Are all D15s Hogs?

Maloburro

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Hey everyone.

I found a D15BLK that appears to date from 1991 for a price that’s too good to pass on. It’s beat up but I’m ok with that. I’m wondering if all D15s are mahogany. I have two D25s both spruce so I’d like another tonewood.

I’d also like a different body than another dread but I believe in the mantra of “one can never have too many Guilds.”

Any info is appreciated. Haven’t heard back from seller so I haven’t played it yet. I’ll be mindful of neck creep.

Thanks

Ryan
 

Westerly Wood

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Hey everyone.

I found a D15BLK that appears to date from 1991 for a price that’s too good to pass on. It’s beat up but I’m ok with that. I’m wondering if all D15s are mahogany. I have two D25s both spruce so I’d like another tonewood.

I’d also like a different body than another dread but I believe in the mantra of “one can never have too many Guilds.”

Any info is appreciated. Haven’t heard back from seller so I haven’t played it yet. I’ll be mindful of neck creep.

Thanks

Ryan

D15s are all HOG

http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/d15.html
 

Maloburro

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Thanks Wood. I had seen that too. I was just hoping to confirm.

Well I bought it. It’s hammered and was once black but someone sanded the face and headstock. I’ll need to search for a new overlay. I like how it plays and ugly guitars are just a way to claim more mojo. He asked for 200. I think I overpaid by about 50 bucks but I’m ok with that. I don’t ever plan to resell it.
 

Westerly Wood

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Thanks Wood. I had seen that too. I was just hoping to confirm.

Well I bought it. It’s hammered and was once black but someone sanded the face and headstock. I’ll need to search for a new overlay. I like how it plays and ugly guitars are just a way to claim more mojo. He asked for 200. I think I overpaid by about 50 bucks but I’m ok with that. I don’t ever plan to resell it.

nice score at 250 even! good work.
 

Bonneville88

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Can't go too wrong with a $250 outlay. I don't think I'd refinish it, but
would enjoy seeing some pics!
 

Bonneville88

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Cool, looks way better than I was expecting to see. It were mine I'd see if that
remaining paint couldn't be carefully chased out of where it still is, looks like whatever it was may
not have bonded very well to the surface of the guitar which is good... will it just flake off if you
carefully pick away at it?

Just found this video, dude did a nice job
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdbD-D5a1HU
 
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Maloburro

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Thanks for sharing that Bonneville. I’ve refinished a few electrics but I’m not sure my freehanding skills are at that guys level. I think I can carefully get the last bit of black paint and the White House paint if with careful sanding. The stock pick guard is actually in decent shape. I found headstock overlays on eBay for 12-15. As much as I’d like to use the fancy G I think a standard guild makes more sense. I still have some satin deft left over so I’ll probably spray the whole guitar with that (except fretboard of course) when the sanding cleaning and staining are done. I even have some white auto pin stripe so maybe I’ll use that for simulated binding around the body.

I think a black fade/burst might look cool. I’ll post pics as I continue. Maybe I should start a new thread. Thank you both for chiming in.
 

adorshki

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I think a black fade/burst might look cool. I’ll post pics as I continue. Maybe I should start a new thread. Thank you both for chiming in.

Once upon a time a long time ago (well, about 24 years), Guild called this finish on a D-4 "Silverburst":
zvgmmumlwj4xug2j5wdj.jpg
 

Maloburro

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Thanks Al!

Maybe I’ll do a variation of that. I would like some input on chesterfield vs shield vs plain Guild on the headstock like stock.

I’m going to try the auto pinstrip binding for fun. If looks terrible I pull it off.

My plan is to clean it light sand then do something to the top. I like the silvburst but maybe I’ll leave the burst reddish from the wood. I’ll then weather the new finish to match the back and sides.

Here it sits with them 87 D25. It could have been the same person who made both, how cool is that. Maybe I’ll get a handwriting expert to analyze the labels.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JVRy9Z3ee6WogiNV8
 

adorshki

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Thanks Al!
Ensen.. er, De nada! :glee:

Maybe I’ll do a variation of that. I would like some input on chesterfield vs shield vs plain Guild on the headstock like stock.
I vote "plain Guild" because I think you could easily replicate the plain Guild silk-screen logo with a stencil but chesterfields were always MOP, so think it'd require a LOT of work
to replicate, and would look "too fake" if not MOP.
And that's even with me being open-minded about the fact you're trying to improve on a damaged headstock.
Don't think D15's ever got chesterfields anyway.



Here it sits with them 87 D25. It could have been the same person who made both, how cool is that. Maybe I’ll get a handwriting expert to analyze the labels.
Assuming it wasn't a deadpan humor delivery:
Due to the explanation that label writers copied the s/n from the headstock, I got the distinct impression that the person who wrote the labels wasn't involved in construction, or at least that labels weren't applied until some time after the superstructure was completed with the top and neck installed. Anyway, point being, the builders didn't write 'em up themselves while the guitars were still "on the line", if that's what you were thinking.
In fact, thinking further, I suspect they were all "team built" (in Westerly):
Somebody(s) built the basic body, attaching "rim" to back, and may or may not have also installed top; and I suspect the folks who attached and set necks specialized in that highly demanding process, and so on.
In fact there's a series of articles starting in Guild Gallery #1 describing the build process for D55's and the first one only covers necks, the clear implication being there was a team who specialized in necks only so there must have been similar teams specializing in other steps of assembly.
 

SFIV1967

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I vote "plain Guild" because I think you could easily replicate the plain Guild silk-screen logo with a stencil.
In 1991 the logo on the black version was either white paint or a inlay in white. Hopefully somebody knows it exactly. I didn't find a good picture of a D-15 headstock from 1991, just those two pictures of a black 1991 D-15 on SteelGuitarForum:

8631_guild_1500_1.jpg


8631_guild_in_case1500_1.jpg


I don't know which year Bikerdoc's D-15 is, but that looks similiar:

DSC_0002.jpg



Bonneville showed his D-17 headstock last year and wrote: "headstock logo - on the D17, not screen printed and not inlaid, but a thin die-cut perloid applique underneath the lacquer....The D15 MGH may have had a similar treatment."

But this D-17 is a guitar from the mid 80ies I believe, so I really don't know how it was done in 1991 on the black D-15. Hans would know for sure.

y2yy6k9.jpg


Ralf
 
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Bonneville88

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adorshki

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Ah. Good to know. I was thinking of going the EBay route for a headstock logo. Is that a cop out?
In your case I wouldn't see it as a cop-out.
I just think it's going to be hard to find even as a decal, and knew the gold-silk-screen was a definite "authentic" style, even if not necessarily period correct for a '91 D15 as Ralf mentioned..
Sightings of stand-alone pearloid Guild logos or even ready faceplates with 'em installed are few and far between around here .
Couldn't see photos of your piece so was operating on the assumption you were starting with a blank slate and I was only suggesting what seemed like the easiest solution.
If you were going for authentic full restoration then I'd say yes you've got a different set of rules to go by.
FWIW I just google-imaged at least 3 D15's from '89-'91 and they all had the pearloid inlay (no chesterfield), some of 'em looked plain white but I think that was probably just batch variation in the material.
if you know somebody you can trust to cut out a good copy, cheap, then sure that's the best option.
:friendly_wink:
 
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