D40 facts and values

[jdonohue3]

What is the difference between the D40 Dreadnaught and the D40C? I’ve seen them listed as very different amounts. I like the idea of the cutaway but I don’t know if there’s any difference in value.

 

[fronobulax]

What is the difference between the D40 Dreadnaught and the D40C? I’ve seen them listed as very different amounts. I like the idea of the cutaway but I don’t know if there’s any difference in value.

Welcome. A time frame might help. I cannot, for example, find a D40C on Guild's website. But as a general rule I don't think the presence or absence of a cutaway changes the value. But it makes a huge difference in desirability. People who don't like cutaways won't even look at a listing for one with a cutaway.

 

[adorshki]

What is the difference between the D40 Dreadnaught and the D40C? I’ve seen them listed as very different amounts. I like the idea of the cutaway but I don’t know if there’s any difference in value.

Welcome Jdonohue!
Th D40C was introduced in '74, (Westerly), with a florentine cutaway.
('83 catalog):

It was the world's first production cutaway dreadnaught. The guy who designed it for Guild actually posted here a few years back but his name escapes me at the moment.

That first model was only in production for few years, into the mid '80's IIRC, but there's a place where price lists and catalogs can be browsed to verify:
https://www.gad.net/Blog/guild-guitar-price-lists/
That's our forum host GAD's site.

The D40c's been re-done in Corona ('02-'04) with a venetian cutaway and UST pickup as well, as the D40ce ("cutaway electric"):

but in Tacoma ('05-'08) there was only the imported version (GAD40c).

New Hartford ('10-'14) reintroduced it with a venetian cutaway as the D40ce Standard:

Think Oxnard (current factory) only offered imported versions as well, but I wasn't paying close attention.

Anyway, the cutaway adds labor to the build, and most of 'em have UST's, so the "C" 's and "ce" 's are intrinsically more costly.

Got a prospect in mind?