Keep getting distracted by High End MIC's.... - Guild D15?? He well are they loved??

[adorshki]

damn, one ups mine then, the arch producing more volume. got to find me a real D25 one day

I won't say "one-ups", it's just a different flavor.
Like milk vs dark chocolate, although I'm not sure which one I'd call dark, which I prefer when it comes to chocolate.
I used to think if I had to pick between the D25 and the D40 the D40'd go first.
Now I wouldn't let either go, if it was based on sound.

 

[D30Man]

damn, one ups mine then, the arch producing more volume. got to find me a real D25 one day

Agreed with Al - no one up at all. Yes the projection is more due to the back but IMHO you get more tonal definition out of the all solids especially that dark woody tone you get out of an all hog. That '71 you have is a nice piece and honestly represents the D25 in its original phase. I am glad you got her back. Nothing like getting re-acquainted a guitar after a long period.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Agreed with Al - no one up at all. Yes the projection is more due to the back but IMHO you get more tonal definition out of the all solids especially that dark woody tone you get out of an all hog. That '71 you have is a nice piece and honestly represents the D25 in its original phase. I am glad you got her back. Nothing like getting re-acquainted a guitar after a long period.

And I played it thru a PA, some Aviom system last night, no coloring of the sound at all, straight K&K mini pickup, EJ19s on her, sounded so crisp clear and loud. Bandmates were like, damn that old Guild sounds good. and they been used to the Cruz for a while so that is quite the compliment.

 

[D30Man]

And I played it thru a PA, some Aviom system last night, no coloring of the sound at all, straight K&K mini pickup, EJ19s on her, sounded so crisp clear and loud. Bandmates were like, damn that old Guild sounds good. and they been used to the Cruz for a while so that is quite the compliment.

Not shocked at all. I can hear it in my head. Warm. Articulate. K&K's do a nice job. I have one in the D-30. I always get compliments on it as I did when I had my GAD25. WW I would imagine your band mates noticed right away the substantial degree of roundness in your attack transient..

Dude I love the Santa Cruz, Collings, Bourguois, Olson etc. guitars of the world. They are amazing guitars and handcrafted by artisans with a true passion for making excellent instruments. Worth their price tags OMHO. Truthfully I took my Eastman E6D to a private show room at Morrison Guitars in Rockwall ( great shop great guys ) after they put in a LR Baggs dual source. I A/B'd it with a Collings DH2.. I am not going to say the Collings didn't sound better. But there wasn't much of a gap in tonal quality between the 2 and an even smaller gap in quality between the Martin D28 and my Eastman. Almost non-existent..

One of these days when I am confident my wife divorce if I buy a super high-end guitar, I am going to skip Martin, Gibson, Taylor. I am going to go for a custom Collings or a Santa Cruz.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I think D30 it is less about tone though, to be fair the sonic difference between the Cruz and the Br is remarkable, and more about playability, less struggle to attack and get big sound out and just overall build quality. The scalloped bracing obviously helps.

That being said, the Br sounds better in the mix. I am glad to own an old Guild flatback D25. One day I hope to own 2 more, an arched D25 spruce top, and the Grail D25, all hog arched. That should complete the iconic Guild trifecta.

Happy to hear the Eastman is working out.

 

[D30Man]

I think D30 it is less about tone though, to be fair the sonic difference between the Cruz and the Br is remarkable, and more about playability, less struggle to attack and get big sound out and just overall build quality. The scalloped bracing obviously helps.

That being said, the Br sounds better in the mix. I am glad to own an old Guild flatback D25. One day I hope to own 2 more, an arched D25 spruce top, and the Grail D25, all hog arched. That should complete the iconic Guild trifecta. ��

Happy to hear the Eastman is working out.

Fair enough sir and agreed. Sounds like an amazing Guild Trio sir!

 

[Bonneville88]

I can't believe how many decent Westerly D25s in the $500 - $600 range are for sale right now in the US!
Been playing my spruce / mahogany D25 during breaks from working on motorcycle parts in the shop
all day today... good change of gears from machining aluminum, to say the least!

 

[Westerly Wood]

I can't believe how many decent Westerly D25s in the $500 - $600 range are for sale right now in the US!
Been playing my spruce / mahogany D25 during breaks from working on motorcycle parts in the shop
all day today... good change of gears from machining aluminum, to say the least!

Currently watching several on Reverb, all under 700

 

[Bonneville88]

Heh.. me too... I like to watch

 

[D30Man]

Heh.. me too... I like to watch

Nice.. I have been watching those and D-35's.. Played one at GC in LA.. It sounded solid even though the strings were dead. They wanted $1200..
I am holding out for that $600 - $800 gem. I know I have a long wait but you do come across them sometimes.

 

[Bonneville88]

D30Man, there's a bunch of D35s out there too, on CL and elsewhere... one on fleabay with a BIN of $650.
Never have played one, curious how it would compare to the D25...

 

[D30Man]

D30Man, there's a bunch of D35s out there too, on CL and elsewhere... one on fleabay with a BIN of $650.
Never have played one, curious how it would compare to the D25...

Yeah Reverb is all across the board. Silly.. You have some listed as "fair" or "good" condition for over $1500 and ones listed in "excellent" condition for $899..
https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=guild+d35

Truthfully, I will not buy a vintage ( or any used guitar for that matter ) without holding it in my hands and looking it over. Been burned even after giving the third degree to the seller. Returning stuff on Reverb is like trying to pull a basketball through a glory hole..

To me there are similarities between the two having owned a 1979 D-25 and played about 12 D-35's in the past 2 years. I think the D-25 is a little louder due to arched back really dark in tone. The D-35 IMO is more balanced in tone. Still it is a dynamite model. It seems like the ones that need a ton of repair have been overpriced for the amount of work needed and the stand outs were $1100 - $1300... Over market value.

 

[Bonneville88]

Interesting, appreciate the observations - twelve D35's is one helluva sampling - what
a great way to hone in on the "one"!

I have purchased several guitars on ebay and Reverb... have come to the
conclusion that about 50% of the time the instrument is going to need work - sometimes
substantial work - that the seller is either intentionally not describing or not knowledgeable enough
to ascertain... but if I do quite a bit of research first. If it's a smokin' good
deal, I generally figure I'll have to put in some $$ to fix things... kinda like
buying a used car I guess.

The D25 was a Reverb purchase... exceeded expectations in every way :smile-new: