Guild F2512e Westerly Series 12-String acoustic guitar REVIEW
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2017
- NOTE!! - After finally calling Guild, they admitted as much that the back and sides are indeed Maple laminate and NOT solid wood. All the literature they produce simply lists the material as Maple. This is sincerely misleading as they explained that any solid woods will have the word "solid" in front of it, but unfortunately the company doesn't feel the need to disclose the important information to their potential customers. Martin nor Taylor does this, as they always state HPL (high-pressure laminate) or use the word "layered". The laminate game has been going on for quite some time and really gained steam in the 90s to produce cheaper guitars, but purists should always be well-informed of what woods are ACTUALLY on their chosen guitar. Solid wood resonates much better and the only real positive about laminated backs and sides is that they tend to resist warping in heat, which is why I'd actually want it on a travel guitar, like the GS Mini I reviewed also. Needless to say, the sound of this 12 string is still fantastic and any of the others I considered from Seagull, Martin, Taylor and Fender were ALL laminated in this price range. The sound is still very good, but it does not project as much clarity as I'd normally like. Still a great guitar, but I encourage anyone to really check out your woods if you care about such things and obviously pick a guitar that sounds great to your ear. I still believe the F2312e is a great value for the sound it produces and most importantly, the amazing action it has for a 12 string. (Annotations have ended in UA-cam videos so I could not add this information or insert it)
Here is my review and demo of a really great value guitar, the Guild F2512e 12-string guitar. I really love the lush sound and clarity of this maple acoustic guitar and the playability and action are really fantastic. Sounds great plugged in as well!
I love your review on this guitar. I've been wanting it for myself because I can't really afford anything else and so, this seems to give the most bang for the buck.
I wanted to ring in on your comments about laminates. Back in the 90s here in Nashville, laminated guitars were showing up in the used sections of the music stores and pawn shops. They really did sound terrible. And, as a result, some manufacturers actually shot themselves in the foot and created a bad reputation that came close to putting themselves out of business. I think that that lesson has been learned and now, we're seeing guitars such as this one, coming from China that still have laminated backs and sides but the tops are still solid. For me personally, I'm happy with a guitar that has laminated sides and a back and in fact, if a guitar is going to have any arch to the back or top, it will either have to laminated or hand carved. And as we all know, hand carving an arched top would drive the price well up into four and maybe five figures - eg Benedetto. It's the top that is responsible for 90% of the sweet tone anyway. That's my feeling on it.
David Grason no doubt, every bit of what you said is true. For the money, this is definitely one of the best 12-strings out there, there used to be another great laminate Fender out there as well but they’ve since discontinued it. Same price point. I did however just buy the Guild D-1212E which sounds richer just by having the mahogany back and sides. I liked the electronics better in it as well, but the F series one is still awesome in its own right. Great guitar for the price. I got the D series one for quite a steal, so I ended up selling the F.
instablaster...
Really great video. Nice playing capturing the sound excellently. These types of videos are superior to what even the manufacturers create. Hope they realize some people are buying this model based upon what you have made. Thank you.
Thanks for the review. My new F2512e. which I purchased new on eBay for $399 after seeing Roger Hodgson play Give a Little Bit on UA-cam, arrives tomorrow. Simultaneously, the auction on my Ovation CC245 Celebrity 12-string also closes tomorrow. The sound I'm hearing on your video, as well as Roger's, makes me glad for the change. Thanks for posting!
Glad I could help you make an informed decision, hope you love yours too!
Awesome demo and presentation. Best of luck on your musical journey. Thank you, God Bless and stay safe!!!
Thanks so much and you as well - glad you enjoyed the review.
I played one at a Sam Ash store in Richmond, VA, where I live and loved it. HUGE HUGE SOUND! Loved the size and all too as was a comfortable fit for a big guy. Loved your play and song selections....especially with the recent passing of Tom Petty (awesome individual and artist). Thanks again!
It's easily the best 12 string I've ever played in that price range, and even a little beyond as well. I wish it had a bit more definition and bass, sometimes the notes tend to get lost in the mix, I'm guessing some different back and side wood would make the difference. I have a whole bunch of 12 string songs I recorded on my channel with this guitar and yes, a few Tom Petty. Such a sad thing that he passed, I'll definitely be doing some more of his covers on my channel soon!
