70s D-40, worth the restore

[F30]

I have always loved the sound of a D-40 but never owned one. For what ever reason the ones from the 70s have always been what I wanted. Probably because they are from my early years of playing guitar and it's what a remember.
I love old guitars now so it just seems like the right time to finally get one.
It will need a neck reset and re-fret but thanks to those here at LTG I have acquired the contact to get it done right.
It plays now but saddle is very low

 

[GGJaguar]

A beauty, congrats!

 

[jeffcoop]

Congratulations, and best wishes for successful completion of the needed work.

 

[Br1ck]

I think you will find it money well spent. As a preservationist by nature, I had a lot of work done to my 70 D 35 eight or nine years ago now. More that it's worth at the time would warrent. The new Guilds sound great, but fifty year old wood can not be beat. I've been playing it more and more since I've begun to realize my SCGC isn't going anywhere. That has been a long honeymoon if there ever was one. But my D 35 has a special neck and the old wood sound.

File this away for future reference. If you play a fair amount, get your D 40 to a luthier in five years or so. Like tires on a car, fret wear will affect tone gradually over time. You don't need your tires to go bald, nor your frets to buzz to get them brought up to snuff. A good fret level or Plek will work wonders, and time has a way of getting away from us. I noticed I didn't like my D 35's tone anymore. My luthier could find nothing he would have me spend money on. I had him do a fret level anyway. Guitar came back it's old self.

 

[F30]

Thx for the advice.

 

[bobouz]

Do you have the guitar in your hands yet? Pretty sure I know which one it is, and to my eyes, it has a reasonable amount of saddle left when enlarging the pics. I mention this also because I’ve worked with & like that store a lot, but I think their luthier has a standard whereby he wants to see a lot of saddle. If you can easily dial in the action to your liking the way it sits, I think it will be good for years to come. Congrats on a very nice acquisition, and PM me if you’d like some additional info!

 

[F30]

Not yet, but the picture is exactly the guitar I've been wanting for years
(the one a remember as a kid playing my cheap Ovation Celebrity )
oh and I have dealt with this dealer on other guitars. Had good experience so I pulled the trigger.
Regardless I will probably send it to Tom and see what he thinks of the guitars overall condition and
do what needs to be done.

 

[bobouz]

Not yet, but the picture is exactly the guitar I've been wanting for years
(the one a remember as a kid playing my cheap Ovation Celebrity )
oh and I have dealt with this dealer on other guitars. Had good experience so I pulled the trigger.
Regardless I will probably send it to Tom and see what he thinks of the guitars overall condition and
do what needs to be done.

Sounds good - Enjoy!

 

[valleyguy]

I bought a beat up ‘68 D40 some years ago. I had a neck reset, 5 frets replaced annd some braces refluxed, and I am so glad I did, what a great warm sound it has, and it’s so easy to play. Money well spent in my mind. Some day when I leave this earth, someone will cont to enjoy that aged wood.

 

[F30]

I have really grown to love the Mahogany sound. More so than I ever expected.
And older Mahogany is wonderful.

 

[F30]

In coming..... I've been waiting for this gem to arrive. Just checked and looks like Tuesday.
Great excuse to take off work...

 

[chazmo]

Excellent. Looking forward to your NGD.

 

[Br1ck]

Heck, it's Thanksgiving week. Just take the rest of the week off. How much would you get done Wed. anyway?

Knowing ahead and already making the commitment is a very good thing. Enjoy.

 

[F30]

What you can't see in photos is the heavy worn sound hole below high e which is a bit warped and thin. The crack in the top on the upper bout and crack on the side - among other things. It does sound pretty good but luckily it has a return and may please the next buyer enough to invest in the neck set which is needed. So the search continued.