DV-52 tone

[dreadnut]

Just spent an hour of quality time with my DV-52

I recently played a bunch of acoustic Martins, Gibsons, and Taylors. In my humble opinion, the only guitar that stood up to my DV-52 was an 800 series rosewood Taylor. None of the others, even other rosewood Taylors could produce "that sound".

Many of the others had a nice tone on the top end but the lower end was dead, this seemed pretty common. On my DV-52, the wound strings produce a real piano like tone with ring and sustain. Same with the Taylor 814. Which brings me to my point:

The DV-52 is the best deal going on a vintage rosewood dreadnaught. They can be had on ebay for US $1,000 or less. Add the deluxe woods, inlays, scalloped bracing, etc, and you're not going to find a comparable guitar for under $2,500-$3,000.

I love the way Guild made liberal use of nice headstock inlays too. The other guys aren't just giving this stuff away, you need to buy one of their high-end guitars in order to get a mother-of-pearl headstock inlay.

Bottom line is, if you can get your hands on a DV-52, grab it. That's my $.02, and I'm stickin' with it!

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Where are your pictures?
We like pictures!

 

[tjmangum]

The DV-52 is the best deal going[/b] on a vintage rosewood dreadnaught. They can be had on ebay for US $1,000 or less. Add the deluxe woods, inlays, scalloped bracing, etc, and you're not going to find a comparable guitar for under $2,500-$3,000.

Bottom line is, if you can get your hands on a DV-52, grab it. That's my $.02, and I'm stickin' with it!

Ditto, ditto and more dittos. To paraphrase Mr. Fahey, "In Guild there is no east or west"
tj

 

[Graham]

Just spent an hour of quality time with my DV-52

I recently played a bunch of acoustic Martins, Gibsons, and Taylors. In my humble opinion, the only guitar that stood up to my DV-52 was an 800 series rosewood Taylor. None of the others, even other rosewood Taylors could produce "that sound".

Ti-ming is everything. :shock:

Went to Buffalo yesterday and goofed around in the GC while wifey did the shopping thing. No secret here, I have a love affair going with a Taylor 814 that belongs to Carl. It's a beautiful looking and playing guitar and I have been GASing for one for a while now but the price keeps holding me back.

Anyway at GC, the only thing I wanted to play was an 814, which I did and I loved the sound and the feel and the looks. The price, $2888, I know I can get it delivered to me here in Canuckistan for $2300 is always going to be the stumbling block.

Today the wife and I played guitar for an hour or so, she on the F47 and I on the DV52. The sound of that DV52 just can't be beat and I got it from Cypress for under $1000.

While I will most likely end up with a Taylor 814 at some point, it will be a tough decision to go ahead, but they are very, very nice.

 

[Qvart]

The DV-52 is the best deal going on a vintage rosewood dreadnaught. They can be had on ebay for US $1,000 or less.

Bottom line is, if you can get your hands on a DV-52, grab it. That's my $.02, and I'm stickin' with it!

See guys, this is the kind of advice I was looking for! Hehe

Well, I tried...I tried...

Had a DV-52 on the hook from a seller willing to ship. Tried to get more details about the guitar then all communication ceased. Alas and alack...It would have been $600 plus shipping. 'Tis a pity. Maybe the right conditions will materialize sometime in the future.

I'll have to settle for a DCE-1, which is not bad for an S-100 junky. Anything more really might be like putting a silk hat on a pig anyway!

 

[GardMan]

Add the deluxe woods, inlays, scalloped bracing, etc, and you're not going to find a comparable guitar for under $2,500-$3,000.

'Ceptin' perhaps a Westerly D-55? :wink:

 

[dreadnut]

yeah, those too GardMan

I'll likely never put one in the stable, Grammy, but that 814 was screaming "Take me home, Take me home!"

Good thing I knew my DV-52 was safely at home waiting for me

 

[cjd-player]

No secret here, I have a love affair going with a Taylor 814 that belongs to Carl.

Well it was secret to me :evil:

She never told me.

You stay away, you HOMEWRECKER. :evil:

 

[Scratch]

+1 on the DV52... Cured my rosewood itch...

 

[cjd-player]

+1 on the DV52... Cured my rosewood itch...

Or maybe just turned it into a maple itch. :lol:

 

[kostask]

I bought my 1994/1995 (serial number starts with EK, soundhole ring is herringbone, not MOP/Abalone) DV-52 for $523, plus about $60-70 for shipping up to Canada. My 1997 DV-6 was around $560, plus a similar amount for shipping. DV-6 is the same concept as the DV-52, just in mahogany back and sides. Both from eBay.

The DV-52 is an outstanding rosewood dread. Easily one of the deepest bass sounds of any dread I have ever heard, with nice mids and highs to go with it. The really good bass makes it sound really loud, and it has a presence, even in the company of some other "high end" dreads, that cannot be ignored.

The DV-6 is also a great dread, smoother overall tonal balance, without having bass that goes as deep. Smooth, and warmer, and probably just as loud.