Wow what a guitar at that price point.... Its absolutely staggering.... Great review.... Fantastic fun playing....
You sold me! Thanks for posting.
Great review. I’ve had my eye on this model for a while. They seem like a great price for the quality.
Follow-Up! I purchased a brand new one from EBay. I won in an auction for $308!!
I just bought one for $300 used, from a phone app (Mecari). Thanks for the video, and great playing! I had a Yamaha 12 string many years ago. Eager to get back into it.
Allen Freeman how does it sound compared to those vintage yamaha 12 strings?
The guitar has laminated maple back and sides with a solid maple top. Check the specs. Its not all solid!
Yes, I have that in the description first thing.
Nice playing!
Thanks for the thorough review, and great playing. I played one recently at GC and was impressed. I’d like to get one, beef it up with heavier strings, and keep it tuned down a whole step. How are the tuners holding up?
The tuners were perfectly fine on this. I'd love it to have a heavier string sound, but it seems all 12-Strings are recommended at 10's or 11's. I run 13's on all my 6-Strings, so it definitely feels like punchy. Full disclosure, I sold this guitar to get the next one up in the Guild line. Same Waverly Series, but the all-wood Mahogany model. It's awesome, stays in tune well and plays easily. The pickup in it is super loud comparatively - I'll be doing a new review on that soon.
Great video, great review Ian! Joining the discussion around material disclosures: I totally agree that manufacturers should disclose materials, but in fact I see no malicious intention behind not shouting out loud "this guitar is only so cheap because we use laminate". My regular guitar store has on every guitar on their website a spreadsheet with the field "solid top: Y/N" and "solid body: Y/N". What I find much more questionable is why so many people get angry about not being thrown at with these disclosures? a) it is a legit way to reduce production cost and be able to offer such a high quality guitar for such an affordable price range, b) it is HIGHLY legit from a sustainability POV to not only use solid woods regarding the reckless lumbering frenzy of today's industry and c) I provocatively state that there is NO comprehensible difference in HPL or even enamel substitutes (like Martin Mexico fretboards) from both haptics and tone perspective. I dare everyone that states otherwise to make a blindfold challenge. This purist preoccupation is only in people's heads. Modern materials are so competitive to traditional materials while at the same time much more economic and sustainable that I find it not fair to stigmatize companies for using them. In fact I would rather have a well quality controlled HPL body and enamel fretboard than some solid wood for which low quality and reduced drying time were employed to achieve low production cost. And if I do want high quality solid wood... seriously man, don't bother looking at 500$, china made guitars!
I would kindly argue that if this were the case, why aren't all the major brands using these materials on their higher end models? I can tell you it's not to satisfy the purists. Wood vibrates and resonates and is still very much "alive". Those other materials are simply that, man-made and offer much less resonance. As for HPL, it's a great alternative to going into humid environments with lots of fluctuating temperatures. I own an HPL Taylor GS Mini, but I'd be kidding if I said I couldn't tell the difference between materials. It's super easy, just go play a Martin DXM (mahogany HPL) then a Martin D-18 (solid mahogany). Any half-decent ear will pick up on the nuances easily. There are plenty of $500 guitars that are all solid wood, but they are made overseas to keep cost down. No doubt, many in that price range are going to be HPL. I like the fact that your local guitar store tells you what every guitar has, it's just good to know when looking.
Been a player for over a decade now and own many guitars...I personally dont give a crap about man made versus solid blah blah blah...just find something that sounds and feels right and makes you wanna play all day.
And nearly all ears in your audience couldnt give a blip about nuances of tone. They just want great rythym and a great song. & when the drummer starts playing nobody can hear any damn difference...or cares if its there. Just play baby. Just rock.
Good video Ian, I just bought one and found your video right afterward. :-)
The top is Sitka Spruce, but the back and sides are laminated maple. Gonna get down with some SRV when it gets here! Cheers!
Tim McDonald hey Tim! All the literature I've found on this says solid Maple back and sides, no laminate.
Thats good to hear. The Sweetwater guy said laminate, but hey I'll take either! Yours sounded great!
