Guild at NAMM 2013

24 instruments were introduced by Guild at this year`s NAMM. Electric guitars were revamped, Custom Shop was introduced and Arcos and GAD series updated.

Guild Guitars had a triumphant presentation at their booth at 2013 NAMM show in Anaheim, Ca, with a ton of novelties. Perhaps the biggest one was the launch of the Custom Shop division, which will be making both the exclusive acoustics and electrics. Acoustic Orpheum series was matched with the American Patriarch line from the electrics section. Both series offer the ultimate quality and signature Guild tone. Three models from the American Patriarch series are named Artist Award, X-500 Stuart and M-75 Aristocrat. Orpheum offers Rosewood Orchestra, Mahogany Orchestra, Jumbo, Slope Shoulder 12th Fret Mahogany Dreadnought, Slope Shoulder 14th Fret Rosewood Dreadnought and Slope Shoulder 14th Fret Mahogany Dreadnought. Custom Shop will also make 60 copies of the 60th Anniversary Custom Shop model, acoustic guitar made of solid koa. There`s also one series of electrics introduced into the regular section of the catalog. It`s name is Newark St and it has eight models, seven electric guitars and one bass. A-150 Savoy, X-175B Manhattan with Bigsby, Starfire III with Bigsby, Starfire IV, M-75 Aristocrat, X-175 Manhattan and S-100 Polara are electric guitars, while the Starfire Bass is the only electric bass introduced this time. Arcos series is now stronger for AO-5CE and AD-5CE. D-125, D-125CE, M-120 and M-120E reinforce the GAD series.

Custom Shop

For it`s 60th anniversary, Guild Guitars have introduced the Custom Shop, proving that they`re ready for the big game against the strongest in the business. From it`s start Custom shop will be making ten different models divided into two series and one stand alone model. Orpheum is the name of the acoustic series and it features six gorgeous acoustics with all solid construction and non-cutaway design. Prices range from $4,500 to $5,000, which is around the average for the top brand custom shop divisions. Electric guitars, which have been reintroduced into Guild catalog for the 60th anniversary also have their representative series in the custom shop. It`s named American Patriarch and it offers three exquisite models with hollow bodies and vintage styling. Prices for this series are higher and range from $7,500 for the M-75 to $10,000 for the Artist Award model. 60th Anniversary model is made of the best koa available on the market and costs $7,000.

Guild 60th Anniversary Custom Shop is an orchestra-shaped guitar based on the popular F-30 model. It features only the best and finest materials and hardware appointments and it will only be made in symbolic 60 copies. Entire body, back, sides and top are made of the top quality solid koa. Abalone binding and rosette decorate the gloss-finished top. Mahogany/walnut neck is topped with a 20-fret ebony fingerboard. Bridge is also made of ebony. For more info check 60th Anniversary Custom Shop detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Orpheum Rosewood Orchestra is a fully acoustic guitar made with non-cutaway construction. Solid rosewood back and sides are complemented with solid spruce top. Three-piece mahogany/walnut neck is topped with a 20-fret ebony fingerboard. Bridge is also made of ebony and hardware is plated in gold. For more info check Rosewood Orchestra detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Orpheum Mahogany Orchestra is the sibling model to Rosewood Orchestra and basically features the same specs list. The only major difference is the use of mahogany for the back and sides, instead of the rosewood. Top panel is made of solid spruce, like on the rosewood variant. Mahogany/walnut neck is used on this model, as well. Ebony fingerboard has 20 frets. for more info check Mahogany Orchestra detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Orpheum Slope Shoulder 12-Fret Mahogany Dreadnought is the first of three dreads introduced into this series. It has a 12th fret neck joint and a non-cutaway body. Mahogany back and sides are paired with a solid spruce sound board. Three-piece neck is made of mahogany and walnut and topped with a standard 20-fret ebony fingerboard. Ebony bridge, chrome-plated tuners and 24-3/4" scale complete the specs. For more info check 12th Fret Mahogany Dreadnought detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-Fret Rosewood Dreadnought is the second of three dreads and one of two with a 14th fret joint. Mahogany on back and sides is replaced with rosewood for this model, while the spruce sound board remains. Mahogany/walnut neck is equipped with a regular 20-fret ebony fingerboard. Fingerboard is matched with an ebony bridge. For more info check 14th Fret Rosewood Dreadnought detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Orpheum Jumbo is the only jumbo-sized and jumbo-shaped guitar in the entire Custom Shop. Though it may be outnumbered, a true jumbo can never be overpowered. It offers a magnificent tone supported by mahogany back and sides, spruce sound board and mahogany/walnut neck. Bridge and 20-fret fingerboard are made of ebony. 24-3/4" scale and chrome-plated Gotoh tuners wrap the list. For more info check Orpheum Jumbo detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Orpheum Slope Shoulder 14-Fret Mahogany Dreadnought is the third and final dread model in the Orpheum series. It sports non-cutaway body made of mahogany back and sides with solid spruce sound board on top. Standard mahogany/walnut neck is a three-piece with 20-fret ebony fingerboard on it`s top. Ebony bridge, chrome-plated Gotoh tuning machines and series standard 24-3/4" scale are also featured on this dread. For more info check 14th Fret Mahogany Dreadnought detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Artist Award is the single most expensive model reviewed in this article, with price tag set at $9,999.99. It is a hollow-bodied electric guitar made of flamed maple back and sides, solid spruce sound board and a five-piece maple/walnut neck. Compensated ebony bridge is paired with a trapezoid tailpiece and matched with a 20-fret fingerboard made of the same material. It only features one floating single coil pickup in the neck position. For more info on this stunning six-stringer check Artist Award detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild X-500 Stuart is also a hollow-bodied guitar with vintage styling and single-cut body. It is made of laminated maple back and sides with laminated spruce sound board on the top. Rosewood bridge has a trapezoid tailpiece in the back and it`s matched with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. Maple/walnut neck is made of five pieces of wood and is set-in. Pair of Guild single-coils wraps the list of specs. For more info check X-500 detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild M-75 Aristocrat is one of two models with the same name. It belongs to the American Patriarch series and it is the luxurious variant of the Aristocrat from the Newark St Collection. Hollow single-cut body is made of solid mahogany back and sides with solid spruce top. Guild "Frequency Tested" single coil pickups sit in front of the rosewood bridge and it`s trapezoid tailpiece. Three-piece mahogany/maple neck is topped with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. For more info check Aristocrat detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

