Guild

The Guild Guitar Company is a USA-based guitar manufacturer founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge. The first Guild workshop was located in New York City and produced exclusively crafted guitars from carefully chosen woods, hand wound pickups and fine lacquers.[1] Incorporating and merging the needs of both the jazz and rock and roll musician, the Guild company produces well made, warm tone electric and acoustic guitars. For some time this production took place in the hallowed Westerly, Rhode Island workshops. Acquired in 1995 by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, all Guild production was eventually moved to the Corona, CA factory. In 2004, FMIC acquired the assets of Washington-based Tacoma Guitar Company and all American Guild acoustic production has since been moved to Tacoma, WA. The 42,000 square-foot Tacoma facility is now one of the largest volume manufacturers of acoustic guitars in the United States.(At the same time, production of Guild electrics was discontinued.) For a short time reissues of 1960s and 1970s Guild instruments were manufactured in Korea under the DeArmond brand name. Models included the Starfire, Bluesbird and Pilot Bass Series. These instruments display the DeArmond inlay on the headstock while the truss rod cover shows the Guild name and logo. In 2005, Fender introduced the Chinese-built Guild GAD series acoustic guitars.