D55

[fronobulax]

Nope for this price I as told I still have to wait until June.

This is more about your psychology and personal preferences than it is about the price.

How badly do you want a new D55 with warranty?

The signs seem to be that no one is going to beat the price you have been given and no one is going to put one in your hand before June.

You could continue searching. My opinion is you won't find a significantly better deal today but LTG enablers have proven they can find deals that are otherwise under the radar. You accept the risk that the price may go up or the supply will disappear.

You could commit now, at that price, stop wondering about whether a better price will come along and start counting the days until June.

You could decide that you are open to possibilities besides new, with warranty, and jump into the used and vintage market.

Personally when I am buying something that I can afford and the price is volatile I make a decision to commit based upon how much I want or need the item now. If the want/need is great enough the possibility of a lower price is less important. (If I can't afford something at a given price then it is a whole different ballgame because the only real option is to acquire assets that make it affordable or wait for a price drop). This is the story every time I consider a new or upgraded computer, for example.

 

[Guildedagain]

unaffordable doesn't get purchased or played

Unnafordable is relative. What's unaffordable to me, like a 512 has always been affordable to someone else. Lately the whole vintage range is unaffordable to me, but they're still being bought and played.

Besides, technically only the guitars that were "Made to be played" fall into that category. Before the slogan, it can't really be applied.

Yes, for New or Mint condition D55's.

The evidence is overwhelming, beyond discussion even.

This is used only SOLD listings, the Westerly tops the page at a huge price. If you have one great, if you want one, be ready to pay for the privilege of owning Guild's flagship guitar. Sadly the evaluations of forums users the world over have no bearing on actual guitar prices.

Tempus fugit.

 

[davismanLV]

I think it's crazy that people here will holler and tout the amazingness of Guilds and their superiority, but when Guild charges anything close to what the other major manufacturers are charging they throw a hissy fit. I just don't understand it. To me, a brand new Guild D55 with a warranty and a really great return policy for $3700 with tax included is a really great deal. If that's what you want, I doubt you'll find a better price unless you change your selection to include used or vintage guitars. Sweetwater is great to deal with and it's a good company. Waiting until June is nothing.

 

[Boneman]

This is used only SOLD listings

Damn, $3800 for a USED D55? I am thinking I could sell mine and ask $2500 and it would be a bargain.

 

[West R Lee]

This is more about your psychology and personal preferences than it is about the price.

How badly do you want a new D55 with warranty?

The signs seem to be that no one is going to beat the price you have been given and no one is going to put one in your hand before June.

You could continue searching. My opinion is you won't find a significantly better deal today but LTG enablers have proven they can find deals that are otherwise under the radar. You accept the risk that the price may go up or the supply will disappear.

You could commit now, at that price, stop wondering about whether a better price will come along and start counting the days until June.

You could decide that you are open to possibilities besides new, with warranty, and jump into the used and vintage market.

Personally when I am buying something that I can afford and the price is volatile I make a decision to commit based upon how much I want or need the item now. If the want/need is great enough the possibility of a lower price is less important. (If I can't afford something at a given price then it is a whole different ballgame because the only real option is to acquire assets that make it affordable or wait for a price drop). This is the story every time I consider a new or upgraded computer, for example.

And just my opinion, but I just can't see guitars getting any cheaper, especially with previous discussions of a lack of rosewood and similar woods availability in the future.

West

 

[West R Lee]

I think it's crazy that people here will holler and tout the amazingness of Guilds and their superiority, but when Guild charges anything close to what the other major manufacturers are charging they throw a hissy fit. I just don't understand it. To me, a brand new Guild D55 with a warranty and a really great return policy for $3700 with tax included is a really great deal. If that's what you want, I doubt you'll find a better price unless you change your selection to include used or vintage guitars. Sweetwater is great to deal with and it's a good company. Waiting until June is nothing.

And I would agree completely Tom. Sometimes it's almost like some Guild folks expect prices to be fixed for decades. I don't think other manufactures are lying when they talk openly about prices increases and why they're necessary, and wouldn't think Guild is somehow immune to the same dynamics. In fact, about the only thing I can think of that could possibly eventually stabilize, or possibly slightly lower Guild prices, might be Guild's recent acquisition by Yamaha, provided Yamaha brings enormous raw materials buying power and a more efficient building process. I'd think right now, Cordoba is having a tough time, but that's speculation on my part.

