I am still on my quest to find a good Guild dreadnought and have come across a Westerly DV6-NT HR here locally. I am not that familiar with this model. I do know it is Spruce/Mahogany all solid wood. How does this compare to the D40? It seems to be very similar. Does anyone have any experience with this model or know much about them? Thanks
DV6-NT HR Thoughts?
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killdeer43
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No personal experience with this model but perhaps this will help.
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/dv6.html
Westerly is as Westerly does. :apple:
Joe
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/dv6.html
Westerly is as Westerly does. :apple:
Joe
I have never compared the two at the same time, though I have played some version of both over the years. I have one friend whose "go-to" guitar is a satin finish DV-6 from the mid-90's, while another friend swears by his early '70's D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee.
Folowing are some interesting video recordings that might help with the comparison:
DV-6
Folowing are some interesting video recordings that might help with the comparison:
DV-6
D-40 Adirondack top (New Hartford 2009)
D-40 Sitka top (Westerly 1970)
Westerly Wood
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killdeer43;164389Westerly is as Westerly does. :apple: Joe[/QUOTE said:
West R Lee
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Personally, I'd prefer the DV6 over the D40. I'm a DV guy anyway. In fact, I hadn't met our member Geo, who lives in Dallas until a few months ago when I bought the DV52 (incredible guitar) from him......great guy and he represents his guitars well. The last time I checked, Geo had a nice DV6 for sale at a reasonable price.
West
West
midnightright
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Hi!
I have one of these from the mid-90's. It is the second one I've owned. Both were purchased used. Mine had the 'HG' designation, which I believe refers to 'high-gloss.'
They are incredibly, exceptional guitars... If you are looking for a spruce top, mahogany body, with a wonderful sound, give it some serious consideration.
I talked with a gentleman who runs a small repair & sales shop and he's been a Guild dealer since around 1980. He told me that I basically had a D-40. There may have been some subtle changes that he couldn't remember, but as he described it, at that time Guild was trying to justify their naming system, or something to that effect.
And I believe the D-40 may have been out of production for that particular period. Most of this is from memory, so I can't say for sure that it is 100% true.
But I can tell you that I have owned several D-25's & D-4's from that same era, and while those did receive their fair share of praise, the kind of compliments I got from the DV-6 were very glorious.
And they tended to be from those whose opinion I admired most. I can only speak mostly from the two I'd owned, because I've only ever played one other in a store, and it was sort of unremarkable.
While I have played plenty of the arched back D-25's & D-4's. The pure quality of tone on my DV-6's are the best of the (or my) bunch. I believe they made the D-6 at some point as well, which as I understand it, is rather similar in specs.
Good luck!
P.S.) I've never played a D-40, so I can't compare there.
P.P.S.) But don't get me wrong, I love the D-25/D-4. My playing style right now lends itself more toward a DV-6. In my experience, you really need to just evaluate each instrument on a case by case basis.
I have one of these from the mid-90's. It is the second one I've owned. Both were purchased used. Mine had the 'HG' designation, which I believe refers to 'high-gloss.'
They are incredibly, exceptional guitars... If you are looking for a spruce top, mahogany body, with a wonderful sound, give it some serious consideration.
I talked with a gentleman who runs a small repair & sales shop and he's been a Guild dealer since around 1980. He told me that I basically had a D-40. There may have been some subtle changes that he couldn't remember, but as he described it, at that time Guild was trying to justify their naming system, or something to that effect.
And I believe the D-40 may have been out of production for that particular period. Most of this is from memory, so I can't say for sure that it is 100% true.
But I can tell you that I have owned several D-25's & D-4's from that same era, and while those did receive their fair share of praise, the kind of compliments I got from the DV-6 were very glorious.
And they tended to be from those whose opinion I admired most. I can only speak mostly from the two I'd owned, because I've only ever played one other in a store, and it was sort of unremarkable.
