New member, new guitar!

[teddy boy]

Dear all,

I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm also the owner of a Corona D50 (not sure which year, how do I check?). I would like to keep the guitar but I have a few problems. I would like to ask your advice concerning these problems...

First, I got the guitar cheap because the guitar had sat at the guitar shop for quite a few years without anybody taking care of it. The neck was a banana. Infact it had bent so much that the fretboard had cracked off the top of the guitar slightly. Once I straightened the neck and gave it some lovin' humidity the cracks on both sides of the fretboard on the top have just about disappeared. Only slightly visible. Is this a problem and wil it affect the tone? Do I need to get this glued?

Second query, after I swapped the strings for a heavier set, the action rose dramatically. Is this related to query one? I had to file the bridge a little and tighten the trussrod to correct this. The action is still a little high but I'm afraid to file the bridge more because there is only a couple of millimetres left on the low E-string. Could the top have risen behind the bridge? The set I put on was 13-56.

One more Q. Are Guilds generally heavier than, say, Gibsons? I had a Sheryl Crow that was a quite a bit lighter than this.

I would really like to keep this guitar but if it is structurally damaged I dont know if I can. Can you guys help?

Here she is!

 

[chazmo]

Teddy, if you want a lifetime of love from that D-50 I think you need to get the neck fixed and cracks braced. I suspect your problems wtih the heavier strings are due to instability in structure of the guitar there.

I recommend a visit to a luthier/guitar-tech in your area. Although you've done the key thing to re-humidify that guitar, I'm afraid it needs some professional TLC.

By the way, welcome to LTG!!!!!

 

[teddy boy]

Cheers! I'm glad to be a member!

Can that part of the guitar be braced? Maybe just glue it?

 

[chazmo]

Yes, it almost certainly can be braced, Teddy. Proper bracing of top cracks is done with small cross-braces that are glued at 90 degrees to the grain of the top. For a good luthier/tech this shouldn't be difficult. But, honestly, the bigger question is whether there is damage/cracking in the neck joint itself and/or whether the neck itself needs work.

 

[jazzmang]

Dear all,

I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm also the owner of a Corona D50 (not sure which year, how do I check?). I would like to keep the guitar but I have a few problems. I would like to ask your advice concerning these problems...

First, I got the guitar cheap because the guitar had sat at the guitar shop for quite a few years without anybody taking care of it. The neck was a banana. Infact it had bent so much that the fretboard had cracked off the top of the guitar slightly. Once I straightened the neck and gave it some lovin' humidity the cracks on both sides of the fretboard on the top have just about disappeared. Only slightly visible. Is this a problem and wil it affect the tone? Do I need to get this glued?

Second query, after I swapped the strings for a heavier set, the action rose dramatically. Is this related to query one? I had to file the bridge a little and tighten the trussrod to correct this. The action is still a little high but I'm afraid to file the bridge more because there is only a couple of millimetres left on the low E-string. Could the top have risen behind the bridge? The set I put on was 13-56.

One more Q. Are Guilds generally heavier than, say, Gibsons? I had a Sheryl Crow that was a quite a bit lighter than this.

I would really like to keep this guitar but if it is structurally damaged I dont know if I can. Can you guys help?

Welcome to LTG! Its quite a nice place!

I'll try and answer as much as I can. I'm sure some of the guys will know much more than me.

So first off, how much of the fretboard cracked? Where was the crack? Maybe post a pic if you can. I'm just curious to see what happened. Depending on how bad it is, you may want to at least get it re-glued where it had separated.

2nd question: Using thicker strings will cause more tension on the top, so yes the action will rise. What usually happens is the top will 'belly' up where the bridge is located. This raises the action a bit. Furthermore, your neck could bend more in a concave manner due to the extra tension, causing high action at the higher frets. In general, the bellying is hard to avoid, but a truss rod adjustment can usually bring the neck back into good standing.

In my experience, using heavier strings really makes you focus on whether or not the geometry of the guitar is correct. You want a good amount of saddle height to get that good string break angle, but you also want a low, smooth action. There is definitely a trade off. I find myself focusing very heavily on finding guitars with good saddle/action relationships.

On some of my older guitars, I have to use light strings, otherwise the top bellys up a bit and I have to shave the saddle down to a sliver, which kills that deep sound these Guilds are known for. There is a way to restore proper saddle/action (or neck/body, if you will) geometry, (called a neck reset), but this is an expensive and complex process that isn't taken lightly.



And yes. Guilds are made to be played and are therefore built like tanks. They are usually heavier than Martin/Gibson equivalents, but not always.


Hope this helped a bit.

EDIT: Chazmo is right in saying you should take it to a trusted luthier to have them take a look at it. They'll give you a good idea of what needs to be done to make it Guildtastic.

