Maybe....we expect too much from our old guitars...

[Westerly Wood]

just maybe....

I have a 50 year old Guild D25. It was built in 1971. It's super lightly built, feather-weight really. It's an all hog dread...I use standard light gauge strings on it. While it has some divots in the first 3 frets, dug out long before I bought it in 2013, honestly, that is about the only thing wrong with her. I did get a neck reset in 2015 and they crowned the frets a bit. I put a K&K mini in it back in 2013. I don't gig much but since 2013, it has been my main "gigging" guitar. For several years there, it was my ONLY guitar. I have played it a lot. I have most likely played it more than any previous owner, even though there is no way for me to tell for sure. It's a hunch...

take all that into consideration, last Saturday night I am playing it thru a PA sound system, Straight, no Fx, no pedal, just plug and play, and the sound guy touches it up as best to his ability. We are not professionals, but that is ok too, as one can do all this and not be a professional.

I really strum the heck out of it, once a week. Heavy strumming, in order to provide a driving rythym so the singers can sing....I love the work. It's probably my favorite 90 minutes of my week.

I have had my moments with the "Br" but let's recapture several reasons why this guitar should no longer be functioning:

1. I have dropped it several times.
2. My kids have sat on it.
3. I once got so frustrated at a broken truss rod that I threw it across a room and it landed on its back on carpet. (I know, this is a painful memory. Then Ralf answered on LTG my post about the TR, "oh, Woody, that is easily fixable"...lol)
4. It has moved across country in back of UHaul...
5. It has hung on a wall for years in a very dry, arid hot part of the country.
6. It has survived out of its case on cold dry winter nights. (Yes, you would be surprised how cold a dry cold is...cold is different when there is no humidity in the air).
7. I have re-strung and re-strung and re-strung, as many of you can imagine, this old dread hundreds of times.
8. I played heavily strummed it using a 2.0mm pick since 2015.

I could probably go on if memory served me better...point is, this old Guild dread should be wall art by now, unplayable, tuning machines fallen off, bridge unglued, sound hole dug away, unplayable action, etc etc etc.....

But it's not. It is ready to go right now if you needed it for a gig or just to play on couch or to record an album. It's ready for any of that. It doesn't care about my feelings...I can't tell you how many times a friend has played it or heard it and been like, man that guitar sounds really good...or, damn, I have to pay like 3k for a martin that sounds that good........

It is not limited by human parameters.

It will outlive me.

I should not have such high expectations on any instrument made in 1971 that cost $225 retail.

 

[Opsimath]

Wish vehicles and appliances were that well made.

 

[wileypickett]

Wish WE were that well made!

 

[F312]

Man, you better keep that guitar, and if you have any more, sell them, and don't buy anymore, because you don't know how to take care of a guitar.

 

[walrus]

Your own version of "Trigger"! Great story!

walrus

 

[bobouz]

You’ve done all that to it since 2013?

The poor thing is probably crying for mercy!

 

[5thumbs]

That guitar will be reincarnated as a cat.

 

[Westerly Wood]

You’ve done all that to it since 2013?

The poor thing is probably crying for mercy!

well, that’s just the stuff I remember.
So, anyone want to buy a guitar from me?

 

[Rambozo96]

Sounds like my story with my 72’ Yamaha FG-150. It fell down a flight of steps at the DFW airport in a gig bag that was a smidge better than using a burlap sack, had it on the plane with said crap gigbag and survived with the only injury being a busted low E and the D tuner didn’t operate so smoothly since.

Ex kicked it off the stand in a fit of rage.
Scars from the crappy home brew lo impedance pickup I had in the sound hole.

Uncle had the cherry from his lit cigarette fall onto the top

Destoryed the original bridge after years of not using a humidifier. Irreparable crack formed across the pins. New one since added on which costed me more than what I originally paid but that guitar was an investment.

