Get the Guild, or go the safe route with the Seagull?

[pothole]

I'm looking to pickup a small acoustic for around $400 used. got my eye on a late 60's Guild M-20 at the top of my price point and a 90's Seagull for around the $300 range. The Guild is in decent shape for it's age while the Seagull is like new. Both sound great. Question is, the Guild just seems a little more fragile due to its age. I'm in a band and will play this guitar at times at bars and such, and it'll go camping with me occasionally.. but most of the time it'll be at home. Do I take the chance at the Guild and hope it doesn't develop a crack or a major neck issue, or play it safe and pickup the more durable and newer Seagull?

[Bulldog]

The Guild would be excellent. They made wonderful guitars that are way undervalued. That being said, if it's pretty beat up, you might be better off waiting for another one to come along. I think Guild acoustics are great. Right up there we the best Gibsons and Martins of that era.

[pothole]

The Guild would be excellent. They made wonderful guitars that are way undervalued. That being said, if it's pretty beat up, you might be better off waiting for another one to come along. I think Guild acoustics are great. Right up there we the best Gibsons and Martins of that era.

I wouldn't say the Guild is beat up per se, just has 40 years of wear and tear on her. I've had a few Seagulls over the years, those things sound amazing..but that Guild has 'vibe'.

[thewhit]

The Guild would be excellent. They made wonderful guitars that are way undervalued. That being said, if it's pretty beat up, you might be better off waiting for another one to come along. I think Guild acoustics are great. Right up there we the best Gibsons and Martins of that era.

+1 ........I have 2 Guild 12's and a 90's F47RCE. They play well, hold up well and sound great not to mention the great cases they come in.

[nmiller]

If you can find a '60s Guild for that price, go for it! If you ever want to get rid of it, it will hold its value a lot better than the Seagull.

['70 RS]

Go for the Guild.

[Jack Dotson]

Don't over look the Epi Masterbuilds. I played practically every guitar the GC had in their acoustic room, including Martins, Taylors and Beedloves and walked out with a Masterbuild AJ-500RE. The guitar is incredible and held it's own against much higher priced guitars. The eSonic 2 pick-up system was better than anything in the room. Smashed Taylor's expression system IMO.

I got this one out the door for $650 and they had a couple of dreds without electronics marked down to $399. Very nicely built guitars, all solid woods, etc. Tremendous value IMO.

[royd]

the Guild's age won't make it more fragile. It is what it is. If it has no cracks, neck issues, etc. then I would expect it to be at least as stable as the Seagull and probably more so because of the age. Older Guild's are well built guitars and one 40+ years old has settled into equilibrium.

Now, if you feel uncomfortable using a guitar with "vibe" in the way you plan to use this guitar, then get the Seagull. If you want to get the best guitar for the money, get the Guild.

[davya]

You mean you gotta think about it?

[alotawatts]

You might find an early 90's Guild D-6 in that price range. They were still made in RI. Look for an HG High Gloss not the satin finish version. I have 1992(?). The neck is still very good and the harmonics are amazing.

[Cybercat]

the Guild's age won't make it more fragile. It is what it is. If it has no cracks, neck issues, etc. then I would expect it to be at least as stable as the Seagull and probably more so because of the age. Older Guild's are well built guitars and one 40+ years old has settled into equilibrium.

Now, if you feel uncomfortable using a guitar with "vibe" in the way you plan to use this guitar, then get the Seagull. If you want to get the best guitar for the money, get the Guild.

What royd said.

I've always understood that it's NEW guitars that are more fragile; once they've been through 5-7 years of seasonal changes they settle down & are less likely to have cracks & other issues. On top of that, generally speaking, the wood being used for guitars now is not as good as what was used 40 years ago either.

I'd most definitely get the Guild if I were you.

Good luck!
(.. & let's see some pics on here when you get it!) :D

[Jahn]

Go for the Guild. It's worth twice that easy, and will probably sound amazing, and if you don't like it you can double your cash on it and get a nice new guitar better than a seagull.

[musicofanatic5]

The Guild M-20 was the bottom of Guild's acoustic line at the time. Mahogany top, no binding, no frills. For maximum grins, compare to any current manufacturer's "bottom of the line" these days. It should be a fun to play, durable (unless it's incurred somebody's bad repair work along the line), cool little gtr (I've had one as a "around the house" gtr for over twenty years). After a few years of doing repairs for a dealer that sold Seegulls, I deem them suitable for fueling the woodstove.
Caveats on the M-20: the neck is a little skinny and they are built light. DO NOT put anything heavier than light gauge strings on it.

[bunuel]

I'm a big fan of seagulls, esp. for what they cost. That said, I'm even a bigger fan of older Guild's for what they cost. They made extremely well made durable great sounding guitars. I wouldn't hesitate to go for the Guild, if you like the way it sounds & plays!

[musicofanatic5]

I should qualify my seemingly wholesale bashing of seagul by explaining I have seen (or been asked to fix) so many of them that became unplayable or flat came undone in inordinate numbers.

[pothole]

Ok, the guy with the M-20 just took me up in price...it's $550 now with a non original case, a repaired crack along the top side, and a hole that was drilled for a pickup jack on the low side. Thoughts?

[soulohio]

get the guy to get his price back in line. i like guilds. you are talking a lower priced instrument here...so i think anything you get to make some music could be shuffled when appropriate...but get the guild.

btw....does the seagull have a modern sound? is the guild the sound you have in mind?

[pothole]

Well, I didn't get the Guild nor the Seagull. I popped into my favorite pawn shop at lunch and scored a near mint '72 Yamaha FG-150 (red label Nippon Gakki) with a premium case for under $100. The thing sounds really, really good. Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides. The top on this one is absolutely a solid piece, not a laminate.