As some will recall, I am on the hunt for a D-55, preferably locally. However, I am thinking about expanding my Guild horizons to increase the chances of hitting something close to home. I did run into someone selling an early 70's D-50 for about $1600 (have not had a chance to play it) I am curious to hear opinions on the D-50 and whether that price sounds reasonable. He says it's in excellent condition. I am also wondering what kind of tone differences I am going to see from a D-55 to a D-50.
Thoughts on early D-50's
- Thread starter jmm55
- Start date
Taylor Martin Guild
Senior Member
I'm with you on this.
I have a D-55 but I have never played a D-50. I play Bluegrass and the D-50 should be a better fit for this.
I love the tone and the look of the D-55 but it is lacking in punch or volume.
A D-50 should give me the edge that I'm looking for, with it's Adirondack top.
I would also love to play a Tacoma D-40.
I have a D-55 but I have never played a D-50. I play Bluegrass and the D-50 should be a better fit for this.
I love the tone and the look of the D-55 but it is lacking in punch or volume.
A D-50 should give me the edge that I'm looking for, with it's Adirondack top.
I would also love to play a Tacoma D-40.
1600 clams seems pretty steep to me, it's almost certainly not Brazilian. Look for a DV-52, you'll be happier and it will cost about $400-600 less than that. Or see if you can locate a Tacoma built D-50, they're real tone monsters too, more so than the 70's D-50's I've played. IMHO, I'd pass on this one because you're not going to get his price down to where it should be. Good luck in your search!
taabru45
Enlightened Member
Remember the one (D 55) West has for sale for his friend....might be a good choice too....1st up gets it.... 
Steffan
Steffan
GardMan
Enlightened Member
I have a '92 D-55 and a '76 D-50. They have very different tones... My 55 has a rich and "majestic" tone. My D-50 is louder, much more "in your face." It's a bit "brighter" and brasher sounding, with great bass, stronger mids than the D-55, and more sparkle to the trebles. I like them both for fingerpicking, but for different tunes. If I am going to be strumming (cowboy tunes) with a pick, I reach for the 50. I'd bet bluegrass players would love it (BTW... a '70s D-50 will have a Sitka spruce top... adirondack/red spruce wasn't introduced until production moved to Tacoma; I thnk all 55s are Sitka).
Pricewise, I agree that $1600 is a steep for a private sale, tho' that is within (at the high end) the range you will see in shops. A year ago, eBay prices for D-50s from the '70s-early '80s in decent condition ranged around $1000-$1500, depending on condition. They often sold for a higher price than a DV-52, and even outpriced some D-55s from the same era. Prices on D-50s seem to have dropped abit recently, and I have seem them sell in the $800-1000 range. Mine, which I got for ~$1K, was in EC, with the exception of a hairline split between the bridge pin holes... now repaired to near invisibility.
Dave
Pricewise, I agree that $1600 is a steep for a private sale, tho' that is within (at the high end) the range you will see in shops. A year ago, eBay prices for D-50s from the '70s-early '80s in decent condition ranged around $1000-$1500, depending on condition. They often sold for a higher price than a DV-52, and even outpriced some D-55s from the same era. Prices on D-50s seem to have dropped abit recently, and I have seem them sell in the $800-1000 range. Mine, which I got for ~$1K, was in EC, with the exception of a hairline split between the bridge pin holes... now repaired to near invisibility.
Dave
I have a '73 D50 (does that qualify as "early"?) that's been gone so long I can't remember what it sounded like, and I know it will sound different when (and if) it ever does come back.
I've always thought that D50s were just D55s without the bling, but according to a lot of the posts here that's not necessarily the case.
I've always thought that D50s were just D55s without the bling, but according to a lot of the posts here that's not necessarily the case.
GardMan
Enlightened Member
wontox said:
From everything I have heard here, the use of Adi/red spruce wasn't introduced until the move to Tacoma... tho' anything's possible. Hans would (as always) be the one to ask!
Dave
adorshki
Reverential Member
The other common hidden detail difference in the cases of extremely similar guitars is bracing, like shaved vs scalloped.twocorgis said:I have a '73 D50 (does that qualify as "early"?) that's been gone so long I can't remember what it sounded like, and I know it will sound different when (and if) it ever does come back.
I've always thought that D50s were just D55s without the bling, but according to a lot of the posts here that's not necessarily the case.
In addition to the old "variations by production era". :lol:
You had a D50?
If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a noise?
If you can't rememberr what your guitar sounded like before you sent it off for repairs, will it sound different when it comes back? :lol:
West R Lee
Venerated Member
HMM.... I've got a D55 that ain't lacking in the volume department one bit :? .
West
West
adorshki said:The other common hidden detail difference in the cases of extremely similar guitars is bracing, like shaved vs scalloped.twocorgis said:I have a '73 D50 (does that qualify as "early"?) that's been gone so long I can't remember what it sounded like, and I know it will sound different when (and if) it ever does come back.
