Help Identifying My Guild

Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Hi everyone. My apologies if this isn't being posted in the right spot, but I have a vintage acoustic Guild D55-SB "Antique" and I am just trying to identify the year of this guitar. The serial number on the guitar is 100605.

I can't seem to find info on this particular model anywhere, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also, if you have any idea as to the relative value of this guitar, I'd love to get a ballpark number.

Thank you so much in advance for any info you can provide me with!
 
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Thank you for the help. Why do you think that though? I was thinking it was a '78, but I'm not sure how find the right answer.
 

GardMan

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
5,359
Reaction score
959
Location
Utah
Guild Total
5
Welcome to LTG!

SN 100605 would correspond to completion near the middle of 1974. During that time period, Guild commonly stamped a completion date for the top assembly on one of the braces flanking the soundhole. Easy to see with a small mirror. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a date between Mar and May of 1974, but it might be earlier or later, depending on the demand for D-55s that year... note this is the date the TOP was completed, not the entire guitar. There might be weeks to months between completion of the top and final assembly and assignment of the SN (I would expect towards the shorter end of that time frame for a D-55).

The D-55 has been Guilds "flagship" dread since its introduction, first as a special order circa 1968, but then as a standard catalog/production model in 1974 (from Moust's The Guild Guitar Book). Yours would be in that first year of standard production... which might give it a price boost. Depending on condition and year, used D-55s can sell anywhere from $1200-1500 at the low end to $2000-2400 at the high end. There's are several late '70s D-55NTs listed on Reverb for $1750-$2000. I'd also suggest checking eBay completed sales... but what it is worth depends on what someone is willing to pay (for insurance, I'd probably insure it at $2500).
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Welcome.

SN 100605 would correspond to completion near the middle of 1974. During that time period, Guild commonly stamped a completion date for the top assembly on one of the braces flanking the soundhole. Easy to see with a small mirror. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a date between Mar and May of 1974, but it might be earlier or later, depending on the demand for D-55s that year... note this is the date the TOP was completed, not the entire guitar. There might be weeks to months between completion of the top and final assembly and assignment of the SN (I would expect towards the shorter end of that time frame for a D-55).

I am reasonably certain that for the electrics the serial number was stamped on the neck when the neck was completed (and then copied to the label when the instrument was being completed). Was something different done for acoustics? For popular models there were only a few weeks between when the neck was completed and when the guitar was completed, but there are enough examples otherwise that I would amend "correspond to completion" to "correspond to the neck's completion".
 
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
You guys are all amazing. Thank you so much for the detailed responses! I appreciate it very much.
 
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Ok, some progress has been made with all of your help. I took the best photo I possibly could of the date stamped on the inside of the body, but I can't read it! Is it 1980? So hard to tell. I'm including the photo here.
IMG_7682.jpg
 

GardMan

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
5,359
Reaction score
959
Location
Utah
Guild Total
5
I am reasonably certain that for the electrics the serial number was stamped on the neck when the neck was completed (and then copied to the label when the instrument was being completed). Was something different done for acoustics? For popular models there were only a few weeks between when the neck was completed and when the guitar was completed, but there are enough examples otherwise that I would amend "correspond to completion" to "correspond to the neck's completion".
Hans has commented that the time from when the top was completed and dated and the actual assignment of the serial number in final assembly could be variable, and in some cases, long...

My '72 D-35 appears to be an example... it has a date stamp of "Jul 1971" on the top brace next to the soundhole, and a SN (64XXX) corresponding to early 1972 (maybe near the end of the 1st quarter?). I bought it in January 1973.

On the other hand, my '81 D-46 has THREE stamped dates (top brace, back brace, and neck block) within 3 days of each other in Dec 1980, and a SN corresponding to ~37th of ~500 D-46s completed in '81... probably finished in late Jan or early Feb?
 
Last edited:

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
I have a vintage acoustic Guild D55-SB "Antique" and I am just trying to identify the year of this guitar. The serial number on the guitar is 100605.

Hello Phantom36,

Welcome! Is there a possibility that you forgot to include the serial number 2-letter prefix and that the complete serial number is # DE100605?

