Guild D25… Mahogany vs Spruce

[chazmo]

Welcome, Peachy!

Your arched-back, mahogany topped D-25 sounds like it was worth the effort to get back into playing shape. If you can post pictures, I'd love to see it!

Anyway, given that the soundboard is perhaps the most important element of a guitar's sound -- and how it's braced, of course -- I think you'd find that a spruce-topped D-25 would sound quite different to your ears than your instrument.

There's quite a variety of D-25 models out there, as you know. Of late, they were mostly solid mahogany (including the top), if you want to look at a GAD version from a couple of years ago. The most recent US-built model is the D-20, which is again all solid like that. There's also a D-125 Westerly Series which has similar specs. The Westerly series D-240E is arched-backed mahogany and solid Sitka spruce top, so there's a new guitar option for you if you want to try that.

Anyway, good luck in the hunt.

And, might I also say welcome again, and might I intimate that there are MANY Guild models out there that you need to get your hands on before you decide that another D-25 is your end-all-be-all.

 

[jeffcoop]

I agree that the issue is mostly the arch back. I have a D15 (all mahogany archback) and a D25 (spruce0topped archback), and although the note separation when I play the D25 finger style, the sound does become a bit "blury" when strummed. The bass seems to bloom and become imprecise (though plenty loud), compared with, say, my vintage D40 and my modern F40, both of which of course are flat-backed.

 

[Bonneville88]

Worst guitars ever, those dang D25s... .

I've kept the '76 spruce-top arch-back (center) and the early 2000s white ("Honey Blonde") all-hog flat back,
the rest found new homes and from comments received all new owners were
very pleased. There were more - obsession is a funny thing...

 

[Br1ck]

Some kind of bass tuning or do people still say that?

EGAD, isn't that a Rocky and Bullwinkle saying? If so, I plead timeless idiocy, and as such exempt from and derision.

 

[Westerly Wood]

EGAD, isn't that a Rocky and Bullwinkle saying? If so, I plead timeless idiocy, and as such exempt from and derision.

I think my grandfather said it once when I was a kid.

 

[Uke]

and might I intimate that there are MANY Guild models out there that you need to get your hands on before you decide that another D-25 is your end-all-be-all.

 

[kitniyatran]

As much as I love and would like to promote the spruce top arched back D-25, you might want to just try changing to a different type of string and see what kind of difference you get