Currently in talks with some dude based in DC to reset the neck which will be just south twice what I paid with a quarter of the costs in shipping form West Texas to the US capitol but there’s nothing wrong with putting money into something you won’t ever turn a profit on. As there’s the sentimental aspect of life. You can’t run life like a Craigslist quick flip project. There’s no enjoyment in that. I feel once my 74’ D-35 gets to where a neck reset is an absolute must I’ll more than likely have it done once I find a tech I trust in my vague general vicinity (no such luck so far. Everyone local to me kinda suck, won’t say exactly where I reside out of respect.) Again I’d pay about as much as I originally paid but it took me quite a while to find a guitar that inspired me as much as that Yamaha. That D-35 is all that and a bit more and I found it’s very hard for me to find that same attachment to other guitars.

 

[Rambozo96]

Also those BR’s are something special from what I hear. Probably advisable to refrain from letting that one get away.

 

[Guildguy1965]

just maybe....

I have a 50 year old Guild D25. It was built in 1971. It's super lightly built, feather-weight really. It's an all hog dread...I use standard light gauge strings on it. While it has some divots in the first 3 frets, dug out long before I bought it in 2013, honestly, that is about the only thing wrong with her. I did get a neck reset in 2015 and they crowned the frets a bit. I put a K&K mini in it back in 2013. I don't gig much but since 2013, it has been my main "gigging" guitar. For several years there, it was my ONLY guitar. I have played it a lot. I have most likely played it more than any previous owner, even though there is no way for me to tell for sure. It's a hunch...

take all that into consideration, last Saturday night I am playing it thru a PA sound system, Straight, no Fx, no pedal, just plug and play, and the sound guy touches it up as best to his ability. We are not professionals, but that is ok too, as one can do all this and not be a professional.

I really strum the heck out of it, once a week. Heavy strumming, in order to provide a driving rythym so the singers can sing....I love the work. It's probably my favorite 90 minutes of my week.

I have had my moments with the "Br" but let's recapture several reasons why this guitar should no longer be functioning:

1. I have dropped it several times.
2. My kids have sat on it.
3. I once got so frustrated at a broken truss rod that I threw it across a room and it landed on its back on carpet. (I know, this is a painful memory. Then Ralf answered on LTG my post about the TR, "oh, Woody, that is easily fixable"...lol)
4. It has moved across country in back of UHaul...
5. It has hung on a wall for years in a very dry, arid hot part of the country.
6. It has survived out of its case on cold dry winter nights. (Yes, you would be surprised how cold a dry cold is...cold is different when there is no humidity in the air).
7. I have re-strung and re-strung and re-strung, as many of you can imagine, this old dread hundreds of times.
8. I played heavily strummed it using a 2.0mm pick since 2015.

I could probably go on if memory served me better...point is, this old Guild dread should be wall art by now, unplayable, tuning machines fallen off, bridge unglued, sound hole dug away, unplayable action, etc etc etc.....

But it's not. It is ready to go right now if you needed it for a gig or just to play on couch or to record an album. It's ready for any of that. It doesn't care about my feelings...I can't tell you how many times a friend has played it or heard it and been like, man that guitar sounds really good...or, damn, I have to pay like 3k for a martin that sounds that good........

It is not limited by human parameters.

It will outlive me.

I should not have such high expectations on any instrument made in 1971 that cost $225 retail.

Don’t ever sell that 71’
Woody, That D-25 Sounds like a true war horse. Look at willies old 69 N-20 “Trigger” granted he has the money to give it whatever it needs but you’ve got a Guild and they were made to be played. What you have is a horse called music enjoy him while you can!

 

[dreadnut]

I bought my D25M new in '76 and it's been to a thousand gigs, but nowhere near the abuse you've subjected yours to. Although I have banged it into doors while carrying it, banged it into mics, used the headstock for a cigarette holder, and there's even an old "seed burn" on the upper bout.

And still the best sounding guitar I've ever owned. $300 including the hardshell case in '76.

 

[chazmo]

. . .

It is not limited by human parameters.

It will outlive me.