GAD and Arcos series

Acoustic division of the Guild Guitars is still the main source of profit and the strongest section of the catalog. For 2013 and 60th anniversary celebration, it got updated with six models in standard series. Four were put into the GAD series and two in the Arcos. GAD line is made to be the workhorse series, as it offers the most affordable Guild acoustics with all-solid construction. On the other side, fancy and flashy features are scratched off the specs list, in order to keep this series affordable. Arcos line offers an old concept packed in new models. Arcos guitars feature flat tops and arched backs. It was first introduced back in 1950s, but is now having a renaissance. It received two novelties.

Guild GAD D-125 is an all-mahogany dreadnought from Guild Guitars. It offers a non-cutaway body made of solid mahogany and also a set mahogany neck. Basic black binding and simple rosette decorate the top. Rosewood bridge is matched with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. There are no electronics installed on this model. Chrome-plated die-cast tuners and full 25-1/2 scale complete the specs. For more info check D-125 detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild GAD D-125CE is an acoustic-electric variant of the GAD D-125 and it features mostly the same specs list. The major difference is found within the body, for this model is infused with Fishman electronics. Mahogany back, sides and top are matched with a mahogany neck. Rosewood is used for the standard belly bridge and 20-fret fingerboard. Chrome-plated tuners and 25-1/2" scale are also featured on this model. For more info check D-125Ce detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild GAD M-120 is a fully acoustic concert-shaped guitar with non-cutaway body made of mahogany. Back, sides and top are all made of solid mahogany. Neck is also made of it. Rosewood is used for the bridge and fingerboard. Fingerboard features standard 20 frets, dot position inlays and 1.6875" wide NuBone nut. Nickel-plated vintage tuners, 24-3/4" scale and spruce bracing under the top complete this model. For more info check M-120 detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild GAD M-120E is practically the same guitar as the M-120, but with added Fishman electronics. Mahogany and rosewood are the only two major tone woods on this model. Mahogany is solid and used for back, sides, top of the body and the neck. Rosewood is found on the bridge and 20-fret fingerboard. Spruce is also used, but only for the bracing. For more info check M-120E detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild AO-5CE is an orchestra-shaped model from the Arcos series. It is an acoustic-electric guitar with a body made of laminated rosewood back and sides with solid spruce sound board on top. Within the body, AO-5CE features Fishman electronics and on the outside, there are standard Arcos series decorations and appointments. Rosewood bridge is matched with a standard 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. Neck is made of mahogany with a dovetail joint. For more info check AO-5CE detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild AD-5CE is a dreadnought model introduced into the Arcos series at NAMM 2013. It comes with pretty much similar set of specs and materials. Laminated rosewood is used for the back and side panels of the body, while the solid spruce is used for the top. Rosewood is also used for the belly-contoured bridge and 20-fret fingerboard. Mahogany is used only for the neck of this model. Fishman Presys system is featured in the electronics section. For more info check AD-5CE detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Newark St Collection

