (spruce and rosewood dreadnought), the TE Personal (spruce and Queensland Maple 808, exact same guitar Tommy plays), a one-off custom 808 in Lutz Spruce and Tiger Myrtle, and the spruce and Blackwood WA May. Loved every one of them - and sold my last grandmother to buy the WA May.

You will be lucky to see a Royale Grand - he probably makes four or five a year, if that, and that's between UK, USA, Europe, Japan and Australia - but it wouldn't cost much if any extra to simply order whatever you like. I could buy a TE Personal (wonderful guitars!) but why do that when I can for pretty much the same money have one made to my requirements? Same deal with a Royale Grand. You are paying custom, prices, you might as well have a custom build.

(Or, of course, buy a Guild. Lovely guitars.)

TheMadMick · December 2022

I've got a Chinese F30 (I think) with a Maple back and sides and a spruce top. It's a really bright guitar and sounds vaguely like a 12 string. It is brilliant for acoustic lead lines.

I recently acquired a Maple 12 string for a friend and although cheap, it sounded really good. If I wanted a 12string, I'd certainly put it on the list.

Cryptid · December 2022

@Tannin As it happens, Project Music in Exeter have a Maton CS Grand in stock, although it'd be at least 7-hour round trip for me to go and try it out, and I'd have to sell a guitar or two first. Spec-wise, I couldn't think of anything I'd possibly want to change (on paper anyway). 25.5" scale, 16" lower bout, AAA spruce over maple, ebony board, 44mm nut. £4k though!

maltingsaudio · December 2022

Personally I wouldn’t consider anything but an older US made Guild and they tend to be hit or miss. Those made in the Far East just don’t have he mojo for me

Cryptid · December 2022

@maltingsaudio Have you played any of the newer, Oxnard-built Guilds? They're fantastic, much more responsive and lighter built than the Westerly examples. I took a mint 2021 D-55 in a trade even though I'm not one for rosewood, I simply couldn't resist. Stunning guitar.

maltingsaudio · December 2022

Cryptid said:

@maltingsaudio Have you played any of the newer, Oxnard-built Guilds? They're fantastic, much more responsive and lighter built than the Westerly examples. I took a mint 2021 D-55 in a trade even though I'm not one for rosewood, I simply couldn't resist. Stunning guitar.

No I haven’t happpy to be proved wrong, completely lost interest when Fender bought them

stickyfiddle · December 2022

Does it have to be a jumbo? A good Gibson Dove is an incredible thing

Stuckfast · December 2022

Thanks all,

I'll try to get some more info about the one I played. Pretty sure it must have been a 60s or 70s model. It had a seriously chunky neck, both wide and deep. I didn't see any sign that it had been converted from a 12-string but the neck was probably wide enough.

Epsilon · December 2022

Every Guild fan has what they consider a "best era" for Guild. For what it's worth, I think they peaked with the New Hartford models, and the Oxnards not far behind. In New Hartford it was a genuine low production, ultra high quality facility. Westerly era is great - arguably more production line but really solid offerings nonetheless.

The F50 has to have a claim to being one of the ultimate maple jumbos. The F412 and F512 being the undisputed kings of jumbo 12 strings.

Teyeplayer · December 2022

Cryptid said:

@Tannin As it happens, Project Music in Exeter have a Maton CS Grand in stock, although it'd be at least 7-hour round trip for me to go and try it out, and I'd have to sell a guitar or two first. Spec-wise, I couldn't think of anything I'd possibly want to change (on paper anyway). 25.5" scale, 16" lower bout, AAA spruce over maple, ebony board, 44mm nut. £4k though!

Maton S60 in the classifieds, fraction of the cost and similar tonal properties to a maple body. Just saying.

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Talk to me of Guild and other maple jumbos

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