I should not have such high expectations on any instrument made in 1971 that cost $225 retail.

Woody,

We are only caretakers of these fine instruments. They certainly can outlast us.

If you're interested in a nice piece of fiction which really brings this point home, look for a movie called "The Red Violin."

 

[Westerly Wood]

If you're interested in a nice piece of fiction which really brings this point home, look for a movie called "The Red Violin."

One of my fave movies of all time.

 

[jp]

My example is my beat up old Seagull S6 that I bought in 1989 from Kim Keller (yes that guy!) in Columbus, OH where he used to have a shop -Keller's Music.

Shamefully, I don't have a Guild, and this is my one and only acoustic. It's been passed around at college parties, dropped a gazillion times, and had alcohol of all kinds spilled on it. It's been borrowed by friends for extended periods of time, some who even serenaded their current wives. I've performed on stage with it in multiple states and busked on the streets from Chicago to New Orleans with it. My sons learned how to play on it.

It's still completely original with no cracks and surprisingly doesn't at all reflect the harsh life it's endured. The only problem is some slight bridge bellying. It still sounds great despite the beating it's taken. All the while being toted around in a chipboard case.

 

[F312]

My example is my beat up old Seagull S6 that I bought in 1989 from Kim Keller (yes that guy!) in Columbus, OH where he used to have a shop -Keller's Music.

Shamefully, I don't have a Guild, and this is my one and only acoustic. It's been passed around at college parties, dropped a gazillion times, and had alcohol of all kinds spilled on it. It's been borrowed by friends for extended periods of time, some who even serenaded their current wives. I've performed on stage with it in multiple states and busked on the streets from Chicago to New Orleans with it. My sons learned how to play on it.

It's still completely original with no cracks and surprisingly doesn't at all reflect the harsh life it's endured. The only problem is some slight bridge bellying. It still sounds great despite the beating it's taken. All the while being toted around in a chipboard case.

Someone needs to crack it open over your head.

 

[Rambozo96]

My example is my beat up old Seagull S6 that I bought in 1989 from Kim Keller (yes that guy!) in Columbus, OH where he used to have a shop -Keller's Music.

Shamefully, I don't have a Guild, and this is my one and only acoustic. It's been passed around at college parties, dropped a gazillion times, and had alcohol of all kinds spilled on it. It's been borrowed by friends for extended periods of time, some who even serenaded their current wives. I've performed on stage with it in multiple states and busked on the streets from Chicago to New Orleans with it. My sons learned how to play on it.

It's still completely original with no cracks and surprisingly doesn't at all reflect the harsh life it's endured. The only problem is some slight bridge bellying. It still sounds great despite the beating it's taken. All the while being toted around in a chipboard case.

I had no idea they made those back then.

 

[jp]

Someone needs to crack it open over your head.

I think so. Then I can buy a Guild!

I had no idea they made those back then.

They were relatively unknown then, and I didn't have much money at all. It was actually Kim Keller who suggested it telling me they were from Godin and a truly great value, which turned out to be true.

 

[Rambozo96]

I think so. Then I can buy a Guild!
They were relatively unknown then, and I didn't have much money at all. It was actually Kim Keller who suggested it telling me they were from Godin and a truly great value, which turned out to be true.

Seagulls were pretty popular when I was still in high school about 10 years ago for the kids that played acoustic and graduated from whatever cheap starter they had. I recall for the money the only company that matched them was maybe Yamaha. I had a Seagull 12 string during that time but it had long since been sold when my interest in 12 strings completely died.

 

[twocorgis]

One of my fave movies of all time.

I got to see the world premiere of that film at Alice Tully Hall in NYC, and even met Joshua Bell in the process!

Your story reminds me of some of the things I've subjected my '73 D50 to. I was an idiot kid who had never heard of a humidifier or a guitar stand, and it certainly has the scars to prove that! And every one of those scars has a story behind it. Amazingly, the guitar has never had a crack, and it's probably a good thing that it's built like a tank, because it really needed to be with a young, stupid me.