Guild GAD-50

check out other reviews. I hate to repete everyone. bought it used for 500 bucks.

I liken it to my friends taylor 614. VERY FULL.

Ibought it used and I think the guy before me had a set up done on it. Its just right. In order to make it buzz I would have to strum very agressively. Wood is tight, finish is flawless. action is just right.

So far so good. Stays in tune for a week or so. Could go as a primary guitar with no backup. Very dependable.

n/a

I cant see how you could go wrong. Ive been playing for 8 yrs. and owned alverez,ibenez,fender,seagull and this guitar is by far the best. before I bought this one I looked at azia and washburn. And im glad I pick the guild gad-50l.

Everybody's written about this already.
It's a solid spruce top dreadnaught and it's beautiful.
I've got it without the Fishman Electronics and I'll soon tell you why...
Great inlays. The wood binding is phenomenal. No lumps of glue hanging out on the inside. Very well design and make.

I do some flatpick strumming and a little finger picking. The bass boom is there but not over the top like a Taylor. The mids are hot enough for solos and the highs sparkle nicely.
Overall, the sound is tight and it fits my percussive style well (DMB, Rush, rock and acoustic).

This is where this guitar excels. Now, I bought mine used from a guy so who knows what it's been through...but...this guitar is solid. String changes and temperature changes don't give this guitar any problems. Intonation and action are always right on.

The wood binding, the neck, and the nut are as clean as any guitar double the price. The top looks so tight and clean you can't tell it's two book matched pieces.

I've messed around on the interior and everything is in solid shape.

I play this guitar everyday - it's in my office and there's never an issue. Tuners keep it spot on.

The strap button I had installed. The endpin I upgraded with my pickup.

Shouldn't be a problem. Bought it used so there's probably no help coming for me anyway.

Here's where this guitar shines - I put in a stereo BBand pickup with an internal mic and and undersaddle ribbon pickup. This stereo output goes into Presonus Acousti-q stereo tube preamp where I eq and notch filter the sound. Then into a Crate CA-125 acoustic amp - where I've disconnected the tweeter - too much hiss with my p/u and preamp.

My tone is sick and anyone can tell you that you can have a serious rig but with a crappy guitar you still get crappy sound.

The GAD series is great bang for the buck and not so expensive that you'll be afraid to work it out.

Just as described by everyone else, amberburst with Fishman pickup. Many nice features FOR THE PRICE. Gloss finish is polyester and, like every other polyester finish guitar I've seen, doesn't smell too good.
The case is pretty and adequate, but no so sturdy as your average molded or plywood case.
The clear pickguard looked cheap, but was easily replace at home.

Slightly muted sounding compared to Martin D-1, which sold for a similar price. Very crisp, clear sound, well-balanced across the strings, comparing surprizingly favorably to Martin D-28 (which is also rosewood, and much more expensive). Good intonation all the way up the neck.

Action was perfect for me when I got it: low, but not so low as to cause serious buzzing when strummed hard. I play flatpick solo, flatpick rhythm, and fingerstyle, and the action as-delivered works well for all. One caveat: setup may have been tweaked by the retailer, as is their custom, rather than set that way by the factory.
Fit and finish is flawless. When I first got it, I expected that at that price the workmanship would be less than stellar and that minor faults would become apparent as time passed, but in five months I've found nothing at all to criticize.

Everything on it seems well made, but I won't comment on durability after having it only five months.

No experience with customer support.

I've been playing for 40+ years, and have owned many different instruments, but I don't think I've owned any instrument I thought was a better value for the price. I was considering a rosewood Gibson J-45 (most because I don't own a Gibson) but bought this instead. I wouldn't claim that this is as good an instrument as the J-45, but it compared favorably enough to convince me to keep the substantial price difference in the bank.
I do wish it had come with a better pickguard and a nicer smell.

Solid spruce top
Scalloped bracing
Solid Rosewood back, sides, bridge, and fingerboard
1-Piece Mahogany neck, 25-1/2" scale, dovetail joint
Grover tuners
Antique-burst
Polyester gloss finish
Hand crafted in China (says the label)
Nice hard-shell case

I opted for the non-electronics model, so I won't dock it for not having any.

Great sound. I do a lot of styles, finger picking lately though. It's a very loud and clear guitar with great deep tone as well. Especially with open chords. Sounds great flat picked or finger style.