Tim McDonald so you really got me curious and I called Guild themselves and they are indeed laminated back and sides. Kind of a bummer, but they admitted it was something that could be very misleading on their sites, not to mention the fact it's only mentioned as simply "maple" on the big box sites as well. I definitely don't find that with Martins or Taylor's, they always state the lamination. At any rate, thanks for the information, it still sounds great, but I'm bummed I was duped a bit there!
Hey Ian, for the amount you paid you didn't get duped......you stole it! I've seen this wording before, for example: Mahogany vs. Solid Mahogany. Some manufactures will call it out if its "real" wood by saying its "solid". At any rate I can't wait for it to get here. Thanks for calling Guild, I was going to do the same thing.
Cheers!
For an arched back, laminate is easier to work with. Guild actually made a conscious choice with some of their USA models to use laminate to arch the back, not to save money, but for a better sound.
China?? Well... they were making stringed instruments before a thousand years before the US ever existed. That sure would not affect my thought in buying this guitar. Takamine offers great instruments as well. Some of the Martin offers are made guitars in Mexico... You either like it or not!!
Nice guitar - good on ya!! The laminate will withstand a lot more humidity changes and punishment than maple.
I have a 1975 F212 and, like a tube amp, it sounds great - as long as the weather cooperates! LOL!!
I have this guitar and love it ...it's better than my crafter (same price range) and sings out great . I have heard that laminates might be equal or better than solids these days ...
Great comment 👍 I have one too....sad to see so many guitar snobs putting down affordable vfm guitars. I hope you enjoy playing yours as much as I do mine. Guild...made to be played.
Give a little bit... ♫♪ Lovely review, very nice guitar. Thank you.
Guild have always been leading in production model 12 string acoustics...which is why SRV (RIP) played one and Roger Hodgson and Susanna Vega and John Denver (RIP) and a host of others. It's always been my 1st choice and what a beauty that one is, Chinese as it may be!
BTW I had a 12 string guitar made so I could play Mr. Bojangles on it!
Guild is owned by Fender these days but beyond that nobody should by anything from China .
@@thelastrebelshow1627 Good luck with that, I hate buying Chinese but if you don't you are so limited in what you can buy it's ridiculous. Nothing wrong with Chinese made Epiphone's, they've been making great guitars for quite awhile but over the past 5 years they've been hitting it out of the ballpark.
@@upperleftcoastchelseafan7718 You’re missing the point. China is not America’s Allie if anything they are our enemies. Get it?
@@upperleftcoastchelseafan7718 There’s still plenty of good American made guitars including some guilds you just have to spend more.
I like an honest review. Laminates aren't bad if they respond to temperature changes without cracking.
Certainly not bad, just not a sound I like as much. They will never be as rich sounding as actual solid wood back and sides. I've since gotten the all mahogany wood model with the dread shape.
@@ia5662 I disagree. Most laminate guitars that are $200 out perform and out last (without major structure problems) their all wood counterparts that cost 4-5 times as much money. Besides, its the spruce, cedar tops that matter most. The back is just a reflector or projector of sound so to speak. And I don't even want to get into wood fibers and vibrations and all that, lol.
The opposite is the case Fernando. Laminate is much more durable than all solid wood, you don't have to babysit the humidity like you do with all solid guitars.
I first discovered the 2512 a year ago and there was never any doubt in my mind that it was laminate back and sides. All the literature I've seen says so. I've never seen that Guild claimed it was solid back and sides. Only the top.
Great review. Do you still own this one?
I do not, I moved onto an all solid mahogany Guild, but I wasn't crazy with how it sounded plugged in. I also felt like it was a bit muted for a 12 string, so you can see my latest purchase in another video - the Martin HD12-28. It's a very good guitar, but also 3-4X the price, the Guild in this video is still amazing for the money.
i bought mine on american musical supply i love it
Just tried this out at GC today and was impressed. Great projection and playability. Nut width is narrow (1-7/8") for a 12 which is nice. Not a fancy guit but a good value. Think im gonna pull the trigger on one soon.
BTW...what is up with that annoying sound off camera throughout this video?
