PRODUCT REVIEW
F-512 Jumbo
12-String
GUILD
BY RICH TOZZOLI
When one thinks about buying an acoustic jumbo 12-string,
only a few brands spring to mind. Guild is undoubtedly one
of them. The company has a long production heritage dating back to 1953. Their first 12-strings, the F- 212 and F-312,
debuted in 1964, and the first F-512s were introduced in
1968. Well, here we are in 2010 and they are still building
the same basic instrument, the F-512 Jumbo 12-string. I
recently took a factory-fresh model for a spin and was able
to hear what modern can do when it meets up with classic.
It was a Christmas-morning-type moment when my review
model arrived in its plush hardshell case. As a long-time
Guild player with several nice ones in my collection
(including a 12-string JF4-12), I had some idea of what I
was getting into. These jumbo 12-strings are known for
their big, thick sound, and they have a nice balance of
highs, mids, and bottom. I was curious if the new Guild
factory in New Hartford, Connecticut, was putting out
instruments that would meet, and hopefully beat, my
high expectations.
