D-55 experience

[dwasifar]

Have any of you had the chance to play a d-55 ? Where you guys let down as much as I was ?
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Just a few weeks ago my friend bought a second hand 2019 guild d-55 and he told me to try it out if I’m out his way.

Well I was over at his place and I wasn’t wowed or star struck with the guild like I was when I first tried a d-35 v18 or the 96 Taylor 810 that I bought from the guy with the guild .

Honestly something I told my friend was “ wow my Taylor’s a lot brighter than this”

My two acoustics are a newish D-55 and a 2003 Taylor 710, so I feel well-qualified to offer an opinion.

It's psychology. Both are great guitars, and both will acclimate you to their sound pretty fast. So if I've been playing the Taylor for a couple of weeks and switch to the Guild, it sounds underpowered and dull; but if I've been playing the Guild for a while and switch to the Taylor, it sounds one-dimensionally brash and overbright.

I've learned to give myself time to readjust when I switch from one to the other. You didn't have the chance to play the D-55 long enough for its more subtle and complex character to impress itself on you. If you get the chance, see if you can play it for longer.

 

[Jared macneill]

My two acoustics are a newish D-55 and a 2003 Taylor 710, so I feel well-qualified to offer an opinion.

It's psychology. Both are great guitars, and both will acclimate you to their sound pretty fast. So if I've been playing the Taylor for a couple of weeks and switch to the Guild, it sounds underpowered and dull; but if I've been playing the Guild for a while and switch to the Taylor, it sounds one-dimensionally brash and overbright.

I've learned to give myself time to readjust when I switch from one to the other. You didn't have the chance to play the D-55 long enough for its more subtle and complex character to impress itself on you. If you get the chance, see if you can play it for longer.

I’m thinking I’m going to back and give it a second chance once my tax returns are in .

Honestly it has an incredible neck on it and the action is super low.

 

[Rayk]

Hang in there, Br1ck. The only constant in the universe is change. And, yes, as our bodies all follow the rule of entropy, nothing remains the same.

Ugh, that’s depressing.

 

[Rayk]

We need a D55 in a OM . lol
Annnnnd CUT ! That’s a rap. Hehehehe .

 

[2manygits]

It may be that any comparisons should take into account when the D-55 (or D-50) was made. While I do not know all of the changes that were implemented over the years, but there are significant differences among the 3 D-55s I have owned, and those differences seem to impact tone and volume. My 1968 ”D-55 Special” not only has Brazilian Rosewood, but also has a somewhat small maple bridge plate and a fancier bridge. I bought it used about 10 years ago. It is very loud and bright sounding. My 1971 D-55 had (it was stolen) Indian Rosewood back and sides with a maple bridge plate. It too was loud and bright sounding, but less so than the 1968. I remember playing it at a bluegrass jam and some of those playing Martin D-28s did not like ”competing“ with the volume and cutting brightness produced by the D-55. My 1973 D-55 and my 1967 Martin D-35 were my main guitars for about 17 years, and the 1973 D-55 has Indian rosewood back and sides, a rosewood bridge plate, and does not have the volume or brightness of either of the other two D-55s. The D-35 had a “bigger” and more boomy tone, and ultimately led me toward Martins.
The comparisons some have drawn between a Martin 000-28 and a D-55 are interesting, and do sort of work for my 1973 D-55. In fact, the legendary fingerstyle virtuoso John Renbourn played and recorded most of his music on an early 1970s D-55, although he removed the pickguard hoping to loosen up the top. I played both fingerstyle and with a flat pick on my D-55, and eventually became wedded to Martin OMs for fingerstyle, and for flat picking typically play a 1965 D-28 retopped by a top notch luthier with an Adirondack top with 1937 bracing. But, I still like my D-55s.
Maybe, no one guitar is best at everything?