Differences between a DV 72, DV 73 and DV 74

Well, I'm closing in on picking up several fairly rare and desirable Guilds. I did score the DV 72 from an LTG member recently. But, I still had on my Bucket List the DV 73 and DV 74. But then I started thinking I don't really know the differences between them and the DV 72. Maybe some of you more learned members can enlighten me? I surely hope so because as is typically the case I'm pretty much unenlightened about this and many other things in life.

I have both a DV72MK (Malachite instead of turquoise) and DV73. The 73 is just a bit more ornate, with turquoise, red coral, black onyx, and nickel silver rosette and fret markers, as opposed to the turquoise and pearl markers of the "standard" 72 (my MK has malachite in place of turquoise). Here's one pic, as a teaser...



You can see more pics of the 72 here and pics of the 73 here...

Both of my DV7Xs have 1-3/4" necks, which was a bit of a surprise (both rather chunky, but the 73 has the thickest Guild neck I have ever encountered). I don't know how common the wider necks were on the DV7Xs... specs say they should be 1-11/16"... but mine are only a few thou from 1.75". Nonetheless, I adapted to them quite readily.

My 72 and 73 have distinct voices (which is good, because I can justify keeping both!)... both are well balanced (better than my '92 D55, now sold) with strong bass, great mids, and sparkling trebles. But the 72 has a markedly warmer voice, while the 73 is a bit brighter. I would say the 73 sounds somewhere between my DV72 and D50 in tone. There might be several causes for the tonal difference, but much of the difference likely results from a difference in the top bracing... My 72 has a thin, plate-like brace that surrounds the sound hole (like my D55, that it replaced). In my 73, the sound hole is flanked by two thin braces, more typical of my earlier Guild dreads.

I have only seen pics of a DV74... there was one that kept popping up on Craigslist in the SE USA a couple years back. We all thought it a bit overpriced at ~$3500 (the closed ads still pop up on a google search). As far as I saw, it never sold. Superficially, it looked just like a DV73... but the coral was a bit pinker (as opposed to the deep red on my 73). There is also a pink coral version of the DV72 (see this thread).... SN lists also include numbers for 10 DV76s and a one-of DV82. I have no clue what they look like!

So, there's a brief summary... they are both great guitars... but I would say my 72 is the nicest sounding guitar I have ever played. It sounds great finger picked, but sounds equally at home strumming cowboy tunes. It gets probably 75% of my playing time these days. I reach for the 73 when I want a little more brightness (usually strumming)... it replaced my D50 in that role (the D50 is living in DADGAD these days).

When you have a chance, I'd love to hear your comparison of your DV72 and your D70... that's a model I would like to add to my herd!

Hey Dave, thanks. That's a real fine recap you gave me and I much appreciate it. Your DV 73 sure is a pretty thing isn't it? Prettier than most women I do believe.

Anyway, sure sometime soon I'll pull out the D 70 and the DV 72 and try to do a comparison and post it here on LTG. Thanks again

Richard

Those pics are fantastic! I've not come across a DV73 or DV74 so I can't compare, but, like you, I'm plum crazy about my DV72. (I also have a JV72 -- also a fantastic sounding instrument, and completely unlike my other jumbo acoustics, an F50 and F50R.)

My New Hartford D55 sounds pretty righteous, but -- I have to say -- the DV72 beats it, IMO. Of course the DV72 has a couple more decades of "playing in" time under its belt.

Which reminds me, I did three of the four New Hartford LMG tours, and I like having a guitar that was made there by those folks. Still, I've been on the fence about whether to hang onto the D55 or offer it for sale, since it's not my main go-to guitar. Anyone want to twist my arm?

Glenn

Hi Richard you will have to do another comparison in a wee while :joyous:
Stu

So, how hard would I have to twist?????

wileypickett said:

Those pics are fantastic! I've not come across a DV73 or DV74 so I can't compare, but, like you, I'm plum crazy about my DV72. (I also have a JV72 -- also a fantastic sounding instrument, and completely unlike my other jumbo acoustics, an F50 and F50R.)

My New Hartford D55 sounds pretty righteous, but -- I have to say -- the DV72 beats it, IMO. Of course the DV72 has a couple more decades of "playing in" time under its belt.

Which reminds me, I did three of the four New Hartford LMG tours, and I like having a guitar that was made there by those folks. Still, I've been on the fence about whether to hang onto the D55 or offer it for sale, since it's not my main go-to guitar. Anyone want to twist my arm?

Glenn

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richardp69 said:

So, how hard would I have to twist?????

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Not that hard, but I'm thinking trade / trade plus cash? (I'm after a D46 in very good shape and may be open to other trades too.)

PM me and we'll talk!

Glenn

wileypickett said:

Those pics are fantastic! I've not come across a DV73 or DV74 so I can't compare, but, like you, I'm plum crazy about my DV72. (I also have a JV72 -- also a fantastic sounding instrument, and completely unlike my other jumbo acoustics, an F50 and F50R.

Glenn

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In what way does your JV-72 sound different to your F50R Glenn?

I have been looking at F50R/JF55 guitars, as their looks appeal, but then with having a JV52, thinking, they are probably very similar. You obviously think otherwise.

Steve.

Inlay.

West

West R Lee said:

Inlay.

West

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LMAO!! That's the simple answer, of course!! :encouragement:

West R Lee said:

Inlay.

West

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Good one!

