The Friendly 12bar Blues Guitar Forum

OK guys, I was thinkin' about buying an all mahogany guitar. After searching through various models I choose the Guild M-120E which is a parlor size, it has 14 frets but a short scale, and it is amplified with the classic Fishman. Today I received the guitar and I must say it is a great instrument, not so loud obviously for the body size but the sound is soooo sweet and also I find it very comfortable to play, as soon as I can I'll post a video, in the meantime here are some photos! What do you think about it? anyone has tried it?

Waitng for a sound track. I can't say anything about the instrument befor I have herd it

Good choice Giorgio.

I did try a Guild M120 earlier this year, but the version with no electrics. It was the best of 5 all mahogany parlour size guitars I tried in my favourite guitar shop.
My comments I noted at the time were:-
"Very much a better quality guitar in feel. The sound was more rounded and warm and like I would expect from mahogany. But the sound was a bit reluctant to come out of the guitar and sing. The fretboard didn't feel very fluid under my left hand fingers compared to my guitars at home. I have thought about it since and have a feeling that a wider nut width combined with the neck shape was less than ideal for me as an individual and was affecting my playing fluency as was the reserved sound."
That is not a critical comment on the guitar itself, just on how it didn't suit me personally.

I have small hands and a light playing touch with the right hand, so although I know that the guitar was of high quality, it just didn't work for me. I am in effect always searching for a guitar which is extra responsive when I go on a guitar hunt - as a result most of my acoustics are cedar top which favour a light touch.

That all mahogany parlour shopping trip ended up at another shop with a shoot out between a Tanglewood TW133 and a Martin 0015ME and the Martin lost on playability despite being 5 times the price! My budget would have allowed me to go for the Martin but playability is king when your finger joints are old and arthritic even if you end up with a much less classy guitar!

I'm sure from what I experienced that it will be a great choice for you. With normal size hands and a less wimpy playing style that guitar should sing great, has a good mahogany tone, and is a high quality build.

Congratulations and I hope you have many happy years of playing the Guild!

Thank you, I tried the guitar yesterday evening and I found it very well built and esthetically just perfect...it has all the things I was looking for: build quality, 14 fret, all solid wood, amplification, and parlor size of the body. The tone is really warm and as you would expect from an all mahogany body, well rounded and almost all mid-range. I noticed also somewhat a natural reverb in the sound which made strumming reeeeeally full even if I play mainly fingerstyle. Personally I found the short scale really comfortable for me, it seems to play a 12 fret guitar which I usually play (I have 2 National resonators and the ROS-626), but as you said it's personal feeling
I have to try to plug it in the amp as I wish to use it in a live setting, but I am totally satisfied (as Muddy Waters would NOT have said ) as I was looking for THAT sound. I hope to record some tracks to post, just to have an idea of its tone!

Ok then, here are two simple tracks to hear the guitar, they were recorded with the phone so be kind!

The recordings do show a warm, full and solid sound and yes, there's a good natural reverb. Nice!

When I tried that one in the shop and the sound was a bit reluctant to come out and sing it could have just been one of those examples of the model that was a bit less responsive. If I ever try an acoustic guitar in a shop and the sound isn't quite right I do keep in mind it can be worth trying the same model of guitar somewhere else at a different time. My two favourite acoustic guitars at the moment are both ones where I tried one in a shop at another time and was not impressed.

So with what you've said and from what I've heard so far on your recordings if I'm ever searching for an all Hog guitar again I'll still keep teh guild in mind.

Yes it has a mild warm tone. VB-said it all, as usual........Hi allway is first....