“You get that Guild sound at an incredibly accessible price”: The 300 Series brings that rich Guild tone, prized by everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Paul Simon and Eric Clapton to a $299 acoustic build
Guild acoustic guitars have been played by VIP guitarists from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Richie Havens, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon and Eva Cassidy, but its new 300 Series sees the firm debut its most accessible builds yet.
The range is made up of a quartet of acoustic guitars, including two OM and two dreadnought style models – all of which are available for a shade under $300.
Now, in a new clip, Guitar World’s Paul Riario talks us through his experience with the Guild D-340 – a dreadnought-style guitar, channeling the firm’s iconic D-40 build.
“The thing to highlight about Guild’s all-new 300 Series is its accessible price point,” says Paul. “There’s a good reason it’s called the ‘300 series’ if you get what I mean.”
Classic looks without the vintage price tag is the order of the day here and the 300 Series lives up to Guild’s reputation for rock-solid builds that can be depended upon to get the job done, night after night.
All four of the 300 Series models feature all-mahogany back and sides and solid wood tops, with a choice of spruce or mahogany-topped models for each body shape. Then there’s black binding, a black tortoiseshell pickguard, rosewood fingerboards and bridges, plus Guild’s vintage open gear tuners.
(Image credit: Guild)
“There’s a real comfortable C-shape neck on this guitar, so it’s easy to get around,” notes Paul in his video review. “It also features an open pore satin finish, which really allows the tone of this guitar and its resonance to pop through.”
We can see these guitars easily finding homes with beginners (particularly those lucky enough to be guided by someone in the know), or more experienced players looking to get that rich Guild tone without breaking the bank.
Certainly, based on Paul’s model above – and the demos we’ve heard elsewhere on YouTube – the Chinese-made 300 Series sounds, well, surprisingly expensive.
“They play great, sound great and you get that Guild sound at an incredibly accessible price,” summarises Paul. “Definitely check it out.”
The Guild 300 Series includes the OM-320, OM-340, D-320 and D-340, all of which are available for $299.99, with a choice of solid spruce or solid mahogany tops.
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