Sounded like a dog goin to town on a bone or something. Very distracting.
when you mentioned tom petty you sold the guitar to me - getting one soon - thanks
Hello,
I always have been a great fan of Guild acoustic guitars, however never had one, until one day my cousin let me try his 3 models...blown away by its sound, it changed my perspective forever!
Now, I am just starting to learn first and after that, I am going to buy a Guild Jumbo 12 string.
I have been looking online(however didn't find anything solid), I am trying to learn and understand Jumbo models, and specs of each model because I don't know the differences between models.
Basically, my personal taste would be a Guild 12 jumbo full body (non cutaway) all solid, chesterfield logo headstock, solid top(any wood which matches cedar in color?) solid rosewood back and sides, satin-finish neck, discrete inlay(not dots), mother of pearl rosette, but not new.
Picky huh?
I would like to know which models were available, which types of wood were used back there, inlays available, specs wise and etc.
Can you suggest any link, or provide reading material to learn all the differences between the models? Or even if you can tell me the whole story.
Thank you so much!
Best regards,
Ben.
I'd definitely start with Reverb and some older models like the D212 are awesome. They have a spruce top but it's stained more like a cedar color or mahogany. You probably will never find a used Guild with a satin finish neck, that is a newer trend but you could certainly sand it off yourself. I'd also simply check the Guild website as I'm sure there are guitars on there that are new and have similar specs to what you're after. Good luck!
@@ia5662 thanks!!
Do you still have this guitar? If so, how’s it holding up? I’m considering buying one with the antique sunburst finish.
I had since gotten rid of it, moved up to the all wood all mahogany model. It was a fine instrument, but the all mahogany kind of dulls what 12 string does and I wasn't happy with the electronics, so I opted for a Martin HD12-28, which is a big step up but I found a sweet deal I couldn't pass up. It's been great, but I'll always say the F2512e is the greatest value 12 string you can get on the market for sure.
Nice review. I hate to be the one to tell you. The back and sides are not solid wood. They are indeed laminated. Check into it yourself. Still sounds amazing. Nice playing.
IanA This one only has a solid top, the back and sides are laminated, the F1512 is all solid...
Is there a model like this with a cutout?
I don't think they usually makes 12s with a cutout. I haven't seen too many companies outside of maybe Taylor, Breedlove and Maton (major brands, anyhow)
Roger Hodgson's songs
Sounds great maybe MARCHARI BAND
How does it sound plugged in?
I feel it's a little softer than most acoustic electrics in output, but sounds just fine plugged in. Typical piezo sound with control over bass and volume. The bass control ends up being a treble too in a way, it's essentially a fader for more treble or more bass.
There are only volume and tone controls, but for a guitar at this price level it's not a bad pickup/pre-amp at all. Could have used a tuner though.
Guitar starts 2:25
A great review of a great guitar. You're just not going to find a solid wood 12 string for that money. If I drop 1500 or more for a guitar, it's going to be a six string Martin or Taylor, and then I'll start looking for "solid."
Still a deal. And Chinese manufacturing is not a curse today, like it was even fifteen years ago. This is a damn fine instrument by any standard.
Definitely still a nice deal, although you can find some solid wood stuff in this price range from brands like Seagull or Ibanez, maybe even Alvarez and Epiphone too, but I think the Guild quality and longevity speak for itself. I mostly prefer Martin and Taylor myself, and have solid wood 6 strings from both which I love.
just ordered it from Elderly, thanks for a great and informative review. You play the fire out of it!
These are solid tops, but lam back and sides. I just ordered one today from American Musical Supply. A lot of people insist on a lam top for 12 strings for the added strength it provides, but I always need at least a solid top. Even if the back and sides are lam, the sold top just adds that much more richness to it.
How could the back and sides NOT be laminate...it's under 700 bucks. BTW almost all arched-back Guilds, with perhaps the exception of their oldest hollow-body models, are laminated backs.
Which is true about Guilds, but not all guitars. Overseas models often have solid back and sides for very cheap prices. That's the whole reason they are produced over there - to keep costs down but still have similar build quality. However, these days I'm definitely noticing even the overseas stuff using more laminate than ever. Epiphones, for example, make an all solid acoustic for under $500. The bummer is that it's becoming so much harder to get an all solid guitar, for even 1K, which is ridiculous to me.