West

 

[Guildedagain]

Damn, $3800 for a USED D55? I am thinking I could sell mine and ask $2500 and it would be a bargain.

Guilds are still a bargain, at any price, compared to Gibson/Martin, and copy guitars are still cheaper than anything else so nothing has really changed, just the runaway devaluation of our currency.

A D55 is pure snob appeal, lost on most people, besides other snobs. I'll never even hold one in my lifetime.

There's countless great and affordable guitars from now owner/competitor Yamaha.

The Yamaha does rather well, an understatement.

 

[ReevesRd]

And I would agree completely Tom. Sometimes it's almost like some Guild folks expect prices to be fixed for decades. I don't think other manufactures are lying when they talk openly about prices increases and why they're necessary, and wouldn't think Guild is somehow immune to the same dynamics. In fact, about the only thing I can think of that could possibly eventually stabilize, or possibly slightly lower Guild prices, might be Guild's recent acquisition by Yamaha, provided Yamaha brings enormous raw materials buying power and a more efficient building process. I'd think right now, Cordoba is having a tough time, but that's speculation on my part.

West

I agree, West. There are a lot of Cordoba made in China models on the market. From the entry-level to the higher-end C10s and C12s.

 

[West R Lee]

I agree, West. There are a lot of Cordoba made in China models on the market. From the entry-level to the higher-end C10s and C12s.

To be honest Reeves, I don't ever consider Chinese built guitars. It's not that I have my big nose stuck up in the air regarding them, I just don't think about them, and have always only considered U.S. built guitars.

West

 

[Br1ck]

Everything in life changes. Way back at the dawn of time, say 1970, Guilds were cheaper than Martins. Maybe by about 15%. Guild developed a reputation for not being as good. I think this was a big mistake on their part. We all know the checkered history of turmoil and ownership change. That worked to keep Guild prices depressed. We loved that. You could buy a D 25 in playing order for $600-800. Even during COVID I saw them for $900 pretty regularly. A D 55 was mid $2k all day long. Now Cordoba has revived the brand and if a D 55 can't be bought until June, it tells you something. I'm sure Yamaha sees the potential for growth, and since I have faith in Yamaha, they will ramp up production in a very controlled manner, so supply relief will be a couple of years off.

So here we are. Our guitars are becoming more valuable. That's good, but guitars are becoming more valuable, that's bad. I could have bought a D 28 for $350. Of course, a hundred was more than I could really spend. Eight years ago, maybe ten, I sunk $1100 into fixing my $250 D 35, which I bought twenty years ago. What a poor from an economic standpoint move that was. There is an identical 70 D 35 in a local shop right now, with fresh frets and a reset. It is $1600. So we bemoan the high cost and revel in it at the same time. There is a way to beat the guitar game. Find a guitar you love and keep it forever. You will quickly forget what you paid, and someday be pleased about it.

Right now I'm on the hunt for a D 18 GE. Going rate is $3500. I'm looking for a bit of a beat up one for $3k. It is what it is. But I've come to the conclusion my 70 D 35 is my favorite guitar. It may break my pattern of swapping out my guitars every month. Right now it's been two.

 

[geoguy]

Apologies if someone else mentioned this above (I might have missed it) . . . but I believe those "sold" Reverb listings do not necessarily indicate the instruments' actual sale prices. They might have sold for somewhat less than the seller's asking price.

 

[Guildedagain]

Our guitars are becoming more valuable. That's good, but guitars are becoming more valuable, that's bad.

Are they?

Or are they just holding their value against a plummeting dollar?

Thx to our very own GAD who helps to unlock the mysteries of the world of Guild.

A 1979 price list, and the invaluable inflation calculator to show you what they don't wan't you to know. The money you're working just as hard for has lost a lot of value.

And to boot, the guitars have been through hell in the meantime, getting hammered by this climate stuff, really taken a toll in the last ten years more than anything I can remember before. So the guitars are aging, not always for the better, at best somewhat deteriorating for the same price or more than new.

 

[Guildedagain]

More eyepopping prices on the lower end.

The best hardshell case went for $115 = $462 today + $3517 = $3979 plus taxes, ouch... Lifestyles of the rich and famous.

The '79 on Reverb sold for just enough to net roughly this amount after fees. Pretty impressive as a hedge on inflation.


