1975 Guild D25 cedar top

[chazmo]

I read that the arch back started in 76, this guitar was not an arch back

Hey, GD,

First of all, I think that's wrong. I think the transition to arched-back occurred earlier than 1976, but I'm not really sure.

In any case, let us know what you find out! Hopefully with pictures of the label and the serial number on the back of the headstock. We all love a good mystery.

 

[General Dreedle]

I will go back, the serial number and photos

 

[General Dreedle]

Photo

 

[chazmo]

Hi GD,

Hard to get a solid read on it based on the low-res photo, but I don't think there's any center strip or back braces so I presume it's an arch-back. As for the soundboard being cedar, is there any evidence to that in the label?

You didn't buy it, did you? I see a number of things I'd be pretty wary about, primarily I think the soundboard has been oversprayed with colored lacquer, probably to cover the big gouge in the treble-side lower bout.

Anyway, thanks for giving us a look!

 

[General Dreedle]

I didn't buy it. It sounds nice, they also have a D44 pearwood that sounds nice

 

[E-Type]

That does look like Guild's cherry color. With the headstock matching the body, I doubt it's been oversprayed, unless they matched the original color. I love to know the serial number as that would answer a lot. I am not sure how anyone could deduce it is cedar though.

 

[geoguy]

Perhaps with an inspection mirror, inside the guitar?

 

[adorshki]

My '74 has an arched back and a spruce top. I think "most" '72 are all mahogany and flat-backed while "most" '74s are arched back with a spruce top. I think '73 is the main transition year.

I do see the reference to '76 being the transition year a lot, so there must be someplace on the Internet that has it wrong and that information keeps making the rounds.

It's actually incorrect in the Guild Guitar Book, it says the spruce top and arched back were introduced simultaneously in '76. Hans has posted the corrected info here.

 

[adorshki]

That does look like Guild's cherry color. With the headstock matching the body, I doubt it's been oversprayed, unless they matched the original color. I love to know the serial number as that would answer a lot. I am not sure how anyone could deduce it is cedar though.

Yes it does look like their Cherry finish and I'll bet a buck it's labeled "D25-C" instead of "CH" for Cherry (I've seen 'em written that way) and some wonk has decided it means it's a Cedar top.

 

[E-Type]

Yes it does look like their Cherry finish and I'll be a buck it's labeled "D25-C" instead of "CH" for Cherry (I've seen 'em written that way) and some wonk has decided it means it's a Cedar top.

I think you're right. I think people misread the D-25-M as meaning it has a mahogany top rather than a mahogany color finish. And my '70 cherry version has the following serial number: "D-25 Cherry", so it does not seem there were too many hard and fast rules!

 

[adorshki]

I think you're right. I think people misread the D-25-M as meaning it has a mahogany top rather than a mahogany color finish. And my '70 cherry version has the following serial number: "D-25 Cherry", so it does not seem there were too many hard and fast rules!

Yeah, and to further complicate things have even seen an all-hog archback labeled "D25M". Led me to suspect they must have been building both spruce and 'hog topped versions at some point, likely late '72 to late '73? When they brought in the spruce top with "M" 'hog stain, it seems as though they started calling the unstained hog version simply "D25", have seen a couple of those.

Even seem to recall one called out as an "NT", although that may have been a seller taking liberties with naming conventions, such as they were. Think I tried to check label and don't actually recall seeing it.

So yeah, a lot of seller mis-info gets propagated.

 

[General Dreedle]

I love this forum. Given the seemingly endless editions of Guild plants, serial number confusion, weird versions of the same model through the years, this place is the best

 

[Boneman]

GD, I think the bottom line is you need to get that D25 with the cherry colored top

 

[General Dreedle]

Update, it says D25C and the serial number is 150521

 

[General Dreedle]

It’s an arch back

 

[chazmo]

Update, it says D25C and the serial number is 150521

So, FYI, Dreed, that's from 1977 according to the bible.