Like my new sig line says:

[yettoblaster]

Today I picked up a NOS (Tacoma-made) D40 "Bluegrass Jubilee," I found over at Guitar Showcase in San Jose.

A couple of minor marks from the general public, but no serious crunches or pick scars. Came with a nice arched hardshell case with registration packet, etc.

They also had (in a glass case, for $9K) a Brazilian rosewood D-55 (OOO la LA), however I was busy diggin' the Adirondak spruce top and tortoise binding on "mine!"

So what strings came on these? Seem like light non-phosphors, possibly Elixers? I remember some Tacoma guitar models came with Exilers (or was that Larrivees?).

I'll get pics up soon, I promise.

 

[southernGuild]

8) COOL! Sounds like a nice one! Congrats.

 

[adorshki]

Aha! So now you're armed for unamplified duels! :lol: That D55 is a 50th Anni model they've had in there since new. I wonder where that D40 popped up from? They had NO NEW Guilds the last 2 times I was in there.
Did you see the Benedetto in the "museum" room? Or maybe you're better off if you didn't... :lol:

 

[yettoblaster]

...I wonder where that D40 popped up from? They had NO NEW Guilds the last 2 times I was in there.
Did you see the Benedetto in the "museum" room? Or maybe you're better off if you didn't... :lol:

It was marked as a "Fall Special!" And Dan said it had been there a while (maybe it was in a back room?). They keep stuff in the back room sometimes until floor space becomes available for a certain market segment. They move a lot more of of the mass market stuff, but I think it's cool they also cater a little to some niche segments. The evil empire never knows what it's doing over at Guitar Center. Half the time they have no idea, but price it way high anyway, and half the time they just don't know and basically just give it away (right when I'm personally tapped out for impulse cash)! :evil:

I have not seen that Benedetto (that I know of). Is it a Guild? I seem to remember a Benedetto Artist Award in the past, and a non-Benedetto Stuart 700 I should have bought (it was cheap for what it was). I saw a Fratello in there once too after Benedetto joined with Guild to revamp the high end.

The first Benedetto I ever saw was in Johnny Smith's Colorado Springs store, when Bob Benedetto was in Florida, kinda early on, before he got famous.

A couple of weeks ago I sat in on a guy's gig who has a Benedetto 700. Very nice (even though I called "Take Five" and then hosed it all up by not explaining the ABA thing -most guys play it AABA- to the other side men: "D'oH!").

 

[AlohaJoe]

Congratulations on the new gear... those are very nice guitars!

Did you see the Benedetto in the "museum" room? Or maybe you're better off if you didn't... :lol:

Best not to look at Benedettos... when I saw this one I almost wet myself.

Of course, when you pull out a fancy guitar you're just raising expectations... and in my case that's not such a great idea. :lol:

 

[adorshki]

I have not seen that Benedetto (that I know of). Is it a Guild? I seem to remember a Benedetto Artist Award in the pastwas cheap for what it was). I saw a Fratello in there once too after Benedetto joined with Guild to revamp the high end.

Actually that might have been the one, with the $10,000.00 price tag :shock: a few years back. I thought it was still in there about 6 months ago.

A couple of weeks ago I sat in on a guy's gig who has a Benedetto 700. Very nice (even though I called "Take Five" and then hosed it all up by not explaining the ABA thing -most guys play it AABA- to the other side men: "D'oH!").

:lol: One of my favorite oopsies! Not just on "Take Five" either!

 

[chazmo]

Yetto, I think Tacoma used D'Addario Phosphor-Bronze EXPs. Not positive though; I've changed mine so many times I've forgotten.

 

[yettoblaster]

Yetto, I think Tacoma used D'Addario Phosphor-Bronze EXPs. Not positive though; I've changed mine so many times I've forgotten.

Thank you.

These feel medium, but are a bit light colored for Phosphor (the way I remember anyways: it's been a while since I had ANYTHING with bronze strings). Though perhaps they had a light coating (EXP's right?). Not a lot of dust that I can see. Elixers sure leave a trail...

 

[Scratch]

Congrats on the purchase yettoman. Love me some D40. Pics please!!!


FWIW; my Tacoma crafted D40 sounds great with D'Addario or Elixer PB 80/20 lights... Elixer bluegrass medium lights also vera nice as Jeff would say...

 

[yettoblaster]

Congrats on the purchase yettoman. Love me some D40. Pics please!!!


FWIW; my Tacoma crafted D40 sounds great with D'Addario or Elixer PB 80/20 lights... Elixer bluegrass medium lights also vera nice as Jeff would say...

Pics will come when I can get to my wife's digital camera. I could do a phone pic but I want to be able to capture the tortoise binding and heel cap.

Today I put on some John Pearse Light 80/20's and didn't lose a thing! The D'addarios coming off (colored ball ends) were the stock mediums and dead for any sizzle. The John Pearse are crisp and drive the top just as well even though I went down a gauge. No buzzes! I'll wait to adjust the neck a day or so. Seems perfect, with a hint of relief left after the string change. It may need nothing.

