70th Anv D-55

[GGJaguar]

70th Anv D-55

Announced today, limited to 70 guitars. Priced at $6K. • An aged Adirondack Spruce top with hand scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing • Exotic solid Madagascar Rosewood back and sides • Ornate abalone rosette and matching purfling inlay • Commemorative “Winged G” at the 12th fret • Gotoh...

letstalkguild.com

 

[awagner]

You can get a 50th Anniversary D55 (a stellar guitar) for less, and it is Brazilian rosewood. Just saying...

 

[GAD]

Well, Madagascar rosewood has gotten to be pretty scarce lately, and has become a rather large upcharge on boutique builds. And there is also more abalone, so there's that I guess. I prefer my Guilds relatively blingless, so it's not for me.

I'll admit to not knowing enough about wood species, but I guess spending most of my time around vintage guitars makes me feel like Madagascar used to be the standard? Like everyone loved Brazilian then settled for Madagascar and now settles for East Indian? Looking through that lens it seems weird to upsell what used to be standard, but I do get how time changes availability.

Gosh GAD, inlay, the bracing, the top wood, the B/S wood........should be a pretty incredible guitar I'd think. I actually mentioned it to Mrs. West earlier, just to see what kind of reaction I might get. Once upon a time, she'd have said, "Well if you want it, buy it". But zero reaction today. Not a good sign.

West

Good deal (well, maybe not the wife response )

Sometimes when I see people talk about acoustics I think I've got no business reviewing them, which is one of the reasons why I haven't yet reviewed some of my stellar Guild acoustics.

You can get a 50th Anniversary D55 (a stellar guitar) for less, and it is Brazilian rosewood. Just saying...

That's kind of what my initial reaction was (more or less), but then the same can be said for a lot of guitars. For example, why would I pay $1200 for a new Korean Newark St. Starfire when I can buy a late-'90s Westterly Starfire for about the same used? That math has changed a bit since Covid, but a new guitar of arguably lesser quality costing the same or even more than an arguable "better" used guitar is a common thing. I think part of it is that a lot of people really prefer to buy new when possible.

 

[Wilmywood]

I know $6K is a lot of scratch, but an equivalent Martin with Adi top, Madi body, and abalone bling would be closer to $10K.

Or 15K ...

 

[Wilmywood]

I believe the company was formed in '53 but no guitars were completed until '54. I think I've got that right....

Hans said my X-375 was a '53 build.

 

[Uke]

What am I missing? Other than it being called a 70th anniversary and having a 70th inlay and what seems like minor changes, this does not scream "gotta have one!" to me.

All true, but as the old saying goes, "would you kick it out of bed for eating crackers" ?

 

[jeffcoop]

A little late making that decision to do it, but I'm glad they're doing something for the 70th.

I hope they make (and sell) all 70 of them. Quite beautiful, and nice choice to do it on the D-55 bones.

The Adirondack top will make this quite a different sounding beast from a D-55. AFAIK, there was only one other case (I think it was the Brazilian rosewood anniversary model) where they used Adi... Did I get that right? Or, maybe it was a GSR.

Chaz, I'm pretty sure the 50th was Engelmann, not Adirondack.

It's nice to see them do something for the 70th that seems more genuinely special than the Cordoba GSRs. I won't be getting one, because (a) I'm already surrounded by rosewood dreads, (b) I've already spent all my guitar money for the year (and probably next), and (c) new guitars, with their anticipated break-in times, are less appealing to me now than they used to be. Still, this looks good.

 

[Bill Ashton]

Don't forget hide glue...

 

[Boneman]

exactly, the Guild website description says all hand made with hide glue, so its not just your production model gussied up with a little extra bling.

 

[chazmo]

Chaz, I'm pretty sure the 50th was Engelmann, not Adirondack.

It's nice to see them do something for the 70th that seems more genuinely special than the Cordoba GSRs. I won't be getting one, because (a) I'm already surrounded by rosewood dreads, (b) I've already spent all my guitar money for the year (and probably next), and (c) new guitars, with their anticipated break-in times, are less appealing to me now than they used to be. Still, this looks good.

Thanks, Jeff. Gosh, I'd swear there was an Adirondack-topped D-55 at some point in recent memory.. But anyway, I agree that most of the Cordoba GSRs have not been particularly special. This one certainly is (in my book anyway) (not that anyone's reading my book).

 

[hearth_man]

Well, Madagascar rosewood has gotten to be pretty scarce lately, and has become a rather large upcharge on boutique builds. And there is also more abalone, so there's that I guess. I prefer my Guilds relatively blingless, so it's not for me.

