"Blown away."

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Quality:
This Guild is beautifully crafted. Although in the same price range as my Martin, the build quality, detail, and finish are superior. The case is a thing of beauty all by itself.

Value:
An instrument that looks and plays this well should be expected to cost at least 4 times as much.

Desirability:
This guitar plays. I don't know how I got by without it this long. I play better with this guitar than I have a right to.

Sound:
Compared to my Martin, the Guild is not as rich and full. Part of that is that I haven't found the perfect string. Whereas my Martin sounds fabulous with GHS bright bronze strings, the Guild sounds much to bright. I think a silk and steel combination may really bring out the best tones of this beautiful instrument.

Support:
No experience

Overall:
I will keep this guitar for many many years. Later I plan to add a pick up and an acoustic amp.

"It made a believer of me."

Feature:
The GAD50 comes setup with bone nut & saddle, solid Sitka top, solid bookmatched Rosewood sides/back, genuine mahogany wood binding/tailpiece on the body!, one-piece Mahogany neck, pearl D45 style snowflake and diamond inlay in the Rosewood fingerboard, Grover tuners, Ebony w/pearl dot bridgepins, dovetail neck joint...what else could a person expect of a fine guitar?

Quality:
This will remain to be seen. These guitars are being produced as of this year. Mine was built in February. What I can see is that it was built using the time-tested methods and precedures of the best high-end guitars out there. The interior looks impeccably clean, neat, and well executed. No raw edges on the braces, no glue smears, no smudges or shortcuts. It looks like the Martins and the Taylor I have previously owned regarding craftsmanship and quality control.

Value:
I've played for 37 years. I've owned $2500 guitars. Nothing compares with this guitar's value for the money. It may be the best deal ever offered in a fine acoustic guitar.

Desirability:
It is gorgeous with its rich, dark Honduran Rosewood and the Mahogany binding. The Sitka top is tight grained with much silking. The inlay on the fingerboard blows me away. It is a stunning instrument from an aesthetic point of view.

Sound:
This guitar has a huge voice, wonderful balance in tone, rich harmonics, great sustain. It works equally well with flatpick or fingersyle.

Support:
This is an unknown, for me. Only time will tell.

Overall:
I'm wondering, "Who would not want one of these...and especially at the unbelievable price?" The Martins, Taylor, Guild (american made), Gibsons, and Epiphones I've owned did not excede this GAD50, and only the Martins and the Taylor were equal to it. I feel priveleged to have gotten one of the early models.

"for those wanting legendary guild quality, responsiveness and tonal quality, this model will not disappoint"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Feature:
some of the deluxe bits of the d50 were left off the gad-50 such as the ebony fretboard, the abalone fretboard inlays, the herringbone around the top, and the tortois shell pickguard. none of these items affect the tonal quality or playability.

Quality:
i'm deducting just a couple of points for fingerprints on the tuning head and a blemish in the spruce top. also, i haven't owned it long enough to judge durability. the blemish (actually just a dark area in the grain) does not bother me at all since it indicates natural wood was used and gives the guitar some character.

Value:
having worked in a music store, in my opinion this guitar is worth quite a bit more than the 'street' price and even a little more than 'list' price.

Desirability:
the only aesthetic the verdict is still out on is the clear pickguard. it does give the guitar a distinctive look, but not sure how it will look when some pick marks and yellowing make it less transparent. also, omitting the herringbone pattern around the top lessens the guild 'deluxe model' look.

Sound:
i'm not that great a guitar player, but a long time ago i worked in a music store under a master-class violin maker and learned to appreciate the qualities of fine stringed instruments. back then i chose a guild d50 of all the fine guitars in the store to buy for myself. while shopping for another d50 i came across the gad-50 and the specs seemed very close to the d50 at about 1/3 the price. the catch was the 'made in china' thing. bottom line is that it arrived this morning and, in spite of my low expectations, i was overwhelmed at the quality, workmanship, construction and tone of this instrument. the action feels the same as my old d50 and the tone and projection seem identical.

Support:
i received help and advice from ray at fender who emailed me specs on this guitar before i bought it. he was knowledgeable on the product which is a new model line as of february of 2004 i think. my serial number was 001xx, very low indeed.

Overall:
my expectations of this chinese copy of a guild d50 were very low and i was prepared to discard this one and get the real thing. after receiving this model i have no need to search out the american-made real thing. this is a fantastic, well made copy of one of the most famous and favored of the fingerpicking style guitars, the 1970's & 80's guild d50. the only question is to the durability and longevity and it has not been out long enough for any history to accumulate.

"Nothin' could be fina' than a guitar that's made in China"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Feature:
woods and saddle/nut, tuners are first rate. guitar is light and airy

Quality:
I really don't care that it is made in China...from what I see, the Chinese are really good makers and very careful.

Value:
for sound, only other guitar at this price is Larrivee D03. For beauty, Alvarez PD100s

Desirability:
guitar is no prom queen (like Alvarez pd100s), but is a handsome instrument

Sound:
I don't have a guitar to compete with this. I can play an Alvarez pd100s or a Taylor 210 (I returned it) and they sound real nice. Then I play the Guild and the others are out of their league. The projection is so good you can really nurse some notes without loss.

Support:
good luck trying to probe the world of Fender

Overall:
I just hope guitar outlives me

"YOU JUST HAVE TO OWN ONE TO FIND OUT ITS QUALITY AND ENJOYMENT"

Feature:
THIS GUITAR IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY

Quality:
IT HAS IT ALL AND SHOULD BE AROUND FOR AS LONG AS I WISH TO OWN IT AND JUST GET BETTER

Value:
WELL I HAVE OWNED THIS ONE FOR EIGHT YEARS BUT I THINK THAT THE ONGOING PRICE IS WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT FOR THIS GUITAR

Desirability:
MY RATEING ,WELL I JUST ENJOY PLAYING IT AND ITS BEAUTY

Sound:
ONLY THE MARTIN COMES CLOSE TO THE SOUND. ONE OF THE BEST ON THE MARKET

Support:
I CAN NOT ANSWER THIS AS I HAVE NOT NEEDED ANY USE TO CONTACT THE COMPANY FOR ANY PROBLEMS

Overall:
I JUST MAY GO WITH THE ACOUSTIC - ELECTRIC SOMEDAY BUT I DON'T THINK THAT I WILL EVER WARE IT OUT IT IS JUST TOO FINE OF A WELL MADE GUITAR