My First Guild

[Guest]

Hello everyone
I have just bought my first Guild..a D30 DBL with maple sides and back. It was built in Westerly in 1998. It's in excellent condition for eleven years old with few scratches and dings. I had tried a few Martins and mid range Taylors but was not impressed considering the asking price which was double or more than the Guild. I paid €600 for it which is about $840. I have a few questions about it and hope those of you with superior Guild knowledge can help me please. While it's described as maple back and sides I was wondering if the back was laminated or a solid piece of maple. Some older specifications of this model describe the back as being laminated. I was hoping it was solid as I believe this is of bettter quality. Also the back is an arch -type with no internal bracing. Would this make the back prone to weakness. Otherwise I am very pleased with its playing and sound which is very bright. Maybe the bass could be a little deeper with more sustain. But I am looking forward to playing it and getting to know its character in the future. Thank you.

 

[chazmo]

Hello everyone
I have just bought my first Guild..a D30 DBL with maple sides and back. It was built in Westerly in 1998. It's in excellent condition for eleven years old with few scratches and dings. I had tried a few Martins and mid range Taylors but was not impressed considering the asking price which was double or more than the Guild. I paid €600 for it which is about $840. I have a few questions about it and hope those of you with superior Guild knowledge can help me please. While it's described as maple back and sides I was wondering if the back was laminated or a solid piece of maple. Some older specifications of this model describe the back as being laminated. I was hoping it was solid as I believe this is of bettter quality. Also the back is an arch -type with no internal bracing. Would this make the back prone to weakness. Otherwise I am very pleased with its playing and sound which is very bright. Maybe the bass could be a little deeper with more sustain. But I am looking forward to playing it and getting to know its character in the future. Thank you.

It's nearly certain that the arched back is laminated, fergal. Sorry. However, that shouldn't put you off... Guild's laminated, arched backs are spectacular instruments.

 

[Pike]

Congrats on your D30 fergal! Got any pics you could share with us?

 

[Guild Beginner]

Mine D25 is 33 years old and has no bracing on the arch. It has no issues. I'm sure plenty of others around here would tell you the same thing.

 

[West R Lee]

Yes, your arched back D30's back is laminated, it makes for an incredibly strong and unbelieveable resonant guitar. I don't ever recall a single complaint about the back being a weak spot as it is not braced, on the contrary, being laminated makes it much stronger.

Hans can tell you for sure, but as I recall, the process used in lamination was not like I normally think of the process, where wood is ground up and glued together. I believe Guild's process was more like taking thin sheets of maple in this case and laminating them together much like plywood, but keeping that beautiful maple grain. I can think of another acoustic with the design, there are the Ovations with the plastic back, but it amazes me that Guild did it with wood......always has.

Congrats on a nice D30, I am very partial to them........outstanding guitars.

West

 

[JerryR]

Hi and welcome Fergal - enjoy your newly acquired Guild

 

[kitniyatran]

Yes, your arched back D30's back is laminated, it makes for an incredibly strong and unbelieveable resonant guitar. I don't ever recall a single complaint about the back being a weak spot as it is not braced, on the contrary, being laminated makes it much stronger.

Hans can tell you for sure, but as I recall, the process used in lamination was not like I normally think of the process, where wood is ground up and glued together. I believe Guild's process was more like taking thin sheets of maple in this case and laminating them together much like plywood, but keeping that beautiful maple grain. I can think of another acoustic with the design, there are the Ovations with the plastic back, but it amazes me that Guild did it with wood......always has.

Congrats on a nice D30, I am very partial to them........outstanding guitars.

West

That's the way of it; high quality veneers layered for strength, not plywood. Gibson has used the same technique on some instruments priced far higher.
To make an equivalent instrument, with the benefits of the arched back, with solid wood rather than laminate, requires very expensive carving, while the laminated veneers can be pressed into the arch far less expensively, but with the strength from layering.

 

[Graham]

Hey fergal, welcome to LTG.

 

[cuthbert]

Yes, your arched back D30's back is laminated, it makes for an incredibly strong and unbelieveable resonant guitar. I don't ever recall a single complaint about the back being a weak spot as it is not braced, on the contrary, being laminated makes it much stronger.

Hans can tell you for sure, but as I recall, the process used in lamination was not like I normally think of the process, where wood is ground up and glued together. I believe Guild's process was more like taking thin sheets of maple in this case and laminating them together much like plywood, but keeping that beautiful maple grain. I can think of another acoustic with the design, there are the Ovations with the plastic back, but it amazes me that Guild did it with wood......always has.

Congrats on a nice D30, I am very partial to them........outstanding guitars.

West

Actually this is a technique typical of archtop guitars, and I think it was introduced by Gretsch...before them all the arched back and tops were carved, it was very expensive and time consuming, the problem is that you cannot form solid woods so they used laminated...

 

[kitniyatran]

Hey fergal, welcome to LTG.

Yeah, me, too!
& cuthbert, astute observation, thanks for the assist. :wink: