Guild JF-30

Mine is a '94 JF-30. Solid spuce top. Solid curly maple sides and laminate curly maple back. Has gold Grover tuning machines, and the Guild Chesterfield headstock. Nice bound body and unbound 3 piece maple neck with rosewood fretboard. It has a very nice clean look about it I'm not a big fan of the real fancy to the point of tacky guitars, but some nice fretboard inlays would have been nice on this guitar.

This guitar has a nice clean sound to it. I usually prefer gibson acoustics but every now and then a change is good. And the guild fits that very well for me. The midrange is very good on this gutair. The highs aren't bad, but the bass isn't the best. I don't think you can get a guitar that all ranges sound good so that's why i keep three acoustics so I can get the sound I want.

I bought this guitar used so not for sure about factory set up. The set up that is on it now is just perfect. Nice low action without buzz, and plays almost effortless. The finish is pretty good does have a couple of checks below the sound hole but thats no real problem I've seen a few of these that have done that but the guitar looks great.

As with all Guild guitars this one is built like a tank. I've not used it for live playing yet but I'm sure when the mood strikes and I do it well be fine. I've never had a guild that I would take a back up for they are great guitars even though they aren't my favorite sound they are the best put together guitar out there especially for the money.

Never dealt with guild.

I've been playin for around 10 years or a little longer. I own a Gibson Southern Jumbo, Gibson Gospel, Fender Telecaster, and some other cheaper instruments. If this guitar were lost I know I would replace it with another jumbo I love the way they feel. I might try some of the Gibson jumbos out but when price is considered I might still go with the Guild. Guilds always have been a great buy for the money.

Jumbo acoustic flat top, available in sunburst and blonde. No hardware installed(Which i don't prefer on a jumbo acoustic anyway). Golder hardware tuners, 20 frets with no cutaway.

I like the sounds of jumbo acoustics. The JF30 equiped with a well-balanced and dark tone which I love it much. It doesn't have a big volume as expected, but the sound comes from the soundhole is very solid. I do mostly flatpicking, but also do some fingerpicks. I do recommend this guitar for finger pickers; however, it works very fine with flat pickers as well.

Very good and fast action. The craftmanship of this guitar is very nice. There are several minor dings on the soundboard; who cares, it ain't a new instrument when i bought it.

It guitar can last forever. The guitar is quite heavy, but the construction is very strong. The tuners stay in tune and the strings wouldn't out of tune. Reliable and durable.

Haven't tried the customer service by Guild. However, I did send an e-mail to Fender for requesting the production year of the model. It took about 1 week time for responding my e-mail. Thorough details were received.

I've been playing guitar for 30+ years and owned many acoustics guitars. For the jumbo acoustics, currently I have got a Gibson JF200, Guild JF4-NT and the JF30. For the dreadnought, I have got several nice instruments by Martin, Taylor, Guild and Adamas. The JF30 is one of my favourite instrument ever and it sounds better than many of the Jumbo I've owned in these years. The quality of Guild guitars is well controlled. Most importantly, the price is very reasonable. Highly recommended.

I bought one of these but took it back after a couple days. Not for any sonic reason it sounded great. I love the look of maple on a guitar. The reason for the return was that as the wood in the neck contracted expanded as wood does over time, the frets pushed out on the (very thick I might add) gloss finish on the neck, causing it to chip away at the end of each fret. I got a full refund from Mars. I don't think they stored this guy right and that lead to the problem. I try to stick to guitars with a bound neck, but to get a guild like that I'd have to pay more than twice as much for the jf60 or 65 whichever it is called. If you plan on buying one check for this and other cracks because their is a lot of gloss on these guys.

Year: 1999
Place of manufacture: Westerly, Rhode Island, U.S.A.
Number of frets: 20
Top: solid spruce
Sides: solid maple
Back: arched laminated maple
Neck: 3 ply maple with rosewood fingerboard
Finish: natural high gloss
Body style: jumbo
Bridge: rosewood
Tuners: gold Grovers
Hardshell case and soundhole humidifier included

I play mostly country and roots-rock type music (Dylan, Neil Young, Merle Haggard, Gram Parsons, etc...). I generally play in standard tuning (tuned down a half step), but also tune to open D and open G occasionally. I mostly flat pick but also fingerpick. This guitar is perfectly suited to my tastes. I really like warm, full sounding acoustic guitars and the JF30 nails that tone. It sounds like a nice mellow vintage acoustic as opposed to some of the modern ,overly bright and thin sounding acoustics that I have encountered (especially dreadnaughts). Its a loud guitar with an excellent string- to- string tonal balance. Open chords ring out evenly and have a rich,chunky sound. Single string leads are nice and full and don't have that anemic "plinky" tone that I hear on alot of acoustics. Unlike some jumbos I've tried, the JF30 isn't overly boomy or muddy sounding. It projects superbly. This is probably due in part to the arched back. Guild doesn't use a laminated arched back to save money (the pricier JF55's and '65's also have the same backs). They use this design to eliminate back bracing and improve tonal balance and projection, like an acoustic arch top. Jumbos are traditionally for strummers as opposed to fingerpickers but because this guitar has a well balanced tone, I get a decent tone when I fingerpick. I use 013's on this guitar and keep the action high enough to eliminate string buzz. I highly recommend using heavier gauged strings and a fairly high action to get the most tone out of this guitar. I've recently switched from Martin phosper bronze SP's to Fender phosper bronze strings. I think the Fender's sound better despite costing a little less. I use Fender medium picks.

