Guild F-240E Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

Had to leave my Taylor 815C with a friend in Europe, so back States-side, I needed an acoustic for gigging and songwriting. I'm a working musician with a music degree. Needed to find something well-made for less than $. This was on sale for $ after Christmas, and because of the enhanced features - scalloped X bracing, bone nut and bridge, binding and inlays around sound hole, equipped with a Fishman sound system - I bit on this guitar.

It was in tune and equipped with a battery straight out of the box. Acoustically, this guitar is mid-focused. It is pretty loud for an acoustic. Not as much low end or high end as my Taylor. That's to be expected in this price range. I like having one acoustic that is mid-focused and another which has loud highs and lows, they blend together well in the recording studio. I found that I could get the best sound out of the guitar when plugged into a PA by leaving the volume and tone knobs at full blast (no treble cut) and then boosting the high and low end on the channel I'm using on the PA with the mids slightly cut compared to the high and low end and getting a nice jangly indie rock indie folk top-end and a nice clear bass response on the low-end (low E String)

This guitar is extremely light, which makes me think the wood may not be as thick as most other guitars I'm used to playing? Or maybe mahogany is a really light wood? (that's not my experience with mahogany furniture). I'm glad they decided to use scalloped X bracing on this model to keep the back and sides from curling up with string tension. So that's a plus. The top looks great, so does the back and sides. The neck is straight and they supply a truss rod adjustment tool. But no case or gig bag. I purchased the Gator Jumbo Transit case for $. It's a perfect fit for this guitar and very well made with lots of extra padding and pockets for your guitar.

I plan to use this guitar for shows and open mics, gigging, songwriting, and possibly even studio recording. For the money, this guitar is hard to beat. I think the jack input and battery case could be higher quality, but we'll see how long it lasts - probably a long time if your careful plugging in and don't put too much stress on it. Just trying as a working musician to give you guys and gals a real world review of this guitar. This is a workingman's guitar, as Guild says, meant to be played, and it is built to do just that. Hopefully helpful.

This is the 3rd guitar I bought from Sweetwater. Sweetwater's service was terrific, as always. As for the guitar itself, the tone quality is unbelievable. Forget the price point. If you were listening to this guitar blindfolded, you would think this was a higher end model.

The Guild F-240E arrived practically in tune as well. This alone should tell you something about the quality of this instrument.

The strings resonate extremely well even without finger picks. The bass is well pronounced and is not dominated by the treble as is often the case with some acoustic guitars.

My F-240E played well out right of the box and did require a set up. In short, I recommend buying this guitar. You will not be disappointed.

I don't think you can get a better acoustic guitar for the money. Set up is perfect out of the box, smooth tuners with good gear ratio. A great sounding Low E string "thunk." A very responsive instrument, if you hit softly the sound will be almost inaudible, but with a heavier strike it is very loud. Has a treble, bright sound. Doesn't have that soft, full tone you find with a Martin, so if you are looking for that it is not the guitar for you. The neck feels great, very comfortable. It's a big guitar, but the body size is not a challenge like some reviewers have suggested.

I Would Like To Thank All The Sales Reps. ,Who Helped Me Recieve A Fine Acoustic Guitar. The Process Was Perfect, As Always.The Guitar Needs Nothing.It Plays Great Thanks My Friends! GEORGE NASH. FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

Guild F-240E Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural- Great guitar, A-1 service. with Sweetwater, Thank you

I received this Guild Jumbo promptly from Sweetwater (thanks, Derek) in the winter with instructions for letting the box adapt to room temperature before unpacking, which I really appreciated. The Guild F-240e is absolutely beautiful. I always heard that Guild guitars were of high quality, even with the less expensive models, and I can verify. It plays better, and sounds better than other guitars I own that are much more expensive. The loud booming bass notes are incredible, even unplugged. It is incredibly lightweight for a guitar producing such beautiful tones. I have only had it for a few months, but it sounds better now than when I first received it. It was delivered in tune, and it stays in tune. The bone nut and bridge is a great feature not usually seen at this price level. I wanted a jumbo for performing certain songs our band does, and didn't want to spend the huge amount for a G*****. I've played those jumbo from other companies. Try the Guild. You will be very pleased!

