My D55

[jdp]

Hi, brand new here.

I found the forum while searching for advice on strings. This is a guitar I bought new about 10 years ago and after playing it for just a bit, started traveling for work too much and didn't pick up a guitar at all for about 8 years - shame. So recently, I pulled it out, put some new medium gauge strings on it and was disappointed in the sound. The hunt for a better choice in strings led me here and to a set of Pearse PB 80/20's and great satisfaction in the sound (after a minor neck adjustment), not to mention the easier playing. Thanks!

Another poster inquiring about his D55's pedigree via the serial number got me curious - can anybody tell me anything about mine? It lists Westerly as the location of Guild, but does not specify "made in", but the serial number is AD551918.

 

[adorshki]

Hi, brand new here.
Another poster inquiring about his D55's pedigree via the serial number got me curious - can anybody tell me anything about mine? It lists Westerly as the location of Guild, but does not specify "made in", but the serial number is AD551918.

HI JD, Welcome aboard! The BEST source for date info by s/n is our own Hans Moust, you can "PM" him via the "User Control Panel". He's usally pretty darn quick with a response. (from Holland)(in english :lol: )
The listing on Guild's own website doesn't have any history for late Westerly(2000-2001) and Corona (2002-2004) at this time, and are in fact not 100% accurate, but if you just want to go look:
http://www.guildguitars.com/index.php/support/dating/

 

[Marty Bradbury]

welcome to a great forum!!

 

[twocorgis]

Welcome JDP; stick around, you'll like it here!

Your serial number dates the D55 to some time after the dating chart cuts off in 1996. Hans would know for sure.

 

[GardMan]

Welcome to LTG! Dave

 

[West R Lee]

You may also look in the soundhole at the neckblock and get an indication of when it was built. The date you see there will be prior to actual completion of the guitar. We learn well don't we Hans?

By the way, JP's are what I've always had on my D55's....and most others.....I also prefer 80/20's.

West

 

[frankieb]

Welcome to LTG I recently switched to JP's and love em.

 

[Ian]

Welcome along JDP,

I would say thats a late Westerly model you have there. Mine is AD551500, which Hans has dated as being from July 2000. Should have the Abalone soundhole ring and scalloped bracing right ? Fantastic guitars, I know many here really rate the late Westerly D55's.

 

[evenkeel]

Welcome to the forum. :!:

 

[cjd-player]

Welcome, jdp
D-55s are fabulous guitars.

 

[jdp]

Thanks for the welcoming and notes. It looks like my guitar falls in between the last reported Westerly serial numbers and the revised numbering structure started in 2006. I think I bought my guitar in 2001 and I recall the guy saying it had been in the shop for quite some time. Yes, it has the Mother-of-Pearl around the sound hole. Nothing I can see stamped on the neck block. It has the natural finish and looks beautiful. If I can find my camera one of these days, I'll post a picture.

I never knew that Guilds were manufactured in Tacoma (my college town in the 70's) until seeing that info here.

Funny, in my younger days through college and beyond, I had Martin Envy - several friends had D-28's and one had a D-35. The best I could afford at the time was a Takamine F375 D-35 knock-off (still have it, needs work). In 2001 I went into the shop with the cash in my pocket determined to buy the Martin D-35. I tried for several hours to talk myself into the Martin, "because it was what I had always wanted", and still walked out with the Guild. I recall that my preferences were shaped by ease of play and a sound that seemed "more versatile" from one picking style to another. Price had very little to do with it (I think the D-35 was a few hundred $ more).

Now that I am playing a bit again after a long absence and have better suited strings on it, it's clear to me I made the right choice. I would still like to have a nice Martin in the house, but I will probably only be able to have one single "premium" guitar, and the D55 is definitely very satisfying in that regard.

 

[West R Lee]

Mine is AD552692, and one of the very last to leave Westerly in '01. I'd guess yours is a '98-'00 model.

West

 

[chazmo]

Thanks for the welcoming and notes. It looks like my guitar falls in between the last reported Westerly serial numbers and the revised numbering structure started in 2006. I think I bought my guitar in 2001 and I recall the guy saying it had been in the shop for quite some time. Yes, it has the Mother-of-Pearl around the sound hole. Nothing I can see stamped on the neck block. It has the natural finish and looks beautiful. If I can find my camera one of these days, I'll post a picture.

I never knew that Guilds were manufactured in Tacoma (my college town in the 70's) until seeing that info here.

Funny, in my younger days through college and beyond, I had Martin Envy - several friends had D-28's and one had a D-35. The best I could afford at the time was a Takamine F375 D-35 knock-off (still have it, needs work). In 2001 I went into the shop with the cash in my pocket determined to buy the Martin D-35. I tried for several hours to talk myself into the Martin, "because it was what I had always wanted", and still walked out with the Guild. I recall that my preferences were shaped by ease of play and a sound that seemed "more versatile" from one picking style to another. Price had very little to do with it (I think the D-35 was a few hundred $ more).

Now that I am playing a bit again after a long absence and have better suited strings on it, it's clear to me I made the right choice. I would still like to have a nice Martin in the house, but I will probably only be able to have one single "premium" guitar, and the D55 is definitely very satisfying in that regard.

Just FYI, jdp... 2005 was the start of Tacoma production. Prior to that, Corona took over sometime in 2001... Corona serial numbers were different, and yours is definitely a Westerly. The serial number change of which you spoke really started in 2001, and then was re-vamped again in 2005. Guild hasn't seen fit to document any of the Corona serial numbers on the web site, but they are distinguishable from Westerly.

Any way, as West said, '98 - '00 seems very likely. Hopefully Hans can nail it down for you. Did you look inside to see if a date was stamped on the side of the neck block?

 

[GardMan]

While we all wait for Hans to pipe in, you might use a mirror to look on the braces on either side of the soundhole... most of my Westerly Guilds also have date stamps there, indicating when the top was assembled. The final assembly could be months later...
Dave

 

[iJamF47M]

PICS! PICS!!!

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Did the stamping of dates on the braces stop when Guild moved from Westerly?
I don't see anything inside my Tacoma built D-55, except the sticker.

 

[twocorgis]

Did the stamping of dates on the braces stop when Guild moved from Westerly?
I don't see anything inside my Tacoma built D-55, except the sticker.

I think so, TMG. I've noticed that on later Westerlys the date was stamped on the heel block. On earlier ones, it's underneath the top, or at least it is on my two '70s era Westerlys. AFAIK there's no date stamp at all on Corona and later Guilds, or at least I've never seen one.

 

[Bill Ashton]

This image comes from the heel block on my June '08 mfg'd Tacoma D55...perhaps jdp should look at the other end!