My first Guild; tell your story here..

Walked into Gryphon around 1985. I had been playing an old Ibanez plywood guitar. There was a big old blond F 40 hanging on the used wall for $550. It was the cheapest guitar there by about half. At the time it was a lot of money for me. It was really heavy and, really in hindsight, not the best sounding guitar but it was way better than my Ibanez. I never cared enough then to even ask what the year was. Had it for about five years when I traded it in for a Martin 000 16, which was and continues to be a wonderful guitar, owned for the last 20 years by a friend of mine.

Much later Gryphon had a 1970 D 35 which I bought cheap because they felt it was not worth the work neededto make it playable. Bought it and tucked it away for another few decades before getting it fixed up.

Hmmmm my story let’s see , I joined LTG looking for info about Guilds and I was interested in learning more . After starting my all solid wood guitar life I was looking for another choice to upgrade from my Epiphone masterbilt Dr500mce my first all solid wood guitar . I played a Gad at a local shop it popped up in a web search not knowing anything about them (heck not knowing much about Guild at all last one I played was in the 70’s lol ) it was a F30 Sitka/hog had to say I liked it but I wanted rosewood so I ordered one , it sounded ok but note definition was not so good in the upper frets so back it went . Dang thing is I can’t remember the exact dates in relation to LTG .
Anyway some how I ended up with Dapmdave’s F212xlce she’s in the same shape now as when I get her and she still sounds sweet .
Got Guild bug after that . Tada !

I don’t fully recall. I know it was a ‘73 D40, double pguard and the burst had some purple in it. Sounded cool but was not easy to play. Then I got a F212xl. That was a beast but ae some. Still, a 2nd surgery on left wrist so had to let it go. Then years later, got the Br. Had a D35 and D50 in there as well.

Westerly Wood said:

I don’t fully recall. I know it was a ‘73 D40, double pguard and the burst had some purple in it. Sounded cool but was not easy to play. Then I got a F212xl. That was a beast but ae some. Still, a 2nd surgery on left wrist so had to let it go. Then years later, got the Br. Had a D35 and D50 in there as well.

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Oh man didn’t know that Wes . What happened with the wrist ? If I may be nosy err ask

It was 1975. I was 16, and had saved money from my newspaper route and a summer job and had $325 cash in my pocket.

I went to D.C. to Chuck Levins, and started picking up guitars that were in my price range. I was especially interested in Guilds, having been imprinted on Tom Chapin's F-40 as a kid watching "Make a Wish" on TV.

I walked out with a lightly-used 1973 D-35 NT, which is still in my possession 43 years later.

I got my first Guild in 1965. I had been playing guitar for about 3-4 years, started on a Kay that my Mom got with Top Value Yellow stamps, then got a Japanese classical with money I earned in a part time job (wish i still had it, was a decent classical). I had wanted a 12 string since I heard Leadbelly around '63, so since I had been diligent in practicing and really dedicated to the guitar, my mother agreed to get me a guitar, pretty much as a birthday present after I turned 17. I went to the local music shop, and they had two 12 strings in stock, a Gibson and a Guild. I wanted the Gibson, because it was a better known brand, but it was $300 and the F-212 was $200. Best decision my mother ever made about my musical future. Still have it, 50 plus years and counting.
Brad

adorshki said:

I just figured it was a deadpan-delivery joke he slipped in there to see if anybody'd bite.
He gotcha!
:glee:

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Ya think?

The Guilds of Grot said:

Ya think?

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Not anymore...
:blushed:

Just back from the army. I brought back an EKO 12 string I loved. A drunk ran a red light & totaled my car. The EKO 12 string was destroyed. I went shopping for an OVATION like Glenn Campbell played to replace it. I saw a red GUILD at the music store. I played it, bought it and never looked back.

I’d never heard of GUILD at the time. The year was 1974. The Guitar was a 1972 D-25. A son still has it. I just played it today in fact.

In a bit of irony, I went shopping for a GUILD Songbird. I needed a guitar for a one man band thing I was putting together. I needed an acoustic/electric. I bought an OVATION Elite instead.

So when I shopped for OVATION, I bought a GUILD. When I shopped for a GUILD, I bought an OVATION.

