Is there a D35 registry?

[Bonneville88]

Quick composite of OJ 119, OJ 839 and OJ 2253.

Among other details, bridges all appear noticeably different.

 

[Curlington]

Pics of my 11970 D35 at: https://goo.gl/photos/QnJ4Y5W3FUCeGrJ18

 

[Curlington]

More inspiration, I pulled out my 1970 D40 AJ 390*, also with strings about one year old. I had Tom do a bunch of work on this one. Again, amazingly, neck angle and action remains good after all these years. It has many of the same attributes as the D35 from the same year. The D40 is cosmetically better, wear and appointments. Got to love the tuners stamped "GUILD" on the D40. But, for my kind of playing, I like the sound of the D35. The D35 cost me a third of the cost of the D40. Go figure.

 

[Bonneville88]

Curlington, cool pics - your 46994 and my 2253 look nearly identical - did notice that
bridges on both guitars appear original, but your 46994 has a thinner, more elegant taper.

 

[Guildedagain]

Wow, some well lit studio shots, really excellent.

I think the local guy I talked to that kickstarted this thread said was #713 (maybe) and that it was like dead mint to the point where he bought some other Guild to play...

I guess that one was never made to be played, much ;-)

 

[Guildedagain]

D35 tuners, is there a linear evolution of the D35 tuners through the years from '68 though '78?

Everytime I see a D35 for sale, it's got different tuners. Some look real heavy with this open/closed back look, some are cheap looking, and mine are different from the others I've see so far (I can see this is going to lead into taking pics). Mine has open back Grovers, but not with the sweet butterbean buttons associated with wartime era guitars and the modern repros which seem to be on everything now, but squarish chromed buttons, very sturdy, and they are open back Grovers ;-)

My guitar being an early '73, are there Grovers on D35's say from '72 to '74?

Does the Guild book go into this much detail?

 

[Br1ck]

OJ 1644 here. 1970 Westerly with Hoboken label.

I firmly believe what was considered flawed spruce was used in this model. Mine has a fair bit of bearclaw. Others show irregular grain. I don't consider myself having overpaid for all the work I had done, only that the market would not reward me with a profit. The attribute that stands out to me is the overall balance across the strings. Blugrassers would say this is a lack of bass, but that is what Martins are for.

Tuners are undoubtedly cheap three on a plate style, until they had those squashed pyramid clunky cheapo enclosed tuners. The open back tuners on my guitar work and I don't see the need to change them. I think they changed somewhere in the 75-78 years. You have to consider what they could do to cut production costs, and cheaper tuners, decal logo, simpler binding and "reject" wood were some cost saving measures. What remains is everything you need for a good sounding acoustic.

What makes these sound great now is 50 year old wood, and what was then inexpensive mahogany is now marketed as premium Honduran. Times change.

 

[Bonneville88]

After recent observation - wondering if some of the earliest D35s used the
D40 bridge, pick-guard, and neck, before further differentiating updates were made.

 

[adorshki]

After recent observation - wondering if some of the earliest D35s used the
D40 bridge, pick-guard, and neck, before further differentiating updates were made.

Pic in the Guild Guitar book shows a '68 with the "cut-down" pickguard so I always assumed that's actually what the very earliest ones used; believe Mavuser confirmed it as well, within the past year.
I think OJ119 pictured in post #19 above has a replaced 'guard; note the 2 later s/n's in post #21 both have the "cut-down" version.
Originally D40's had 3-piece necks, don't remember when that stopped, but think it wasn't until '70's.
Kind of doubt they'd do that at the D35's "entry level" price point, but can't recall ever seeing the back of the neck of an early one.

D35 tuners, is there a linear evolution of the D35 tuners through the years from '68 though '78?
Everytime I see a D35 for sale, it's got different tuners.

Probably replaced, especially after this long.
According to "the book", they used an unnamed Japanese maker for the low-end guitars in late '60's, were the 3-on-a-strip open back type, and seem to recall reports of 'em needing replacement at this age.***I guess it depends on how much use or "abuse" they got, since Br1ck says his are ok.
The ones on OJ-119 look original, I also see it has a one-piece neck:

My guitar being an early '73, are there Grovers on D35's say from '72 to '74?

Does the Guild book go into this much detail?

Not in the write-up on that model, or for most of 'em, you'd have to ask Hans directly.
The book just covers tuners in their own section with examples of guitars they were used on, sometimes notes are made about guitars that have non-original or off-spec tuners in a photo.

 

[Br1ck]

The tuners on my D 35 are what they are, and could certainly be improved, but these guitars are now old enough to deserve as much originality as possible, not to mention my smugness when I find one with replacements. I'm SO superior.

 

[Guildedagain]

I've got the same tuners on the '71 F30 I just got, and I did oil them minutely just at the pivot point and a touch on the gears with an extremely fine oiler, adjusted the tension as needed, high E and G are always the most worn tuners and they are a bit sloppy, but I strung it up with mediums, and I'd have to say the tuners, in Japanese fashion, are a joy to use, really smooth and stable.

