Inherited Guild - Sad - Happy

Tico

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Just inherited another Guild - Sad - Happy

My best friend passed away last year.
We started playing guitars together 45 years ago in high school.
I just got word she left me the guitar we picked out together, back around 1974, IIRC it's a D-44 with OHSC.

I always thought the back and sides were pearwood, but googe indicates Guild switched to maple 1972 or so.
When it arrives I'll post pics & SN for help identifying the wood.

Does anyone know whether the label will indicate the wood in the model number, like D-44P, or D-44M?
Anyone know why Guild ended this apparently unique pearwood run?

All I know is her D-44 has luscious tone and the spruce has beautiful tight grain with those tightly-spaced lines running perpendicular to the grain.
This Guild really sparkles in appearance and tone, but maybe to tone I lover here is from maple not pear.
I played it a couple years ago and it was in mint condition.

She sort of "over-cherished" it so it rarely escaped from its case, let alone her house.
I think she considered it too nice and valuable to play, so she left her 1970 Yammie red-label out to play.
When she bought it I had a Guild D-40, but from day one I strongly preferred the tone of her D-44 to my D-40.

In 1977 I sold my D-40 to buy a new D-55, which I still have today.
I also scored an F-212XL with OHSC for around $350 a few years back.
Three killer 1970s Guilds, all made in Westerly, RI!
That's what I call a real "Westerly Collection".:biggrin-new:

Gosh, I'm one lucky guy, though I'd give them all up tenfold to have my dear friend back.
 
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hansmoust

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My best friend passed away last year.
I just got word she left me the guitar we picked out together, IIRC a D-44 with OHSC circa 1974-ish.

Hello Tico,

Sorry to hear about your friend. I think we can all relate to the Sad / Happy part. Let's hope that in time you will be able to pass it on to somebody that you love!

I had always thought the back and sides were pearwood, but googling indicates Guild switched their D-44s to maple around 72 or 73. Does anyone know whether the label will indicate the wood in model number, such as D-44P, or D-44M?


They didn't switch to maple just like that. Maple was added as an option around 1971; usually the maple ones will have the D-44M designation on the label.

In 1973 the pearwood version was discontinued and after that the maple model could still have the D-44M designation on the label, but not always.

Anyone know why Guild ended this pearwood run?

The end of a particular model was usually dictated by sales, but in this case the availability of the right quality pearwood may have played a role.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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txbumper57

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Tico, I am so sorry for your loss. Take comfort in knowing that it made her happy that you wound up with the D44. What a wonderful thing to be able to care for your friends beloved Guild and remember the music you made together every time you play it. D44's are some amazing sounding instruments and I'm sure yours/hers is no different. Best of luck to you and it looks like Hans has got your questions taken care of, Trust me you are in good hands there. Look forward to hearing more on it in the future.

TX
 

walrus

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Sorry for your loss, Tico. Looking forward to pictures of your/her guitar, and hope that playing the guitar brings back sweet memories of your friend.

walrus
 

Tico

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Thank you Hans, and all.

Questions linger.
Is the D-44 just a D-40 with pearwood instead of hog?
If so, why did Guild even create a model called D-44?
To justify a new model I assume there must have been bracing, body, or neck or other differences. No?

If B&S wood is the only difference, why didn't Guild just designate them D-40P for pear, and D-40MAP for maple?

If Guild stopped using pearwood because of disappointing sales I'd be surprised ... but then maybe not.
The tone really is exceptional, but I've read guitar buyers are a conservative and traditional bunch, ... creatures of habit who cling to the familiar security of woods they know, rosewood, mahogany, and maple.

Perhaps pear trees rarely grow wide enough at the trunk for a dread, but maybe this D-44 run was a one-time purchase of timber from a very old pear orchard.
I just can't wrap my head around why Guild (and others) don't make lots of guitars with pearwood because it just sounds so good.

Back when she bought it we were just teenagers who had not developed any bias about woods.
We just played everything and bought what sounded best, of course best to us. :wink:
 
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