New to Guild Forum!

RevDavidLee

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Hello everyone! This afternoon I scored an early 90's Guild D4 that was made at the Westerly Rhode Island plant. I was at a local music store browsing and an elderly couple came in carrying an old school Guild hardcase so I wandered over by them to stalk them to see what was in the case. They told the store employee they wanted to consign it and sell it & so he asked to see it. They opened the case and the guitar looked brand new!

I asked if I could check it out & they said sure. So I looked it over & it was in dead mint condition. No fret wear. No scratches. No smudges. No wear whatsoever. So I had to ask - "has this been played?" They said their son bought it new back in the early nineties with the intent to learn how to play - he pulled it out a few times, thought it was too difficult, and put it back in the case. Where it stayed. Until today.

They were asking $500 (they only netted $375 due to the store's consignment fee), and I bought it on the spot. :tears_of_joy: It even came with the original Guild Guitar manual & a cool vintage strap.

Here's some pics for your review!

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adorshki

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HI ReverendDave welcome aboard!
Looks like you got a proverbial "Barn Find"!
Lot of love for those D4's 'round here.
From s/n it looks like a '94.
The one thing I'd be a little wary of is neck straightness after all these years of not being played, if it was stored with the strings at tension.
But I have a suspicion you've got a little familiarity with guitars in general and know somebody who can check it out for possible issues.
On the plus side, assuming it might only need a truss adjustment (if that) Guild shipped these with a wonderful set-up from the factory, at least for my style.
Action should be about 6/64 on bass E at 12th fret and 5/64ths on treble, leaves plenty of room for those who may like it a bit lower.,
Saddle and nut are micarta if anybody asks, and my D25 definitely benefited from a bone upgrade, in case you wonder about that stuff.
These are wonderfully versatile pieces, and shared all basic body structure with the D25, just had few things left off, like back binding and the pearloid headstock inlay, and got the Hand-rubbed finish instead of high-gloss, and case was not include in price.
It was intended to be one of, if not the "cheapest" way to get into a genuine US-built guitar at the time.
And trust me, it's gonna open up as you go along.
Play it a lot.
My D25 took a couple hundred hours in about a year and then had a "big moment" (and I already thought it was the best guitar I'd ever owned, LOL! ), but one member recently mentioned it happened over a week or so, sooner than that.
Great first post, lotsa folks love pics 'round here!
Oh yes, your first few posts are vetted by moderators so don't worry if your replies take a day or two to finally show up, then they'll show up in real time going forward.
 
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AcornHouse

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Welcome Dave!
The D4 was my gateway drug into the world of Guilds. Hope you have room for many more!:devilish:
 

dreadnut

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Welcome RDL, and congrats on finding that Guild. You get bonus points for posting photos in your first post!
 

RevDavidLee

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Thanks for the welcomes everyone! I wondered where my post went.. lol. I did spend the evening playing the guitar. The action & playability are surprisingly perfect! I believe the original strings are still on it because they're dull sounding. I'm scoping out what strings to put on her. Your suggestions are absolutely welcome! The only other Guild I've ever owned was a 60's something Starfire which I (stupidly) sold way back when for what I don't even remember. I'm sure I got ripped off. I'm no longer young & dumb so those days are thankfully well behind me. The neck on this Guild is as straight as an arrow & based on the playability and action no truss rod adjustments are needed. Perhaps they had it adjusted before they brought it to the store to sell? I'm as tickled as I can be. Rarely am I in the right place at the right time so yesterday was my turn. Yea!
 

beecee

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Welcome Rev,

Boy we are seeing a nice influx of men of the cloth lately. Which is probably good for us!

Beautiful guitar I should practice the ascetic life in my guitar purchases.
 

gjmalcyon

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Welcome!

Bought a D-4 for the wife for Xmas a couple of years ago, and it almost remained part my herd instead.

Nice guitars on the their own merits, and as AcornHouse suggests, often the gateway drug to more Guilds.
 

adorshki

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Thanks for the welcomes everyone! I wondered where my post went.. lol. I did spend the evening playing the guitar. The action & playability are surprisingly perfect! I believe the original strings are still on it because they're dull sounding. I'm scoping out what strings to put on her. Your suggestions are absolutely welcome!
I'm so notorious for recommending what Guild put on 'em it's become a running joke around here:
D'addario EJ-16 (pb lights)
D'Addario actually supplied these to Guild labeled as "L-350" Guild strings, with one small exception:
THE "L350" 's had a wound .025 G-string whereas the EJ-16's have an .024 G.
If you hammer a lot like me, that .025 makes a bit if difference, and I still buy the single G (PB025) D'A offers and sub it into the set, since Guild doesn't actually offer strings anymore.
Personally I recommend against trying mediums in hopes of getting better volume, I think it'll be counterproductive on those, because they were designed for lights.
Also, they put less stress on the neck, which is probably a big reason your neck is still straight and not pulled out of alignment after 20 years in storage.

