Br1ck
Senior Member
I'd love to get three or four of them in the same room.
D35 vs D40
- Thread starter donnylang
- Start date
donnylang
Member
That’s what I’m tending to think at this point too- it’s down more to the individual guitars than model.
Hard to compare the ‘69 D35 I had because it had been so modified. But this ‘68 is better than that one IMO.
Br1ck
Senior Member
At this vintage, likely a guitar that doesn't yet have a neck reset, still suffers from not as good a neck angle as it could have. A neck angle not quite there will suffer compared to a fresh reset. So many variables. I have no idea really if my D 35 is a "good one" or not. I enjoy the heck out of it.
valleyguy
Member
This discussion closely mirrors the "what's the difference between a D50 and D55"? Other than appointments, the guitars seem the same, but sure sound different. I remember 15 years ago as I went looking for a nice Guild, I honed in on the D50. When I went into a guitar shop to buy it, the guy handed me the D55 to try. He was amazed when I still chose the D50. That happened to be the sound I was looking for at the time. I have since bought a D55 and enjoying the differences between the two, and figuring out which sounds better for which song.
Viva le difference.... whatever the cause.
Viva le difference.... whatever the cause.
Westerly Wood
Venerated Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
- Messages
- 13,433
- Reaction score
- 6,657
- Guild Total
- 2
Perfect analogy.
donnylang
Member
Lounging by the window
Bonneville88
Senior Member
Nice photo!
donnylang
Member
Hi praise coming from you
Br1ck
Senior Member
.
Details please.
donnylang
Member
I would expect the 22-year difference to be notable. I would even expect a '76 compared to a '72 to be pretty different. The only model I've owned a lot of different years of are F212s. There are consistent elements from era to era, but each guitar is unique of course.
I would lump them into 3-4 buckets:
1 Hoboken (lighter-built, more airy and woody sounding but still with a unique 'Guild-ness').
2 Early Westerly transition (still light but with a different feel, more thumpy and "dead" [not in a bad way] in the lows- a certain kind of bright but dark quality, if that makes sense), a more direct, less complex sound. This tends to be my favorite era, particularly 1968 guitars- which almost seem half & half).
3 '70s (post-1972; to me this shifts into what most people think of with Guild- the sort of heavier-built guitars that have a unique identifiable sound. The ones I've played or owned from this era don't do it for me, they seem too restrained or muted).
4 post-'70s (I don't have enough experience here to know).
donnylang
Member
Here is a recording with my '68 D35 (pictured above):
The song was cut on the day I got the guitar, and it was the last one I recorded for that record. Unlike most of the tracks, I did not have to EQ anything- I think you can get an idea of the balanced, bright and characterful sound of this D35 on this.
The song was cut on the day I got the guitar, and it was the last one I recorded for that record. Unlike most of the tracks, I did not have to EQ anything- I think you can get an idea of the balanced, bright and characterful sound of this D35 on this.
Bonneville88
Senior Member
Damn good tune - sounding great Donny!
Somehow that D35 never sounded nearly as good when
I was playing it
Somehow that D35 never sounded nearly as good when
I was playing it
donnylang
Member
Ha thanks!Damn good tune - sounding great Donny!
Somehow that D35 never sounded nearly as good when
I was playing it
adorshki
Reverential Member
I'd be willing to bet the '98 was noticably lighter than the '76, just to start.
adorshki
Reverential Member
My casual observations of owner comments seem to indicate they started lightening up again ca mid-'80's. It seems to me to be more than coincidence that that coincides with the Gruhn era, starting '84.
My D25 was the lightest flattop I'd ever owned (still is), so I've always been kind of curious how it'd compare to the fabled Hoboken builds.
The Corona D40 is a real tank, I've described elsewhere that I suspect it was built according to the old mid-70's Westerly characteristics.
And yet it keeps growing on me, especially after I realized it records the best, like you said about your D35, doesn't need any EQ.
Tacomas were supposed to usher in a return to the Colin Chapman (Lotus Cars founder) philosophy: "Add lightness".
GardMan
Enlightened Member
I had both '72 and '78 D-35s for a number of years, and they were VERY different. The '72 was and is my lightest Guild, at about 4.25 lbs. The '78 weighed in closer to 5.5 lbs, as I recall.
The '72 (bought new in Jan '73 when I was 17) has a much warmer "woodier" tone, with better bass but sparkling trebles. The '78 had much more emphasis on mids and trebles, notably weaker bass, but was MUCH louder.
Structurally, the '72 has the "early" style of bracing in the upper bout (discussed here), with a popsicle brace between the neck block and first brace. It also looks to have a maple bridge plate. The '78 had the later style upper bout bracing, with neck block extension and wing braces, and a rosewood bridge plate.
