What do you do when the new [old] one blows the old one away?

Guildedagain

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I'm pretty partial to my '73 D35, it's always been special. It's got factory Grover Sta-Tite tuners, so that's a little bit unusual too. That's what drew me to it originally, that and the low price, and the low action.

Most times, I take my D5CE out. That one sounds fantastic too, but it's a tank compared to the D35. Still, I leave the D35 at home and save it for special occasions.

Out of the blue, another D35 popped up, odd tuners on that one too (vintage Kluson Safty Post*), and the usual action issues, high action, low saddle, silly low price for a 1971 in original blue velvet lined semi cheapo case.

* Here is a set of these unusual tuners. They may not be original on the D35, but they have been on a long time without any sings of installation butchery. https://reverb.com/item/6871110-klu...sqr-pI96uCmuQaAvHkEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&pla=1

I destrung it, cleaned it up, hydrated for days until the frets didn't stick out anymore, restrung it with GHS Silk & Bronze .11-49 strings, and it's quite playable.

Over the course of a few days, I played it a minute here, and minute there, getting the strings stretched, and it finally started holding tune rock solid.

So I started paying it a little more, and I noticed it's got pretty thumpy bass, and sounds pretty great.

So I get the other one out, and it sounds a bit flat, lacking bass, has that killer midrange tho, but lacking bass.

Then it dawns on me, my old standby has just been superseded. The new one sounds better than the old one. I haven't even had time to really begin to jell with this guitar yet, and in a few chords, it has made my other D35 redundant.

Except, it's got GHS Silk & Steel's on it, whereas the '71 has the Silk and Bronze, so maybe that's the difference.

I need to restring the '73 with Silk & Bronze for an accurate shootout, but it looks like my reference dreadnaught tone guitar
has just been displaced.
 
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Westerly Wood

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probably the strings.
i find phos bronze to be ideal on D35s, or most spruce topped dreads.
also, is the tension of string the same?
 

Rayk

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Some models just have the " it " over others of the same model . Sounds like you got a good one .
Congrats 😁
 

Westerly Wood

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Maybe not, but if that's the case, Silk & Bronze strings sound a lot better than Silk & Steel.

what i found out too. john pearse silk and phosphor bronze strings sound so close to the regular PB strings yet feel easier on fingers.
 

adorshki

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Maybe not, but if that's the case, Silk & Bronze strings sound a lot better than Silk & Steel.
IIRC S&B was showing slightly higher set tension than S&S on the GHS site, but also, in '71, Westerly was supposedly still continuing the classic Hoboken "light and resonant" build style, '73 would have been the beginning of the transition to the "built like a tank" era.
I think our member Br1ck's D35 is a '71 as well, he also feels it's one of the finest sounding dreads he's ever owned.
Plus what Ray said:
Variation from piece to piece, intangibles in how the joins of all the parts affect the total resonance; barely measurable differences in break angle and thickness of tops and sides and bridge.
You know the drill.
:friendly_wink:

PS keep the '71 at home as your new "save it for special occasions" guitar (my D25 is that one now) and use the '73 as the road warrior.
Space and budget allowing.
:smile:
 
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dreadnut

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To be truly objective, they need to at least have the same strings. And give the new one a chance to settle into your environment.

What a great problem to have: playing back & forth on 2 vintage Guild D-35's to determine the tonal nuances of each guitar; wait, you already own them both!
 
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Br1ck

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Whenever I have a thought that a guitar just doesn't do it for me anymore, I change strings. Those strings I changed a month ago are probably six months old.
 

adorshki

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To be truly objective, they need to at least have the same strings. And give the new one a chance to settle into your environment.
What a great problem to have: playing back & forth on 2 vintage Guild D-35's to determine the tonal nuances of each guitar; wait, you already own them both!
While researching something about an F40 earlier today, I remembered this thread and of course the light went on when refreshing on this report courtesy of our member Gardman, your D35's are chronologically on each side of the bracing changes Guild implemented:
123842603.jpg

I think the change in heelblock design, the added mass of the extension right under the fretboard, would have noticeable effect on voice.

:friendly_wink:
 
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Grassdog

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If you hold on to your original D-35, I think over time you'll eventually rediscover something in that first one that maybe got stale. I've had this happen to me a couple times when I added a new guitar to the herd and took a break from playing the others. No matter how good the new one sounds, I eventually get used to the sound of it. Then, when I pick up one of the neglected ones I haven't played in awhile, something in the tone jumps out at me.
 

Butch

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I think that to a degree you may be comparing apples to oranges. Silk and steel versus silk and bronze will give you completely different sounds. Years ago they made acoustic guitar strings where the bass strings were wrapped in nickel steel rather than a bronze. I bought them by mistake. I put them on and it gave the guitar an entirely different sound. More mid range and high and much less bass end. So, I would suggest that you put a new set of bronze wound strings on your old guitar and then compare them. With that being said, you also have to keep in mind that no two guitars ever sound the same. Within the past year, I purchased a cheap $250.00 Takamine to keep up at our cabin in N.C. It puts a 1970 Martin D28 that I have had for years to shame. You just never know.
 

Guildedagain

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Too true, no two guitars sound the same. Same as A/B'ing stereo speakers or amps, something always sounds a little off, and then your ear adjusts.
 

Br1ck

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Ears can play tricks on you. I have two very different mandolins, a warm and resonant Silverangel and an Adi top F style I built. The F style is bright, loud, and brash. If I play the Silverangel after the F style, it sounds dull and lifeless. If I play it first, it sounds wonderful. Same mandolin. Reversing the order is not so drastic, but the F style does seem brash, and is perfect when playing with others.

A D 35 will never have the bass a Martin D 18 has. It's strength is it's evenness. My 70 is the best playing acoustic I have.
 
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