70th D-55 or F-512E...?

[deejayen]

I don't think I'm in the market for either, but I've just seen that a Guild dealer within traveling distance of me has both of these guitars in stock for roughly the same price (less than 10% difference).

It's just a bit of fun, but if you couldn't buy both, which one would you go for?

If you went for the 12-stringer, would it/could it be your main guitar?

The D-55 is the 70th Anniversary model, and the F-512E has rosewood back and sides. I suppose we could also consider the F-512E with maple back and sides as that's available to order at a price between the two other guitars.

 

[GGJaguar]

if you couldn't buy both, which one would you go for?

The 70th D-55 because there weren't many made. There are a boatload of F-512s out in the wild so if I wanted one down the road, it wouldn't be too hard to find one, unlike the 70th Anv model.

 

[HeyMikey]

70th Anniversary. No way F512’s should be the same price. There are always new and used F512’s available for much less.

 

[Westerly Wood]

besides, what are you going to do with the 6 superfluous strings?

 

[chazmo]

Well, do you want a great 6 string rosewood dread or the best 12 string rosewood jumbo on the planet?

 

[Bill Ashton]

I had a new F512 built in summer of 2014 (13?)...spectacular guitar, but I found they made a change in string-spacing at the bridge
between Tacoma (Chaz's) and mine. I simply could not play the guitar fingerstyle. Sounded fantastic, neck profile was to die for, but
for me it turned into a one trick pony. Ya don't play fiddle tunes on a 12-string! Eventually, much to my very great dismay, she got Reverb'd away. If you NEED a 12-string, this is the one to buy; but to my mind she is not a "one guitar" piece.

I also have a late New Hartford-built D-55E, and while its failing (to me) is that it is just not forward enough to be a bluegrass-guitar, it does everything else so well that if someone put a gun to my head, it would probably go "BOOM!" before I decided between it and one of my Huss & Daltons. This 70th Anni is made from special woods, and may actually be a pretty fair bluegrass guitar as opposed to the "regular" run. If you are not a bluegrasser, the choice is really obvious But by all means, play both first!

 

[Boneman]

There are still 70th anniversary models out there? I’da thought they’d all be sold by now.

 

[deejayen]

Thanks for all the opinions! It might not be a choice I'll have to make, but if they're still available when I'm next visiting I'll try them out. I normally seem to prefer mahogany over rosewood, so it's possible that neither would grab me.

The 12-stringer is an impressive instrument, but I'm not sure if would be a good match for for what I play - although perhaps it just takes a bit of time to adapt and develop the feel for the string pairings.

 

[davismanLV]

besides, what are you going to do with the 6 superfluous strings?

My thoughts exactly, Woody!!

 

[wileypickett]

Here on LTG, the standard response to such questions is, "You need both."

 

[chazmo]

My thoughts exactly, Woody!!

Boooooooo!

 

[davismanLV]

Boooooooo!

I knew some might get riled up..... sorry.

 

[chazmo]

I knew some might get riled up..... sorry.

Hardly.