In that case your D-55 should be from the year 1980.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Hans has commented that the time from when the top was completed and dated and the actual assignment of the serial number in final assembly could be variable, and in some cases, long...

My track record for remembering what Hans said, correctly, is close to zero. That said I am sure that he said there was a time when the serial number was stamped on the neck when the neck was completed. The amount of time that elapsed between when the neck was stamped and when it was used was variable and unpredictable.

We may be in violent agreement on the process, depending on what "assigned" means. I would say the serial number was assigned when the neck was stamped. If you say it was assigned when the instrument was finished and the neck number copied to the label then we agree on the process but not whether "assigned" is the right word.

:)
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,201
Reaction score
3,504
Location
Netherlands
My track record for remembering what Hans said, correctly, is close to zero. That said I am sure that he said there was a time when the serial number was stamped on the neck when the neck was completed. The amount of time that elapsed between when the neck was stamped and when it was used was variable and unpredictable.

No, I never said that. Other than bolted-on necks, Guild necks were never serial number stamped; I've only talked about 'superstructures' being serial numbered before going into the spraying room.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,455
Reaction score
7,110
Location
Central Massachusetts
Hans, maybe you could set us straight then? I'm not sure, but I think Jamie is talking about the branded back of the headstocks. That was always done until the Tacoma-era started, right? Do you know when that was done in the build process (roughly)? And, was it consistently done the same way?

I know you've mentioned the ink-stamped dates on the neck block (visible from within the body) which I think was something from the early-mid '90s (?) that related to the superstructure, and I think earlier Dave was mentioning a date or a serial number that was ink-stamped on internal braces that he thought matched the era of this axe. What would that represent? Anyway, could you elaborate on those too? Maybe we can post that in a sticky thread so we never forget again. :)

Best wishes.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Hans, maybe you could set us straight then? I'm not sure, but I think Jamie is talking about the branded back of the headstocks.
(Before I proceed, please pardon the butt-insky)
Yes Frono was talking about s/n stamps in electric headstocks.
I think Hans was answering Frono's question about electric necks specifically, because he also mentioned the exception of bolt-on necks which wouldn't apply to acoustics.
Since this thread is about an acoustic guitar I think that's confusing the conversation a little, and I suspect Jamie assumed all necks were handled the same way whether acoustic or electric, ie, built en masse and then stamped when completed, to await readiness of bodies to attach 'em too.
That got me wondering yesterday if that was in fact true.
And IF I understand Hans correctly, that's definitely not correct for electrics, even if only in the detail of which necks got s/n stamps.
I suspect acoustic necks didn't get stamped until a given number of 'em were ready to be mated to their intended instruments.
There was some commonality of necks such that a given "type" might be usable on more than one model (like D25's and D35's, and D40's and D50's), but it just seems to make sense that they wouldn't actually s/n stamp any of 'em until they knew exactly how many bodies of a given model were going to get their necks installed "that day".
And it seems like it'd be easier to stamp 'em before they were mounted, than after, just seems like they'd just be easier to handle that way, but that's not as important as remembering that labels were copied from headstock stamps.
RE the question about acoustic headstock stamps in general:
Yes as far as I can recall all acoustics got an s/n stamp on the headstock until Tacoma.
(Ok, I seem to recall some of the very early M20's may not have all been stamped? But not the point here, being an exception rather than rule)
Do you know when that was done in the build process (roughly)? And, was it consistently done the same way?
If you mean the date stamp, Dave mentioned the one on the top corresponded to the completion date of the top, I think if that was incorrect Hans would have pointed it out.
The one on the heelblock corresponded to completion of (I always forget the term) "the rim"(or superstructure? but I always think that means the stage just before finishing when top's already installed), before the top was installed (again, "IIRC": I know I've got the concept right but the details might be in error)
Don't remember if it also preceded neck installation though, or if that was ever mentioned.
The practical effect is that date stamps always preceded "final completion" date by some amount of time.
It looks like they simply changed the date stamp location for whatever reason, but don't recall when the heelblock stamps started, only that it actually lasted until late '90's , '98, "IIRC".
I just remember that they actually stopped before close of Westerly.
Back to "neck construction":
In the first Guild Gallery (Spring and Summer '98) there's an article about how D-55 necks were built, and besides the expected attention to detail and constant hand-fitting and adjustment, the takeaway is that yes acoustic necks were built as complete ready-to install subassemblies before they were moved on to meet their final destinations in the bodies.
The second Guild Gallery describes the construction of the body and the mating of the neck but still no mention of just when the neck got stamped.
But if I recall correctly, a guitar date-stamped very late in one year could conceivably get an s/n stamp that corresponded to the following year if there was enough delay between the "date stamp" date and the date it got s/n stamped and sent to finishing.
In Westerly, at least.
PS what also occurs to me after all that is that I was assuming that Westerly always did things the same way and in the same order throughout their production era.
AHAHAHHAHHAHHAHHA!!!!!!!!!
:smile:
 
