I bought a G30 (spruce top, birch back & sides) a few weeks ago.

I'll say that these are NOT the guitar for everybody - aesthetics and tolerance of new technology will come into play here. I don't want to "defend" the purchase, and made an effort to include negative observations, but the positive aspects seemed to have won out for me. Most definately I am very happy with the sound at this point, though I had a few frightful moments caused by some UNUSUALLY twangy new strings. Following is a kind of rundown of my first week with it, posted on another forum.

First time I saw them a few years ago I was really put off by the android-like skeletal system. Now I like the idea of the stability it might provide, and thought maybe I could see past the black cage. It really sounded good, even with old strings.

I will add that the cedar topped G20's sound a little better out of the box, but I am counting on the aging properties of the spruce.

These are really loud guitars with outstanding projection - I played the cedar/birch(G20) and the engelman/sapele (G40) models also. It's still the spruce/birch that speaks to me - and still with the old strings on. The tone is very articulate and even, intonation is on. I would venture to say that the birch gives something like a maple sound, but with a mahogany-like signature.

When I picked it up, the dealer had put new Adamas light strings on it. Strummed in the store, it sounded right. The woods are finished well. The spruce seems very high quality, with tight grain. The birch is nothing to write home about, looks-wise, with a few interesting knots. Bookmatching is good, quarter-sawing not perfect (you get that two-tone appearance in certain lights.)

I got it home and tuned it up and got scared. It sounded like a dobro, especially the D and G strings. Different attacks, same sensation. Hard to describe, but you know that dobro twang, or twoing? My head was spinning. I kept thinking about how birch is used on a number of resonator guitars, and perhaps with good reason. I was really afraid I had made a foolish choice. I decided overall that there was just a whole lot of that "new string" kind of sound which is always a bit much for me. Decided to give it a little more time, and just played the heck out of it for the evening.

One thing for sure, after day one, this is a LOUD guitar. One of my main hopes for it was volume and projection, and it definately has a load of both. Probably one of the loudest guitars I've played.

Day 2, I tuned it up and it did sound mellower, still a little twangy. Wondering if that black frame is coloring the tone. Still got the new string sound (I don't think I'll ever buy Adamas strings again). Sounded more like a guitar and less like a dobro. Still amazed at the volume, and the sustain and balance between notes are outstanding. I think there is something to the Buzz Feiten tuning system. Very articulate. Played some hard and moderate strumming, and some fingerpicking. Biggest observation that day was the sense of hugeness in the vibration of this guitar. I believe their idea about transmission of vibration through the bracing, end and neck blocks, and through the necks is really working. This is a very strong guitar, and I feel very secure about the neck to body joint, which is an important point in my mind. Big sound.

Day 3, I put it through it's paces. Sounding like a very clear voiced guitar with some chimey overtones. It's a keeper, considering the volume capability and penetrating projection, but sounds less "twangy" today. I'm very enthused, I think as the strings mellow and the spruce opens up, this is going to be sweet. Kind of maple/mahogany in sound, if that makes any sense.

Well, 5 days into this and I think I'll be very happy with this. I'll also say that it's not the guitar for everybody, and that's a matter of personal preference, tolerance of technology (it's a little weird to look inside and see that black bracing), and of course, sound is very subjective.
At this point, the bass has seemed to really stand up. Must have been just too much of that new string zing for the first couple of days.

Somewhere I read that the Garrisons sound to some as if already EQ'd. I'd say that is a fair analogy. It's a very balanced sound. While the mids are warm and very present, they don't get in the way of the clear trebles or the authoritative bass.

Now that the strings have calmed down a bit, the guitar sounds woody. Also, something in that polywhatever bracing cage gives it a bit of sparkle and a real load of sustain. I'm hearing a solid wood quality sound.

And it IS loud. This is a clear sounding, articulate guitar. Really sounds great flatpicked, and strumming you can get a really nice "whomp" (think Niel Young). Very good response for fingerpicking also.

I haven't mentioned much about the playability. I like to stay away from comparisons to other brands, and this is as subjective as sound descriptions. I'll make an exception here. So far, the most easy to play guitars I've handled have been Taylors, and, believe it or not, a "Denny Zager" Washburn. This neck plays a lot like those. The action was perfect, (or my version of perfect) in the store, and the neck feels very straight and even up and down the fretboard. The radius may be more than some others. Comfortable feel and plays as fast as I care to. The little bit of extra nut width (1.7 as compared to the so-common 1 11/16 or 1.67) combined with the radius makes this a good fingerpicker. The "Buzz Feiten" tuning system seems to be doing what it is supposed to, I get great chord voicing up and down the neck, and the intonation is right on.

The woods are good. Though not perfectly quarter-sawn, evidenced by the "two tone" look in certain lights, they are book-matched perfectly. The spruce top is tight grained and full of "silking" or medial rays which may be a sign of a quality guitar top. The birch back and sides, though bland on this particular guitar, are finely grained and very well formed and finished.

It comes with a good Canadian hardshell case, though I opted to keep the case from the guitar I traded in.

Things to think about:

Definately a "Plain Jane" with those unstained (and sort of blandly grained) birch sides with the overall satin finish, yet there is an interesting sheen to it.

The binding being an integral part of the bracing system is a great idea, and makes for some great protection.

STRONG guitar. This is a natural road warrior.

Inside type bridge plate pickups might be a bad idea for this. They'd be sticking to that bracing material. Might be interesting to hear but my gut feeling is it wouldn't be very "acoustic" sounding. (I'll be going with an under-saddle piezo)

What happens if the wood shrinks or swells and the bracing doesn't? Let's keep it humidified.

Interesting observation: I've seen a lot of comments on the "Intelli-Touch" tuner, saying how people have trouble getting all the notes to register when they clamp it to the headstock, and have to move it for certain notes. I've experienced this on every instrument I've put the IntelliTouch to, except for this Garrison. Not an issue on this guitar, and I think it's because that bracing system, tied in so securely to the neck, is really doing what it's supposed to do. This thing THRUMS with vibration like it's alive.

Played it for a long-time guitar buddy (between he and I we must have more than a half century of playing time). He has played a lot of really nice guitars, but he was taken by the sound and playability of this G-30. No small achievement, because he always speaks his mind. He's now looking for a Garrison 12-string!

Though it's the middle of the night and I've got time to babble on and on, I'll sum it up. This is a go-to guitar. Great solid wood sound, huge volume, and strength to put aside a lot of the worries that go with acoustics. I don't think you'll see neck/body joint issues on these, though they do have the typical 14th fret slope. With the plain looks and the ease of playing, this is a guitar to be real comfortable with. I don't think this would be one people will be trading off. If I wanted a high end guitar, I wouldn't put this one up for sale, it's just too "useful". "Utilitarion"? I suppose, but I must stress that this is a MUSICAL guitar and a pleasure to play. I think even "elitist" high-end owners would like and appreciate the Garrison G-30, or even want one as a back-up or road guitar.

All that for just about $470 including a good hard shell case.