Bob Kovacs is an engineer and singer/guitarist. He can be reached at pvreditor@yahoo.com.
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When I go to a music store, the acoustic guitars are my Sirens; they call out to me, begging me to play each one. I recently tested an acoustic-electric guitar that just begs to played: the Guild F47CE.
Features
The F47CE (priced at $1,499) comes in different versions, but first the basics. This is a U.S.-built (Westerly, Rhode Island to be geographically precise) full-size, cutaway acoustic guitar, with a built-in Fishman equalized pickup system.
The guitar features a solid spruce top, solid mahogany neck and back, mahogany veneer sides and a hand-rubbed satin finish. (Other finishes are available at higher cost.) The bridge and fretboard are rosewood — with the latter decorated with striking mother-of-pearl inlays.
The F47CE's scale is 25.625-inches and is available in a left-hand model. The guitar came with a very sturdy hard case (made by TKL) with fleecy internal padding.
There are two Fishman pickup systems available: the Prefix Pro, which was in the guitar I tested; and the Prefix Pro Blend, which adds $150 to the cost. The difference is important: the Prefix Pro Blend has both bridge and internal microphones that can be "blended" by the internal electronics.
The jack for the electric pickup does double duty as a button for attaching a strap. There is no neck position button, so a strap has to be tied to the head behind the nut. Guild says that they do not attach the neck strap button because there is no ideal location for all players.
My review unit had the Prefix Pro electronics, which has only the bridge pickup. A Fishman manual is included with the guitar.
The construction quality of the review unit was excellent with no blemishes or fret anomalies. The finish was exquisite.
The Audition
The F47CE is a nice-sounding and playing acoustic guitar. The cutout makes it easy to play notes and chords more than an octave up the neck. The thin, solid spruce top gives the guitar a light, crisp sound while the mahogany adds a rich bass character. The slim neck makes it easy to maneuver up and down the fretboard.
The action on my test model was a little too low. As soon as I attached a strap, the frets near the nut started to buzz - a "splash" sort of sound, particularly on the B and high E strings. I was able to get rid of the buzz with a slight adjustment of the truss rod. I used my handy 1/4-inch nut driver and successfully eliminated the buzz. The action was still excellent.
The Fishman Prefix Pro electronics package has several EQ controls, a phase control, notch control and a volume control to tailor the sound. (More information about Fishman products is available on that company’s Web site at www.fishman.com.).
I recorded the F47CE using the internal Fishman pickup and by miking the guitar acoustically. My preference was to mix the bridge pickup with an external mic positioned a few inches up the neck of the guitar. By adjusting the on-board equalizer and mixing the two signals, I got a terrific recorded sound - deep, rich bass and delicate treble.
For live sound from the F47CE, it’s simple to plug into the Fishman electronics and adjust it for the most pleasing sound with minimal feedback.
I prefer to play using extra light strings, so I replaced the supplied light gauge strings. The lighter gauge strings gave the guitar’s sound a very pleasing bell-like quality with a hint of a metallic edge, and were even easier to play.
Summary
The Guild F47CE is an excellent acoustic/electric guitar, once you get it adjusted to your taste. The neck fit my fingers for fast finger picking, and my strumming and flat-picking sounded crisp and clear. The F47CE is a premium guitar for the experienced player who wants to own an acoustic-electric for a long time.
Fore more information, contact Guild at 480-596-9690; or visit the Guild web site at www.guildguitars.com
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