Need a Guild acoustic buying guide from the members

[donboy53]

Hey LTG'rs, I have a question about Guild dreadnaught acoustics. I'll do it this way; what do you look for when buying a used Guild dreadnaught acoustic? And, you only have between $600-$900 spend?

Thank you in advance.

 

[mbaker824]

Hey LTG'rs, I have a question about Guild dreadnaught acoustics. I'll do it this way; what do you look for when buying a used Guild dreadnaught acoustic? And, you only have between $600-$900 spend?

Thank you in advance.

I only own one Guild, so I'm not the foremost expert; however, I did buy my used Guild dreadnought recently in that price range. Mine is a '91 D25 with a natural (spruce) top and an arched back. I picked it up about 3 months ago for $700, in excellent condition. The point is, a used D25 would fit right into your price range, and it's a great guitar in my opinion.

Mark

 

[lcjones]

Tone and playability. In that order.

Tone is the guitar. Playability is a work around and can be adjusted to the guitar.

Chap

 

[killdeer43]

Hey LTG'rs, I have a question about Guild dreadnaught acoustics. I'll do it this way; what do you look for when buying a used Guild dreadnaught acoustic? And, you only have between $600-$900 spend?

Thank you in advance.

I would find a D25M, just like this one.

I let it go to a good man, so the pain isn't as intense as it might be.
But this is the one. :wink:

Joe

 

[Yoko Oh No]

I agree with Chap....tone and playability. Some will sound deeper than others...some too bright for your taste. Strings can have alot to do with that too. but mostly it's the tonewoods and the individuality of the instrument.

I know every one of my guitars spoke to me when I bought them. In fact, the D50 giggled when I picked up a Martin to try it out. I left each shop knowing I had made the correct decision and never regretted any of them. (The D50 was bought used in 2004 for $700)

I would absolutely buy used...you get so much more for your buck, and there are plenty of very nice guitars out there if you can be patient. Check CL for local listings so you can play the guitar before buying. I've never bought on ebay....not saying it's a good thing or bad thing...just sayin

AC

 

[taabru45]

Hey LTG'rs, I have a question about Guild dreadnaught acoustics. I'll do it this way; what do you look for when buying a used Guild dreadnaught acoustic? And, you only have between $600-$900 spend?

Thank you in advance.

Sometimes,especially these days you can get a stunning guitar for that or a few dollars more, check out the Sunburst D50 that was posted here recently. less than $1100 ... viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22975I bought a 79 D50 that had 3 glued cracks in the top, and a bit of a bad job on the finish in that area, but everything was sound, and the voice was wonderful...and it was in your price range, but I'll not sell it....so....hands on if possible...the guys on this forum are decent, usually :wink: , folks who care about these guitars and their owners, so a very good place to start, as you have, good luck...you'll probably end up with something that the rest of us will also envy...Steffan

 

[evenkeel]

Within your price range you have a large option list. D-25's, D-35's, D-40's. Maybe even D-50's. Lots of others I'm sure. That also means an option of all mahogany guitars, spruce and mahogany, spruce and rosewood. All are great guitars, just depends on what you are looking for.

 

[BurstD55]

This topic comes up enough that I think that we should all come together and make a sticky thread about buying a used guild.

 

[curt]

I buy guitars in a couple different ways but they have to sound good and feel good. Ig a guitar sounds great but the neck doesn't work for you then what's the point? I own pristine guitars and I have some with holes but they have to sound good and feel good. I picked up this D40C and had to have the price adjusted down after I received it because it wasn't as described but sounds fantastic and is very playable. $550.00

 

[chazmo]

I've bought most of my Guilds from other forum members in good standing... That's pretty much all I need to know.

Seriously, though, if you have a store that you can play them in that's best. If you're looking at a specific model, you can always round up opinions around here, just like we always do. In fact, the new review sections are probably going to be good for this.

Best wihses.

 

[donboy53]

Within your price range you have a large option list. D-25's, D-35's, D-40's. Maybe even D-50's. Lots of others I'm sure. That also means an option of all mahogany guitars, spruce and mahogany, spruce and rosewood. All are great guitars, just depends on what you are looking for.

Thanks Evenkeel, for mentioning the wood compositions that are used in Guild guitars. Is one wood better than the others for sound. And I am looking for one with an ebony fretboard, am I maybe asking to much there on the fretboard?

 

[adorshki]

Within your price range you have a large option list. D-25's, D-35's, D-40's. Maybe even D-50's. Lots of others I'm sure. That also means an option of all mahogany guitars, spruce and mahogany, spruce and rosewood. All are great guitars, just depends on what you are looking for.

Thanks even, for mentioning the wood compositions that are used in Guild guitars. Is one wood better than the others for sound. And I am looking for one with an ebony fretboard, am I maybe asking to much there on the fretboard?

HI Donboy: I think I gave you a "Welcome aboard" last week, but just in case, "WA" :lol:
If you absolutely gotta have ebony you're gonna have to start with either a D50 or a DV52 or maybe an F50. Any one of those'll probably be at the top end of your budget for one in good condition. This site has spec sheets attached to most of the models described and is a good general overview of Guilds:
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/index.htm
Probably the most important thing to watch for conditionwise is what's called "neck angle".
Do a search for the term "neck reset" and you'll uncover a wealth of posts on the subject, how to check for it, and why it's expense is worth taking into account on a prospective purchase.

