Hi Jon, I see your post was in 2012,.. and my reply now in 2018! Hope you're still around.
I sit here in my small guitar shop in Uganda on the Sth Sudan border. ( Shop keeps me sane while I run a small charity and family.) Ive found a 1979 Lemon Grove Taylor 510 and a 2002 Guild D-40 here ( of all places) and like you were (are still?!), I've been torn between the two.
-Both are spruce and mahogany ( Ebony fretboard on Taylor, Rosewood on Guild)
-Taylor has bone nut and saddle. Guild some type of synthetics ( 'tusk'?).
-Though Guild is 1mm wider at the nut, at the third fret both necks measure very close to same in depth and width, though the Taylor neck has slightly less shoulders which makes it a little less bulky albeit easier to move around the neck on.
- Inside, the Guild has bracing on the sides, Taylor don't and in addition to the age variation in the guitars, I think its this that gives the Guild it's 'stiffer' more solid body and brighter tone.
- Strung with same strings (11-52's), initially the Taylor was indeed 'silky' to play compared to the stiffer Guild. This I fixed by making a new bone nut for the Guild with identical string spacing and nut depth of the Taylor (a very short hairs width off the first fret when fingered on the third spacing, the less space the better...as long as theres air...just.) I will make a bone saddle for the Guild soon.
- I'm no expert on tone, but my 'feeling' is that the older Taylor has 'opened up' more, is mellower in middle and bass though equally bright as the Guild on the treble strings. The younger Guild is bright all round, rich in bass register, but brighter generally, and not played a lot in it's 17 yr life. I sort of wish it was 20 years older.
As far as ease of playing goes, given the truss rod is set properly, I think its the nut which plays a critical role. String spacing must be spot on with equal and enough room for fingers not to snag other strings when playing in the rapids. Slot depth too must be low enough so pitch remains true when fretted, and equal height across the first fret. Too high and any guitar will feel clunky and pitch will f.... up. Great Nut spacing tool here:
www.tdpri.com/attachments/nut-layout-pdf.12216/
- Both have exceptional machine heads , and both original I think. Guild Grovers, Taylor, don't know but on par with Grovers.
- Both are now exceptional guitars in tone and play, however the Guild has won me over as it has a stunning active saddle pick-up ( LR Baggs )..Don't know if this was original or not.
The Taylor arrived with me from a grass hut with its neck broken below headstock, and, at body joint (a brothers brawl). This has repaired well. The Guild was found kicking around a school but somehow remains in very good condition.
I'm always amazed when guitars of this quality turn up here. Often there brought here by overseas visitors / charity workers who leave them when they go. I repair and sell primarily used guitars that are brought i by customers for repair, or by hunting in second-hand shops in the countrys capital Kampala, 7 hrs bus trip away. Ive found great guitars amongst generators, broken tools, hair dryers, obsolete 8 track/cassette car stereos, kids toys, bikes, car parts, bumper bars, etc, all lumped together in the one shop. Picked up a Vox Pathfinder and a Vox Cambridge last week. These all arrive via containers from Europe, Japan, US, second hand goods which are purchased by retailers and sold, usually for pea-nuts. It's a lot of fun hunting!
Well Jon, hope you're still kickin' and enjoying your Guild...or Taylor. Regards man.