Aria AD-80 and Guild GAD50/ dissection

[Siwash]

There's a poster here calling these the same two guitars. How is this so? Anything to it?

[Harmonycat]

The Aria is Englemann and the Guild is Sitka, both are solid Rosewood Back and Sides.

 

The neck profile and bodies are the same. They are trimmed in the same manner, and have a very familiar feel.

 

Despite bridge and headstock differences, these guitars are very probably made for them in the same very high quality production facility in China.

 

Frankly, the Guild GAD-50 specimen that I played was not quite as full sounding as the Aria AD-80 that I just got. Neither of them even comes close in bass response to that "same" guitar made of Sitka/Mahogany called a Washburn D-52SW Timbercraft which I have had for several months. The Washburn does not say anything regarding it's bracing in the literature, but it doesn't need to talk about forward mounted scalloping when it sounds like that. It does not mean that in some cases the reverse might be true, depending on the specimen, regarding any three production samples played. But they are great guitars!

 

Look very carefully at these guitars and when you have had all three of the rosewood versions, (Washburn D-56SW, Guild GAD-50, and Aria AD-80), in your hands, then tell me what you think.

Don't take my word for it, go play them.

 

Ask anyone who owns one of these and you will find a very happy group of satisfied customers.

 

It is a simple concept....design a very good guitar that is produced to very high quality standards and tolerances, vary it's components slightly, and brand label it.

 

This not a new concept....other industries have done it for years.

 

I am not saying anyone of these is any better than the other on the whole, just that they are a hell of a guitar for the money.

 

Let's just say that they are hauntingly familiar to one and other.

 

I would still love to see bracing pictures of them all.

 

Cheers

[EvilTwin]

It's feasible that they could be the exact same guitar with different cosmetic trimmings.

 

However, it's just as feasible that in a good enough factory that the wood for the bodies/necks is made (pretty much the same dimensions) and then they're separated for different bracing (making for a different tone) and trim.

 

And FWIW, HC, one of the things that Guild has tried to do with their dreads is to make a guitar that projects well in all registers, so that you hear a loud, balanced tone (this used to be in most of their booklets you could get at stores, but now it's pretty much only on Guild's Web site under the history of the D-55). Guilds definitely don't have the tone of a Martin or Gibson.