I purchased this guitar for my son's birthday. This is his first acoustic guitar and my first guitar purchase. We've been blown away with the quality of the guitar and the exceptional customer service! He's been playing for hours each day and absolutely loves the guitar!

Guitar arrived perfectly set up out of the box (nut filed, bridge sanded, frets leveled, crowned, and polished).

It vastly exceeds my expectations at this price point! It sounds woody, sweet, and loud, just like my (much more expensive) Guild 12-string.

Thanks to Sweetwater and especially to the luthiers who did the setup.

Don't forget, "Get a Guild, they can't be killed…"

This guitar plays wonderfully with a rich, full sound across all the tonal ranges. The bass is deep and mean...without being overpowering. The highs are clear and bright and the mid-range is more than adequate. It came well setup right outta the box. The guitar stays in tune wonderfully thanks to the Guild open tuners. This is a wonderful jumbo that really outshines and outperforms what you would expect from a guitar in this price range. Thanks, Guild. Once again you do not disappoint.

Have been a Guild guitar owner for decades. Just saw this new jumbo F240E at a guitar chain while getting some drum heads for my son and it played amazingly, both unplugged and through an amp! The Fishman pickup is outstanding, sounds much better than the more expensive acoustic I own when plugged in.

Sweetwater also beat the chainstore's price and with their 55 point inspection, it was set up much better. It played perfectly right out of the box (the action on the in-store one was too high and the intonation seemed off - their salesman told me if I bought the extended warranty, they would "reset" the guitar up for me...).

Guitar.com gave it a 9 out of 10 on their website as one of the best sounding guitars for the money. I agree 100%. Thanks again Guild and Sweetwater (Keith K.)!!!

I had a few things in mind while looking for an acoustic guitar. I knew I wanted a spruce top, a 1 3/4" nut, and a sparkly sounding high end.

After the all-important budget constraints, this left me about a half-dozen guitars by brands starting with "T" and "M," as well as this peculiar jumbo by a somewhat familiar brand—Guild. Unlike the (admittedly great sounding) Ms and Ts at a higher cost and half the size, this guitar was less expensive, and had a deep, rich low end. It also had a pickup to boot, which wasn't something I needed but was happy to take off their hands. After trying one in person at a Spam Smash Music store, I decided to take the plunge and order from Sweetwater.

Pros:
-Tone: This guitar sounds magical. The high notes chime and the low notes boom. There is great sustain and clarity. When recorded with a mic, it blends and cooperates. For me, many more dollars would have to be spent to beat it. Zero fret buzz.
-Intonation: I tuned it and it stayed for ages. The 12th fret indicated that it was well setup at SW (no surprise). I switched to many different tunings with some nervousness, and this guitar stayed right on pitch.
-Acoustic volume (sans pickup): This is a loud guitar. I consider that a plus given point 1. It sounds mellow from the player's seat, but this is a sound cannon from the front.
-Materials: The only plastic on here are the pins. Everything else is wood, bone, metal, etc. The tuners are also much more high-quality than people give them credit for. I see no need to upgrade them.
-Looks: This is subjective, but I think it's a show stopper. The finish is understated and gorgeous. From what I can tell, the mahogany is open pore, so expect to see some natural nooks and crannies. I really love this, but it isn't smooth like gloss or adorned with fancy materials.
-Feel: This guitar doesn't feel enormous or unwieldy sitting on my lap, even though it is QUITE large. The neck is comfortable. Because I often record, I rarely play standing with a strap and cannot comment on standing comfort.

Neutral:
-Action: My opinion is subjective and didn't involve measuring. The action is neither high nor low. For complicated playing and simultaneous singing, someone might desire a more forgiving action height. Could a technician set the action lower without buzz? I don't know.

Cons:
-Bridge pins: I almost never think about bridge pins, but these are plastic, asymmetrical, and ugly. They sit at different heights. I'd upgrade them, but they don't seem to affect the sound. Maybe that means they are decent despite the appearance! When I change the strings, I'll get a better idea of how they feel and how well the job gets done. (The bridge itself is very high quality.)