If I was to compare them with vintage strip Klusons, which I actually like just fine, I'd say the Guild strip tuners are much smoother with improved gear ratio, they have a more precision feel.

Pretty surprising from what at first glance look like cheap strip tuners, looking so much like the garbage tuners on many cheap acoustics of the past, but upon closer inspection, you will see they they are nicely made, the little gears are very fine with excellent plating even after all this time, and they are quite stout.

Even the ferrules are quite tolerable, compared to some of the huge monstrosities they stuck on the headstocks a few years later...

I should post a pic of the open back Grovers on mine. I haven't seen them on another one. They're pretty cool looking and they feel really nice.

PS I've never thought they were anything but original on mine, looking at the back of the headstock, I'd have to say they've been on since day one, and they really are pretty neat, and light.

 

[Ecoz]

Hi guys, best wishes for 2023 !!! I am just wondering if one of you know about d35 with "1|***" type serial? (e.g., 1|1895 behind the headstock), I did not see about it. Please let me know. John

 

[SFIV1967]

Hi guys, best wishes for 2023 !!! I am just wondering if one of you know about d35 with "1|***" type serial? (e.g., 1|1895 behind the headstock), I did not see about it. Please let me know. John

That is 111895 made in 1974, I guess they used the wrong letter/number here when stamping.
EDIT: Ah, Hans explains it again in next post!
Ralf

 

[hansmoust]

That is 111895 made in 1974, I guess they used the wrong letter/number here when stamping.
Ralf

D-25 Serial Number circa 1974

I have a D-25 (archtop rear with I think a mahogany body and top) with a serial number (on the headstock and the sticker in the body) that reads 1l0121. The second character is somewhat nebulous. If it is the number one, per the Guild dating PDF that puts the manufacturing date as 1974. That...

letstalkguild.com

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Br1ck]

I take no credit for my D 35 restoration other than having a soft spot for old guitars, and lucking into mine for $250 twenty or so years ago. All I can say is with a horrible break angle, it sounded like it had potential. At the time I believed it was a Hoboken, I mean I believed the label. That I'd be underwater with the repair bill was just something I expected.

I would also be careful of over hyping the D 35, whose attributes and charms materialized over quite a number of years. It is very much a budget American made solid wood guitar. Still, it was made in an era of excellence, and before the dreaded heavier build era. But like the much maligned Martin of the 70s, very good guitars were made. Concession to costs were the three on a plate tuners, in my case less than perfect wood, and a now very faded silkscreen logo. I believe the tuners were made in Japan, and my luthier called them adequate and was delighted not to change them. My D 35 has a lot (30%?) of bearclaw that disappears at five feet away.

There was also someone a while back with a D 35 either one number above or below mine. I can't remember witch. Sylvan in Santa Cruz has/had a 70 D 35 listed. This was a week ago, and priced at $1600 with reset and frets done in the shop. Certainly a bargain still. I guess if someone were shopping for a D 40 from this era, you'd be advised to check out a D 35, just like you'd be advised to check out a D 21 if shopping for a D 28.

Someone wanting a D 18 that now is $3500 in good shape might want a $1600 bargain, just like they were when new. I remember they were about three weeks or a month of food cheaper for the many students who bought them in 1970. That was probably $75.

I saw a two year old D 18 for $2000 on my local craigslist a couple of months ago, but the norm is closer to $2500. So the price spread is about the same percentage wise. But my, a 70 D 18 with a neck reset and frets is over, well over, $3000 in a retail shop here in prospero land.

 

[Ecoz]

D-25 Serial Number circa 1974

I have a D-25 (archtop rear with I think a mahogany body and top) with a serial number (on the headstock and the sticker in the body) that reads 1l0121. The second character is somewhat nebulous. If it is the number one, per the Guild dating PDF that puts the manufacturing date as 1974. That...

letstalkguild.com

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Thanks a lot for the answers Hans and Ralf, I did well buying it
John

 

[Westerly Wood]

I know Hans used to keep a record of any old Guild or used Guild one of us would acquire.
Not sure if that is still a thing.

 

[Ecoz]

I know Hans used to keep a record of any old Guild or used Guild one of us would acquire.
Not sure if that is still a thing.

would love to know a bit more about its history... it has not been well conserved (let say it is a player) but it looks so beautiful to me. I've a way different feeling than whe discovering my mint 2004 gad50e...

 

[Westerly Wood]

would love to know a bit more about its history... it has not been well conserved (let say it is a player) but it looks so beautiful to me. I've a way different feeling than whe discovering my mint 2004 gad50e...

You can go to Hans' website and ask there: http://www.guitarsgalore.nl/

 

[dreadnut]

My buddy has a nice 'burst '75.