I've always thought that D50s were just D55s without the bling, but according to a lot of the posts here that's not necessarily the case.
In addition to the old "variations by production era". :lol:
You had a D50?
If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a noise?
If you can't rememberr what your guitar sounded like before you sent it off for repairs, will it sound different when it comes back? :lol:
I'd laugh Al, but it's gotten to the point where it's not even funny anymore. I think it's ridiculous that anyone takes the long to do anything, and I don't care how good their work is. Am I a little bitter at this point? Absolutely. :evil:
adorshki
Reverential Member
OK I'll back off. Promise. I have experienced the anger of receiving misguided and unsolicited "favors" which don't compensate for, or even increase the original frustrations of a failed commitment. So I'm sure I understand your bitterness. And thanks for the polite explanation. 8)twocorgis said:
adorshki said:
It's OK. I've got plenty of company around here at this point. I'm probably just mad at myself as of late; I should have known this was going to happen. :roll:
GardMan
Enlightened Member
My 55 doesn't lack in volume, either... TMG will attest to that. I consider both my 55 and 46 to have great volume and projection. We didn't do a lot of A/Bing, but it seemed they both were comparable to his Martin dread (if not louder... but that's my biased memory speaking), and much stronger than his Guild jumbo (can't remember if it was a JF-55 or JF-65).West R Lee said:
My 50 just seems to be a notch above the 55 and 46... (it goes to 11?) I just know that I have had to strum and pick a little less aggressively (not that I am aggressive), or the 50 will overpower my voice. OF course, I have only heard it from the players perspective (albeit facing a wall, which should bounce the sound back pretty well). I guess Dale and I will have to get together and compare them all (along with his Martin and his Tacoma 55). But not until I get a proper setup on the 50...
D
Ian
Senior Member
West R Lee said:
Me too. Maybe its something to do with ours both being late westerly's, mines got scalloped bracing, yours West ? Volume wise, it's absolutely thunderous. So much so that I cant play it in my music room, it's just overpowering....
poser said:
I appreciate all the replies, but I have to wonder if everyone is underestimating the resale value. I have checked both the blue book price guide and Vintage guitar Magazine price guide and both give higher values. Blue book is $2000 to $2500 for 70's era D50's in excellent condition, and VGPG give $1400 to $1700. I am no so sure the bay is the place to establish prices. Really, guitars should be substantially less on ebay, since one obviously cannot hear them. But retail or private sale is another matter. In addition, I have seen just wacky things on ebay, and prices are often all over the map.
Now don't get me wrong, I do not want to pay more than I have to for a nice Guild D-50 or 55, but perhaps there needs to be some revision of price expectation. Given that D-50's or D-55 are not exactly falling out of the sky where I am, perhaps paying roughly price guide value for a guitar I get to put through its paces first, is not all that unreasonable.
GardMan
Enlightened Member
jmm55 said:
While I would agree with some of what you say, I do think $1600 is towards the high end for a D-50. Altho' I "found" my '76 D-50 on eBay (as I recall, the OB on eBay was $1200), it was in a local shop and I was able to go down on my lunch break and give it a "test drive." It was in EC, except for a hairline split between the bridge pin holes... I negotiated and bought it on the spot (out the door w case for $1100... subtracting the tax, it works out to ~$1030). I was able to repair the bridge split to near invisibility for <$10 (a month of working up the courage, and ~15 minutes for the repair).
BTW... I paid <$1175 for my '92 D-55 off eBay... after a partial refund for finish checking that occurred in shipping.
In the end, the price you are willing to pay is a very personal decision. Go and play it... if it sings to you, make an offer. I might offer $1200, hoping to pay $1400.
Good luck, Dave
6L6
Senior Member
I paid $1500 for my '77 D-50 and it was worth every penny.
6
6
Graham
Venerated Member
jmm55 said:
Hi George, just catching up with you here as opposed to GuitarsCanada. :lol: :lol:
Like I said when a Guild shows up in Canada it often comes with a premium price tag. You can really save quite a few Canuckistani Rupees by taking a trip to the US to play a few.
This place, LTG, is a one-off in terms of folks that will go out of their way to assist you with a guitar purchase.
I, for one, have purchased a guitar for a forum member that I have yet to meet. He's in the US and the guitar was in Toronto. I agreed to buy it on his behalf and will deliver it to him, in person, next week. Believe it or not, it's kind of what we do.
I have had several guitars shipped to a good friend in the Pittsburgh area that I have then retrieved. Saves $$ on shipping to Canada as well as customs time.
Also I believe most of the good folk here will offer a return policy on a guitar that you but from them. Shipping, of course, is extra, but when you get to know some folks there are ways around hefty shipping costs. :roll:
A very belated welcome to LTG!