NGD Almost - 2000 Guild DCE5 from GC

[Westerly Wood]

And the sound is just so robust and boomy.

I’d keep it. These are getting harder to find and sound matters most. Congratulations!

 

[twocorgis]

HM, that is precisely what I am struggling with. I pulled the TRC off and gave the truss rod a couple of small turns. Seems to feel better. Actually if the action could stay just like this, it would be a winner. There is a tech up at GC who is a pretty straight shooter. He is the kind that will tell you whether you bought it from them or not if there are long-term issues going on. He is always shot me pretty straight when I have needed a second opinion. I think I am going to have him go through it too for giggles. A luthier / guitar tech I am not.

Isn't there a better luthier than the guy at GC? Just my personal experience, but I've yet to see a "tech" at any of my local Guitar Centers that I'd trust with one of my guitars. Rockwall is right outside Dallas, correct?

 

[beecee]

Did they have compensated saddles originally?

Gorgeous back btw

 

[D30Man]

Isn't there a better luthier than the guy at GC? Just my personal experience, but I've yet to see a "tech" at any of my local Guitar Centers that I'd trust with one of my guitars. Rockwall is right outside Dallas, correct?

There is and I reached out to him. Dan McCarthy. The really good ones are pretty busy. The GC tech is a guy named Kenny and he is a decent tech actually. Been around a long time and has some degree of knowledge, but yes, typically they are not great.

 

[D30Man]

Did they have compensated saddles originally?

Gorgeous back btw

A couple of the other ones I have seen online do not. My DCE3 from the same year / series does not.
Yes, this is one of the nicest laminated backs I have ever seen on a guitar. Thanks.

 

[D30Man]

I’d keep it. These are getting harder to find and sound matters most. Congratulations!

Barring any major warnings from the luthier, I absolutely will. It sounds really good. Thanks, WW.
I suspect it is something that is more manageable than having to do a full on reset. We'll see.

 

[plaidseason]

More than once I've heard that there are some/lots of late Westerly Guilds with shallow neck angles.

If it sounds great, I'd live with it. I might also consider ramping and/or shaving the bridge - I know this freaks some people out.

 

[D30Man]

Doesn't freak me out at all, Plaid. I am for whatever gives me the most life with the instrument at optimal playing.

I did let Dan McCarthy ( reputable Dallas repairman ) look it over today and he told me I have little to be concerned about. It has a slight angle. Action was properly set based on measurements at 1st / 14th frets. Straight edge revealed it sat just below the top of the bridge which means some slight angle. He said it wasn't anything that I needed to worry about for several years. He said, and when it comes time to reset it, call Tom Jacobs.. I was pleased overall. Then I handed him my D-35 which was in need of a setup and left it with him.

Now the D-35 was given new life prior to my purchasing in the form of a pretty well executed reset.

 

[fronobulax]

I did let Dan McCarthy ( reputable Dallas repairman ) look it over today and he told me I have little to be concerned about. [...] He said, and when it comes time to reset it, call Tom Jacobs..

This endorsement makes me smile more than I expected.

 

[twocorgis]

This endorsement makes me smile more than I expected.

That's most likely because there's a lot of luthiers (like mine) that don't like doing neck resets on Guilds. Heck, my guy doesn't like doing neck resets period, but I understand why in his case. He has a 9-5 job, and can make more money doing small jobs like setups.

 

[D30Man]

That is precisely the case, Sandy. Too laborious. He mentioned something about the way Guild attaches their necks / blocks there is little gap for them to get enough steam in there to melt the glue. Either way, when the times comes I just might give Tom a call.

 

[fronobulax]

That's most likely because there's a lot of luthiers (like mine) that don't like doing neck resets on Guilds. Heck, my guy doesn't like doing neck resets period, but I understand why in his case. He has a 9-5 job, and can make more money doing small jobs like setups.

I wasn't trying to rehash the "Guild necks are hard" conversation. I was pleased that a luthier was recommending Tom.

 

[twocorgis]

That is precisely the case, Sandy. Too laborious. He mentioned something about the way Guild attaches their necks / blocks there is little gap for them to get enough steam in there to melt the glue. Either way, when the times comes I just might give Tom a call.

A lot of it is that they have a large dovetail joint, and they also finish the neck after it has been fitted, so that means extra touch-up work after the neck is reattached.

I wasn't trying to rehash the "Guild necks are hard" conversation. I was pleased that a luthier was recommending Tom.

I know that, but honestly, even Tom is a bit reluctant to do neck resets if he can avoid them. That was the case with my old DV72, and a few others that I have heard from other members. Tom does have quite a bag of tricks to eek out more saddle in his arsenal, though.

 

[plaidseason]

A lot of it is that they have a large dovetail joint, and they also finish the neck after it has been fitted, so that means extra touch-up work after the neck is reattached.

I know that, but honestly, even Tom is a bit reluctant to do neck resets if he can avoid them. That was the case with my old DV72, and a few others that I have heard from other members. Tom does have quite a bag of tricks to eek out more saddle in his arsenal, though.

Which I honestly think is great problem solving. When my most trusted luthier reglued the bridge on my F44, he also lowered it a bit to give some more saddle pull. It worked. The saddle is still on the low side, but sonically, all is very well!

 

[D30Man]

When I was in Dan's shop he was gluing an ebony bridge on to an early 70's J-45. He showed me the bridge that Gibson put on there... It was plastic... Whoever owns that thing is going to get a very different sounding guitar when they get it back.. Boy they were really trying to cut costs. They had even lightly scuffed the top of the bridge to give it the appearance of ebony..

 

[steveintampa]

Looks nice. I got one around the first of the year and love how it sounds when playing with someone using a mahogany body dreadnaught.

You always have to tweak the set up on a new guitar to your liking.