The antique burst is quite a site. The details in this guitar are great. Theres a little strip of inlay material running down the middle on the back separating the two halves of rosewood, it looks pretty neat. It plays very well, I'm very much accustomed to the 25.5" scale, I play a strat as well. The tuners are of high quality and the tuning is very stable. I can't find anything to complain about really. It's near perfect.

I had to play a couple to find one that had perfect intonation and was set up very nicely with low action. So I guess the action and set up isn't perfect for all of them right out of the factory, but I found the one so take your time and play around with a few of them.

With the hard-shell case they provide, I'm sure this guitar could take anything. It's very sturdy and built very well. Just don't be trying to abuse one of these on purpose though... that would be a shame.

Never dealt with them.

The value out of this guitar is phenomenal. In my opinion, the Guild GAD series (and specifically, this very guitar) is probably the best bang for your buck if you're looking for something under $800 after you've decided to make a jump from those $200 starters. I tried takamines, yamahas, lower end martins, and whatever else I could find under $1000 and this guitar was the clear winner in my hands.

If it were lost/stolen/broken, I'd definitely get another (they're affordable so why not?), except maybe the version with the fishman pickup.

So here's the speck for the Guild Gad 50
Dreadnaught style

Solid Sitka Spruce top

Guild scalloped bracing
Solid Indian Rosewood back and sides
1-piece mahogany neck

Indian Rosewood fretboard
20 frets
Grover Rotomatic Die-cast tuners
Chrome hardware
Dovetail Neck Joint
Ornate Mother-of-Pearl Position Inlays
Abalone Side Dot Position Inlays
Mother-of-Pearl Headstock Logo
Ebony Bridge Pins with MOP Dots
Ebony End Pin with MOP Dot
Bone Nut and Saddle
Mahogany Body Bindings
Clear Pickguard
Back Center Wood Mosaic Inlay

Excellent value for money, and a very nice looking guitar made form solid woods and comes complete with a very nice Guild hard case

Guid have kept the price down go going for sound quality over "bells and whistles" which is not to say that this is not a very well made, nice looking guitar, because it is.

The guild suits my style of playing perfectly, Im more of a strummer than a fingerpicker, though i do both, the guitar when strummed has a rich full sound, with even tone over all the strings, intrestingly when you sound the harmomics at the 12th fret, the notes just goes on and on, the bidy sustain is amazing, it has great volume and projection.
I like to play bar chords all the way up the neck,at the moment i am playing a lot of ranging from ""Woody Guthrie to John Lennon to Nirvana unplugged" and the guilt takes it all in its stride with a really great sound and ease of play that even a pro would enjoy.

Action set up low from the factory, but i am going to get it set even lower by getting a guitar tech to adjust the truss rod.

the first time i picked this guitar up int he shop i was able to play chords all the way up the neck.

the finish is really good qality,well put together, and nicely laquered to a good depth, i really enjoy looking at the guilds think it is a lovely looking guitar.

considering(to keep costs down)this guitar is "Made in China" i cant fault it at all.

I do GIG though i have not yet used the guild to gig with, I have no doupt at all that it will "Shine at a gig" as it has a strong sound and presence.

the tuners are really smooth action and good quality, and i would use it to gig with without a back up.

Its a Guild what more can you say its qualiy.

Aparantly i have a 5 year factory warranty with the GAD50
i dont suppose i will need to use it.

iv been playing for 18 years, i also own an Antonio Lauriente-Flamenco guitar, A schecter Diamond special electric guitar (Mahogony body and neck)a vintage PRS copy with really nice twin wilkinson humbuckers in, and a really low action. both played through a Korg G3 guitar effects board, or a Boss MT2 metal Zone(with modified circutry for more mid boost)

When i tested out the Guild i compared it to a couple of Taylors and a Martin it was a close call i must admit, but it was the price that did it for me, the other guitars were ??800.
i might of bought the martin but the body size was to small it seemed to me about 3/4 size, i needed something abit more chunkier.

there is nothing i dislike about the guild at all, very good value for money, nothing else in the same price bracket compares sound wise to the GAD 50
if i was buying in the same price bracket i would not hesitate to buy another Guild

I have the GAD 50E with the Fishman pickup. The usual stuff, pretty bare bones but seems to have quality parts...see other reviews for deets.

Sure beats materially speaking what you'd get from Martin et al at that pricepoint (DX1, etc).

Like a lot of other folks who bought this guitar, I was in the market for a lower end Martin, Taylor, Larrivee, or Gibson. I have a Tak NP 15C that has been through 10 years and several tours with me and just recently had me wear through the top from strumming. Giving up the ghost so to speak.