@@ia5662 This blows the Epiphone out of the water. Laminate construction is more durable than all solid wood. Would you rather have an exceptional sounding laminate guitar or a below average sounding all solid guitar?
@@NytronX Face it! You’re too broke to buy a real guitar, that’s why you’re all over the internet crying. 😹
@@ia5662 Guild is Owned by Fender these days and their low end stuff is made in China! I’ve bought 3 just for thrashers but their high-end guitars are much better. I have owned guilds for decades.
Everybody should know that it is not solid unless they say "solid." The same is true with all manufactures.
It's a deceitful tactic and they are COUNTING on people NOT knowing, you really think a non-guitarist parent would know that kind of information? Hell, A LOT of guitar players don't know that companies do that and assume they've bought a solid wood guitar. It's purposely misleading to create a sale and an illusion of solid wood.
Also, the same is NOT true with all manufacturers. Taylor and Martin CLEARLY stipulate if they use HPL (high pressure laminate) or LAYERED back and sides. They are forthright with this information and shows you that no, it is not the same with all manufacturers, let alone the top 2 acoustic guitar makers are the most honest. Pretty telling....
Supertramp!
This is not all wood. Its solidtop
Those are some g r e a t riffs you thought up- maybe try to put them in some new songs... :)
4k for US made
I paid $ 4300.00 YOUCH!
I think you must have gotten the American version, no?
Friend, you extol the virtues of a solid wood back & sides and say that this guitar has those virtues. Later you discover that the back and sides. are laminate. Are there not things to be learnt from this?
Laminate = more durable. If you don't want to baby sit the humidity, then laminate is actually preferable.
Definitely true in that sense, but a solid wood guitar will always resonate better and sound better. It's not as if this sounds "bad" either, but when you put it up against a better quality instrument made of all solid woods, you'll definitely notice a difference in the body of the tone and sustain that you'll get. I still think for the value that this guitar is easily the best in the market for that price range and a 12-string. Super value!
@@ia5662 The best sounding laminate guitars can sound better than the worst/average sounding all solid guitars. E.g. this guild sounds better than all solid Epiphone Masterbilts with how much laquer they coat those in.
@@NytronX Except you can’t play for sh::t. You sound like a Guitar Center Sales Clerk trying to push low end garbage so you can pay your mommy the $200 a month she charges you to live in her basement. Ask around for lessons because I know you’re horrible. 😹
@@ia5662 They’re a decent guitar especially for a beginner like Nytron 😹
But if you want a lifetime guitar that gets better with age buy a 512 Guild. I own one but have bought a few of these over the years for travel and going camping. Nytron is a total loser. He’s an ANTIFA / BLM supporter that gets his ass kicked a lot. 😹
Not solid B & S
Not a review, just a bloke playing guitar
You're welcome!
China is zgood
Chinese guitars have gotten WAY better in terms of quality and consistency. I've been impressed in the past 5 -6 years or so.
Made in China. Don’t let the Westerly name fool you. There alright for a year or two before the bridge cracks or something else. The don’t handle going in and out of tunings well so if you like alternative tunings expect it to not last long. Not a horrible guitar but no resale value and you would be lucky to get two years out of it if you play often before it goes belly up.
Pretty funny considering there are people who have had one of these for 3 and 4 years and they still play them and make videos with them on youtube and still love every minute of playing one...
You've never played or owned one of these guitars. a.k.a. You made all of that up as you were typing.
@@williamcatalano1762 Do they play them everyday ? I doubt it but you go buy from China. Traitor to America!
@@NytronX You’re a POS too. Go to my channel there’s s pic of me playing this exact guitar you little Bi:::h.
@@williamcatalano1762 I own more guitars than everyone on this thread put together and I’ve played longer and more often than all of you!
Review: FAIL!
James Noll thanks for stopping by James!
Sucks
Great insight, Chris! Thanks for stopping by the channel
@@ia5662 lolol
Nice thorough explanation comment
Horrible construction guitar made in china, Harley benton 12 strings sounds better.
10 times better than HB junk.