Brazilian Rosewood of the Guild D-55 50th Anniversary

[AoxoA]

Engalmann !? Ugh I’d B slap that guys decision on choice of top for this guitar ! Besides glamour I’ve not played one Engalmann top that’s worth a hoot .

Its low head room is a poor choice for a dread . It’s proclaimed sweetness and detail for fingerpicking is well , bland but that’s just my experience. I heard some demos that come across well in vids etc and fully know that a luthiers can do wonders but it’s hit or miss .

With Englemann tops, people say it has an abundance of harmonics that make it ideal for classical guitarists and steel-string fingerpicking stylists. It has an older mature tone, and yields a slightly richer midrange than Sitka which gives it wonderful complexity when played softly up to medium strumming. Therefore, it is typically for those who put a high value on subtlety and sensitivity over powerful projection.

As @Bill Ashton mentioned Beppe Gambetta, Engelmann tops don't necessarily lack headroom for aggressive flatpicking. The difference between the species is not as great as the difference between the individual pieces density and the makers---it's all in the build.

“Engelmann can vary from stiff to not so stiff with the stiff examples being very similar to Red Spruce and the less stiff examples being very responsive like Cedar.” -Mike

“As spruces go, Engelmann tends to be one of the less dense ones. It usually has long-grain stiffness commensurate with it's density, and at the 'correct' stiffness tends to make a lighter top than the usual Red or Sitka. Since light tops are the ones that seem to lack 'headroom' I suspect that's where Engelmann got that rep.

That said; although all spruces vary a lot in density and stiffness, Engelmann does seem to vary more than most. Some of the densest tops I have are Engelmann spruce: right up there with the hardest Red spruce.” – Alan Carruth

Guild used master grade Engelmann. That's the best. And it seems like the 50th is great for a wide range of playing styles.

I am still impressed by mine every time I pick it up whether I am strumming or fingerpicking. These are truly Amazing Instruments.

I believe that only the 50th anniversary guitars had Engleman (50 of them). The guitar actually is very powerful, I'm of the opinion that the bracing and construction of the guitar has more to do with headroom than the type of wood (of course that's just my opinion). This guitar has VERY scalloped bracing (as compared to DV dreads that I've seen), so it is quite responsive. It definitely has the Guild sound, but I think could more than hold it's own in a Bluegrass setting.

I can say that after having mine for a year and a half that it has "blossomed" nicely in tone. As far as an Englemann Spruce top not having as much headroom as other species I have heard this as well. It was true with a Taylor 914 Englemann/Koa guitar that I owned but as for the D55 50th anniversary it has loads of headroom. I have 2 Guilds with Englemann tops, the D55 50th anniversary Brazilian like the one Keith has listed here and a GSR D50 Englemann/Cocobolo Dread as well. Both guitars have Amazing tone to them and Rival the Headroom of any other Guitars that I own with both Sitka and Adirondack tops. I think the actual construction of the guitar matched with the Brazilian/Cocobolo tonewoods is what allows them to do so. If I were to try and sum up the tone of the D55 50th Anniversary in just a few words they would be Bold, Rich, Piano Like, and Loud. The D55 50th Anniversary is a proverbial Cannon and has performed extremely well in a Bluegrass setting for me. Here is to hoping you get to keep this one Keith!

 

[Rayk]

I don't know if Brazil can actually export their rosewood anymore, but there is plenty of guitar wood still available out there. Lots of the independent luthiers have their own stashes that they've collected or bought from each other.

So what I find now is Brazil doesn’t export any BRW but in the exception department it states that any stock cut before 1992 and harvested wood from natural fall can be as long as it has paperwork .

Thing is the fact that Brazil doesn’t export any BRW was the closing sentance so that’s a bit confusing about 1992 and before along with the tree fall bit .

I have not considered stock coming from neighboring countries if they do indeed have BRW which I haven’t looked into .

Besides charging a kings ransom for it , it seems odd that luthiers seem to pull BRW right out their back side at will ! lol

Ben Wilborn and Tom Doerr ( rest in peace Tom ) builds/built with it almost continuously along with others . lol

Yes that is a lovely cut of Eangelmann eye candy for sure !

As Ben Wilborn said about my guitar and others that. “ It’s not the species of wood but rather the particular example of the wood your using “

So there’s always exceptions , I’ve not played a Engalmann that had the attributes it’s said to have . For fingerpicking that should be my go to top wood ! But alas , not yet ! lol.

Strumming on it did muddy up the harder I played . My Eastman AC 822 CE FF which took 8 months to get really let me down because that was a truly a nice guitar . But I sold her . anyway eyes and ears always open !