Yes sir, love the less!

 

[twocorgis]

Thanks, Jeff. Gosh, I'd swear there was an Adirondack-topped D-55 at some point in recent memory.

There was, and is. I thought it was owned by @richardp69, but after a good @SFIV1967 style search, I found the thread. And it's owned by our long lost member @txbumper57, although maybe not anymore. Love it if George would chime in here.

NGD 2014 D55-RS Adirondack 1 of 3

Hey Everyone, What a great way to start off Father's Day Weekend with a visit from the Fedex Truck! It finally got here. This is my New D55-RS as it is written on the label with the RS Designating a Red Spruce or Adironadack top. Story goes that a Guild dealer had a request from a customer to...

letstalkguild.com

 

[jeffcoop]

IIRC, it was '52, and '53.

Right, Sandy. There's a reason the 45th Anniversary model came out in 1997.

 

[chazmo]

There was, and is. I thought it was owned by @richardp69, but after a good @SFIV1967 style search, I found the thread. And it's owned by our long lost member @txbumper57, although maybe not anymore. Love it if George would chime in here.

NGD 2014 D55-RS Adirondack 1 of 3

Hey Everyone, What a great way to start off Father's Day Weekend with a visit from the Fedex Truck! It finally got here. This is my New D55-RS as it is written on the label with the RS Designating a Red Spruce or Adironadack top. Story goes that a Guild dealer had a request from a customer to...

letstalkguild.com

Thanks, Sandy! That's the one I was thinking of! Glad I haven't totally lost my marbles yet.

 

[twocorgis]

Thanks, Sandy! That's the one I was thinking of! Glad I haven't totally lost my marbles yet.

And we both commented in the thread too!

 

[HeyMikey]

There was, and is. I thought it was owned by @richardp69, but after a good @SFIV1967 style search, I found the thread. And it's owned by our long lost member @txbumper57, although maybe not anymore. Love it if George would chime in here.

NGD 2014 D55-RS Adirondack 1 of 3

Hey Everyone, What a great way to start off Father's Day Weekend with a visit from the Fedex Truck! It finally got here. This is my New D55-RS as it is written on the label with the RS Designating a Red Spruce or Adironadack top. Story goes that a Guild dealer had a request from a customer to...

letstalkguild.com

Reading that old post about txbumper57’s Adi topped 55 reinforces my belief that the 70th Anniversary will be a terrific guitar. Pricey for sure but excellent wood, the classy appointments and in essence a hand-crafted guitar. Only thing missing IMHO is a nice 70th identifier on the headstock or fingerboard.

 

[SJS]

That's not fair at all... WOW. I'd drop 6k on that in a heartbeat. Comparable Martin would be 3x as much and not as good a guitar. I actually have a 1949 D45 (it's a conversion done by Martin) and I actually prefer my 78 G37. Both absolutely stellar instruments, but I like Guild.

 

[HeyMikey]

That's not fair at all... WOW. I'd drop 6k on that in a heartbeat. Comparable Martin would be 3x as much and not as good a guitar. I actually have a 1949 D45 (it's a conversion done by Martin) and I actually prefer my 78 G37. Both absolutely stellar instruments, but I like Guild.

Looking forward to your forthcoming NGD . . .

 

[Rich Cohen]

Reading that old post about txbumper57’s Adi topped 55 reinforces my belief that the 70th Anniversary will be a terrific guitar. Pricey for sure but excellent wood, the classy appointments and in essence a hand-crafted guitar. Only thing missing IMHO is a nice 70th identifier on the headstock or fingerboard.

I agree. Previous anniversary models celebrate the year. Why not 70?

 

[fronobulax]

Right, Sandy. There's a reason the 45th Anniversary model came out in 1997.

The highly motivated can search and find posts that prove my memory is wrong. But my memory is that all anniversary models that commemorated the anniversary of the company and were produced in or before 1997 used 1952 as the anniversary date. For unexplained reasons after 1997 FMIC decided to use 1953 as the anniversary date and subsequent owners have continued the practice. The cynics believe that FMIC chose to explain that no guitars were made in 1952 and so 1953 was a more appropriate date, rather than admit an error.

This dating change shows up in banners and similar items.

My generalization is phrased to avoid any discussion of the "D-25 Anniversary Model".

It is possible that plans for the 1997 Anniversary model were already in the works when FMIC bought Guild and thus it was produced with little to no input from FMIC.