D-70 vs. D-50

[Brad Little]

Anybody care to comment n the sound differences between these models?
Brad

 

[tjmangum]

Well, based upon the numbers, shouldn't the D70 sound about 40% better?
(Sorry, I couldn't resist)
Other than the bling factor, I'd be curious to know too!
tj

 

[NEONMOONY]

Granted, I'm new here and all, and maybe don't get some nuances of the site, but shouldn't that be a discussion thread for the acoustic forum?

 

[Jeff]

Granted, I'm new here and all, and maybe don't get some nuances of the site, but shouldn't that be a discussion thread for the acoustic forum?

OK Mooney, done.

I came upon a D70 for sale at the Arlington guitar show, she was playworn, had repaired cracks in the body & the heel. Needed at least a neck set, asking price $1600 - $1700.

Had some mojo, sounded good enough I was tempted.

 

[killdeer43]

Granted, I'm new here and all, and maybe don't get some nuances of the site, but shouldn't that be a discussion thread for the acoustic forum?

Methinks that it belongs right here in "Acoustic/Acoustic Electric." The guitars fit the bill since they're both acoustics.

Joe

 

[Pike]

I came upon a D70 for sale at the Arlington guitar shop, she was playworn, had repaired cracks in the body & the heel. Needed at least a neck set, asking price $1600 - $1700.

Had some mojo, sounded good enough I was tempted.

I think the one in Keizer is still available Jeff. Some cracks, but can be had for $1000 last I knew...

 

[Jeff]

[/quote]I think the one in Keizer is still available Jeff. Some cracks, but can be had for $1000 last I knew...[/quote]

Thanks brother, I need all the gas help I can get ..

One came up in Tacoma a couple years ago, more than fairly priced, passing on it was likely an error,

Another member bought it, he speaks of her virtues here from time to time.

 

[killdeer43]

One came up in Tacoma a couple years ago, more than fairly priced, passing on it was likely an error,
Another member bought it, he speaks of her virtues here from time to time.

I'm a firm believer in the old philosophy of meant-to-be. If you didn't get that one, it wasn't meant to be and there's probably another one (maybe a better one) out there with your name on it. I'll keep an eye out for you! :wink:

Have a Sunday,
Joe

 

[GardMan]

Anybody care to comment n the sound differences between these models?
Brad

I've never heard a D-70... but with rosewood body and scalloped bracing, I would expect its tone to resemble more that of a D-55 (from the early 90s on, D-55s had scalloped bracing).

I can make a comparison between an unscalloped D-50 (from 1976) and scalloped D-55 (from 1992). Although both have the deep bass everyone talks about as the rosewood "sound," they are subtly (or not so subtly) different. I think the D-50 has brighter trebles, and would agree with someone here who said that it had a more jangly, in-your-face sound relative to the smoother D-55. To my ear, the D-50 tone falls between my ash D-46 and my D-55, but closer to the D-55.

I don't know the structural basis for the tonal difference... the two factors I can see are (1) unscalloped vs scalloped bracing; and (2) the D-50 has a rosewood bridgeplate, while the D-55 has a maple bridgeplate. There may be more subtle differences in the bracing that I haven't yet noticed.

 

[earbleedz]

Hey Guys, I have a D70 that I play all the time. It has ebony bridge and fretboard. Is that a difference? I have never played a D50, but I used to have a DV52. The D70 is much louder than that was, with a super nice midrange. You can hear me playing it at myspace.com/crackerjams on the "Friend of the Devil" video.

 

[GardMan]

D-50s have ebony fretboards. Early models had rosewood bridges (braz)... but they switched to ebony bridges ~1975 (my '76 has an ebony bridge).