Hello and a D50 question

[Rich]

Hello everyone, this seems like a nice place you guys have here! I've been lurking for a while and thought I'd enlist and help spread the Guild love.

About four months ago my D50 developed a buldge around the bridge that effectively rendered it unplayable above the 5th. fret. :x 3 months ago It disappeared into Guild's repair depot in Nashville. I haven't heard a word since. I'm sure it will show up one day soon, but the wait is killing me.

:?: Here are the questions I have: How would they go about repairing such a thing? Will the top have to be replaced? Do you guys think the medium Elixr nanowebs I used may have contributed to the problem?

 

[Firebird]

Welcome aboard Rich.

This is a great site with wonderful people who have an awesome love for their guitars.

I am not sure what the repair procedure will be but I am here to tell you that your medium gage strings did NOT contribute to the bulging of the top. I have used medium gage strings on my D55 for 25 years and the top is still ruler flat. Anything lighter than mediums on this guitar impedes the volume. Mediums make this ax sing! Fear not. Good luck to you.

 

[cjd-player]

Hello Rich.
Welcome to LTG.

Since you've beeen lurking, you already know how crazy we are. :wink:



Your bridge buldge could be from several causes, or combinations thereof. You did not mention the age of the guitar. That could be a factor too. I would telephone the repair department to check on the status.

 

[Rich]

Thanks for the replies. My D50 is less than a year old, but probably hung on the wall for a year in the store. I walked into our local music store and played it every two weeks for about four months. When I could stand it no more, I bought it. It was the guitar that I had been looking for all of my life and it just found me. It does sing with the medium strings.

My gigs ranged from campgrounds, lake parties, to the lounge circuit. Varying temps and humidity levels. I often wonder if this was partially responsible.

I recently purchased a Gibson songmaker and installed an LR Baggs Element so I could resume my gigs. The Gibson is okay, but my D50 is a cannon in comparison.

 

[markus]

What is this "Gibson"?? :mrgreen:




Welcome!
Markus

 

[Rich]

What is this "Gibson"?? :mrgreen:




Welcome!
Markus

Exactly. You know, I actually dumped a J45 for the D50. :mrgreen:

 

[Brad Little]

What is this "Gibson"?? :mrgreen:

A Gibson is an alcoholic beverage similar to a martini:
As in a martini, 2 oz. vodka or gin and 2 drops of vermouth, however a gibson is garnished with a pearl onion rather than an olive. I guess it could be a songmaker after a few of them...
Brad
PS Rich, welcome to the forum, unfortunately I have no idea what would have caused your D-50 problem, especially in one so new. I also agree that it is not the strings.

 

[Rich]

I guess the reason I suspected the strings was due to a cheap acoustic I had with a laminate top from 25 years ago. I used a set of heavy strings and it made the top delaminate at the bridge....or at least that's what the guy told me when he fixed it.:mrgreen:

 

[dreadnut]

Hi Rich, and welcome! I was going to jump in with my opinion of medium strings, then I thought I'd wait, then firebird did the job for me! +1 to what he said, I've been playing mediums on my Guild dreads for almost 35 years and they are no worse for wear, in fact I have to agree wholeheartedly with firebird, my Guilds don't truly sing until they're outfitted with mediums. That's my story, and I'm stickin' with it.

Good luck with your D-50, I hope you get it back soon so you don't have to keep playing that Gibby too much longer :lol:

 

[6L6]

There have been several stories about Guild's sent back for repair and not showing up until a year later. The good news is, however, the returned guitars came back PERFECT!

I would definitely call about every two weeks. Keep YOUR name in front of them.

6

 

[Rich]

There have been several stories about Guild's sent back for repair and not showing up until a year later. The good news is, however, the returned guitars came back PERFECT!

I would definitely call about every two weeks. Keep YOUR name in front of them.

6

This is disturbing and inspiring at the same time. :mrgreen:

 

[killdeer43]

About four months ago my D50 developed a buldge around the bridge that effectively rendered it unplayable above the 5th. fret. :x

I'm curious to know a little more about the "bulge" on your D50. Is the bulge concave or convex? Is the bulge above or below the bridge, in relation to the soundhole?
Curious minds, you know.

I've kept medium gauge strings on my D50 for over 20 years and haven't had a problem.

Welcome aboard, :wink:
Joe

 

[adorshki]

Thanks for the replies. My D50 is less than a year old, but probably hung on the wall for a year in the store. My gigs ranged from campgrounds, lake parties, to the lounge circuit. Varying temps and humidity levels. I often wonder if this was partially responsible.

So would that be a very late Tacoma or a very early New Hampshire? I ask partly out of curiosity and partly to add to the forum's "data collection" of the actual factory. I would be surprised if the environmental changes were the culprit unless they were extreme and lasted for extended periods, like several days at a time at least. I HAVE given new respect to the issue of string tension recently though, even though the larger consensus here seems to be that mediums are not a real source of problems for Guilds in general.
I always kept the D25 strung with "lights" (.012-.053), and have had NO problems with top or neck. Same with D40. This was the gauge spec'd by Guild for the guitars. The F65 was spec'd for "extra lights", .010-.047, but I kept lights on it for about 5 years and it developed a slight belly. While I'm not POSITIVE the bellying here is due to the string gauge, it couldn't have been good if the guitar was a little "weak" to begin with, and when I went back to the extra lights, the bellying almost completely reversed.
Interestingly, at least some if not all the New Hampshire built guitars appear to have moved to mediums for factory installed strings.
Oh yeah, WELCOME ABOARD!

 

[taabru45]

Might be as simple as a loose brace. a little glue and a clamp does the job in that case...welcome to the guildstitution. :lol: Steffan