I am a new Guild owner as of October 2017. Last year around April I decided, at age 69, I was going to begin guitar lessons in December when the weather got to cold to bass fish, comfortably. I wanted a good acoustic - no electric - guitar and began the search. I live about 40 miles west of Nashville and thought a good used guitar will not be a problem to find. I was correct.
All the local "pickers" kept urging me to get a Martin or Gibson with a few of the younger players dropping the Taylor name, occasionally. Although, not hard to find, the models they were suggesting cost more than a 1966 GTO I bought in 1969. No way I was paying more for an acoustic guitar than I did a GTO. Fast forward to September and loafing at a local "used tires" shop with the owner being one of the Martin puhers. He had 4 in the corner by his deer and turkey mounts. I relayed again, "I ain't paying that much and he said, "buy you a Guild." So I googled Guild and found LTG. The search began and I had, roughly, a $1000 to spend. I kept seeing lots of nice things said about the DV52 and that model took over first place in my mind. The search was pawn shops and craigslist within 200 miles of Dickson. I wanted to see it, hear it, and play it. No DV52s in Lexington, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, or Birmingham, or cities inbetween. In October, I had a trip planned to visit our son in Falls Church, VA just outside DC. My search just got expanded to every city on I-81 going through VA-nuttin'. When I got to son's home, I typed in Washington and Baltimore-still nothing. I had made my mind up to stay off the beltway in my search. And a couple days before we left-headed back to middle TN there it was- a DV52 in McLean, VA 10 miles from Falls Church and easy travel on the backroads. Contacted the owner and the next day made the trip. When I knocked on his door and he invited me in, I saw three beautiful Guilds (none of which I had ever seen before). A DCE-6, a G41, and THE DV52. I strummed a few chords slowly turning my head sidways as if to listen for the faint barking of coondogs "treed." We small talked and came to an agreement on the DV52. What a wonderful guitar for me. I have played it so much the calluses on my fingers fool me every time I pick my nose. Not a buggar I am feeling but callus rubbing inside of my nose.
And I have LTG members to thank.
Since bought a JF65 and now looking for mahogany back and sides Guild.

Stuball48 said:

Since bought a JF65 and now looking for mahogany back and sides Guild.

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I remember that DV52 story.
Didn't realize you were in the hunt for a 'hog body.
Dreadnought, I assume?
Hard to go wrong with a D40, or even what I recently realized was basically a D40 on steroids, the DV-6, a 'hog-body version of the DV-52.
Of course you'll get suggestions for Guild's best selling-guitar of all time (as of 1997); the archback D25.
I couldn't say I prefer one over the other any more, they're just "different".

Al:
My mind and heart have settled in on two of the three you listed--DV52 "Hog" body or D40. I been a lookin'.

Stuball, I had a '66 GTO, bought it in '72 when I was stationed in Jacksonville, FL. White, with a black ragtop and red interior, 389 4-speed, whole lotta car right there!

Sold it in '73 for the same price I paid for it, $500.00 :crying:

Well, there aren't any 'hog body DV-52's...

Stu, you might want to consider a vintage D-35 or a D-25 with a laminated arched 'hog back too. Seems to me D-35's can be had for a great price, they seem to "run under the radar." My buddy has a '76 D-35 Tobacco 'burst, sweet guitar. He bought it new the same year I bought my D-25M.

Purchased four Guilds in the '70s. Can't remember which one came first - I think it was the D-40. Also bought an F-20 & F-30, and the last one to come home with me was an F-40.

They all eventually were traded off as I got into Gibsons & Martins. But I never forgot those Westerly Guilds, or the things I liked about them, so a few years ago the search began to revisit the past - and it's been a real treat!

Dreadnut:
I knew I had not seen or run across any materials on a "hog" DV52 but my knowledge on models of Guilds is still in the infant stage. I, did, talk with a fellow in Bowling Green, KY who had a D35 for sale but was about $350 high and we never got together. Will keep enjoying the two I have and a "hog" body will show up.
And my GTO was 389-4 barrell-4 speed (Hurst I think) kinda cream with a blk vinyl top. Some "muscle" cars right off the dealer's lot in about a 10 year stretch from mid 60s to mid 70s. Gas a little better price!

Stu, go whole hog:

https://reverb.com/item/3660343-1988-guild-d-15-all-mahogany-dreadnought

you'll never go back.

Very early D-35 bought for my 18th birthday by my Dad at a pawn shop in Portsmouth, NH late 1970 at my request.....

Rayk said:

Oh man didn’t know that Wes . What happened with the wrist ? If I may be nosy err ask

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Tore cartilage lifting something wrong. Then again later doing push-ups

Was down a good 9 months, maybe a year total without being able to play. Drop in bucket though now. The Guild dread neck really helps.

dreadnut said:

Well, there aren't any 'hog body DV-52's...

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I think he was responding to my comment that a DV-6 was a 'hog-bodied version of the DV52.
Though I probably should have pointed out a Westerly DV-6 is the 'hog bodied version, "a D40 on steroids."