Madeira A-40

The 3 preceding reviews are all remarkably similar to my experience with my Madeira A-40! My first guitar ever, I bought it in 1977 when I was 16 years old. It's hard to remember exactly, but I think I paid $175 for it in as-new condition. The owner said he played it only a few times but decided he wasn't a guitarist. It's a jumbo acoustic with no pickup, 20 frets on a bound rosewood fretboard, dot markers on the side and top of the fretboard, small-ish plain black pickguard on the large, bound spruce top with round sound hole immediately below the fretboard, circled by some simple applied black & white adornment. Rosewood bridge with slanted bone bar ahead of string pegs. Wide rosewood sides and bookmatched rosewood back with subtle symmetrical striped figure that is quite beautiful. Back has single-ply binding. Top binding is 5-ply white/black. Mahogany neck with multi-peice heel, but one peice from there to the top of the angled-back headstock. Bone nut. Cheap metal tuners as mentioned before, with truss rod cover on black headstock face. Strap button on bottom, but none at the top. It is a simple basic jumbo acoustic, wihtout a lot of bells & whistles.

The sound is BIG and full with lots of bass, mids and bright highs. I bought this guitar upon hearing the full projecting sound spectrum. Someone told me to buy a guitar that I really liked so that I would pick it up often, and the sound of this A-40 immediately impressed me. It fills the room with no electrical amplification, and can be heard among drums and voices. Absolutely this guitar's main selling point fo me.

I recall the action being high when I got it. I played it as it was for about the next ten years. The string tension eventually caused the rosewood bridge base to develop a crack that allowed the strings to pull up and out. I thought it was ruined, but someone told me about a luthier named Mike Lull in Bellevue Washington, near my home. I took it to him, and he made a perfect repair that I cannot even see. He also adjusted the truss rod to lower the action, and may have installed the bone nut (not sure). It has played perfectly ever since. There is a small amount of buzzing when played hard, and may be coming from the tuner bezels as metioned in other reviews. It isn't too bad. There is an oval sticker visible through the soundhole that says "Madeira model A 40- adjusted and distributed exclusively by Guild". I do not know where it was made - I assume somewhere in asia. I would like to know where it was built. They did a very good job.

This is one tough acoustic guitar. The case that came with it was a cheap thin fiberboard thing that eventually disintegrated. This guitar has been to many campouts, been played by many friends, passed around, and bears some battle scars, but none are too major. It looks great and you have to look closely to see the dings and scrapes. It has held up remarkably well, and is still beautiful. I got lucky one day in a local guitar store, and found a high quality jumbo hard case that fits this guitar like a snug glove, with a crushed velvet lining - it's as if it was tailor made! I take only one point away for the bridge crack that was repaired.

No contact ever.

For the price - this guitar is an excellent value. My first guitar, I have had it for 30 years, and it has aged very well. The woods have mellowed and opened up, the cream binding on the body has yellowed to a vintage appearance, and it sounds as good or maybe better than ever. It's jumbo body pushes your arm way out around it, and can be sort of uncomfortable, yet I feel it's a worthwhile trede-off for the deep, full sound it generates. I learned how to play with this guitar. Whenever I have had a musical idea, this is what I pick up to make it real. I wish it had a strap button at the top of the body, on the back of the neck heel. I should have one installed. Also, Grover tuners would be a good replacement - I have those on my 2 Les Pauls and I like them. These stock tuners do hold it in tune well, so that's why I have not replaced them yet. I think that I may be able to pass this guitar on to my son because it feels so permanent to me.

Spruce Top with two piece bookmatched rosewood back. Rosewood fretboard. 21 Frets

Bot the guitar used in 1976 for $75. My first acoustic and still my favorite. Tuners tight and hard to turn.

Looks have improved with age. Spruce top has that burnished antique look to it and finish still clear.

Full, rich bass with nice mids and clear but rounded highs. Nice balance to the tone. Sound seems to get better the longer I own it. Great for both finger picking and flat picking. A friend described the tone as sounding like a dusty attic. Love it for flatpicking Mother Maybelle style. Occasional buzz from the bezels and some occasional deep buzzing when weather is humid.

Action was high and string tension caused some problems with the bridge. O-fret makes up for the cheap metal bridge. Tuners are very tight.

Haven't used the guitar live in about 15. Guitar has been through the wars, so to speak, and still plays and sounds like a champ. Use it alot for home recording. I've used it on gigs withoug backup and would again if I needed to.

Incredibly durable guitar that is aging very gracefully, thank you.

Playing 30 years. Own Takamine and Taylor acoustics, Fender Tele and PRS McCarty Soapbar. Love this guitar like a first girlfriend. The guitar I learned on and the one I still use to write music on.

I bought this guitar new around 1975. I think it was a blem - the varnish was a little white on the back in one spot (it still is).

Spruce Top with two piece bookmatched rosewood back. 21 Frets.

I bought the guitar because of it's massive sound that has only improved with age. The action was a little high and needed adjusting. The tuners are low budget. The neck is not narrow. It is the Nordic Track of acoustic guitars to play.

Still, once you master the beast, the guitar is extremely rewarding to play. The sound is big, the tone is superb, and the wide spaced neck is very forgiving if you've had a drink or two too many.

Awesome Sound.
Incredibly bright with Tacoma or DR strings.

Stoopid tuner bezel buzzes every once and a while, resonating with the open D, which I have learned to avoid. If I remember to jam something like a toothpick in the loose tuner bezel, it solves the problem for a while.

Nut adjusted.
Bridge Adjusted.
I should replace the tuners someday.....

A good lookin' guitar, although it has taking some heavy action, travelling around without a case for the past 15 years.

The guitar has held up amazingly well.
I think it deserves a case.

Not used

I own about a dozen guitars, and 9 times out of 10, this is the one I grab to just sit around and practice and play for fun.

My other guitar I play a lot is a 20 year old Yamaha FG365SII. I tend to play that one out more, because it has much better tuners, but when I want big sound outdoors, I grab the Madeira. It really sounds great with an in-hole pickup as well.

For 125 bucks, I continue to be a satisfied customer.

This is Madeira's answer to Guild's Arch back jumbo concert box
Made in Korea from Guild supplied American parts. ( solid Spruce top W/Maple body and neck )
Mine was made in 1976 and has been through treatment that would have destroyed most guitars it has a few nicks but still plays, sounds and holds it's tune like a dream

It has a very warm round full sound, thick bass with plenty of treble
and it projects like crazy ( acoustic yet will keep up with most practice amps )

action was Pretty good when I bought it but a little tinkering made it killer !
only finish flaw was a few tiny bubbles in the clear coat in one spot of the body binding.
the original tuners were typical junk so they were replaced with grovers when I first bought it

it is a major survivor it has been bumped, banged, dropped, fallen on, one day it even drifted down the Yuba river rapids ( without a boat )

never needed

I have or have had several other guitars over the years including a 50s Gibson 350 Super, 2 Fender acoustics and a Guild 12 string but the Madeira has always been my favorite
It has been played by Steve Miller, Taj Mahal and several others of simular skill but without the fame that all agreed that it is Great!
Steve Miller's Comment Was " It not only plays great but it plays back to you! "