I'd like to know Guild's (or Fender's, as the case may be) definition of scalloped braces, though, as I don't see evidence of scalloping in either guitar. Doesn't really seem to have had an impact on the bass or the overall tone, in any case.

Kostas

 

[Andy Hiwatt]

I considered many times the fabled DV52 as an alternative to my D50, I always read great estatic reviews and opinions from the owners, here on LTG and on review sites... I 'm sure it's a fantastic guitar with a fantastic tone.
A couple of times I found good deals on ebay, but in the end I was always afraid of the neck and fretboard I would have found without the chance to try and play the DV52..I have problems with thin necks and small or not so wide fretboards because I have long fingers, for that reason I'm not 100% satisfied with my 1987 D50 ( I came to the conclusion that late Eighties till mid Nineties Guilds with small headstock have consistently thinner necks than Seventies or early Eighties models-my 1982 D25 neck is very comfortable and thick..).
Is there anybody who can confirm me this assumption , or the Nineties Dv52 have thicker and beefier necks profiles than the previous years models?? Is the fretboard wide enough or narrow??
Maybe I could change my mind and try to find a DV52 without immotivate fears... :?: :?:

 

[hansmoust]

I bought my 1994/1995 (serial number starts with EK, soundhole ring is herringbone, not MOP/Abalone) DV-52 for $523.

Hello Kostas,

If the serial # starts with EK, then the guitar was made before 1994.
Give me the complete serial number and I should be able to tell you what year it was made.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[guildzilla]

Andy, it is also my impression (by feel) that the thinnest Guild acoustic necks were done on the mid-late 1980's guitars. Definitely on the Gruhn-Walker models, anyway.

 

[High Mileage]

Good timing, as I had a chance to spend about an hour with a '94 Taylor 810 the other day. Holy cow, that thing was a monster! I was VERY impressed, loved it. If the 710 that I used to own had sounded that good, I'd still have it. The 810 had just returned from the Taylor factory, where it had the neck replaced, a couple of cracks repaired, and a nice buff job. I expected it to be a little bit "sleepy," as it hadn't been played for a couple of years, but it just roared from the first strum.

Here's a little secret- my '95 DCE5 sounds as good as the DV-52s that I've played. I needed a gigging acoustic, and ended up with the DCE5, and am lucky to have it. That is not to say, however, that I wouldn't trade it for a DV-52 someday, when my gigging days are over.

 

[dreadnut]

Yeah, I think the DCE5 is another unsung hero. My buddy bought one from an LTG member, and it's really sweet, not to mention great on-board electronics

 

[jcwu]

There's been a handful of DV-52's popping up on craigslist around here (SF/Bay Area). The prices have been around $600 and under. I'm so tempted to pick up a second one to use, so I can put my original DV-52 to safe-keeping.

But then, I thought... that extra $600 could be put toward other things (like... FOOD for the KIDS), and besides, weren't Guilds made to be played? What would be the point of keeping my original DV-52 safe? That's like marrying a woman, but not laying a hand on her, to keep her pure, and having a second woman on the side.

 

[dreadnut]

:lol: great analogy, jc!

Yeah, mine's got a few battle scars fortunately they don't affect the tone

 

[kostask]

For Hans:

The serial number on my DV-52 is EK101037. It has a satin finish, and a herringbone type rosette.

The serial number on my DV-6 is AD062179. It has a high gloss finish, and also a herringbone rosette.

The DV-6 also seems to have more of an amber tint than the DV-52. While the finish on the DV-52 appears to be clear, the DV-6 has a substantially more ambering, visible in the chesterfield headstock logo, the white binding, and the soundboard. I assume this is lacquer tinting, as the guitar would have to be a lot older than 1997/1998 for this amount of age ambering to have occurred.

Also, the DV-52 has a black pick guard, and the DV-6 has a tortoise shell colored pick guard; both of them have gold Grover Rotomatic tuners.

Kostas

 

[fungusyoung]

For Hans:

The serial number on my DV-52 is EK101037. It has a satin finish, and a herringbone type rosette.

The serial number on my DV-6 is AD062179. It has a high gloss finish, and also a herringbone rosette.

The DV-6 also seems to have more of an amber tint than the DV-52. While the finish on the DV-52 appears to be clear, the DV-6 has a substantially more ambering, visible in the chesterfield headstock logo, the white binding, and the soundboard. I assume this is lacquer tinting, as the guitar would have to be a lot older than 1997/1998 for this amount of age ambering to have occurred.

Also, the DV-52 has a black pick guard, and the DV-6 has a tortoise shell colored pick guard; Both of them have gold Grover Rotomatic tuners.

Kostas

You have 2 astounding guitars.

My DV6 sounds very similar to yours, my DV52 (now securely in the hands of Scratch) was a later high gloss model. Here's a shot of both of 'em for posterity's sake.

'98 DV6 to the left, '96 DV52 to the right

My gosh... those 90's DV6's.... I'm just blown away over & over again by that guitar. Might have something to do with being the hog lover I am.