Newark St Collection is a brand new series of electric guitars in Guild catalog. It is placed within the standard section, as opposed to the American Patriarch, which resides within the Custom Shop. Newark is reviving the electrics Guild made back in 1950s and '60s. Back in the day, they were very popular, but soon started declining and eventually disappeared from the catalog. For their 60th anniversary, Guild Guitars decided to revamp the electrics division and a total of eight instruments was introduced at the NAMM show. Seven of them were six-stringers and one was a four-stringed bass guitar.

Guild A-150 Savoy is the first of eight models introduced into the Newark St collection. It is a fully hollow guitar with laminated construction and single-cut design. Only the spruce top is solid, while the flamed maple back and sides are laminated. Mahogany-maple neck is set in and topped with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. Bridge is also made of rosewood and it`s supported by a trapezoid tailpiece. Floating single-coil pickup is featured on this model. For more info check A-150 detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Starfire Bass is the only electric bass introduced among these twenty-something models unveiled at NAMM 2013. It is a part of the Newark St Collection and it rocks a super thin semi-hollow body with double-cutaway and set in neck. Body is made completely of laminated mahogany and it`s paired with a three-piece mahogany/maple neck. Fixed bridge features rosewood saddles and top-load construction. It is fronted by a Guild bass pickup. 21 fret-fingerboard is made of rosewood and features 1.50" wide bone nut. Grover tuners are found on the headstock. For more info check Starfire Bass detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Starfire IV is one of seven electric guitars from the Newark St Collection and one of two Starfire guitars. This one rocks the adjust-o-matic bridge with rosewood base and a pair of Guild humbuckers in it`s front. Body of this model is completely hollow and made of laminated mahogany. It`s paired with a three-piece mahogany/maple neck. 22-fret fingerboard is made of rosewood and features 1.65" wide bone nut. Grover tuners and 24-3/4" scale close the specs list. For more info check Starfire IV detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild X-175 Manhattan is a single-cut guitar with a thin and fully hollow body made of laminated wood. Maple is used for the back and sides and spruce for the top. Compensated rosewood bridge is backed up by a trapezoid tailpiece and fronted with a pair of Guild single-coil pickups. Separate volume and tone controls are featured with these pickups. 22-fret fingerboard is made of rosewood and it tops the standard three-piece neck made of mahogany and maple. For more info check X-175 Manhattan detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild X-175B Manhattan with Bigsby is a Bigsby-equipped variant of the previously mentioned X-175 model. This one also comes with a thin, single cut body made of laminated wood. Maple is used for the back and sides, while the spruce sound board sits on top. Adjust-o-matic bridge and it`s belonging Bigsby vibrato bar are fronted by a pair of Guild "Frequency Tested" single coil pickups. Mahogany/maple neck is topped with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. For more info check X-175B detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild Starfire III with Bigsby is a single-cut guitar with fully hollow body and premium hardware features. Extra thin body is made entirely of laminated mahogany and it`s paired with a one-piece mahogany neck. Adjust-o-matic bridge has rosewood base and Bigsby vibrato bar behind it. In it`s front Guild installs their own single coil pickups. Mahogany neck is topped with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard. For more info check Starfire III detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild M-75 Aristocrat from the Newark St Collection series costs only $1,499.99 and is an affordable variant of the American Patriarch Aristocrat, which costs around $10,000. Single-cut, completely hollow and thin, this model is made of solid mahogany back, laminated mahogany sides and laminated spruce top. U-shaped neck is made of mahogany and maple and is topped with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. Guild single-coil pickups wrap the specs list for this model. For more info check Aristocrat detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.

Guild S-100 Polara is the only solid-bodied guitar introduced by Guild at NAMM 2013. It resembles the SG concept very much, but it has Guild`s original and unique vibe. Mahogany is used for the entire body and the neck, as well. Flat top and double-cut, this guitar rocks a pair of Guild humbuckers. Mahogany neck is set and has a wonderfully easy access to the upper frets. It`s topped with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. For more info check Polara detail page on our site, or on Guild Guitars official web page.