Guild D37 Specs?

Hi guys, i've recently come across a D-37 for sale but do not know the specs concerning the woods...Im guessing its a Sitka Spruce top w/ Rosewood b/s? From the little info i found on the internet i have heard of it being marketed as a "bluegrass" guitar but other than that nothing much else.

Also, I'm guessing that this has the standard 1 11/16" nut width that most guilds have? Anyways, would love to hear more about this guitar from any of those that own it or are in possession of Hans' book or would love to hear from the man himself!

wordlesschorus said:

Hi guys, i've recently come across a D-37 for sale but do not know the specs concerning the woods.......

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Hello wordlesschorus,

Maybe you should check if the guitar is indeed labeled D-37. To the best of my knowledge there never was a model called D-37 but there was a model called G-37. It's a dreadnought size guitar with maple back (laminated arched back) & sides.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

Hi Hans, thanks for the quick reply. I'll email the guy to have him check. When i googled "guild d37/d-37" i only came up with two other instances where it was mentioned once in another forum and another time on a bluegrass website. So perhaps the model in question is a g-37. Anyways, thanks again for the help!

Wordless,
I picked up a '74 G-37Bld ("blonde") off eBay in July '06. Spruce top, arched laminated maple back. Mine is an early model, so has a one piece mahogany neck and silk screened logo on the headstock:


Sometime in the mid-late '70s, the necks became 3-piece maple with chesterfield headstocks. Later on, the G-37 "morphed" into the D-30 (specs are pretty much the same, but name changed). I believe the Hank Williams /G-45 is similar construction, with fancier appointments.

In watching eBay, I have also seen G-37s in burst finish (one of of LTGers has a nice burst G-37... West, mabe?), and a stained finish that might have given one the impression of rosewood. But the unbraced, arched back (like the D-25s, only maple) is a giveaway.

While others have commented on the volume and projection of their G-37s, mine is certainly not my loudest dread, but has a sweet, smooth, mellow tone that is great for ballads. I string it with JP 80/20 bluegrass, to punch up the bass just a little... Perhaps the maple necks are stiffer than the mahogany on mine, and transmit more energy to the body, producing more volume? Regardless... I am very pleased with my G-37. I bought it and it's sister, a '74 D-25M, within in a month of each other in summer '06. Love 'em both!
Dave

GardMan said:

Wordless,
I picked up a '74 G-37Bld ("blonde") off eBay in July '06. Spruce top, arched laminated maple back. Mine is an early model, so has a one piece mahogany neck and silk screened logo on the headstock:

Sometime in the mid-late '70s, the necks became 3-piece maple with chesterfield headstocks. Later on, the G-37 "morphed" into the D-30 (specs are pretty much the same, but name changed). I believe the Hank Williams /G-45 is similar construction, with fancier appointments.

In watching eBay, I have also seen G-37s in burst finish (one of of LTGers has a nice burst G-37... West, mabe?), and a stained finish that might have given one the impression of rosewood. But the unbraced, arched back (like the D-25s, only maple) is a giveaway.

While others have commented on the volume and projection of their G-37s, mine is certainly not my loudest dread, but has a sweet, smooth, mellow tone that is great for ballads. I string it with JP 80/20 bluegrass, to punch up the bass just a little... Perhaps the maple necks are stiffer than the mahogany on mine, and transmit more energy to the body, producing more volume? Regardless... I am very pleased with my G-37. I bought it and it's sister, a '74 D-25M, within in a month of each other in summer '06. Love 'em both!
Dave

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Hi Gardman, sorry for the late reply, that is one really nice looking guitar you have there! Yeah, i emailed the woman selling it and she confirmed that she thought it was a G-37 as well, but the man who had appraised it for here apparently gave her some wrong information.

I was on the brink of treking out and trying it out for myself but i thought that it might be similar in tone to my Westerly D25s and figured i might as well try to control my guitar buying (BTW, if anybody is interested in a 79 D25 pm me!). Funny, i've always thought of my D25 as having a "mellow" tone as well but only when finger picked or strummed softly.

I started another thread on here comparing my Corona and Westerly D25s and though i love my Corona, i was wrong in stating that it had more bass. The D25 when strummed hard (especially on an F chord) really does have a "cavernous" boom to it. The Corona, though for some reason, seems to ring out more on bass runs.

Hey Wordless... I was surprised how different my D-25M and G-37Bld did sound... both from '74, both arched backs. Minor differences in bracing of the neckblock, but the primary difference being maple vs mahogany. In fact, it was the distinct tonal differences between these two that set me on a quest to collect all the different tone woods. To my ear, the D-25 is a "growler"... lots of bass, volume, and projection. The G-37 is smoother and quieter... very mellow. My original plan was to bring 'em both in, compare them for a while, and keep the one I like best. Nearly two years later, I still have 'em both (and have added a D-55 in rosewood and an ash-bodied D-46).
Dave

You got a great collection going, Dave! I am right in lockstep with you on the descriptions of the different woods you have, too. Nice job comparing them. How about a pearwood? Have you played a D-44?

Guildmark,
Thx! No, I haven't ever played, nor heard, a pearwood D-44. Heard lots of good things about them... and one is definitely on my short list.
Dave

GardMan said:

Hey Wordless... I was surprised how different my D-25M and G-37Bld did sound... both from '74, both arched backs. Minor differences in bracing of the neckblock, but the primary difference being maple vs mahogany. In fact, it was the distinct tonal differences between these two that set me on a quest to collect all the different tone woods. To my ear, the D-25 is a "growler"... lots of bass, volume, and projection. The G-37 is smoother and quieter... very mellow. My original plan was to bring 'em both in, compare them for a while, and keep the one I like best. Nearly two years later, I still have 'em both (and have added a D-55 in rosewood and an ash-bodied D-46).
Dave

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Hi Gardman, maple as a tonewood is very interesting. I havent run across many guitars that use it. Thanks!

GardMan said:

........... I have also seen G-37s in burst finish (one of of LTGers has a nice burst G-37... West, mabe?), and a stained finish that might have given one the impression of rosewood. But the unbraced, arched back (like the D-25s, only maple) is a giveaway.

While others have commented on the volume and projection of their G-37s, mine is certainly not my loudest dread, but has a sweet, smooth, mellow tone that is great for ballads. I string it with JP 80/20 bluegrass, to punch up the bass just a little... Perhaps the maple necks are stiffer than the mahogany on mine, and transmit more energy to the body, producing more volume? Regardless... I am very pleased with my G-37. I bought it and it's sister, a '74 D-25M, within in a month of each other in summer '06. Love 'em both!
Dave

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My 37 is probly the Sunburst Gard's talking about. It's a nice git, a "Genuine Value", lately it's the Acoustic I play mostly.

I believe it's a 78, 5 pc mahogany neck. Best comparison I have is to a late Westerly D25, the D25 is noticeably lighter, has a more mellow voice, The G37 has a distinctly different voice, puts out a "bigger?" sound, hard to describe, sweet voice, more brash, (brash isn't the correct word) really depends on how you play it, handles aggressive pickin pretty well. Easily the heaviest acoustic of the lot, something in the design is making it noticeably hefty when you pick it up, machine heads could be part of it. Same general body size as the D25, headstock's bigger, the heel on the neck where it meets the body is wider & fatter than the D 25, inside are some substantial looking blocks of maple supporting the neck & in the tail.

She's getting new strings as we speak, switching to D Addario custom lights to see if it'll make practicing bends easier.

12 lbs. lighter. I wonder if that can do any twisting to the neck to have a somewhat mixed tension set on. I don't suppose it would be much worse than a standard set. That is one beautiful sunburst. :shock: