D4

[mclkar54]

just made an online purchase of a D4. which i understand is a stripped down version of the d25 line. understanding that this is not an upper teir guild like my 2022 D 55e. Anyone own or have owned a d4 or d25 with any informative info. This is my first mahogony ,arched back dreadnaught

 

[twocorgis]

I owned a '96 high gloss D4 for a while, and it was probably as good as any D25 I've played or owned, with the exception of the '95 D26 (special run for Guitar Center) that I wouldn't mind having back. There's a lot of value there, hope it turns out to be a good one.

 

[Uke]

just made an online purchase of a D4. which i understand is a stripped down version of the d25 line. understanding that this is not an upper teir guild like my 2022 D 55e. Anyone own or have owned a d4 or d25 with any informative info. This is my first mahogony ,arched back dreadnaught

I owned one a few years back -- a neat, "honest" guitar, especially for the back porch. Evidently I couldn't live without another digit, so I sold it and bought a D-40. D4s are great, however.

 

[GGJaguar]

I have a high gloss D-4. It's okay, a little on the bright side. The arch back mahogany dreadnaught sound just isn't "my" sound. I'm in the minority here and there's nothing wrong with that sound.

 

[Westerly Wood]

I have a high gloss D-4. It's okay, a little on the bright side. The arch back mahogany dreadnaught sound just isn't "my" sound. I'm in the minority here and there's nothing wrong with that sound.

I always think I want an arched D25. I of course have the flatback, older original version. I have played a few over the years at different shops, and never buy them. It’s kind of brash sounding, as Pascal would say.

 

[plaidseason]

I have a high gloss D-4. It's okay, a little on the bright side. The arch back mahogany dreadnaught sound just isn't "my" sound. I'm in the minority here and there's nothing wrong with that sound.

Heretic!

But seriously, the arch back dreads are on the bulky side. But I really love the sound of them. Like more than any other basic dreadnought guitar. I prefer the D4/D25/DCE1 over the Westerly DV4 I previously owned.

 

[mclkar54]

Heretic!

But seriously, the arch back dreads are on the bulky side. But I really love the sound of them. Like more than any other basic dreadnought guitar. I prefer the of a D4/D25/DCE1 over the Westerly DV4 I previously owned.

i play mostly jumbo guilds,F412, F50, F150, F250, i have a D 55e also. so bulky doesnt concern me. thank you.
And the D 4 on the way is an archback.

 

[kitniyatran]

I always think it's cute when folks refer to the D4 as a "stripped down" or less blinged version of a D25, as the D25 is a pretty basic, bling free guitar, BUT they're right!
Anyway, I think of my JF30 as the better of my current two guitars, but my D25, in my opinion, is a superior dread. I've often said, I used to have a 1974 Martin D18, bought new in 1976, that I loved, but the D25 is a D18 killer. Much superior sound.
I would expect this to carry over to the D4's as well

 

[adorshki]

i play mostly jumbo guilds,F412, F50, F150, F250, i have a D 55e also. so bulky doesnt concern me. thank you.
And the D 4 on the way is an archback.

Right, all D4's were archbacks. And "heavy build" depends on when built, I think. My '96 D25 is pretty light guitar, the lightest flattop I ever owned.

If you like archback maple (I have an F65ce myself) I think you'll like the change of flavor of a 'hog archback.

Also have a D40 and have grown to like its flatback sound at least as much as the other 2, possibly more, now. But each has its place sonically.

I LOVE the warm woody sound of a 'hog archback. The flatback "cuts" more. The F65ce sings with haunting overtones, have silk and steel on it now.

 

[jezzatakla]

I put my D4 on ebay as I needed money at the time. Luckily it didn't sell. It's such a great guitar. It's quite a big dread and as my hands are a bit arthritic I experimented with a capo on the 2nd fret and Bingo!! An instant short scale Guild. OK it's not the ideal solution, but it works for me. It has a hairline crack on the top but thankfully this has not progressed to the inside and as it's been there for the 12 years I've owned it I think it (the guitar) will outlive me. It does have a beautiful sound which belies its plain Jane appearance. If the action and intonation are good on a guitar, which they are on my D4, I'm happy.

 

[GGJaguar]

My '96 D25 is pretty light guitar

Mine is a '78 and weighs 5.1 lb. My lightest dreads (not Guild) are in the 4.1 lb range.

 

[mclkar54]

Question . maybe hans could check in?
Just took ownership of a guild d 4 hr nt. A beautiful almost flawless guitar.
the inside label, and headstock stamp both correspond with each other .Denoting a 1993 guild d4. however, The neck block and under sound hole next to x brace, are both clearly stamped Aug. 10 1990.both are very legible so im sure im not misreading

 

[gjmalcyon]

Here's an old thread discussing those stamped dates. Mr. Moust weighs in to explain what the dates actually mean:

Neck Block Stamp or Label??

So, what exactly is the deal on these dating techniques? I did a bit of a search and found that the neck block stamp is the day the neck was made. So what is the relationship between the neck date and the serial number date? On my newly acquired JF-30, the s/n of AJ301060 seems to date to...

letstalkguild.com

 

[mclkar54]

Thank you . after reading all the posts including hans. i have a much better understanding of all this. In reality it makes no difference to me ,except should i decide to ever sell this d4. ill have a good idea of what to tell the buyer if questioned about dates etc.

 

[gjmalcyon]

You are welcome. She Who Must Be Obeyed has a D4 (Christmas gift from me several years ago). I really like that guitar.