Guild D55

[thumbpicker]

I can't find a D55 in my area to try out so a question. What would you compare the neck profile on the newer ones to say Taylor, Martin, etc. Also if someone has one what is the width at nut and more important the width at the 12th fret.

Thanks, Thumbpicker

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Direct from Guild.

Model Name D-55
Model Number 385-0500-(Color #)
Category Dreadnought Guitars
Body Style Dreadnought
Top Solid AAA Spruce
Bracing Guild® Scalloped Red Spruce
Back Solid Bookmatched Rosewood
Sides Solid Rosewood Sides
Bridge Ebony
Neck 3-Piece Mahogany/Walnut/Mahogany
Fretboard Ebony, 12" Radius, (305 mm)
Width at Nut 1-11/16? (43mm)
No. of Frets 20
Scale Length 25-5/8"
Hardware Gold
Machine Heads Gotoh® 700 Series Gold-Plated Open-Back Tuners
Pickups Optional
Controls N/A
Pickup Switching N/A
Finish High Gloss (Nitrocellulose Lacquer)
Colors (821) Natural,
(837)* Antique Burst, *add $50.00
Unique Features Ebony Headcap,
Dovetail Neck Joint with Slim Heel,
Lightweight Laminated Birch Tail-Block,
30' Radius Top,
Natural Mother-of-Pearl and Abalone Position Inlays,
Bound Ebony Fingerboard,
Abalone Rosette,
Tortoise Shell Pickguard,
Dual Action Truss Rod
Case Includes C4520 Deluxe Hardshell Case, p/n 3501075207
Strings D'Addario® EXP 17 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Gauges .013 to .056
Introduced 3/2009
Notice Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice

I can't say that the D-55 neck is like any other guitar that I own.
It's not a deep neck. By this, I mean that it isn't as chunky as a Martin.
It isn't much like a Taylor neck either.
The Taylor neck feels thinner to me.
I like the way it feels though.

By the way, I love mine!
TMG

 

[thumbpicker]

Thanks for the info. If you have a chance could you measure the width at 12th fret. I like 2" to 2&1/16" at 12th.

TP

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

The width of the neck at the 12th fret is 2 1/8".

 

[GardMan]

The neck width at the 12th fret on my '92 D-55 is a smidge over 2-1/16". The necks on all my Westerly dreads seem to range from a smidge less than 2-1/32" to a smidge over 2-1/16".
D

 

[cjd-player]

The neck width at the 12th fret on my '92 D-55 is a smidge over 2-1/16". The necks on all my Westerly dreads seem to range from a smidge less than 2-1/32" to a smidge over 2-1/16".
D

There must have been a lot of smidges at the Westerly plant. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[JerryR]

I can't find a D55 in my area to try out so a question. What would you compare the neck profile on the newer ones to say Taylor, Martin, etc. Also if someone has one what is the width at nut and more important the width at the 12th fret.

Thanks, Thumbpicker

Good luck with your quest Thumbpicker - it is my GAS Guitar too

 

[thumbpicker]

Thanks for the info everybody. Measurment sizes seem to vary. My 1998 X 700 is 17" wide at the lower bout but I have read other X 700's are 17 & 1/2 or 17 & 1/4 according to owners. Maybe I have a bum tape measure.

TP

 

[6L6]

Love my '06 D-55!

 

[twocorgis]

You might also want to consider a D50. It's basically a D55 minus all the dress. All the good stuff is the same. Ebony fingerboard rosewood B/S.

 

[Dadaist]

You might also want to consider a D50. It's basically a D55 minus all the dress. All the good stuff is the same. Ebony fingerboard rosewood B/S.

Owning both a D50 ('89) and a D55 ('81) you might think that the only difference is the inlay and binding on the D55. The D55 has (and I can only speak for mine) a richer, fuller sound, whereas the D50 has similar sound characteristics to my D28. Two very different guitars.

 

[adorshki]

Owning both a D50 ('89) and a D55 ('81) you might think that the only difference is the inlay and binding on the D55. The D55 has (and I can only speak for mine) a richer, fuller sound, whereas the D50 has similar sound characteristics to my D28. Two very different guitars.

There might very well be bracing differences in the same model year even if the basic woods are the same. Especially with the age spread between your two and the advent of the Gruhn-Walker designs right between them.