 

[teddy boy]

Ok, thanks guys I'll take to my luthier tomorrow. I'll also try and get a pic of the guitar a.s.a.p. To describe the cracks a little better. They are on both sides of the neck where the binding joins the adirondack-top, running from the 15th fret to the soundhole. I expect pics won't help now because the cracks are not visible. Cracks are not visible anywhere else on the guitar, even the neck heel.

Yeah, I was just thinking maybe the bracing maybe a little difficult as there is a 90 degree angle where the crack is. The neck heel runs for quite long under the fretboard, at lrast until the first big cross-brace is just before the soundhole. This arce also runs across the cracks.

Thanks for all the help. I think I will also go back to the lighter strings. Didn't like that set at all.

Do you think she is mendable? How about a keeper?

 

[chazmo]

Ok, thanks guys I'll take to my luthier tomorrow. I'll also try and get a pic of the guitar a.s.a.p. To describe the cracks a little better. They are on both sides of the neck where the binding joins the adirondack-top, running from the 15th fret to the soundhole. I expect pics won't help now because the cracks are not visible. Cracks are not visible anywhere else on the guitar, even the neck heel.

Yeah, I was just thinking maybe the bracing maybe a little difficult as there is a 90 degree angle where the crack is. The neck heel runs for quite long under the fretboard, at lrast until the first big cross-brace is just before the soundhole. This arce also runs across the cracks.

Thanks for all the help. I think I will also go back to the lighter strings. Didn't like that set at all.

Do you think she is mendable? How about a keeper?

Definitely some pix would help us evaluate, Teddy, but your luthier should be able to advise you best and help you figure out how much this'll cost to keep.

You could indeed just use the thing with lighter strings, but you'd really be missing out on letting this guitar reach its full potential. Well, that's my opinion anyway, and I'm sticking to it. An Adi-topped D-50 is a thing of beauty (and power) in my opinion.

In absence of pictures, I think most with-the-grain cracks that occur along the edges of the fingerboard can be braced at least once, maybe twice, between the neck block and teh soundhole, Teddy. Whether the rest of the area where the fingerboard meets the top can be braced is uncertain.

 

[adorshki]

Hi Teddy, WELCOME ABOARD! this group is just about the best mutual support organization I've ever seen! I can't add anything to alll the excellent advice you've already been given. I'm curious though, is your Teddy Boy handle derived from John Lennon's '50's persona? :wink:
As far as dating your D50, we have a member here (Hans Moust) who may be able to help if you post the serial number. He's an incredible asset and one of the reasons I joined. I already owned his book and was quite impressed to see he was a member when I first started lurking.
Al

 

[cjd-player]

Welcome, Teddy

 

[Tunes]

Teddy,

For starters would sugget you visit the Guild website - will provide some very basic info - including the not-quite-so-realiable serial list and dating reference. However ya might get lucky. If your number is not here, the our resident "real" expert, Hans Moust will jump in and help.

http://www.guildguitars.com/resources/guild_dating.php

That D-50 is definitely a keeper if you can get it fixed, and a good luthier can fix almost anything, just a matter of time and cost.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[12stringer]

Hey Teddy
Welcome aboard...as far as humidification is concerned, a very good luthier told me that it can take a few months for humidification to take full effect....he generally refuses to do too much to guitars if the new owner has had it for only a short time...He likes the guitar to settle in to where it is going to stay before installing a new saddle, doing fretwork and things of that nature...he will do some short term fixes like shimming or shaving a saddle etc. to get the guitar playable.
I am sure I am generalising far too much as every situation is different...so please take my advice with a grain or 2 of salt.
Best of luck with your Guitar!
Randy

 

[killdeer43]

Welcome, Teddy.

I'll stay away from any further tech advice and just say that you have one good-looking guitar there.
I'll also stay away from any thoughts you might have inadvertently aroused on the forum about....Sheryl Crow! :wink:

Enjoy,
Joe

 

[southernGuild]

Welcome on Teddy...youre getting some great advice up there! let us know how you go. Enjoy. Southern

 

[Graham]

Welcome to LTG Teddy!

 

[teddy boy]

Thanks everybody!

I'll see what the luthier says. It should be no biggie if I understood your posts correctly.

The Guild looks good and hopefully soon it will play good too.

How would you D50 players out there describe your instruments?

 

[Pike]

Hi Teddy, welcome and good luck with your project. I've had two D50's. One Corona built and the other Westerly built. The Westerly sounded quite a bit better. I also played a Tacoma built D50 and that particular one was better than both the others.

 

[Stackman55]

Hi Teddy, I just joined also! LTG seems like a really cool site, good luck with that box! You are getting some great pointers from folks who know the wood & wire....

Cheers, Chuck