I don't know which models might have "lightened up" later in Westerly, or when that might have occurred... but IIRC, of the 12 Guild dreads I have owned, those built in or before '72 ('71 D-44 and '72 D-35) were under 4.5 lbs, the two '74s (D-25M and G-37) were between 5.25 and 5.5 lbs, and everything from '76 and after is between 5.5 and 6 lbs ('76 D-50, '78 D-35, '81 D-46, '82 D-70, '92 D-55, two '94 DV-72s, and a '95 DV-73).
The '72 (bought new in Jan '73 when I was 17) has a much warmer "woodier" tone, with better bass but sparkling trebles. The '78 had much more emphasis on mids and trebles, notably weaker bass, but was MUCH louder.
Structurally, the '72 has the "early" style of bracing in the upper bout (discussed here), with a popsicle brace between the neck block and first brace. It also looks to have a maple bridge plate. The '78 had the later style upper bout bracing, with neck block extension and wing braces, and a rosewood bridge plate.
I don't know which models might have "lightened up" later in Westerly, or when that might have occurred... but IIRC, of the 12 Guild dreads I have owned, those built in or before '72 ('71 D-44 and '72 D-35) were under 4.5 lbs, the two '74s (D-25M and G-37) were between 5.25 and 5.5 lbs, and everything from '76 and after is between 5.5 and 6 lbs ('76 D-50, '78 D-35, '81 D-46, '82 D-70, '92 D-55, two '94 DV-72s, and a '95 DV-73).
donnylang
Member
Interesting.My casual observations of owner comments seem to indicate they started lightening up again ca mid-'80's. It seems to me to be more than coincidence that that coincides with the Gruhn era, starting '84.
My D25 was the lightest flattop I'd ever owned (still is), so I've always been kind of curious how it'd compare to the fabled Hoboken builds.
The Corona D40 is a real tank, I've described elsewhere that I suspect it was built according to the old mid-70's Westerly characteristics.
And yet it keeps growing on me, especially after I realized it records the best, like you said about your D35, doesn't need any EQ.
Tacomas were supposed to usher in a return to the Colin Chapman (Lotus Cars founder) philosophy: "Add lightness".
What year is your D25?
While we are speaking in general terms- there are always exceptions. The 1969 (Westerly) F412 I had was one of the heaviest guitars I'd ever picked up ha. Maple is heavy I guess. I would say that thing probably weighed 8 lbs. Whereas my '68 Westerly D35 ... is noticeably lighter than the '67 D44 (Hoboken). I would be surprised if this D35 is more than 4 lbs.
One thing I notice about the '60s F212s (I have a '64 here now- which I am selling ha) ... the bodies are very light but the necks are still heavy. So you have this weird unbalanced feel. Overall, the '64 F212 is much heavier than the '68 D35. Even with the light tuners. Whereas the '68 and on F212s are heavier overall and thus feel more balanced (I actually prefer that).
I've played various '70s Guilds in stores- and owned a few ... after 1972 or so, they seem to get very heavy- across the models. I'm not one who wants a light guitar either- I just go by sound.
donnylang
Member
I never put any guitar on a scale, but I had a few right around the same time- and I'm sensitive to the weight of a guitar when I'm standing (I have to get used to a super light guitar, and super heavy guitars are not too comfortable)- but I would estimate the '68 D40, '67 D44, '69 D35, and '72 D25 to be along the lines of maybe 4.5-5 lbs (they all felt about the same- light but sturdy), and the '68 D35 more like 4-4.25 (feels sturdy still because it has that Guild thing, but still seems almost too light at times- probably why it sounds good ha).
adorshki
Reverential Member
In my sig: neckblock stamp Oct31 96. Thus: "Hally"
Purchased new in March or April '97, receipt's buried in my "important papers" box and I'm a little too lazy to go dig it out at the moment.
It might technically be a '97 if they took a little longer than usual to get it completed, s/n stamped, and finished.Archback of course, which I think contributes to lightness, no back bracing for one thing. And Gruhn's "snakehead" narrow headstock, D25's got 'em in '87.
The late ('98-'01) Westerly D40's got 'em too, only years of D40 that didn't have a traditional wide "paddle" headstock, along with some first year ('02) Coronas. (Apologies if I said that here already, or was it somewhere else? )
One of the things I first noticed was one day talking to a friend with the D25 still in my lap during a break, the guitar was picking up my voice and I could hear it (it wasn't from being in contact with my chest either, I always play in a position to leave the back undamped).
Experimented a bit when I got home and discovered if I sang an "A"(or E or D) into the soundhole, the appropriate string would sympathetically resonate along with the guitar.
A medium volume "LA-A-A" from the diaphragm for about a second and a half, then listen to the guitar still singing it back to you.
That was new to me.
I was holding it by the thick part of the neckheel and the strap button so the body was completely "undamped", about a foot in front of me, if you care to experiment. Actually now I know they all do it, must be the tops.
Never have got around to weighing 'em though, bathroom scale died right when I got the idea, from lack of use, no doubt.
Last edited: