Confused about D4 HG!

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Hi,
I have a d4 hg I got for a gift and I'm looking for info
on it. I checked out other post about 90s d4s and was just overwhelmed by info in there.
I was told it was a '98 to 2000s model but after reading other thread I was sure if that was right or not.
The serial is AD401221 and the catalogs I downloaded didnt have it .
A friend asked me if I would sell it but wanted to know year first.
Also price for it( I dont know that either)
It has normal wear from use and sounds great to me.
Thanks for any help.
 

adorshki

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Hi,
I have a d4 hg I got for a gift and I'm looking for info
on it. I checked out other post about 90s d4s and was just overwhelmed by info in there.
I was told it was a '98 to 2000s model but after reading other thread I was sure if that was right or not.
The serial is AD401221 and the catalogs I downloaded didnt have it .
A friend asked me if I would sell it but wanted to know year first.
Also price for it( I dont know that either)
It has normal wear from use and sounds great to me.
Thanks for any help.

Welcome aboard Octag30!
You've probably seen my posts in some of those other threads especially a recent one where that came up.
First of I can tell you the "AD40" (as opposed to the earlier "AD04") sequence started ca '97 that's why your number doesn't even show up on Guild's own charts; they only go up to (or through, I forget) '97; even though the chart implies it's through '99.
http://guildguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf
'98 looks like a good bet for your number and there should also be a date stamp on a beveled edge of the heelblock; easy to miss unless you know where to look.
That'll be a couple of weeks to a couple of months before the actual date the guitar was completely finished and ready to ship.
Finish:
A "G" (Gloss) finish was actually first announced in '97 (further confirming the date of yours) and I recently came across an old post from a member who worked in Westerly at the time who stated that particular finish wasn't actually nitro, it was a water-based lacquer.
But there is in fact still uncertainty on my part as to whether he was referring to the "G" as a different finish than the "HG"; or if label writers (or Guild itself) used the "G" and "HG" interchangeably.
See post #'s 7 & 8 in this thread:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?199409-Late-90s-d4-with-nitro-top
IF you finish fluoresces under a black light it's genuine NCL.
Price with case in VVG condition I'd hazard around $500.00, others who watch the market more closely might have better insights.
WHY was I so focused in the finish?
Some folks (I'm in that camp) put premium on a genuine NCL finish.
 
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So date on heel block is June 1997 cant make out the day.
I do have a guild case as well ,gonna have to wait on the ncl finish test.
Thanks again for all your help!
Adorshki for MVP!
Will update when you test finish thanks again!
 

adorshki

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So date on heel block is June 1997 cant make out the day.
I do have a guild case as well ,gonna have to wait on the ncl finish test. Will update when you test finish thanks again!
Looking forward to it, thanks!
Thanks again for all your help!
Adorshki for MVP!
Ahhh, 's just what we do 'round here.
In case it's useful info, the D4 was based on the better-known D25, but D4 originally came with satin finish, no binding, no case, and no faceplate on headstock in an attempt to get the absolutely most economical dreadnought guitar they could make, to market.
The body woods and construction are otherwise identical to the D25, which is why many members also feel they're still a great bang for the buck to this day.
Note Guild even used the same s/n sequence for both models, I like to say "Read between those lines".
If it turns out to be a genuine NCL finish I could see it even being $600.00, but again, there are other members here who follow the general market of "sold"(as opposed to asking) prices on the popular sites like eBay and Reverb.
 
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