Not wanting to spend a fortune (and recently married, other priorities finalcially speaking), I took a look at this guitar pretty much by chance at my local music store. The "Made In China" aspect turned me off on number of levels (I'm pretty concious about trying to buy domestic products these days) but I gave it a shot anyway.

First impression: I couldn't believe how well this guitar sings! Loud, clear, deep, rich...filled the room with the volume of sound when strumming an open G or C. You can feel the body resonating against you which is always a good thing, something I had lost touch with in my Tak.

I'm a somewhat progressive player and do some top tapping which I record into a loop station for a backbeat to a lot of my material. AT my gig that night I found the stock Fishman pickup insufficient for my purposes on that front, and will look at retrofitting it with an L.R. Baggs Active iBeam pickup instead. I'm in the small minority of players who perform like this though, so if you're simply strumming or fingerpicking, the stock Fishman sounds great with very little EQing. Good healthy gain and output from this pickup.

I love the natural acoustics of this guitar for the dough, but the Fishman doesn't cover everything for my needs. Again for the price, I can't complain. Gotta give it a 10!

Great action right out of the factory, I took it to my gig that night without any hesitation on that front. It's a little buzzy in some spots, but that can be fixed without much fuss. It did come all the way from China, right?

Appears to be a slight flaw in the wood under the finish on the top near the neck/body joint as though it was slight bumped by something before the finish was put on. It's pretty cosmetic though, and definitely not something I'm worried about structurally. Binding, frets, bone nut all seem to be great. Neck is comfortable for my smallish hands and the frets are comfortable, (although I might go to a jumbo fret once these are worn). Grover tuning heads feel solid and hold tuning well so far.

Also seems to hold up well to alternate tuning adjustments (open G, DADGAD, drop D), nothing unexpected happening there.

Seems pretty solidly built, although I guess time will tell. I'm pretty rough on guitars with my drumming playing style, so I'm not expecting 20 years out of this guitar, but I think it will serve as a great road axe without having had to spend a fortune.

One years parts and manufacturing, as far as I'm aware. It's distributed by Fender which has me a little nervous for warranty and service, they take FOREVER to resolve gear issues if you have to deal with the company...maybe that's changed but when I was in the retail business 10 years ago, it was a nightmare.

I have heard from my dealer that if there were any problems in the warranty period, they simply replaced the guitar. I don't really wanna part with the one I have though, I'm getting attached already!

Have been performing professionally for almost 20 years. I'd buy another and recommend them to anyone who's looking for an addition to their arsenal as a great sounding road guitar, or for a semi- serious weekend warrior who doesn't want to/ can't go to Martin land yet. Even still I'd put this up against any Martin D series, Gibson Hummingbird, or Taylor dreadnaught. Not great for amplified top tapping out of the box, but you could sell the Fishman in it and pick a an L. R. Baggs iBeam or M1 and have a formidable pro axe for a pretty competetive price.

Lotsa bang for the buck, a must try for any picky picker! :)

Left Handed Model
High Gloss finish
Dreadnought Style
Grover Tuners
Rosewood Fretboard
Case Included with lock and key,
Made in China
Solid top, sides, Back.
Etc..etc..No electronics

I play everything. The sound is incredible, I played it at the store and and couldnt believe it was only $700.00 Nice rich even sound.

Came set up with the action nice and low.
Beutiful Purling.and nice end piece.
What a gorgeous Guitar!!

Just bought it, But its built solid so I dont think I will have any problems.
Strapbuttons solidtoo.
I woulduse it without backup for sure.

I have been playing for over 30 years and this is the best guitar for the Money hands down..It sounds like it should cost alot more.
I would definetly buy another if lost or stolen.
I did compare it with other guitars ,I shopped for a new guitar for almost a year before buying this.And of all the guitars whatever the price this was the best sounding guitar I picked up in a year of looking.
I was looking to buy a Martin because they are made in the USA
But for $700.00 compared to a few grand the choice was simple.
The American Guitar companies should watch out.

You know the deal: all solid wood dreadnought, spruce top, rosewood back and sides. Scalloped bracing, bone nut and saddle, rosewood fingerboard. Grover tuners, dovetail neck joint, no electronics on mine. Made in China, I believe mine is about a year old.

