In the late 1980's, record producer Alan Tarney, John and myself each bought one of these Guild F 30 guitars.
This one played on 'Bless The Wings That Bring You Back' and 'Say It With Love' and lots of other recordings around that time, and I’ve played it on many gigs around the UK - it's a beautiful sweet and warm sounding guitar.
Sadly, I only ever took it on tour once and it arrived at a gig one day (after it had come off a flight) with two cracks right down the middle of the top.
It still sounded great though and I didn’t want to risk repairing it and changing the tone, so I careful took it home in the cabin of the plane with me at the end of that tour and I have only used it when I've been in the around home, on sessions or one-off gigs. I love it too much to chance damaging it any more.
Curiously, the replacement that I bought to use on stage (the Black Guild that plays "Wildest Dreams") was also badly damaged on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Again, the top was cracked and pushed in (this time by careless baggage handlers on a flight to NZ), but miraculously, I found a brilliant luthier in New Zealand. He fixed it up beautifully and it's been with me every night since.
Justin Hayward
September 2013.
The Black Guild No 1.
In the late 1980's, record producer Alan Tarney, John and myself each bought one of these Guild F 30 guitars.
This one played on 'Bless The Wings That Bring You Back' and 'Say It With Love' and lots of other recordings around that time, and I’ve played it on many gigs around the UK - it's a beautiful sweet and warm sounding guitar.
Sadly, I only ever took it on tour once and it arrived at a gig one day (after it had come off a flight) with two cracks right down the middle of the top.
It still sounded great though and I didn’t want to risk repairing it and changing the tone, so I careful took it home in the cabin of the plane with me at the end of that tour and I have only used it when I've been in the around home, on sessions or one-off gigs. I love it too much to chance damaging it any more.
Curiously, the replacement that I bought to use on stage (the Black Guild that plays "Wildest Dreams") was also badly damaged on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Again, the top was cracked and pushed in (this time by careless baggage handlers on a flight to NZ), but miraculously, I found a brilliant luthier in New Zealand. He fixed it up beautifully and it's been with me every night since.
Justin Hayward
September 2013.