The D35 price = $1869 today, without a case. All of these guitars were seriously undervalued for years, but flagship guitars like F512's are never undervalued, they are the flagship, it's supposed to means something. A pinnacle, of price as well.

1964 D50 price, this is for sure Brazilian Rosewood. $385 = $3681 today, just about the going price today, equally impressive.

Guild guitars hold their value.

 

[adorshki]

You can get to the store just fine in a Chevy, but you could ride in a Cadillac for a lot more money.

"Champagne taste and beer budget", that's what I got, I can't even look at a D-40.

If you wanna play, you gotta pay. Literally.

Which translates to: "Y'oughta ante up, before they up the ante."


What they need to do is introduce a Namibian-made product line. It'll induce panic buying of the Westerly Collection by those who want to get a chin-yu-wine MIC guitar while they still can.

 

[adorshki]

What they need to do is introduce a Namibian-made product line. It'll induce panic buying of the Westerly Collection by those who want to get a chin-yu-wine MIC guitar while they still can.

I guess I should mention a similar scenario was the catalyst for my purchase of my Corona D40, the same day I saw the GAD line announced in the Spring '04 price list.

 

[JohnW63]

It doesn't seem that long ago, I bought a used " NAMM Prototype " D-55 for about $1000 here in the the forum.

 

[MLBob]

Nope for this price I was told I still have to wait until June.

Based on my experiences with most anything listed at Sweetwater in recent times as: “currently out of stock / more on order,“ you can expect not only multiple delays, but also on the date being pushed back multiple times (usually for months at a time again).

That said, Sweetwater will always cancel your order and refund your payment with no hassle should you get tired of waiting or find something elsewhere.
Sweetwater, as big as they are, is still experiencing the supply chain back-up that everyone else is suffering through, regardless of the price point of those items they have on order from their manufacturers. I have had 3 instances where this was true. On two of them, I simply got tired of waiting and lucked into finding product elsewhere. The other time, the associate I deal with had given me such a good deal prior to price hikes that I began to see on said item, that I waited through 3 delays until it finally came in seven months later.

Given the recent developments at Guild, I don’t see that scenario changing anytime soon. Even if you decide you are in at that price, be prepared for the delivery date remaining a moving target. Just the way things are in the current climate.

 

[Guildedagain]

It doesn't seem that long ago, I bought a used

It wasn't that long ago we were buying all kinds of nice used Guilds under a grand. That was pre pandemic, time has moved on and many things are suddenly double if not more, and it's only going up from here.

Lower end models are consistently undervalued, to our benefit. The guitars are only catching up, like 90's cars, having hit a low point in depreciation, now coming back up fast.

 

[Boneman]

I don’t get why people bemoan new manufactured goods prices anyway, as those are what they are, set by a manufacturer. It’s on the consumer to work hard to find a deal out there. If one can’t afford something, it’s not the manufacturers fault. If you can’t afford it and still want it, then you have to do what you gotta do, earn more or save or cut expenses, whatever will get you there. But Fro is spot on with the psychology of buying. And I agree with Brick, get one guitar you love and just play the heck out of it and you will come to appreciate it more. Look at Willie and Trigger as a great example.

Sounds like OP can afford it, but everyone else chimed in that’s out of line for a Guild, which is weird. The D55‘s appointments are more on par with a Martin D41 than a D28 as well, so why they always compare the latter is odd, but for fun go lookup a Martin D41 price today and then decide is Guild is overpriced. With a new D55 unfortunately the OP has a long wait for one. Yes the used market is rife with good D55’s but one has to decide what they really want.

I myself went through the dilemma, while I had the means to buy one brand new, I really couldn’t justify dropping $4K on a guitar when I already owned several guitars. Wish I found Tundra back then! So I looked out for a deal online on a used one, stayed patient and found one that looked good and felt I could work with, saved $1500 and now I can say(insert snobbery tone) I have a D55, lol. So it’s all perspective. Plus imo, the tone of the older Guild will be better than the brand new one anyway. Bonus!

 

[Br1ck]

When using inflation calculators, be aware they use average inflation percentage. Last year something like eggs and gasoline skewed the figures. So a guitar today vs. twenty years ago suffers from labor intensity and material scarcity, plus what goes up fast comes down slow if at all. And believe me, no one will benefit from a drastic market correction, though that seems inevitable. I should say regular people will not benefit.