As I mentioned in the 2014 email discussion about this guitar, it has more overtone activity going on than any guitar I've ever played.

(See: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...s-finally-and-long-story&highlight=Guild+jv72 )

Some of you fingerstyle players may have experienced this phenomenon when playing a particularly lively 12-string (for me, my F412 or F512) where you produce these swelling overtones which take on a life of their own, like they're not of your own making, like they're coming from someplace other than the guitar.

This is the first 6-string I've ever played that produces that effect, and it's only become more pronounced since I first wrote about it. (I had just gotten it back from my guitar tech, who had made significant repairs to it -- see original post.)

I get this weird sense when playing this guitar that the doorbell just rang or that my cell phone is ringing or that something is going on outside.

I do play exclusively in open tunings so there are the overtones that come of playing with the strings tuned to the same note, octaves apart, like the octave strings on a 12-string. But that effect doesn't happen when playing my other Guild jumbo six-strings -- my F50, F50R, F47CE, etc.

And of course as soon as I stop playing, those "extraterrestrial" sounds stop.

I've gotten used to this "haunted" guitar sound by now, but I'm always kind of amazed when it happens.

Maybe West is right -- maybe it's all that turquoise inlay that's causing it!

Glenn

I'd like a New Hartford D-55, since I've wanted a 55 since the late 70s, but, if I were honest with myself, the F47R I have probably fits my playing better. Sorry, I've thrown logic in a guitar loving thread. I'm off the the "sin bin" to cool off and think of the error of my ways. (shuffle, shuffle.... )

wileypickett said:

Good one!

As I mentioned in the 2014 email discussion about this guitar, it has more overtone activity going on than any guitar I've ever played.

(See: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...s-finally-and-long-story&highlight=Guild+jv72 )

Some of you fingerstyle players may have experienced this phenomenon when playing a particularly lively 12-string (for me, my F412 or F512) where you produce these swelling overtones which take on a life of their own, like they're not of your own making, like they're coming from someplace other than the guitar.

This is the first 6-string I've ever played that produces that effect, and it's only become more pronounced since I first wrote about it. (I had just gotten it back from my guitar tech, who had made significant repairs to it -- see original post.)

I get this weird sense when playing this guitar that the doorbell just rang or that my cell phone is ringing or that something is going on outside.

I do play exclusively in open tunings so there are the overtones that come of playing with the strings tuned to the same note, octaves apart, like the octave strings on a 12-string. But that effect doesn't happen when playing my other Guild jumbo six-strings -- my F50, F50R, F47CE, etc.

And of course as soon as I stop playing, those "extraterrestrial" sounds stop.

I've gotten used to this "haunted" guitar sound by now, but I'm always kind of amazed when it happens.

Maybe West is right -- maybe it's all that turquoise inlay that's causing it!

Glenn

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Inlay IS the only difference, unless of course Hans is wrong.

West

Well, you can assume I'm either making it up or that my ears are deceiving me, but I've been playing guitar for 47 of my 61 years and I can hear a profound (not slight) difference between my F50R and JV72.

I can't say why that is, but we know, I think, that there are many reasons why guitars made from the same materials and according to the same specs sound different.

When I talked to Ren at LMG, he said that even with all their sophisticated CNC machinery, improved quality contol and emphasis on production consistency, he often noticed differences in sound between D55s produced at the same time using materials from the same batch.

Many of us have stumbled on the odd dud guitar that just didn't have "it," whatever you (or Bill Clinton) define "it" as.

Many people feel that guitars sound better with age and / or after hundreds of hours of playing time.

I'm not the only one here who has observed that some guitars sound better with Bridge Doctors installed than without, though I couldn't say whether the improvement was due to the BD or due to the top being flattened out again. (My JV72 had to have a BD installed -- my F50R doesn't have one.)

So no, I can't tell you why the JV72 sounds different the the F50R, but it does.

Glenn

I am referring to the OP Wiley. There is no difference between the high end DV's......other than inlay. Now is there difference structurally between and JV vs a DV vs a GV?........obviously. That is to say a DV72 is a DV73 is a DV74 and so on are identical structurally with the exception of the inlay.

West

frenchie said:

In what way does your JV-72 sound different to your F50R Glenn?

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Hey West,

Sorry! I thought you were responding to Steve's question, above.

Glenn

The difference between my '94 DV-72MK NT HG and '95 DV-73 NT HG is more than just inlay... the bracing pattern on the top around the soundhole is distinct. Altho' I don't have everything to scale and the tone bars might be out of place, here is a sketch of how the top bracing looks on the two DVs, built a year apart:



The difference is the bracing right around the sound hole. The 72 has a thin plate that completely surrounds the sound hole, and butts almost up against the 1st cross brace and X-braces (my '92 D-55 also was braced like this). The 73 has thin strip braces flanking the sound hole, and another thin transverse brace below it (this is more like my older guild dreads). I don't know if it just a difference in years, or if all the 72s are braced like mine, and all the 73s are braced like my 73... I'd be curious to know.

Not a problem Wiley. And Dave, I've never looked under the hood of mine, only repeating what Hans has told me. Interesting stuff you've got there.

West

wileypickett said:

Hey West,

Sorry! I thought you were responding to Steve's question, above.

Glenn

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Tell me Dave.......do you have a preference between the two? And if so, why? You've had them for a while now, maybe long enough to make an objective comparison?

West

West R Lee said:

Inlay.

West

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I didn`t know that inlay had a sound! You learn something new every day.