 

[taabru45]

As I said before, for the price and what I can see, this is a bargain..and a beauty...with ebony fretboard and bridge... viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22975I If I didn't already have one, I'd be all over it...these are great guitars, that become part of your 'family'...Steffan

 

[Ridgemont]

A D25 for that rumble in the chest good time. Seriously. That my friend is priceless......well about $600 really.

 

[evenkeel]

Thanks even, for mentioning the wood compositions that are used in Guild guitars. Is one wood better than the others for sound. And I am looking for one with an ebony fretboard, am I maybe asking to much there on the fretboard?

One wood is not better or worse just different. Rosewood is generally thought to have a dark, bass oriented sound, with complex overtones. Mahogany is generally thought be be warmer, more "woody". Maple is often described as having a bright, shimmery tone. My D-60 is rosewood, the D-35 is mahogany and the GF-30 is maple. The D-60 is very loud with a big, rumbly low end but still lots of bright overtones. The D-35 is a bit quieter, more mid range oriented and in some ways a "prettier" tone. I hesitate to toss in the GF-30 as it's a jumbo, but it does have a very bright, crisp sound.

Re: Fretboards I can't comment. Just not something I've given any thought to.

 

[GardMan]

I guess I have about as much experience buying used Guild dreads as anyone, so I'll strum on in...

As mentioned above, none of the different tonewoods is "better," just "different." If I had to order my Guild dreads on a scale of "bright and clear" to "rich and complex," I would order them:

Bright/clear... D-35 (flat mahogany B/S), D-44 (flat pearwood B/S), G-37 (arched maple B/S, I think the arched back on this one make a big difference), D-46 (flat ash B/S), D-50 (flat rosewood B/S) and D-55 (flat rosewood B/S)... rich/complex. The arched mahogany B/S D-25 is harder to fit into this scale... having both the brightness of mahogany but a strong dark bass....

They all have their distinct tone... so you do need to have an idea of what you like/want in terms of tone. If you like bright and clear, think maple or mahogany. If you like rich and complex, think of rosewood. If you want something in between, try an arched back D-25 or an ash D-46. Since most of my sales were online (eBay and other), I only tried two of my Guilds before buying... my original D-35 bought in Jan 1973 and my '76 D-50 bought in 2009. However, I was intent on trying all the tonewoods, so I didn't need to try them all ahead... the idea was that they WOULD sound different. I would have a hard time picking just one...

As for what's available in a range of $600-900... I'd say just about anything! Discounting the fact that my D-35 was paid for in 1973 dollars, only two of my Guilds cost me more than $1K... and they were just barely over (the 50 was ~$1030+tax, the 55 was ~$1125). My 46 was ~$950, but I paid more than average for the model, because I HAD TO HAVE IT (I had been watching it for more than a year on GBase, saw it sold, and then it appeared on eBay)! The others were less than $900... with the D-25 and G-37 ~$550 ea (none of mine are showpieces, tho' all except the 50 have cosmetic issues, from minor to moderate). IN most cases, rosewood will have the higher selling prices, but folks have found good rosewood dreads... DV-52s for example, for under $900. Even D-50s and 55s can be found i that range (usually with some cosmetic issues).

Anyway... tell us the sound you are looking for, and you'll get a hundred sugestions. IF you were in the area, I'd say come on over and try out the different woods.
Dave

 

[dreadnut]

I can vouch for the D-25 and the DV-52!

Between the two, the -52 wins though.

 

[donboy53]

Re: **Need a Guild acoustic buying guide from the members**

Hey LTG'rs, I have a question about Guild dreadnaught acoustics. I'll do it this way; what do you look for when buying a used Guild dreadnaught acoustic? And, you only have between $600-$900 spend?

Thank you in advance.

I want to thank you all for your input, I am soooo glad I found this group of dedicated and knowledgeable people with one interest in common, Guild guitars. That is a rare thing to find nowadays.

I am going to take everything that was written and use it for the purpose of getting the guitar I always wanted. I am in the early stages of learning to play, and I want a guitar that will sound good even when I goof up on chord changes. LOL I am looking for the 3rd week in January to buy the guitar, and in the meantime I will shop around for the D series it looks like right now. I'll check the fs/ft section here for guitars too, because I know if I get one from any of you people, it will be a beauty. When I find one, I'll put some pics of my new best friend in the forums here.

 

[donboy53]

Within your price range you have a large option list. D-25's, D-35's, D-40's. Maybe even D-50's. Lots of others I'm sure. That also means an option of all mahogany guitars, spruce and mahogany, spruce and rosewood. All are great guitars, just depends on what you are looking for.

Thanks even, for mentioning the wood compositions that are used in Guild guitars. Is one wood better than the others for sound. And I am looking for one with an ebony fretboard, am I maybe asking to much there on the fretboard?

HI Donboy: I think I gave you a "Welcome aboard" last week, but just in case, "WA" :lol:
If you absolutely gotta have ebony you're gonna have to start with either a D50 or a DV52 or maybe an F50. Any one of those'll probably be at the top end of your budget for one in good condition. This site has spec sheets attached to most of the models described and is a good general overview of Guilds:
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/index.htm
Probably the most important thing to watch for conditionwise is what's called "neck angle".
Do a search for the term "neck reset" and you'll uncover a wealth of posts on the subject, how to check for it, and why it's expense is worth taking into account on a prospective purchase.

Thanks for the welcome adorshki, I am starting to feel at home here.

 

[taabru45]

.........wonder why he hasn't welcomed me......but then its only been 2 years, The least he could do is say hello, welcome and lets get together sometime for some Chinese....(its ok, we are friendly towards each other and are mutually supportive in our love for Chinese) :roll: Steffan