The neck on this Guild is as straight as an arrow & based on the playability and action no truss rod adjustments are needed.
Sounds like that one's confirming Westerly's rep for quality.
Perhaps they had it adjusted before they brought it to the store to sell?
I'd kind of doubt it if they weren't knowledgeable themselves, as "laymen" usually aren't aware of such things.....and....an even bigger clue:
the Truss Rod Cover is still right-side-up.
Almost invariably if it's been off, it's put back on upside down, in the Gibson orientation, wide end at the bottom.
It's so common it's another running joke around here.
Probably still has a dab of corrosion inhibiting white grease on the threads and adjusting nut.

I'm as tickled as I can be. Rarely am I in the right place at the right time so yesterday was my turn. Yea!
When I go my D25 I used to spend a few minutes every night for the first couple of weeks just eye-balling it, looking for any little flaws in construction.
Couldn't find a one: nary a glue squeeze from the kerfing inside, seams all perfectly smoothly matched, fret ends all perfectly angled and smooth with no protrusion (if they are sticking out a bit it's sign the guitar needs hydration)...
When you see the kind of attention to detail that was paid to the inside of the guitar you just know you're looking at true craftsmanship.
Then one night I noticed a date stamp on the beveled edge of the neck block.
It takes holding the guitar at just the right angle to see it through the sound hole, but that's when the "superstructure" was completed prior to final finishing and hardware installation.
Not exactly a "born-on date" but it can't be any older than that..usually guitar was actually completed within a couple of weeks to a couple of months of that date, depending on demand.
One thing I did notice that made me realize that arched back is actually laminated:
I realized one night that the grain pattern inside the guitar was running in the exact opposite from the grain outside but it was obviously the same pattern.
Lots of folks think of laminated wood as a sign of cheapness or a tone-killer, but in Guild's case, laminated arched backs are a hallmark for them, and I took the grain reversal as a normal laminating technique to improve strength through grain-crossing.
Later on after I joined here, a member who had worked in Westerly explained that actually Guild tried to match the inside and outside grain patterns (and there's a center sheet of a different wood), and that technically my back would have been considered a cosmetic defect(!).
Anyway, laminated backs are stronger than solid wood and resist cracking better, especially after being put through the steam-pressing process that creates the arch.
And the arch's purpose is to enhance sustain and volume, it makes for very luscious chords although it can muddy up the sound a bit if you "push" the guitar really hard.
Since the back's purpose is primarily to reflect and 95% + of a guitar's sound is generated by the top, a laminated back really doesn't dampen tone the way some laminated tops can.
 

geoguy

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Welcome, Rev . . . it appears that you purchased a very nice time-capsule of a guitar!

For strings, I like D'Addarios EXP-16 (coated phosphor bronze lights) on Guild dreads.
 

sailingshoes72

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Welcome to the LTG forum!

That is a good story (right place & right time)! And a great looking Guild guitar. I hope it brings you many hours of enjoyment.

I use Martin Marquis PB (light gauge) on my D-25.
 

Westerly Wood

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really nice looking Guild dread. I like that you have the original owner's manual too.
congrats!
 

bolark

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Nice find ReverendDave.

I'm seeking your help. I'm an old member that just came back. I'm trying to post re my D-66-NT. I'm being bounced pillar to post saying, "first time post must register". I register only to get, "already a user". I'm old, impatient and technically deficient. Any suggestions?
 

killdeer43

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WELCOME TO LTG!
Has anyone said WOW, yet? What a great story and a super looking, often unappreciated Guild. I've had at least four and they were all super, but this one...WOW! (said it again)
Enjoy this one and try D'Addario EJ19s when you get around to restringing.

Cheers,
Joe
 

Cougar

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...So I looked it over & it was in dead mint condition....

That's fantastic, Rev! Good to see you over from the Gibson site. It's all one internet. I got a New Hartford-built F212 recently that was (and is) dead mint like that. It still had the plastic on the pickguard! You've got a beauty dread there! Next you've got to try a jumbo or a jumbo 12. :tiger:
 

RevDavidLee

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Thanks for the string suggestions guys! Going to grab up a selection of what you've suggested and give em a go. Can't wait to hear this guitar sing with a fresh set of strings!
 
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