Having said all that…

For me, this is a five star instrument. The word I keep coming back to is magical. There's an inexplicable joy I feel when picking it up, when playing it, and when hearing it played back on a track. I really got twice what I paid for. I understand why Guild bears the slogan "made to be played." They stand by their motto!

The Guild F240E may not be perfect for everyone, but it's perfect for me, and thus it gets a big ole 5 stars. Well done, Guild!!

I am a guitar enthusiast if nothing else. This jumbo is a great playing and sounding guitar. It played very well out of the box. The spruce/mahogany tonewood combo is awesome. I couldn't be happier. I love a guitar that sings and sparks joy. As always Tomir and the crew at Sweetwater deliver. Thanks

The sound is great and it's a beautifully put together piece of art!

I have been longing for one ever since playing a used one at Guitar Center a year ago. Had to spring on the holiday discount cause it was too good of a deal to pass up.

This model is exactly as I remember it. Something magical happens when you hit an open E chord or tune it to drop D and do a full D chord. The body just blooms out this instant fullness that I hope will spread to the A string eventually.

My only reason for not rating this a full 5 stars is the neck had a few little grits caught in the finish, right around the transition to neck heel. Otherwise, the satin finish is totally smooth all over the guitar. I was able to run my fingernail over the spots and mostly scratch them off or flatten them out.

I originally ordered this same guitar from the Jungle River Company. It arrived with a serious neck problem - unplayable. I returned it and ordered from Sweetwater (and I should have known better in the first place). A much better experience! It arrived in perfect condition, and was packed much better than the first one I received.

This is one fantastic guitar for the money. A tasteful understated appearance, with just enough appointments that it's neither gaudy nor too plain. Although the action was high for my taste, a little bridge sanding quickly took care of that.

Tone-wise, this thing is a cannon. Strike a chord and you will feel it in your backbone. Projection and sustain are amazing, with fantastic bass presence and full mids and highs across the board. Plugged in, it's pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-tier Fishman under-saddle pickup - nothing special, but not offensive. It plays very, very well. No fret buzzing, no weird intonation problems, no sharp fret ends - just a pleasure to play.

Some things to note. This is a BIG guitar. I'm a big fella and it suits me perfectly. People of lesser stature might struggle with the sheer size of this beast. On the other hand, it is deceivingly light, probably the lightest guitar in my arsenal. That's not to say it's not solid. It is. I have no qualms about gigging with this beauty. Seems like a guitar I can depend on, day after day. Even though it's a big'un, it's not going to weigh you down or break your back. The string spacing at the nut is a bit tight. I'd like to see a little more spacing (there's room for it), hence the 4 1/2 stars instead of 5. But it's nothing that has affected my playing thus far. I can always have a new nut fitted if it gets to be an issue.

Lastly, shout-out to the great folks at Sweetwater. My guitar was missing its accessories (truss rod, paperwork, etc.). One email to my account manager took care of that. No hassles, no run-around, just an apology and a quick shipment. These guys are number one!

I bought this guitar from Sweetwater about 6 months ago after reading many great reviews. I was pleasantly surprised with how well built it is for a guitar in this price range. It plays and sounds fantastic both unplugged and plugged in. It quickly became my favorite acoustic. If you're on the fence about purchasing one do yourself a favor and get one. This beauty punches way above it's weight class.

I've been contemplating this purchase for at least a month. I was first looking at the Guild F-250e, which gets rave reviews, but I saw that Guild was coming out with this version in their Westerly series and with similar specs, and at almost $200 less, AND with the natural finish on the top instead of the sunburst (which I prefer), I decided to take the scary plunge and buy sight-unseen from the good folks at Sweetwater (knowing how easy they make returns if I ended up hating it!) Well, this purchase far exceeded my expectations! This guitar sounds amazing! I brought it to my friend who is a luthier for a set up (definitely recommend getting a little set up work to get this to an A+) and he was blown away by sound and feel and was absolutely shocked when I told him what I paid for it! Fishman always makes top-notch electronics and it sounds great plugged in as well. It's surprisingly light-weight for a jumbo, which was a pleasant surprise. So resonant, just like you want a jumbo to be! Very difficult to find something in this price range that you will be more pleased with, I might wager.