While I have played plenty of the arched back D-25's & D-4's. The pure quality of tone on my DV-6's are the best of the (or my) bunch. I believe they made the D-6 at some point as well, which as I understand it, is rather similar in specs.
Good luck!
P.S.) I've never played a D-40, so I can't compare there.
P.P.S.) But don't get me wrong, I love the D-25/D-4. My playing style right now lends itself more toward a DV-6. In my experience, you really need to just evaluate each instrument on a case by case basis.
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I am still curious as to the differences between the D and DV. Are there any differences other than cosmetics?
Neal
Senior Member
Pretty hard to beat the sound of that particular '70 D-40, if you ask me. Wow.
Neal
Neal
BJ_Toscano
Member
Older D-40s (Hoboken era, most of Westerly era) have straight braces. I'm not sure about the modern D-40s.
The DV6 should have scalloped braces. Simply put, this allows the top of the guitar to vibrate more, which generally increases the bass response and overtones, giving the guitar a more complex voice. There's a whole range of scalloping, and I'd guess that the DV6 is on the conservative side (less wood removed from the braces).
Neal
Senior Member
Modern D-40's Traditional models have an Adirondack spruce top with scalloped, adi bracing.
Modern D-40 Standard models have sitka spruce tops with scalloped, adi bracing.
Neal
Modern D-40 Standard models have sitka spruce tops with scalloped, adi bracing.
Neal
Westerly Wood
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Yeah. What my ears tell me a dreadnought is supposed to sound like.
West R Lee
Venerated Member
And that's always been my impression of the Westerly DV6. Just incredible guitars, and very much a sleeper.
West
West
I have a 1994 DV-6 NT w gold hardware that I bought new. It's a great guitar, I like the slimmer neck compared to my Martin D28 but the sound is no comparison. I love to play the Guild, especially for fingerpicking but it has nowhere near the volume of the Martin. They both have their place I think. After almost 30 years though I must say I LOVE my DV-6. I would never part with it. If anyone has any suggestions on how to improve the volume or tone I'm all ears.
plaidseason
Senior Member
I say it over and over and over again, but the Westerly DV6 is maybe the greatest "sleeper" of all Guild acoustics. A good one is as great as any factory made mahogany b/s dreadnought out there. On my short list of non-purchase regrets, the two I remember most were a Santa Cruz OM in the mid-late 90s, and a DV6 cedar in the early 2000s.
It's hard to go wrong with a quality mahogany dreadnought.
It's hard to go wrong with a quality mahogany dreadnought.
Paulc:
Just a suggestion, but try a set of GHS Americana (new name for the GHS Signature Bronze) strings on the DV-6. I don't have a DV6-NT, I have a DV6-HG (the high gloss, or "shiny one"), and it seems to do really well with those strings (lights in my case), both in volume and tone. They are stiffer, by feel on the fretting hand, but I feel that the sound improvement is worth it.
Just a suggestion, but try a set of GHS Americana (new name for the GHS Signature Bronze) strings on the DV-6. I don't have a DV6-NT, I have a DV6-HG (the high gloss, or "shiny one"), and it seems to do really well with those strings (lights in my case), both in volume and tone. They are stiffer, by feel on the fretting hand, but I feel that the sound improvement is worth it.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
As the posted articles say, the DV-6 has shaved bracing, which I think most D series guitars have straight bracing. This may create a different tone. Undoubtedly, the bracing pattern has changed somewhat as well. There is a lot of marketing speak in those articles, but you can assume somewhat higher grade top and back/side woods were used. I would disregard anything about the neck/tail block wood quality, or the finish or the gold coloured tuners (which I really don't like, as the gold seems to rub off with time).
I think the entire "thing" about the DV series is that they wanted to reproduce the sound of vintage guitars. Up to an owner as to how successful they were, but the intent was there, so the factory "voiced" the DV guitars with that in mind.
I think the entire "thing" about the DV series is that they wanted to reproduce the sound of vintage guitars. Up to an owner as to how successful they were, but the intent was there, so the factory "voiced" the DV guitars with that in mind.