Guild CV-2

2008 Guild CV-2 made in Tacoma, Wa. You could call this a grand orchestra model, it's based on the old Guild F-40. Solid adirondack spruce top, very attractive light sunburst (Guild calls it Ice Tea Burst) finish, solid flame maple back and sides, scalloped adirondack spruce bracing, one piece mahogany Guild graphite neck block bolt on neck system, ebony bridge and fretboard, (12" radius) 1.75" nut width, 21 frets, 25.5 scale, Gotoh 700 series open back tuners, thin nitrocellulose high gloss lacquer, bone nut, bone compensated saddle and bone bridge pins, (very nice touch) Guild rosette of madagascar rosewood, ivoroid and red and black accent lines, MOP vintage script Guild headstock logo and shield, factory installed forward strap button with internally braced support, (another very nice touch) and a very sturdy archtop case with a brass Guild plate, TKL I think. The wood quality, build quality, and last but not least, the beautiful finish, rivals guitars I've seen costing two or three time as much.

This is the first maple guitar that I've played, and if I knew they could sound like this I would have had one long ago. The bass is very loud, full and rich but warm and mellow at the same time. The mids and trebles have the same volume, and are sharp, ringing and clear. None of the strings seem to get in the way of the others, very balanced. Fingerpicked, the notes are mellow yet have plenty of volume and clarity. Flatpicked and strummed it's a monster dreadnought in an OM body.

I bought this new but it was a second, marked "used" on the back of the headstock. There was glue visible on the lower end of the bridge and a very small nick on the front of the headstock. I don't care. The rest of the guitar is perfect. The inside is flawless, the top, back and sides are beautifully matched wood with a perfect nitro finish. The nut and saddle work is as good as I've seen, and the Gotoh tuners work like a charm. The action was a bit high but a truss adjustment put it right where I like it.

I've had the chance to play Guilds from the 70's and 80's, the Westerly Guilds, and they all have one thing in common, they're built to last. It's the same here. Solid as a rock. Should last a thousand years if properly taken care of.

I had a D25 years ago that needed a small front seam split repaired. It was done quickly and correctly, and more importantly, the warranty covered everything except the shipping. This being a second, it has no warranty. But am I worried? Not one bit.

These Contemporary Series guitars were made from the middle of 2007 to the end of 2008 then discontinued. I can't figure out why. In my opinion, these Tacoma Guilds (this model anyhow) rank right up with most that I've played made in Westerly. Well built with fantastic sound. I'm playing this as much if not more than my Martin, and I love my Martin. These are probably getting harder to find but if mine were lost or stolen I'd try my best to track another one down.