This guitar came from the factory well set up. At first, the action felt a little higher than I was used to. I was tempted to lower it just a tad but decided to leave it the way it came from the factory. I have found that acoustics sound significantly better when they don't have super low electric-like setups. I lower the tuning a half step to decrease a bit of the string tension exerted by the 013's. I also prefer the slightly darker tone of E flat. Overall, this guitar is extremely well built. The nut is cut properly and the saddle matches the neck's radius perfectly. The finish is well applied. The frets are installed well but aren't highly polished. The ends of the frets are adequately dressed with no sharp edges, although I've seen better work. The neck has required no truss rod adjustments and the intonation is pretty much right on. Any complaints I have about the materials and workmanship are very minor. There were a few glue drips in the guitar's interior, but I was able to remove them easily. Also, there are a few very minor sanding scratches near the neck heel (no big deal). The binding work is excellent overall but there are a few rough spots on the soundhole rosette. The maple used for the sides isn't as attractive as I would have hoped for. However, I'm being very picky here and in all fairness to Guild, the wood quality for a guitar of this price is excellent. If you're looking for a light weight acoustic, this might not be the guitar for you, its built like a tank (definately a plus in my book, though).

Without a doubt, this guitar will last forever if you take care of it.
The Mack Truck of acoustics!

Haven't had to deal with customer support. I've had it for a year and have had no problems.

I've been playing guitar for about 14 years. I own, and have owned a number of electrics but this is my first quality acoustic. When I went shopping for an acoustic I knew that I wanted a jumbo. I narrowed down my choice to either a Gibson J100 or the Guild. To my ears, both guitars sounded equally good. The Gibson had a slightly sweeter top end (perhaps due to its mahogany neck), but I felt that the Guild had a slightly fuller and more balanced tone overall. Tonally, I would have been just as happy with either guitar. I decided to go with the Guild though because I prefer its looks to the J100(looks like a poor cousin to the J200), I think that Guild's overall quality control is slightly higher, and most importantly, the J100 cost about $300 more (since then, its price has further increased). I don't even want to think about this guitar being stolen, but I would definately buy another one.

This is a 1995 or 1996,Jumbo . It's the maple back/sided model with spruce top. A wood-working hobbiest that I work with said he thought the sides were laminated maple but wouldn't swear on it. The piecing of the wood near the headstock is extremely attractive with a couple shades of maple. The maple neck is a darker color than the body. Very tasty. It's all acoustic and most of the specs have been covered by other reviewers here. I'll say this though: mine came with a second stap button offset on the neck - very cool. I noticed another reviewer said his only came with one on the butt of the guitar. It stays in tune.

It's a BIG guitar. I have to hang my picking arm around it and I'm average height (5'10")



The finish is impeccable.

I play and compose mostly Americana/Rock styles. I don't finger pick too much. I play it as an acoustic and haven't yet miked it for recording.
This guitar sounds fine. I prefer individual string clarity. Here's a tip. I usually use Herco nylon 50s when I play. I was getting a bit of a harsh blending sound (phosper Bronze strings - I'll take the previous reviewer's advice and switch to real brass). I switched to the standard Fender style medium picks and WHA-LA! just the sound I wanted.

It has a very boomy 6th string. In a G tuning, it's almost too low and lacks a little definition. However it does add real definition to the overall sound when strumming as opposed to individual flat picking.

I like that the treble on the 1st & 2nd strings aren't over the top and tinny. Instead they are very distinct and clear. With the medium pick, the 3rd & 4th strings are easy to distinguish in a chord as is the 5th. A 5th is a 5th on most guitars IMHO.

Like a previous review, my main acoustic has been an Ovation. Recording on the Ovation, I need to both go direct and put a mic on it. that's the only way to rid the recording of the tinny percussive plinks common to the Ovation sound. I suspect the Guild will only need a mic and have with a fuller pallet of tone. The Ovation is more flat sounding than the Guild acoustically. The Guild is lush. The Ovation would be a black and white photo and the Guild would be colored.