I generally prefer phospher but we'll see how these hold up. I'm going to bash on them pretty good Sunday playing some swing rhythms at a coffee shop without an amp for an ensemble. I usually use my Savoy, plugged in (but it's a quiet gig, so the D40 will be fine for rhythm duties), I won't be taking any solos but that's ok. I used up my six licks last week. :wink:

 

[bluesypicky]

Cool Yetto..... Nothing like a good hog box I say! :mrgreen:
I knew you belonged right here with the ill.
Another couple of months and you'll run short of bandwidth to add the newly acquired Guild in your sig, it's a given.
:lol:

 

[adorshki]

Today I put on some John Pearse Light 80/20's and didn't lose a thing! The D'addarios coming off (colored ball ends) were the stock mediums and dead for any sizzle. The John Pearse are crisp and drive the top just as well even though I went down a gauge. No buzzes! I'll wait to adjust the neck a day or so. Seems perfect, with a hint of relief left after the string change. It may need nothing.
I generally prefer phospher but we'll see how these hold up. I'm going to bash on them pretty good Sunday playing some swing rhythms at a coffee shop without an amp for an ensemble

In fact up until recently 60 days the Guild website spec'd lights (.012-.053) for all the dreads. I just noticed the change to mediums coincident with the new NH offerings going up on the site, in maybe the last 6 months?. Never knew for sure what Tacoma used, I would actually have expected the mexican Fender strings that started being used in Corona. I'm wondering if they might have actually re-strung it in Showcase for display? There's been a lot of debate here about strings, but I'm that "Don't NEED mediums" camp too.
BTW, how does that neck feel compared to your Savoy? Is the Savoy a 1-11/16 nut? I have an informal survey going about Guild necks...and my D40 neck is definitely thicker than the D25 so I've been trying to see if it's characteristic of D40's or just normal manufacturing variation.

 

[Jeff]

So what strings came on these? Seem like light non-phosphors, possibly Elixers? I remember some Tacoma guitar models came with Exilers (or was that Larrivees?).

I'll get pics up soon, I promise.

Dunno how to tell what brand or style of strings are on a guitar but the guage can be easily identified with an inexpensive caliper. Most guitar shops will have a caliper in the tool box with the string winders, tuners, truss rod wrenches, polish & the like.

 

[valleyguy]

Those adirondack tops sound good with PBs, IMHO. I started with D'Darrios, but I really like the Martin SP PBs light.

 

[yettoblaster]

...how does that neck feel compared to your Savoy? Is the Savoy a 1-11/16 nut? I have an informal survey going about Guild necks...and my D40 neck is definitely thicker than the D25 so I've been trying to see if it's characteristic of D40's or just normal manufacturing variation.

They're both medium C and feel like 1&11/16" and I like them. Very familiar feel between them.

Of course the D40 is longer scale length.

I played a (stained) spruce topped D4 at Sylvan yesterday from the '80's with a big ol' neck!
I generally like some heft, but I think I prefer mine.

I played that Artist Award at Gryphon today and it was slightly fatter in the neck. Not a whole lot, but definitely chunkier and more shoulder than strictly "C" shape. I liked it.

I can get used to anything but prefer wider than 1&5/8" nut if I can swing it. Not a deal breaker just preference.

 

[onewilyfool]

Cool catch.......did they have any more? By the way, did those Tacoma Guilds have bolt on necks, or regular glued necks? Thanks

 

[adorshki]

Cool catch.......did they have any more? By the way, did those Tacoma Guilds have bolt on necks, or regular glued necks? Thanks

All the acoustics are glued on necks except fro the short-lived "Contemporary series", CO and CV prefixes, which had a "Guild Graphite Neckblock System" basically a bolt-on neck with some extra braces called a spider going to the top. Chazmo here has one he loves, but there's been some debate about whether it was a good idea and why it was discontinued. They suffer the stigma of having been discontinued and liquidated, with some non-warrantied factory seconds thrown into the mix, and some here feel it was the lowest point in Guild's history, a real blow to the brand image.
Do a search here for "contemporary series" if you're interested in learning more. There's many threads.

 

[yettoblaster]

Specs: "Dovetail joint," and all solid wood (Adirondak AKA "red spruce" top).

You can actually see the radius of the top (16'? 30'?).

It's a "real" guitar! How I remember 'em anyways... :wink: My '61 J-45 had Adirondak spruce too, and I'm beginning to think it's how I hear "normal," because I haven't had a flat-top that jazzed me this much in decades.

I never knew flat-tops had a radius to the tops, except for those Gypsy-jazz Django guitars (which are like re-inforced classicals: for -light- steel strings).

I knew they had some "rocker" (surfboard term) :wink: to the back, for projection (except for a Tacoma Chief I had once which was flat like a dulcimer, and sounded like one).

Learn something new everytime I pull out my wife's checkbook! :mrgreen: