50th Anniversary D-55 - Should I or not?

[davismanLV]

I get a little nervous when you're all happy and excited..

As well you should be, Al....... :encouragement:

 

[adorshki]

Thanks all......I'm a happy camper - fat neck and all. On a different note, I see a lot of Guilds on the market labeled "B stock". Is this what they used to call a "second"? If so are they marked in some way?

It depends on when it was made. Member Dap'm Dave's New Hartford D40 was sold as "B" stock but had no distinguishing mark. It was a traveling Fender sales rep demo guitar and so was sold at a good discount with only a 2 year warranty.
If they're New Hartfords, a good number were sold at liquidation prices just before the sale to Cordoba was "officially final". Several members here took advantage of a couple of closeout lists circulated to dealers and posted here, and one of those lists was called "B stock" even though the guitars were not marked in any way.
I seem to recall some had warranty, some didn't, but I'm sure Cordoba would have been given the s/n's of guitars that were sold without warranty.
As for "how long a dealer can hold a guitar before they can't offer warranty", up until 3 or 4 years ago it didn't matter one whit. If you were the original purchaser you had a warranty no matter who you bought it from.
Then Fender revamped the dealer and service center system and limited warranty to guitars purchased from an authorized dealer so we saw some cases of warranty not being offered by unauthorized dealers, even though they were "legitimate" businesses. They also revised the "lifetime waranty" to be applicable to guitars made under Fender's ownership only.
We even saw a case where a dealer claimed no warranty was available on a new old stock instrument(probably because they were no longer "authorized") but Fenderdid consider the instrument to be under warranty when contacted directly.
Cordoba did make a statement that they would honor warranties but it was vague about "how far back", probably to allow them the latitude to make case by case decisions (like yours).
They pretty clearly intended to warrant existing unsold New Hartford inventory on dealer's shelves, but also knew that some New hartford inventory was being liquidated without warranty and could be being sold to anybody who wanted to pony up the $$.
I suspect that might be the source of some of the finish-blemished guitars popping up.
They could be perfectly legitimate businesses just taking advantage of an opportunity to make an extra buck on clearly disclosed "distressed inventory".

 

[fronobulax]

I see a lot of Guilds on the market labeled "B stock"

In general, instruments made in New Hartford and sold as "B Stock" were sold as such because they came with a reduced warranty and not because of a cosmetic or other defect with the instrument.

Maybe they were afraid someone never validated the warranty and now there was a potential claim coming their way.

Under US law you have your warranty rights whether or not you give the manufacturer your name and address on some kind of card (or website). So the issue is whether the instrument is being sold as new or not.

 

[guildman63]

I saw one in San Jose, at Guitar Showcase, it's still for sale there, the owner has it on display in the store since he bought it new. He was asking $8995. I didn't play it as I didn't want to touch such a show piece, it's behind glass and I didn't bother to ask to play it. Not sure if Al ever played it, he is a resident there.

Actually 6L6 played it: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...versary-D-55&p=1305068&viewfull=1#post1305068

Go to minute 3:48 to see the #1 of 50 in San Jose in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pVxGqdRuvo


But now I am confused! That number 1 was the one at Guitar Showcase. Now it's shown at a store in Great Falls, VA ???
http://www.gbase.com/gear/guild-50th-anniversary-d55-braz-2003-brazilia

We have to see what Al knows about it, I was last time at Guitar Showcase in SJ more than a year ago.

Ralf

Ralf,

In the San Jose link above the gentleman declared that guitar to be "one of 50", which I interpret to mean it is not necessarily #1, but is part of a limited edition consisting of 50 pieces. Of course I could be wrong.

 

[adorshki]

Ralf,

In the San Jose link above the gentleman declared that guitar to be "one of 50", which I interpret to mean it is not necessarily #1, but is part of a limited edition consisting of 50 pieces. Of course I could be wrong.

GuIldman, that one is in fact number 1 of the 50, I'm pretty sure it's also noted in their ad.
In any case the "backstory" is supposed to be that the owner/founder of Guitar Showcase was a personal friend of Fender's boss at the time and was offered dibs on the first one, and he took it.
He's got a pretty incredible vintage room in there with historically significant and artist-owned instruments which probably helped build and cement the Fender relationship.
We've discussed that $8995.00 asking price before and personally I supect there's 2 elements to it: They don't really want to sell it, it works better as an attention getter, and perhaps he needs to corroborate an insurance value for it.
Showcase itself was instrumental (sorry, no pun intended) in getting equipment to a fair number of local bands who went on to the big time as well, so they've got almost 50 years of history and street creds behind 'em.