 

[Dadaist]

Owning both a D50 ('89) and a D55 ('81) you might think that the only difference is the inlay and binding on the D55. The D55 has (and I can only speak for mine) a richer, fuller sound, whereas the D50 has similar sound characteristics to my D28. Two very different guitars.

There might very well be bracing differences in the same model year even if the basic woods are the same. Especially with the age spread between your two and the advent of the Gruhn-Walker designs right between them.

Last weekend Fred, aka valleyguy, Treem and I got together for an impromptu Guildfest (see group photo under same). When playing the youngster of the group, Fred's Tacoma D50, the biggest difference with the Westerly guitars (and this was also true for Treem's DV-72) was how the neck felt.

 

[adorshki]

Last weekend Fred, aka valleyguy, Treem and I got together for an impromptu Guildfest (see group photo under same). When playing the youngster of the group, Fred's Tacoma D50, the biggest difference with the Westerly guitars (and this was also true for Treem's DV-72) was how the neck felt.

Yeah I saw that thread, almost made me wish I lived down there for an easy join-up! (I was born in No.Hollywood but got hauled up here when I was 4. But few times I've visited over the years played h-ll with my tender lungs so I don't think I'd do too well living there.)
Interesting about the necks, I'm keeping an informal survey on that subject. I think it started in Corona. My D40 is absolutely a "smidge" deeper in cross-section than my D25. From about the 3rd fret down you can actually see a very slight increase in it all the way down (up?) to the heel. I don't have any precision tools to make actual measurements but I think I'll just use an old fashioned tape measure this weekend to compare it to the '25. I'll check comparative widths at the neck join too. Two other Corona owners have agreed with me so far in subjective comparisons, no actual measurements.

 

[twocorgis]

Interesting about the necks, I'm keeping an informal survey on that subject. I think it started in Corona. My D40 is absolutely a "smidge" deeper in cross-section than my D25. From about the 3rd fret down you can actually see a very slight increase in it all the way down (up?) to the heel. I don't have any precision tools to make actual measurements but I think I'll just use an old fashioned tape measure this weekend to compare it to the '25. I'll check comparative widths at the neck join too. Two other Corona owners have agreed with me so far in subjective comparisons, no actual measurements.

I think we did have a thread about neck profiles not too long ago, didn't we? I didn't really pay too much attention to it at the time, because all I owned back then were Westerlys, and all their neck profiles were pretty much the same. What I have noticed now that I have a Tacoma and a New Hartford in the herd is that both of their necks are noticeably fatter than my others, though not objectionably so. I've not tried a Corona, so I don't know about them.

 

[adorshki]

I think we did have a thread about neck profiles not too long ago, didn't we? What I have noticed now that I have a Tacoma and a New Hartford in the herd is that both of their necks are noticeably fatter than my others, though not objectionably so.

That might've been the thread where I quipped "Chunky is in the hand of the holder", but yes it comes up periodically. Most seem to agree that the Westerly necks had great profiles. It's very unusual to hear somebody say they actually feel too thin or to see somebody call one "chunky". Since everybody's hands are different sizes those terms are purely subjective. But since I noticed the difference in my necks I thought I'd start asking around.
Next step is getting informal feedback from folks to verify what I suspect, that the necks actually did start getting a bit thicker when production moved to Corona. Not looking to make big deal out of it, but I'd think the best qualified subjective or even objective opinions would come from those who own guitars from the different locations for head to head comparison.
Then on top of all that, it sounds like the late (late '80s forward) Westerly necks might have been thinner than the earlier ones. When your D50 comes back I'd be interested in your feedback on that.
And by the way, thanks for your contribution to the "data pool'!

 

[twocorgis]

Next step is getting informal feedback from folks to verify what I suspect, that the necks actually did start getting a bit thicker when production moved to Corona. Not looking to make big deal out of it, but I'd think the best qualified subjective or even objective opinions would come from those who own guitars from the different locations for head to head comparison.

Hans might be able to shed some light on this, though he may not notice it here, as once again we've veered pretty much off from the original subject. :roll:

Then on top of all that, it sounds like the late (late '80s forward) Westerly necks might have been thinner than the earlier ones.

I wouldn't really know, as I don't have any from that period. The F20 (now with SG) was a shorter scale and wider nut, so I guess that doesn't qualify. The D25-12 is a 12er, so it doesn't either I suppose.

When your D50 comes back I'd be interested in your feedback on that.