There may be a slight intonation problem. But the action is fast, much faster than I expected. There are a couple slight flaws in the Spruce top that appeared to be dents but could be my imagination.
It might just be the character of the wood grain. But the bookmatching is sensational.
My only real non-nitpicking gripe is that the 1st string is very close to the edge of the fretboard. Pulling down on it is a problem. I've noticed that on other Guilds. The edge of the fretboard always seems to be a bit close and rounded off. The string doesn't disconect but mutes out if you aren't careful. It forces you to do a bit of adapting in your style.
On the other hand, I believe this guitar sat in the case in someone's closet for 5 years and there is no noticeable effect on the finish or set up. the inside of the sound hole still smells fresh. It's a well made machine and very easy to play. It's LOUD.

I don't think I would gig with this guitar. It's just too darn beautiful! It does not appear to be built as rugged as the Guilds of the 1970s and there is a lot of exposed wood to be dinged. As I said, it's a HUGE guitar - I guess that's why they call it a Jumbo. It would withstand a fall very well, especially the neck. I would pick my Ovation over it for ruggedness.

I wouldn't worry about the finish or string breakage. The strap buttons were well thought out, especially the one offset on the neck for extra comfort.

If I did use it as a gigging guitar, I wouldn't be overly concerned except for cosmetic damage.

No experience

I've been playing since 1964. Besides the standard Friday night jams, I mostly write and record at home. I own a bunch of guitars and I am constantly upgrading and changing my collection. My Ovation 1651 is my only other acoustic. My fav electric guitars include a 1991 Ric 620 fireglow, a PRS 1993 EG III series II, Fender Nashville Power Tele, and a signed Reverend Avenger #139. I recently lost my '63 Fender Esquire in a bad refinish experience (sad).

I love Guild acoustics. They have the sound I love. Gimme a Guild over a Martin or Gibson. However, I bought this particular Guild via e-mail as it seemed a pretty good deal and I don't have a Guild acoustic in my collection. If it were gone, I would get another Guild but I wouldn't swear it would be this model. I'm still a freak for the 70's D25Ms in the Mahogany finish, lesser guitar though it is.

However, this is definitely the best sounding acoustic guitar I have ever owned. I guess the highlights to me are the action. Compared to a D-30 Guild I would say that the sound is bit more delicate but at twice the volume. I think it's a keeper.

This is a Guild JF-30 jumbo blonde guitar. It was produced March 30, 2000 at the Westerly Rhode Island plant. It has 20 finely finished frets on its rosewood fretboard. The top is solid spruce with solid curly maple sides and a curved curly maple back ( I believe the back is a laminate, not entirely sure). The neck is a beautiful 3 piece maple. All of this is finished in high gloss that is very smooth to the touch. The headstock sports non-locking gold colored Grover tuners and is finished off with the Guild Chesterfield logo in MOP, very classy. The fret board has MOP dot inlays at frets 5, 7, 9, double at 12, and 15. The neck has a 25 5/8 scale length. The guitar comes with a standard case. My rating has to do with this fact...it's an acoutic, how many features do you want.

This guitar is great for the stuff I play, mostly strumming type of tunes. It does a fair job of handling finger stuff but you need small fingers to get between the strings seeing how the neck isn't real wide, although it feels like a boat compared to my Ovation. Once again I will compare to my Ovation and a few other jumbos I played while shopping for this baby. The sound is full and rich compared to my round back, but hey what can you say...solid maple vs plastic :) I played several Gibson jumbos, J-150's, 100's, and the J-200. I played Taylors which sounded wonderful but felt flimsy to me, and several other brands. The Guild was a match for them all. A warm tome that didn't boom to much with base...I bought it so the tone fit my ears. You must play several different brands to find what fits yours.

The guitar was purchased on E-bay froma guitar store in California. It was supposedly set up by their luthier. If my opening sounds negative, it's not, just sceptical. The guitar's action is nice, not to low or high, no buzzing or wierd sounds it plays wonderfully. I can play barre-chords faily easily on it without lots of pressure and I'm not great at playing up the neck. The finish is wonderful, everyone who sees this guitar comments on how pretty the wood is. The only down I can find is some discoloration around the edge of the bridge on the sides. Its like the finish wasn't done well enough on the ends. The neck to body is great and the overall appearance is spectacular. The binding, top and bottom, is perfect.

This guitar is big and heavy, it feels like a rock, very solid. I do not gig so i wouldn't know how well it stands up but i could see it doing fine. It comes with one strap button at the butt of the guitar and you would want to change that and add a second to the heal of the neck.

Haven't had to deal with.

