My "new to me" D-55 - Is it one of the most documented?

AoxoA

AoxoA

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I recently bought a 1992 guild d-55. This isn’t just any D-55. This particular guitar could be the most documented and analyzed D-55 I have come across. After all, it was owned by LTG’s GardMan. In addition to the hundreds of mentions (or more) in this forum, it has its own webpage.

The previous owner i got it from has some info about it on youtube "plays like butter":



And
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arPGbBiFMow

He had a refret done a few months ago by a luthier named Dale Cress. I googled “luthier dale cress” and guess what? The top hit is Chesbro Music Company's (Idaho) Facebook post with a couple of pictures—AND it certainly looks like he is working on this particular D-55. Is that a fret in his hand?

Seriously, what are the chances of that, lol…this guitar is all over the net.

Here it is getting worked on last feb 2017:

2egcvir.jpg


wsjpfk.jpg
 
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AoxoA

AoxoA

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Bonneville88 said:
So that's where that ebay D55 went!

Congrats AoxoA, it's a beauty!
Click to expand...

Yes, it was me. Under the cover of night I swept in, offered my price, and closed the deal off eBay. Now it is headed my way (nobody in the thread claimed to be bidding on it at the time, so i figured no harm no foul).

It is a huge upgrade for me. I can't wait.
 
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GardMan

GardMan

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Hey, that IS my old D-55! I hadn't looked at the eBay thread, cause the ad called it a '91, and I knew my D-55 was a '92. But, that's it (and it IS a '92... don't know why he called it first an '81, then a '91... it has a '92 date stamped on the neck block)!

Pretty sure the seller is the guy I sold it to... he drove down to SLC from Idaho Falls just to try it out, and ended up buying it. Looks to be is pretty much the same condition I gave it to him in... tho' I don't really remember much loss of finish along the neck binding.

The lacquer checking happened when it shipped to me thru a New England freeze in Feb of 2007. Temps down into the singe digits as it came west from New Jersey. Before it got to me, it took a wrong turn, and ended up in Petaluma, CA... then back to SLC. I gave it a good 12 hrs to acclimate before opening up the box (and it warmed up a bit on its drive to CA), but it seems the finish was already checked in transit (the reason I will never ship/receive a guitar if the temps will be below freezing). Several of the dings on the top were also a result of that trip... the fellow who sold it to me had an Allen wrench in the case pocket, and it escaped during transit. I found it pressed between soundboard and case top when I opened the case... right where that long, linear depression in the finish is.

It's a great guitar! The sustain and tone were incredible... warm and sweet, and majestic as a grand piano (my favorite strings on it were John Pearse PB lights). The only guitar I have that matched it is my DV-72MK. Hope you enjoy it!

Added: couple more things... when I rec'd it, there were ugly strap locks installed on the neck, and in the end pin hole. The one in the end pin hole was actually screwed INTO the end of the plastic end pin. I replaced both with the wood button/end pin on it now. The end pin was actually custom turned by a violin fitting maker in Portland, with a wider skirt to cover the chamfer/bevel of the end pin hole.

My terse review is here...
Somewhere is a much more long-winded comparison of my DV-73, DV-72MK, D-50, and this D-55... but I can't seem to find it right now (the title of the thread is something like "From three to four, and back to three..." from ~Oct 2014 - Mar 2015).
 
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B

Bonneville88

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Cool history, thanks Gman... if it wasn't the most storied D55 here... it is now :saturn:

And well played, AoxoA... sounds like something I'd do :devilish:
 
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AoxoA

AoxoA

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GardMan said:
Hey, that IS my old D-55! I hadn't looked at the eBay thread, cause the ad called it a '91, and I knew my D-55 was a '92. But, that's it (and it IS a '92... don't know why he called it first an '81, then a '91... it has a '92 date stamped on the neck block)!

Pretty sure the seller is the guy I sold it to... he drove down to SLC from Idaho Falls just to try it out, and ended up buying it. Looks to be is pretty much the same condition I gave it to him in... tho' I don't really remember much loss of finish along the neck binding.

The lacquer checking happened when it shipped to me thru a New England freeze in Feb of 2007. Temps down into the singe digits as it came west from New Jersey. Before it got to me, it took a wrong turn, and ended up in Petaluma, CA... then back to SLC. I gave it a good 12 hrs to acclimate before opening up the box (and it warmed up a bit on its drive to CA), but it seems the finish was already checked in transit (the reason I will never ship/receive a guitar if the temps will be below freezing). Several of the dings on the top were also a result of that trip... the fellow who sold it to me had an Allen wrench in the case pocket, and it escaped during transit. I found it pressed between soundboard and case top when I opened the case... right where that long, linear depression in the finish is.

It's a great guitar! The sustain and tone were incredible... warm and sweet, and majestic as a grand piano (my favorite strings on it were John Pearse PB lights). The only guitar I have that matched it is my DV-72MK. Hope you enjoy it!

Added: couple more things... when I rec'd it, there were ugly strap locks installed on the neck, and in the end pin hole. The one in the end pin hole was actually screwed INTO the end of the plastic end pin. I replaced both with the wood button/end pin on it now. The end pin was actually custom turned by a violin fitting maker in Portland, with a wider skirt to cover the chamfer/bevel of the end pin hole.

My terse review is here...
Somewhere is a much more long-winded comparison of my DV-73, DV-72MK, D-50, and this D-55... but I can't seem to find it right now (the title of the thread is something like "From three to four, and back to three..." from ~Oct 2014 - Mar 2015).
Click to expand...

I knew most of this history except the allen wrench ;-). I have seen so many of your diagrams, pics, comparisons, and comments about saddle, neck width and etc. I have the good stuff bookmarked. The unmistakable wood pin is seen in that random facebook photo. Really, that choice of wood button/end pin is the most aesthetically pleasing I have seen.
 
AoxoA

AoxoA

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This 1992 D-55 has some cool features I liked:

<o>
The scalloped bracing and the "two-piece" end block, brief comment by GardMan here:

120991053.Q4GJl6Ah.0024.jpg


<o>
Upper bout top bracing, brief comment by GardMan here

123842603.qUqqpM7t.Guilddreadbracingrev.jpg


<o>
The sound hole reinforcement (pattern 3), comment by GardMan here

161083471.jsPs4yF8.jpg
 
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N

Neal

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FWIW, I recently observed the same two-piece tail block on my '05 F-50R. Looks exactly like the one above, but built 13 years later, on the opposite side of the country.
 
DV-72 NT

DV-72 NT

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Congratulations AoxoA! Well done!
I actually agonized a bit about bidding on this but wanted to watch her for a while. You quickly put my mind at ease :peaceful:
 
Treem

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Congratulations! Very nice D55! Love the tort pickguard! :glee:
 
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