Last edited:

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Some days my only contribution to society is to provide an opportunity for people to tell me I am wrong. I've made my peace with that :)

I did say somewhere that I thought my recollections applied to electric necks but was not sure if they applied to acoustic necks as well. Any confusion is the direct result of allowing veers because it makes perfect sense to veer about electrics in Acoustic/Acoustic Electric, right?

I am not making a distinction between a serial number applied to a neck as a means of internal tracking and a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock that ultimately became the serial number of the finished instrument. Perhaps I should remember to do so in the future?

I remembered the bit about necks being stamped and sometimes being in storage. I obviously conflated that with watching necks get made in New Harford and being stored or "moved to the next station". So my vision was that the neck was finished, the headstock number was stamped and then the neck was stored or attached to a body.

I'll eventually get it right.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Some days my only contribution to society is to provide an opportunity for people to tell me I am wrong. I've made my peace with that :)
At least you can always lay claim to fathering the postbot.

I remembered the bit about necks being stamped and sometimes being in storage.
While I don't remember that detail, I'm remembering Hans' explanation that a full batch of (electric) instruments might be made (ie fully constructed, necks installed [I think?], except for finish and hardware ) to fill an order for a few; and that any "leftovers" would be stored until further orders came though.
But since they were "pulled off the rack" without regard to serial number order to fill those subsequent orders, that was a source of anachronistic s/n's, if going by when certain hardware was used.
I obviously conflated that with watching necks get made in New Harford and being stored or "moved to the next station". So my vision was that the neck was finished, the headstock number was stamped and then the neck was stored or attached to a body.
I was still pondering the logistics of stamping necks prior to installation and storing until needed, in Westerly, when I made my closing statement.
When each (acoustic) model received its own unique alpha prefix it would seem counterproductive to stamp 'em in advance, for the reasons I already covered:
It would seem to make sense to wait until the bodies were ready for neck installation before stamping so that there would be a 1:1 correlation of counts between necks and bodies.
Then I remembered there was a period when there were nothing but numeric s/n's, so what the hell, stamp away and use 'em as needed, right?
Just make sure you were putting the right neck on the body.
Unless one was in the mood to build a "special" that day.......
:biggrin-new:
No wonder Hans hasn't come back to this yet.... but maybe at least we've given him some easy statements to confirm or deny.
 
Last edited:

JohnW63

Enlightened Member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
6,293
Reaction score
2,217
Location
Southern California
Guild Total
4
Based on the PICTURE posted, that people haven't commented on, yet, I would say it is a 1980 built guitar and since Hans predicted that by the serial number, I would bet that is accurate.
 

mavuser

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
8,128
Reaction score
2,636
Location
New York
that is a real nice guitar, 1980 is a killer, killer year for Guild acoustics. A D-55 sunburst from 1980 is gold!
 

marius

Member
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
291
Reaction score
157
Location
Andover, MN
Based on the PICTURE posted, that people haven't commented on, yet, I would say it is a 1980

Agreed. The picture looks like 1980 to me. I assume the poster is a new user and their post with the photo was not immediately reviewed by the mods so most of the comments were made/posted before the post with the photo was approved by the mods.

Without your comment I’d have never gone back to page one to look for a picture.
 
Top