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?