Ok sorry for the veer . Please keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times and please reset to factory preset conditions! Thank you that is all !

 

[Rayk]

With Englemann tops, people say it has an abundance of harmonics that make it ideal for classical guitarists and steel-string fingerpicking stylists. It has an older mature tone, and yields a slightly richer midrange than Sitka which gives it wonderful complexity when played softly up to medium strumming. Therefore, it is typically for those who put a high value on subtlety and sensitivity over powerful projection.

As @Bill Ashton mentioned Beppe Gambetta, Engelmann tops don't necessarily lack headroom for aggressive flatpicking. The difference between the species is not as great as the difference between the individual pieces density and the makers---it's all in the build.




Guild used master grade Engelmann. That's the best. And it seems like the 50th is great for a wide range of playing styles.

I’ve not had had the abundance of harmonics etc ! lol

As far as master grade goes it’s just looks, hikey up the pricey but it does look nice in this case !

I didn’t see this post before the post just did this morning and yes it the particular example of wood used which I mentioned in my post .

As far headroom goes the same applies to “ the particular example “ but at the same time one must know the difference between volume in regards to muddiness and clarity .

Another thing to consider is Engalmann has the quickest break in period of all the top woods . So for me I had plenty of time hear the fundamentals take shape . My grade so far is “ F” lol but I’m still open to more examples !

Anywho I digress !

 

[AoxoA]

Another thing to consider is Engalmann has the quickest break in period of all the top woods . So for me I had plenty of time hear the fundamentals take shape . My grade so far is “ F” lol but I’m still open to more examples !

First time I have heard that Engalmann has the quickest break in period of all the top woods. That's good knowledge, I put it in my notes!

Safe to say the D55 50th Anniversary (or Englemann tops) are not for everyone (what guitar is) which could be due to a particular guitar or personal preference, etc... More people praise them 50th D55s than not. What is kinda cool is the 70th anniversary is another D55 option. It has the Adirondack Spruce top instead of Englemann but it doesn't have the Brazilian rosewood instead using Madagascar.

Anyway, I found some more info on the forum about the Brazilian stash used for the 50th. More theories than hard facts. I'll add it to this post when I get a chance. Most things I am learning are opinions rather than facts. Stumpwood, quartsawn, how old was the stash, etc...

 

[Rayk]

First time I have heard that Engalmann has the quickest break in period of all the top woods. That's good knowledge, I put it in my notes!

Safe to say the D55 50th Anniversary (or Englemann tops) are not for everyone (what guitar is) which could be due to a particular guitar or personal preference, etc... More people praise them 50th D55s than not. What is kinda cool is the 70th anniversary is another D55 option. It has the Adirondack Spruce top instead of Englemann but it doesn't have the Brazilian rosewood instead using Madagascar.

Anyway, I found some more info on the forum about the Brazilian stash used for the 50th. More theories than hard facts. I'll add it to this post when I get a chance. Most things I am learning are opinions rather than facts. Stumpwood, quartsawn, how old was the stash, etc...

Well I’d go with the Adirondack! My fav top wood ( drool ) and Madagascar Rosewood over crack wood ! lol
I’d love to get my hands on a Mady ! One Top wood that’s evaded me is Moon spruce which I’m dying to try !

 

[chazmo]

The 50th Anniversary and the Merlefest Brazilian D-55 may have been the last.

The Merlefest guitar was one of the first, if not the first D-55 off the line in Tacoma, and it was Brazilian. There were a handful of others too (Brazilian), by the way, from Tacoma.

First time I have heard that Engalmann has the quickest break in period of all the top woods. That's good knowledge, I put it in my notes!

Safe to say the D55 50th Anniversary (or Englemann tops) are not for everyone (what guitar is) which could be due to a particular guitar or personal preference, etc... More people praise them 50th D55s than not. What is kinda cool is the 70th anniversary is another D55 option. It has the Adirondack Spruce top instead of Englemann but it doesn't have the Brazilian rosewood instead using Madagascar.

Anyway, I found some more info on the forum about the Brazilian stash used for the 50th. More theories than hard facts. I'll add it to this post when I get a chance. Most things I am learning are opinions rather than facts. Stumpwood, quartsawn, how old was the stash, etc...

As a guitar that I'm gonna' play a lot, I'd take the 70th over the 50th. Sitka/Madagascar is a really wonderful combination. But, Brazilian is something folks go gaga over, AoxoA, so... whatever...

 

[Rayk]

M m m mmmm … Madagascar!!!!