I have been playing for almost two years and this is what I call my REAL acoustic guitar. As I mentioned earlier, I have an Ovation Std. Balladier, which is a very easy playing guitar (almost electric except for the heavy strings), but the sound lacks the fullness of an all wood guitar when playing purely acoustic. The Guild is so lush and full. It is just beautiful to look at also. I find myself playing acoustic more now than electric, I have a Les Paul and a tele that is plugged through a small tube amp. My wife is much happier now that I play unplugged :) If my children smashed my Guild I would most deffinately pay more than I did to get another. You can check this guitar out at www.guildguitars.com

I have this sunburst Gulid Jumbo for a year now,so I guess I am over the "honeymoon" syndrome we sometimes get when buying a new axe.I think I can evaluate the instrument much better now that I have spent some time with it.
The guitar specs are as flg:
-solid spruce top
-laminated figured arched back with no support bracing
-rosewood fb
-gold grover tuners
-nitro sb finish
the guitar is beautifully crafted with amazing detail and no rough spots anywhere.
The finish is gorgeous and I really like it's proletarian look compared to the higher and ebony/mother of pearl loaded axes.
Soundwise I couldn't be happier.I always liked jumbos because I am a very hard strummer and I don't like the looks/sound of the dreadnoughts.This design (laminated arched back with no bracing) gives this guitar a unique sound given that it has all the volume and punch of a good jumbo without the muddy sound that sometimes comes with this body shape.The sound is very tight without the pronounced middles that cover the notes,of course the bass and treble are killer.This axe has a real love affair with a good tube recording mike I have used it repeatedly on many recordings and most sound engineers ask me to loan them the guitar (yes they prefer it to costlier Gibson and Martins).
Of course you need a manly set up to move this huge top so higher action and heavy strings (I use 012 or 013) are required,for some reason I have discovered that this guitar sounds better with vintage style brass strings than with phosphor bronze strings. I have read somewhere that many country rhythm players use this guitar when recording,I can see why now.Last but not least :the price,very sensible.
If you like jumbos give this meat & potatoes axe a try,you will love it.

American made. Jumbo flat top. Available in sunburst and natural. Similar to Gibson J-200, I guess. Solid spruce AAA top and maplesides, lam back with arch.

Sounds great--a lot more color than most upper-end newer Martin's.

Nice finish. Set-up from factory was not really great. I had to shave the bridge down, fiddle with the truss rod

Heavy guitar-like the old Martins

Nothing to go on

Great all-around acoustic. Sound gets better with age. May want to have braces shaved, cause top is really high AAA quality.

This is a 1995 model, made in Rhode Island. Solid spruce top (Antique Burst). The rest is maple. The guitar came with a Fishman pickup pre-installed.

I use the guitar mostly for rhythm work with a pick, but it holds up reasonably well with finger picking. Great sound for what I normally do, not well suited overall for more detailed work. I love its balance and eveness of tone, however, and could hardly pick a better instrument for recording. Darker tone that requires string changes often for open sound, but again, I love the tone and balance. Great rhythm guitar!

Gorgeous wood, finish, hardware and action. No flaws.

This guitar is a tank. Gold Grovers tend to wear down to the nickle color below, but have not yet on this instrument.

Haven't had to contact them for any reason.

I love this guitar and can't see ever selling it.

This is a 1999 model (April 27 to be exact), made in the USA. 14 fret neck with a solid spruce top, solid maple sides and a laminated maple back, with rosewood neck with dot inlays and brass Grover tuners. This model is a jumbo acoustic, hence the JF name (jumbo-folk). No electronics here (this is an "acoustic" guitar after all), but I believe it can be ordered with electronics. Came with a Guild case. I would have ratd the features higher if it came with a bound neck and nicer inlays. Pretty basic guitar overall.

Beutiful souding guitar, although not up to the sound quality of a Gibson ot a Martin, but for the price, you can't get a nicer sound. I play a lot of Neil Young, Johnny Cash and generally am American roots rock/country influenced. This guitar can cover any type of acoustic music other than classical really. Full sound, but not a lot of bottom or top. Very even sound. Good volume.

This guitar came with what I belive were light gauge strings and suited the guitar fine, but I swithced to a set of med-lights and find it sounds better with them. The saddle was a little high and the low E intonated a little off, but a quick filing fixed that. The action otherwise isn't too bad, but could stand to be a touch lower. The bookmatched top, and the binding are perfect, and other than a couple of glue beads on the interior, there are no flaws. The tuning heads, however, tend to tarnish, but not a big deal. A little polishing is all they need.

I haven't had this guitar TOO long, but it seems to be very solid. It would easily stand to be played live for hours on end. I would be very confident to be without a backup with it.

Haven't had to deal with them yet (knock on wood)

I've been playing for about 15 years, and this is my far the best acoustic I've ever owned. For the price, you won't find a nicer instrument. Right now I have a Les Paul and a Fender DeVille amp, but am currently shopping for something new. As good as this guitar is, it will be a secondary guitar, as I am looking at Gibsons. I would probably replace it if it were lost or stolen, but not right away.