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The first Guild workshop was established in Manhattan, New York, where Alfred Dronge focused on creating electric and acoustic jazz guitars. Production was largely carried out by former Epiphone employees who lost their jobs after the 1951 strike and the company’s relocation from Queens to Philadelphia. Due to rapid business growth, Guild moved to a larger facility on Newark Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, in the historic R. Neumann Leathers building. The rising popularity of folk music in the early 1960s encouraged the company to focus on acoustic guitars for folk and blues. Models from the D-40, D-50, and later D-55 series became competitors to Martin’s D-18 and D-28 guitars. The Jumbo and Grand Concert models from the "F" series were also popular, especially among blues guitarists. Notably, the Guild 12-string guitar, featuring a Jumbo "F" body and dual truss rods in the neck, delivered a deep, rich tone that stood apart from the bright sound typical of Martin 12-strings.
In 1995, after several ownership changes, Guild became part of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. At the end of 2001, Fender closed the Westerly factory due to challenges with climate control and production processes, relocating manufacturing to its facility in Corona, California.
In 2008, production facilities were moved again—this time to a small plant in New Hartford, Connecticut, acquired by Fender after purchasing Kaman Music Corporation. At this facility, handcrafting of all U.S.-made Guild guitars was revived.
In the spring of 2014, the Fender New Hartford Guild plant closed as Fender prepared to sell the brand. The rights to Guild were acquired by Cordoba Music Group (CMG), headquartered in Santa Monica, California, which began building a new factory in Oxnard.
In 2023, Yamaha Guitar Group acquired Cordoba Music Group. The integration of Cordoba Music Group brands—Cordoba® and Guild® guitars, HumiCase® instrument cases, and DeArmond® pickups—expanded Yamaha’s existing product range for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, alongside products from Yamaha, Line 6, and Ampeg. This new venture perfectly complements Yamaha’s nylon-string instruments lineup and adds ukuleles, acoustic bass guitars, as well as a selection of pickups, cases, and strings. Additionally, the acquisition brought expertise in premium U.S.-based guitar manufacturing. All of this aims to broaden, enhance quality, and introduce innovations that Yamaha strives to deliver to guitar players.