 

[chazmo]

Too bad we didn't get a chance to get down there together while I was out there, Al, and have a look at that Corona marvel. Maybe next time I come in for a visit...

 

[guildman63]

GuIldman, that one is in fact number 1 of the 50, I'm pretty sure it's also noted in their ad.
In any case the "backstory" is supposed to be that the owner/founder of Guitar Showcase was a personal friend of Fender's boss at the time and was offered dibs on the first one, and he took it.
He's got a pretty incredible vintage room in there with historically significant and artist-owned instruments which probably helped build and cement the Fender relationship.
We've discussed that $8995.00 asking price before and personally I supect there's 2 elements to it: They don't really want to sell it, it works better as an attention getter, and perhaps he needs to corroborate an insurance value for it.
Showcase itself was instrumental (sorry, no pun intended) in getting equipment to a fair number of local bands who went on to the big time as well, so they've got almost 50 years of history and street creds behind 'em.

I guess that means I'm wrong. Do I have to be? :witless:

 

[adorshki]

I guess that means I'm wrong. Do I have to be? :witless:

Awww, yer a great sport! Like you said, semantically it could have been taken the way you did. Just thought you'd dig "the backstory" :wink:

Too bad we didn't get a chance to get down there together while I was out there, Al, and have a look at that Corona marvel. Maybe next time I come in for a visit...

And by then maybe I'll have adjusted to my meds and found some crutches that work.
Let's see, this year I can remember, I think it was actually 17 "good" days....so don't wait too long !
:highly amused:

 

[jcwu]

He's got a pretty incredible vintage room in there

I think incredible doesn't begin to describe it. I once lost track of time in there and forgot to go pick up my son.

I forget what the occasion was, I think there was some kind of vintage guitar show going on, but for that time, Guitar Showcase brings out a bunch more vintage instruments out of their warehouse. How do I know this? Sometime late last year I had gone by and in addition to the vintage guitars in the showroom, I saw a bunch, and I mean a BUNCH of vintage guitars upstairs in the acoustic area. Among them were a handful of old Guild electrics. I went back a few weeks later to drool over them again, and they weren't there, and I asked about the guitars, and the gentleman said they had gone back into the warehouse - they only come out for the shows.

Would be nice to have those instruments out on display more often!!

 

[chazmo]

Interesting conflict of interest when a dealer is also a collector.

 

[adorshki]

Sometime late last year I had gone by and in addition to the vintage guitars in the showroom, I saw a bunch, and I mean a BUNCH of vintage guitars upstairs in the acoustic area. Among them were a handful of old Guild electrics.

Now you got my curiosity up. Do you know how old they were?
I remember way back in early '00's they had a bunch of late Westerly electrics on display at closeout prices.
About the same time I picked up my F65ce. Just wondering if they might be some of those same instruments, or are we talking really old?
They had a (new) Benedetto AA in "the glass zoo" for around $10,000 for a while too.

 

[jcwu]

Now you got my curiosity up. Do you know how old they were?

There was a late '50s (59?) T100, and one that was marked as a Starfire but I think it was a mislabeled T100D? I guess the giveaway would be the pickups but for the life of me I can't remember. I'm pretty sure they were Franz's, though.

 

[adorshki]

There was a late '50s (59?) T100, and one that was marked as a Starfire but I think it was a mislabeled T100D? I guess the giveaway would be the pickups but for the life of me I can't remember. I'm pretty sure they were Franz's, though.

Thanks buddy!

 

[guild-1979-d40]

Soooooo, the reason why I recently joined AGF and Let's Talk Guild is because about a month ago I went guitar shopping and when I mentioned I owned a Guild, the sales guy told me about a D-55 50th Anniversary Model that is in the basement of the store. I decided I needed to do some research on the guitar. Well, I played it two weeks ago. #10 of 50. Never sold. Still had plastic over the pick guard. The price he initially gave me was $3100.00. I really wanted to buy a jumbo, but this has me thinking differently. Thoughts?

