Apparently there was a time when Epiphone and Gibson were one, but it was a time of trouble. During the 30’s, before Epiphone moved across the sea to Japan, their people - actually hired by Gibson - decided to go out on strike for better bread. The Guild people decided ta hire these striking Epiphone employees because they wanted to make a fine acoustic guitar. So into the Guild factory went some of the finest craftsmen this country had to offer.

But success was not instant. For its acoustic guitar line, Guild decided to copy Martin, not an unpopular idea among gqitar companies. It was the Martin dreadnaught line, with the “X” bracing system. They used the same scale length. But they cut the price in half and left to individuality the Guild headstock, bridge, pickguard and hardware. Now you could get a Martin-looking, almost Martin-sounding guitar for about half the price.

Guild is making a well-constructed, pretty tight acoustic these days. While it’s not exactly handmade, remarkable consistency is coming out of the Guild factory. The tone is excellent (not quite as much bottom-end as the Martin’s dreadnaught) , the bindings match up as well as the side pieces, and their spruce tops hold up as well as any major brand acoustic instrument. Most Guild dreadnaughts have fourteen frets to the body and a left-handed model can be bought for a 10% price increase.

As far as resale, Guild is also in good standing. All those old ex-Epiphone employees must have put some heart and soul into the early Guilds; today these older instruments have mellowed and aged to a fine blend for music. A friend of mine down at the reputable Union Grove Music (West Coast) - who is also a repairman, a musician, and a store owner - says that for a wood guitar, Guilds can’t be beat for quality, price and tone in the American market.

But Guild’s current success is still a befuddlement to many acoustic pickers. Could it be solely price? Or could it be taking Martin’s construction habits a step further by including an adjustable truss rod? When I first began playing guitar, just after Christopher Columbus’ first visit, Guild did not have a guitar that could make the parakeet sing down at Molly’s Roadside Cafe. The instrument was just not mentioned. If you had a friend who happened to have a Guild acojustic steel-string, he was probably a medicore guitarist, or just happened to pick up his Guild through a trade. But now people are actually going out of their way to order Guilds. Maybe their success is analogous to John Denver’s, who is as happy a Guild-o-maniac as any, and we should leave it at that.

Also in the Guild package is a line of amps, electric guitars and basses, cases, bridges, capos, the Copicat (an echo chamber), cords, acoustic classics, mics, pedals, Octave Divider, pickups (humbucking), picks, P.A. systems, sound columns, speakers, and strings. You can get a catalog at your local dealer or by writing Guild Musical Instruments, 225 West Grand St., Elizabeth, N.J. 07202.