I think I know the answer, but is there anywhere I can get a spec sheet on my 1980 Guild DG40-C?
As a D40 owner and fanboy myself, allow me to offer what I've gleaned over the years here.
First, even without seeing it, I believe the soundhole label will say "D40C" and that is the proper model name even though the s/n uses the "DG40" prefix.
That distinguishes them from the regular non-cutaway D40's that used the "D40C" s/n prefix.
Did you know by the way that the D40C was the very first dreadnought guitar to be built with a cutaway, introduced in '76?
The guy who designed and built it introduced himself here a couple of years back.
Second, I don't think that's actually a bone saddle, at least, the only thing I know Hans has confirmed was used in Westerly during that period was a material called Micarta, a synthetic that was (is)very reliable for consistency and workability and very well suited to the task. Used for the nuts, too.
If it's bone I think it was replaced at some point.
The bridgepins were plastic.
Note that the Westerlyguildguitars site GJM linked to is highly respected here and maintained by a member(s), but the spec sheet shown on any given model should only be seen as accurate for the year of that sheet, and even then there're still goofs generated by Guild themselves. Those sheets and pics and "blurbs" are taken right from Guild lit.
Many models underwent spec changes over the course of production although the D40 did remain fairly stable as far as I've seen, except for some minor variations in saddle design and headstock inlays.
The '99 spec sheet shown is still an accurate representation of the basic D40 build formula (and dimensions):
Solid Mahogany (most likely Honduran as being the most widely available from the '60's up through the '00's) back and sides. (With Guild a solid back meant it was a traditional "flatback" design; as opposed to their famous arched backs which were laminated and glued up and formed in a steam press)
Solid sitka spruce top (a Guild hallmark, no laminated tops on Guild flat-top acoustics);
in 1980 most likely an East Indian Rosewood bridge and fretboard. (Guild did use Brazilian from their stockpile on their rosewood-bodied guitars up until approximately '71 or '72, and they had blanks small enough for fretboards and bridges even after that, but I suspect it was gone by '80 in regular production like D40's. Hans showed some replacement parts bridges of Braz here, once, but can't remember for sure when they dated to, maybe '78?)
Have never seen a
spec for bridgeplate material (only remember maple or rosewood being reported in
any Guilds, here) or bracing, as in whether "standard" or shaved or scalloped, although I seem to recall owner reports of shaved bracing during that period. (Your luthier can look at 'em and tell)
As far as I can remember seeing, spec was always for 1-11/16" nut although that could vary very slightly due to the fact that in Westerly, all necks were given final profile shaping by hand.
By far for dreadnoughts the 1-11/16 nut was most common, but Guild seemed to go "off-spec" with nut width at will:
We know for sure a batch of very early (1964) D40's were given 1-3/4 nuts and very flat fretboards, and we've recently also seen 2 G37's from the late '80's with 1-5/8" nuts, and other examples of 1-3/4" nuts on DV type guitars from the early '90's.
The fretboard radius on Guild flattops was only announced as
standardized at 12" (a little bit of curvature) in
'97.
Prior to that I think that was probably the most common radius, like the 1-11/16 nut width, but again it seems that was another build detail that was never formally spec'd and I've seen reports of "flatter" but can't recall any reports of "tighter" (
more curved than a 12" radius) fretboards on D40's.
D40's always got white binding and a specific rosette pattern.
Can't recall what tuners would hav been in '80 but from what I remember of your description, yours are probably original (It's also why I think you've actually got micarta bone and nut)
My challenge is that it is a 1980, and IIRC, Hans Moust's The Guild Guitar Book only goes up to 1977.
Even then I've noticed Hans' book doesn't always have
all the specs. I've only ever seen bracing discussed here, from member's reports, for example.
Some I got from the Luthier while he was looking at it (i.e. dovetail joint to the neck, rosewood bridge, bone saddle). But I really don't know the wood it was made up of, I don't really know the nut size, bracing inside, what strings did Guild ship it with originally... Any of that. Seems like I should know it. But I don't.
No, I think unless you were really hardcore in 1980, it was a different world. The only thing I knew was that a solid top was better. Bone saddles? Never heard of 'em until the "boutique" makers like Santa Cruz started coming onto the radar in the '90's.
STRINGS: another area where I've never seen an actual catalog "spec" from that era.
Westerlyguildgutars has some price sheets from '70's and '87 and '88, and at that time Guild was still offering multiple alloys and gauge combinations, I assume to cover the needs/preferences of owners of different types and build eras of Guilds.
I think in 1980 D40's were probably built and shipped with mediums, probably D'Addario phosphor bronze.
Guild was the first maker to join with D'Addario when D'A introduced phosphor bronze in '74, but as I mentioned I've never actually seen a gauge set spec'd for a given model prior to my introduction to the brand in '96. At that time pb blights were spec'd for virtually all Guild acoustics.
But I recall our member Westerly Wood, after doing a little digging, reporting that he discovered his '71 D25 was most likely built and shipped with mediums. That's what I base my guess about what strings your D40 shipped with, on.
Guitars are actually designed around what string gauge tension they're going to handle.
From member reports here, Guild's build characteristics seemed to vary back and forth from "built like a tank" (mid-'70's to early '80's IIRC) to "lightened up" (probably due to George Gruhn taking over and bringing in master luthier Kim Walker) in early '80's.
I think they "heavied up" again in late '80's and then lightened up again by the mid '90's with Fender takeover.
My '96 D25 is a featherweight for example, but my '03 D40 from Corona's a real "tank".
In 1980 I think the average buyer believed "medium=louder" was the way to go, and the guitars were built to handle 'em accordingly.
It may seem curious that my "built like a tank" Corona was spec'd for lights, but by that time the importance of top design and bracing subtleties over all else was better understood.
A counterpoint is the New Hartford ultra-light builds that were designed for medium strings.
You probably won't lose much by using lights on a guitar designed for mediums, but putting mediums on a guitar built for lights can actually be counter-productive.
Get Mr. Day's take on what's best for your guitar without overstressing the neck or over-torqueing the top, he'll know exactly what I mean.
Is that something Guild would have if I contacted them? Or was it lost when Westerly closed up shop?
I guarantee you Oxnard will have no info. This is the best place on the net for that kind of info.
We already know Oxnard has no previous history records, Fender didn't pass 'em on, and Fender itself wasn't real finicky about their record keeping even when they did own Guild from November '95 up through the sale to Oxnard in '14. When Westerly closed some of the records had already been lost or misplaced.
Hans actually has build logs from Westerly, everything he could get a-hold of.
When he does reference 'em it sounds like they're pretty sparse with info as well, largely being listings of what s/n's were completed or shipped on a given day, IIRC.
Can't remember exactly how he got 'em (for a while I had an incorrect memory that he literally dumpster-dived at Westerly while it was closing, but he corrected me about that recently)
I seem to recall a comment that they were available because Fender didn't deem 'em worth keeping.
There's a bit more generic explanation here:
http://guildguitars.com/history-of-my-guild/
That page contains a link to the PDF of the available s/n records.