This is what you buy this guitar for, the sound. I was shopping around, planning on getting a lower end martin and stumbled upon this guild on ebay. Read all the reviews and ordered it without ever hearing/playing one which made me nervous, but no matter. This guitar sounds great. Very rich, solid, balanced tone. When you strum and open G you just say ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, that's nice. Not QUITE equivalent to a $2000 martin, but for $450, it's not that far from that either. I play everything; rock, reggae, folk, blues, it is great for all of these. The tone is martin-like, but with a little more clarity on the high end. It reminds me of Jack Johnson's guitar sound a good deal, though he uses Cole Clark, which I'd love to try out as well. Bottom line: you can hear the solid wood goodness in this guitar. I'd say compared to the sweetest guitar I've ever heard being a 10, this would have to be at least an 8. But for the money it's a 10, so I'll bump it up to a 9 overall.

Top quality construction as far as I can tell, everything looks/feels great. The action when I got it was a little higher than I like, but no worries, sanded down the saddle a bit and now it's perfect. One thing about this guitar though is the width between the strings, or width at the nut I guess. It's a little narrower than I'm used to, but not a major drawback. I got rid of the clear pickguard and put a nice Guild tortoise shell on there, now it looks dam classy.

I've had it for a month or so, only gigging has been on my rooftop, so can't quite judge that yet, but it feels like it will last. Quality construction and materials. And the sound should only improve with age, which I'm looking forward to.

N/A

I've been playing for 12 years. I own a samick acoustic, a strat, and a P-bass as well, I play everything. For the money, this is hands down the best acoustic guitar out there. They're $675 new, but can be had for between 400 and 500 on ebay. I think the secret may soon be out on these if it isn't already, fantastic deal. If it were lost or stolen I would get waste no time in getting another. So if you're thinking about it, go ahead and get one.

Not a lot of "features". Rosewood back. Spruce top. Mahagany binding. Clear pickhuard. At first I wasn't sure about the clear pickguard, but it has grown on me. I really like it. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. This guitar is simple. But to me and a lot of others it has a simple beauty to her. I think it is one of the most beautiful guitars.

Rich, full, clear, balanced, tight, and resonant. Sounds increadable. I just love it. Another guitar player I know was set on getting a Martin, till I got mine. Guess what he bought? I play bluegrass, praise and worship, fingerpicking, country and blues. Works great for all these. When I first got it it seemed like the top was tight. I put a couple of sets of 13's on it for a while. It really opened up. I went back to 12's and it still sounds fantastic.

Action was set up great when I got it. I did do a little truss rod adjustment. That isn't unusual. Finish is fantastic. Only isue is the clear pickguard wasn't layed just right and under the fingerboard it doesn't lay flat. But you really need to look to see it. I just ignore it. Outside of this it is perfect.

I have had it for a year and play at church every week. I have had no issues with it at all. Seems sturday and any acoustic.

I have never dealt with them. Probably won't.

I just love this guitar. I had a Martin D-18V at the same time. I needed to raise cash so I put the Guild on ebay. It was on for 2 days and I pulled it off. I could not sell it. I sold the Martin instead and have not regretted it at all. I love this guitar. If it was stolen I would get another in a heartbeat.

This is an update of my previous review. I've been having a lot of problems with this guitar. As far as cosmetics, the guitar is fine. Seems well put together. However, the playability has gone downhill in the last two months. I'll list the issues in the Action/Fit & Finish section.

Sounds good, when you can get it to stay in tune. See below.

Here's where I'm going to list the issues.

- The thing will not stay in tune for more than half a song. I assume this is from tuner slippage, which I can feel when tuning. When first tuning the fresh strings, the pitch will go up as expected, then down a step and a half or even two steps down, then start tuning up to where it needs to be. While the strings are at normal tension, the E, G, B, and e strings will go flat.

- It had this weird phantom buzz that I could not figure out. It turned out to be loose washers on the G and B machine heads. I tightened them with a wrench so that issue was taken care of, but I would expect this thing to be gone over before shipping.

- While restringing it for the third time in a month in a feeble attempt to fix the tuning issue (which I had not yet diagnosed), the nut fell off in my hand. There was barely any glue holding it in there! Again, I fixed this myself with some super glue.

- The guitar's action is very high and barre chords are damn near impossible to make sound decent, and the intonation seems to be out of whack. I'll be taking it to the shop that I got it from to have them give it a full setup/check-up.

We'll see after I get it set up properly.

Don't know. I'm not dealing with Guild. I'd like my guitar fixed by March.

It seems like it will be a great guitar when it's working properly. If and when that happens, I'll post another more positive review.