Hopefully it should be ready any time now. Thane quoted me 90 days, and it's been almost exactly that since I sent it down. Probably be more like July though. Man, when that guitar comes back I think I'm going to play it for a month non-stop!

And by the way, thanks for your contribution to the "data pool'!

Is that anything like a gene pool? :shock: :lol:

 

[adorshki]

Hans might be able to shed some light on this, though he may not notice it here, as once again we've veered pretty much off from the original subject. :roll:

Actually the original question was about D55 neck profiles so we're staying on topic surprisingly well. I'm hoping the OP will gain a lot of useful info by seeing how many different parameters are involved in his question.
Hans has said more than once I think, that the necks at Westerly were all given their final shaping by hand on a belt sander and that this in itself is going to result in variations, however slight, in every neck. I think the "target profile" at Westerly was an element of the "Guild mystique", an intangible that lots of people immediately loved without maybe quite realizing why. That's what happened to me with the '25. It just felt right. The '40 ALWAYS felt a little stiffer, from day one. At first I called it the "Fender setup". Then I found the set up specs were identical to the '25, so what gives? It took me literally years before I realized the neck was actually thicker.

Then on top of all that, it sounds like the late (late '80s forward) Westerly necks might have been thinner than the earlier ones.

I wouldn't really know, as I don't have any from that period. The F20 (now with SG) was a shorter scale and wider nut, so I guess that doesn't qualify. The D25-12 is a 12er, so it doesn't either I suppose.

Right. I'm focusing on 1-11/16ths nut and 25-5/8" scale necks as that seems to be the most common by far, and what got carried over in the acoustic guitars after the move(s). I've just seen the "chunky" term used more frequently about the 70's era guitars like D25's on ebay.

When your D50 comes back I'd be interested in your feedback on that.

Hopefully it should be ready any time now. Thane quoted me 90 days, and it's been almost exactly that since I sent it down. Probably be more like July though. Man, when that guitar comes back I think I'm going to play it for a month non-stop!

July's probably more likely due to the weather poblems in Nashville, right?

And by the way, thanks for your contribution to the "data pool'!

Is that anything like a gene pool? :shock: :lol:

Now THAT'S the way to risk a veer right over the edge of the cliff! :lol:

 

[twocorgis]

Hans has said more than once I think, that the necks at Westerly were all given their final shaping by hand on a belt sander and that this in itself is going to result in variations, however slight, in every neck. I think the "target profile" at Westerly was an element of the "Guild mystique", an intangible that lots of people immediately loved without maybe quite realizing why. That's what happened to me with the '25. It just felt right. The '40 ALWAYS felt a little stiffer, from day one. At first I called it the "Fender setup". Then I found the set up specs were identical to the '25, so what gives? It took me literally years before I realized the neck was actually thicker.

Interesting. I guess that info came (like most of the info here) before I knew about this place. In essence, that while similar, every neck that came out of westerly was just a little bit different. Which is cool really; the true definition of handmade.

When your D50 comes back I'd be interested in your feedback on that.

Hopefully it should be ready any time now. Thane quoted me 90 days, and it's been almost exactly that since I sent it down. Probably be more like July though. Man, when that guitar comes back I think I'm going to play it for a month non-stop!

July's probably more likely due to the weather poblems in Nashville, right?[/quote]

The weather didn't really affect the Nashville shop, as they're on a high piece of ground. I called down there after I saw Brad Paisley picking up pieces of an acoustic guitar that had been flood damaged, and had visions of my beloved D50 floating down the Cumberland River. :shock: All was well according to Thane; they hadn't been affected at all. I suppose it might have set me back a little bit as more "important" people may have jumped the line ahead of me. I'm hopeful...

 

[adorshki]

The weather didn't really affect the Nashville shop, as they're on a high piece of ground. I called down there after I saw Brad Paisley picking up pieces of an acoustic guitar that had been flood damaged, and had visions of my beloved D50 floating down the Cumberland River. :shock: All was well according to Thane; they hadn't been affected at all. I suppose it might have set me back a little bit as more "important" people may have jumped the line ahead of me. I'm hopeful...

I was thinking more in terms of damage to the surroundings maybe affecting local supply of stuff and/or employees needed to stay on schedule. I saw that the shop itself got off well.
You don't think they'd really prioritize some rockstar's guitar over yours do you? THAT wouldn't be fair! :roll: