Last month I got a special one-time opportunity to see the Guild guitar factory in New Hartford Connecticut.
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On July 14th, I flew down to beautiful San Diego California to attend Taylor University. For the past 2 years, the Taylor U program has been bringing dealers from across North America to the Taylor factory. Our very own Mike Gray attended the first Taylor U event back in July 2008. I’ve been jealous ever since, so you can imagine my excitement as I finally arrived in San Diego on a sunny Wednesday morning.
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If you are looking for something a little different to broaden your tonal horizons, then the Taylor GS 8 string Baritone is for you! This uniquely voiced instrument features the Taylor Grand Symphony body shape, Sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood sides and back, 27″ scale length and 8 strings tuned B E A D F# B with additional octave strings on the A and D.
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Today we are featuring a new guitar from local builder John Lacroix. This is a very cool 000 body guitar with a 12 fret neck joint and slotted head stock with “The Fountain” mother of pearl inlay. The lovely looking sets of Sitka spruce and Indian rosewood which make up the body are tastefully dressed up by a curly maple body binding, colorful spalted maple rosette and the high gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The mother of pearl “The Fountain” inlay on the headstock is eye catching without being too busy and adds a very nice focal point to the instrument.
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Here is another new guitar from local builder John Lacroix. The 000 12 “Fleur de lis” is the sister guitar to the 000 12 “The Fountain” which we featured a few weeks ago. This 12 fret 000 body guitar also features a Sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood sides and back. Eye candy is provided by the mother of pearl “Fleur de lis” head stock inlay and the Ziricote fretboard, bridge, binding and headstock overlay. These visual appointments set this guitar apart from its sister guitar while maintaining a simple elegance.
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“That is the best acoustic 12-string ever made.” said Grant as I sat strumming the Guild F412 in preparation for this review. It’s not everyday I hear such praise coming from Grant, nor is it a statement that is easily dismissed. With almost 40 years experience in guitar restoration and repair, Grant’s opinion on any guitar is something I try to pay close attention to. I asked him to elaborate; “The sound, construction quality, design, even the look… this is the guitar all other 12 strings are aiming to beat. The sixties and seventies era Guild 12 string guitars were the only ones that didn’t need constant repair and service. They have a timeless design and I am happy to see the they have gone back to their historical roots.”
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