 

[Kitarkus]

For what my 2 cents is worth: I absolutely adore my 1978 D50. Every time I pick it up I think "wow". It's "market value", however, is far less than the monetary value that I place upon it. It's vintage and EXC+++ and all original. Despite all of this I think I'd struggle to get over $1200....and I wouldn't sell it for $1200. Guild has a small(ish) but rabidly loyal following by comparison to some other larger manufacturers. I am in the camp of loyal and rabid followers. Despite this fact, when you get into a $3100 dread....You have entered the territory of Collings, Santa Cruz, and Bougeois (and upper end Martin of course) type money. I've played some of these boutique dreads and was VERY impressed.

Now if that #10 custom Guild D55 is a great guitar, sounds like a piano, fits your hands (and needs), and blows your sails as much as these other $3100 guitars might....I say go for it. This Guild Brazilian sounds like a real dandy. I would not expect, however, that this guitar will be a true appreciating collector's piece any time in the near future. I find it hard to believe that you will easily recoup your investment at ANY time in the near future (if ever...after inflation...time value of money etc.). You are going to have to decide whether you like the guitar and whether you are in the camp of "Guild fans" that find this guitar to be particularly "cool"....or whether you are the more pragmatic guitar buyer who is looking for a value purchase. Even a pragmatic guitar buyer is not necessarily a buyer of cheap/inexpensive guitars....but rather a buyer who can equate a level of marketability to a guitar should they decide to part with it at a later date. I find it hard to believe that you would have much (if any) liquidity with that D55 at $3100. I've always believed that when you find a guitar that really 'speaks to you' in a store.....you should buy it even if the price is a bit higher than market. This may be one of those guitars for you!...but you'd have to be the judge of that.

Kit

 

[wileypickett]

My mileage and Kit's are pretty much in synch. I have a '71 D50, Brazilian back, paid only 700 for it, but it needed 1000 bucks of work, which I had done at the New Hartford Guild factory. Fabulous guitar.

Not sure what it's worth (and don't much care -- I don't buy guitars for their investment value, but rather to play) but if I were to sell it, I know i'd get more than the 1700 bucks I invested in it.

In terms of resale, if that is a big concern for you, this one (older than mine, in better cosmetic shape, and with BRW sides as well as back) sold for a pretty penny and that was almost four years ago:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Guild-Brazilian-Rosewood-D-50-w-Martin-Strings-/200639067788

You just can't discount the continued fascination people have with Brazilian rosewood. It's already scarce (it's on the CITES endangered list) and will only become more scarce as builders use up the already very limited supply out there.

As Kit says, spend some time with it and judge for yourself.

Glenn//.

 

[Kitarkus]

Wiley...I know we are speaking the Same language BUT: Your 1971 Brazilian and the Ebay auction for the Hoboken Brazilian are MUCH more marketable when compared to the Corona Special Edition D50 in my opinion. I can't guess if the older guitars are superior to the Corona....but If I had to venture a guess....well..... I also seriously doubt that the original poster is the first (second, or third for that matter) individual who has been offered this basement sleeper at $3100. I'm not knocking the guitar AT ALL...hell...I'd like to own it....but at $3100 I have to start thinking about some other fantastic potential options.

Kit

 

[wileypickett]

If C4 bought it and then sold it in the next year or two, yeah, he's probably not going to get 3100 for it. My recommendation was based on his buying it, loving it and playing it for 30 years and then -- maybe -- selling it.

Again, for me, what I might be able to get for something when I sell it is almost (*) never my motivation when I consider buying something.

(* I did buy a copy of the first New York Dolls LP at a yard sale for 25 cents a few years ago. I didn't care about the band, but it had been autographed by all five members, three of whom I knew were dead at the time. I auctioned it on eBay for nearly 700 dollars.)

I know some people won't buy something unless they think they can get what they paid for it or more when they sell it, be it guitars, cars, houses, whatever. That's not me.

 

[chazmo]

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?183902-D-55-50th-anniversary-edition-mentioned

 

[txbumper57]

Question: What did Sherlock Holmes say to his assistant about "The Case and Whereabouts of The Mysterious Guild D55 Anniversary #10 of 50 Brazilian Bombshell"?

Answer: ?????????????:victorious:????????????????