The ever elusive Guild D64

[SFIV1967]

Has anyone ever seen a D-62?

Gruhn only shows 60 as last S/N in 1985. So much less compared to D-64.

Ralf

 

[walrus]

This is from GAD's catalog site, I used to have a copy. 1986 Guild acoustic catalog/brochure. But they only show the back of the D64!




walrus

 

[Boneman]

Hmm, that catalog from 86 makes me wonder what deterimes whether they put a Chesterfield on the headstock versus nothing versus the G shield? Is there a rhyme and reason?

 

[walrus]

I'm probably going to be corrected, but I think the G-shields are the Gruhn designs. Or the snakeheads are the Gruhn designs? OK, I guess I don't know for sure...

walrus

 

[wileypickett]

Why do you think your guitar had a repaired crack on the back, Glenn?

The cracks (Walrus remembers correctly -- there are two) are not in the center of the back, but parallel to it. It's pretty much impossible to see them in the photos of the guitar (so great you kept those Walrus!) but in person, you can both see and feel them.

After cleating the inside with those addtional strips of marquetry (thanks for that word!) the area of the repairs were lacquered and polished -- Guild did as nice job of cleaning it up as they could.

 

[wileypickett]

But they only show the back of the D64!

walrus

The D64 was a notoriously shy guitar!

 

[wileypickett]

edit - or perhaps his guitar has a second "center seam" type of brace, somewhere else.

Exactly. (Well, second and third.)

 

[fronobulax]

I'm probably going to be corrected, but I think the G-shields are the Gruhn designs. Or the snakeheads are the Gruhn designs? OK, I guess I don't know for sure...

walrus

Snake head was Gruhn era. G shields have been around for a while and I don't think there is any consistent rule about when they were, and wern't, used. I'm probably wrong too because I am using memory and not The Book.

 

[wileypickett]

Thanks everyone for your responses and those links. (That one from Atlanta, sold on Reverb, looks especially great!)

Not that what turns up online is any kind of measure of anything, but that's, what?, about a half dozen or so accounted for out of a possible 193, and none with a serial number higher than 61?

People are either hanging onto these guitars (and with good reason!) or else the production number is off.

As for the D62, Hans, in the link to the above thread, corrects the orginal poster, saying it's actually a DV62.

Do we know of any D62s?

 

[wileypickett]

Walrus: do you remember where you bought the guitar?

 

[richardp69]

Anyone know how many D64s are out there?

There's the one I bought from Walrus years ago (KC100006). I don't think I've ever heard tell of another, either in the wild or here on LTG.

There were a number of weirdnesses with this particular guitar.

It's definitely a righty, but the original saddle slot was angled for a lefty guitar, so the intonation was off. (How did this happen?!)

There was also a crack to the back of the guitar which apparently occurred during manufacture and was repaired by Guild before the guitar left the factory.

After being repaired it was stamped "factory second," and sent to a shop where our own Walrus bought it brand new. (The fact that it was new when Walrus bought it suggests that it came from Guild in the state it was in, and that the repairs were done by them. Lending further credence to it being fixed by Guild: the back crack was cleated with the same strips of wood that run down the inside center of the backs of Guild guitars -- which you can see through the soundhole, stamped "Guild.")

It was Walrus's main guitar for years, but when dreadnaught-sized guitars began causing him discomfort, he moved to smaller-sized guitars and offered the D64 for sale. In spite of all its oddnesses, it sounded fantastic. Though Walrus had done general maintenance upkeep over the years, when I bought it it was in pretty much the same shape as when he bought it.

Work I had done: I had the original saddle slot filled with matching rosewood and a new properly angled slot routed and a bone saddle installed. I also upgraded to 18:1 tuners.

It's one of the best sounding Guilds I've ever played.

Anyone know of other D64s? Andrew? Richard?

Hi Glenn. I did own one but I can't really remember the guitar. If my historical records are right the sn # was K00100019 and it looks like I sold it in Nov. of 2017 I believe to another LTGer but I can't remember who it was. I wish I still had it. (but I can say that about quite a few guitars I've let go over the years).

 

[wileypickett]

Hi Glenn. I did own one but I can't really remember the guitar. If my historical records are right the sn # was K00100019 and it looks like I sold it in Nov. of 2017 I believe to another LTGer but I can't remember who it was. I wish I still had it. (but I can say that about quite a few guitars I've let go over the years).

See above -- Treem has that guitar now!

 

[richardp69]

See above -- Treem has that guitar now!

It's called old age Glenn.

 

[12 string]

Now I'm dreaming about a Guild maple dread 12 string, especially with woods like these. It would make a great companion for my G-312!

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Hmm, that catalog from 86 makes me wonder what deterimes whether they put a Chesterfield on the headstock versus nothing versus the G shield? Is there a rhyme and reason?

Oh absolutely there is. Lowest level instruments (20 & 30) get nothing. Mid-level get the Chesterfield (37, 40 &50), high end get the "G-Shield". (55 & up). The F-44 is a high end smaller bodied "F" shape.

 

[fronobulax]

Oh absolutely there is. Lowest level instruments (20 & 30) get nothing. Mid-level get the Chesterfield (37, 40 &50), high end get the "G-Shield". (55 & up). The F-44 is a high end smaller bodied "F" shape.

I defer to @The Guilds of Grot although I think if you expand the question to 60+ years of Guilds and include electrics there are exceptions. But I will stand corrected

Snake head was Gruhn era. G shields have been around for a while and I don't think there is any consistent rule about when they were, and wern't, used. I'm probably wrong too because I am using memory and not The Book.

 

[Heath]

I defer to @The Guilds of Grot although I think if you expand the question to 60+ years of Guilds and include electrics there are exceptions. But I will stand corrected.

Another exception is the D40 which has see sawed back and forth at times

 

[plaidseason]

Oh absolutely there is. Lowest level instruments (20 & 30) get nothing. Mid-level get the Chesterfield (37, 40 &50), high end get the "G-Shield". (55 & up). The F-44 is a high end smaller bodied "F" shape.

I agree that's the general rule for the last 40-ish years.

One note is that the F-44 (aka GF30M) isn't that small - it's a 16" lower bout F40/Gibson J185/Martin 0000-ish in size.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I agree that's the general rule for the last 40-ish years.

One note is that the F-44 (aka GF30M) isn't that small - it's a 16" lower bout F40/Gibson J185/Martin 0000-ish in size.

16" is smaller than the 17" F-50.

My analysis was based solely on the 1986 Guild Advertising posted with the guitars as shown.

 

[walrus]

Walrus: do you remember where you bought the guitar?

Oh my. I want to say it was "Gordon Music", although based on a look at Google maps, the current Gordon Music is not exactly where I seem to remember the store being. I could have sworn it was a small shop at the end of West Boylston Street in Worcester, across from Quinsigamond Community College.

So the answer is "yes and no"! As Richard said above, "old age"...

walrus