dark finish on back & sides of my D40NT

[kokotele]

Sorry to be jamming the board with so many posts, but I have so many questions

My D40NT has a dark, dark brown finish on the back and sides. It appears almost black under normal light, but in bright, direct light you can see a bit of the grain through the finish. I haven't seen any others like this. I'm wondering if this is unique to the model, to the era, or what.

Mine is an '81.

Thanks again,
Eric

 

[Christopher Cozad]

Hello Eric.

Dark-tinted finishes are most-often applied to mask imperfections in the wood. DISCLAIMER - Not Always, but most of the time. This applies to tops (think 'sunburst finish') as well as backs and sides.

You would not typically select the most expensive, master-grade woods and then hide them behind black, orange , or brown tint. (Again, see disclaimer).

The reddish-brown (cabernet) tint used on Guild necks (also the mahogany and some maple guitars) over the years creates a consistent look to what is not always consistent. Neck woods often have unappealing knots or other visual imperfections, and the tint successfully masks that. Here is a photo of a well-worn Guild neck where you can see the tint masking the actual color of the woods.

Hope this is of some help.

Christopher

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I totally agree with this.
The one thing to remember though is that it has nothing to do with sound or strength of the wood.

I have seen this done by many guitar makers. Why not use a good piece of wood just because of a cosmetic blemish.

I also see a lot of Guild tops where the 2 sides don't match.
Usually on the lower priced models.
I think that this is called run-out.
Again this is a visual blemish and doesn't mean that the sound of the instrument is impaired.

 

[kokotele]

Christopher, thanks for the info. I'm gathering that operations at Guild were not always as perfectly defined as one might expect, and there was a bit of improvisation going on to resolve problems as they would arise.

 

[fronobulax]

Christopher, thanks for the info. I'm gathering that operations at Guild were not always as perfectly defined as one might expect, and there was a bit of improvisation going on to resolve problems as they would arise.

Well one should revise one's expectations There are numerous examples, especially with electrics, where it appears that whatever parts were available at the moment were what was used, regardless of the catalog specifications. And since serial numbers were assigned fairly early in the process, it is quite possible that the guitar with the higher serial number left the factory before its lower numbered brethren.

I'm not sure what triggered your question but I think it is sometimes the case that the finish implied by the model number is only the finish on the top.

 

[kokotele]

I'm not sure what triggered your question but I think it is sometimes the case that the finish implied by the model number is only the finish on the top.

The trigger was simply that I noticed all these other D40s from the same era that had a transparent finish on the sides while mine is different. Just wonderin' is all

 

[West R Lee]

Christopher, thanks for the info. I'm gathering that operations at Guild were not always as perfectly defined as one might expect, and there was a bit of improvisation going on to resolve problems as they would arise.

Wait till you try to decifer Guild serial and model numbers. :shock:

West

 

[fronobulax]

I'm not sure what triggered your question but I think it is sometimes the case that the finish implied by the model number is only the finish on the top.

The trigger was simply that I noticed all these other D40s from the same era that had a transparent finish on the sides while mine is different. Just wonderin' is all

Got it. In which case I agree with the suggestion that the darker finish covered some cosmetic imperfection. Now we just need Hans to stop traveling so he can tell us all the REAL reason.

<veer>Getting enough work in Albany to make a living? I haven't lived in the area for many years (Hint - the JS II in my sig was purchased new at Drome Sound back when they were in a Mall) but my contacts in the area talk about job loss and an economy that sucked long before The Meltdown. You might also consider adding an "About Us" to your web site. I'd like to know more about you and your qualifications before I choose your business. Especially since your contact appears to be a cell phone.</veer>

 

[kokotele]

Fortunately, I don't need to make my living off of guitar work, though I'd be tempted if health insurance weren't so expensive. I get enough work to keep me busy through word of mouth, and I very rarely advertise anymore. I'm keeping the business small on purpose, and reinvesting most of what I make in tools or shop upgrades. I just completed a climate controlled finishing room so I can spray year round, which I am very happy with.

The economy seemed okay to me before the meltdown. I very rarely heard of job cuts, but I worked in education for the last several years before the recession, so there was an entirely different ebb and flow to the job market.

 

[so_ber]

Hi, i just got accepted here. i've read a lot of really good, interesting and even amazing info here so had to sign up! i just recently got a 77 D25-M. i've always wanted a guild but had never come across one until a few weeks ago.

anyway, enough about me, i have a similar question to eric's, regarding dark stains.... i've seen many other spruce top D25-Ms but many of them seem to be lighter than mine. the pic guard looks almost black even. just wondering if the shade of the stain was consistent over the years? also, the headstock on mine is just about black, and i've never really seen this. (btw, most 77's i've seen online/ebay/etc. seem to be a similar shade to mine-with a matching headstock though, but 79-80 something D25-Ms look lighter with a lighter, reddish pic guard....)

just curious, because i actually prefer the lighter ones (i'm like so shallow-ha!), and wondering if there's a safe way to lighten it....

 

[adorshki]

Christopher, thanks for the info. I'm gathering that operations at Guild were not always as perfectly defined as one might expect, and there was a bit of improvisation going on to resolve problems as they would arise.

The more you read here the more examples you'll see that, as Frono said, that actually IS the case.
Most "specs" are relevant to the era of the guitar. My D25 (Westerly) has that dark stain on the sides and back. My D40 (Corona) is VERY light by comparison. Your'e noting your D40 appears pretty dark compared to most D40's you've seen. Two other possibilities are:
A: It was actually ordered that way, as Guild was also pretty flexible about special ordering compared to the "other guys"; or
B: It's been refinished.