wileypickett
Senior Member
A few weeks ago I got a terrific deal on a vintage Guild D-50, made in 1967. [Not true -- see below!]
The seller and I emailed back and forth about it and talked on the phone. He was completely upfront about all the work he thought it needed, but me being in Boston and him being in Florida -- well, if it hadn't been Brazilian, I probably would have just let it go.
But that and the fact that the seller kept insisting that whatever its problems, the tone on this guitar "was to die for" pretty much decided me.
Well folks, he wasn't kidding!
We met up in Saratoga Springs, NY, where he and his wife were taking their vacation, and as soon as I played it I got goosebumps.
For the first week after purchasing it I couldn't put the guitar down. I was totally in love with it, so much so I even used it for one my live shows in western Massachusetts instead of my usual "A" guitar, my beloved DV-52.
Around then, Kim Keller posted here on the LTG site news of the creation of the Guild repair shop. I decided, being just two hours from New Hartford, to get the guitar repaired by the folks I figured had the resources and the expertise to best do the job.
After taking it in and consulting with Kim and Chris (the guy who did the actual repair work -- sorry I didn't get his last name) I was told that the heel block had failed at some point and the top had cracked on either side of the fretboard as well as between the end of the fretboard and the soundhole. There was also a lumpily repaired center crack below the bridge, and a smaller crack below that which had been cleated, but not properly glued or filled.
Whoever had owned the guitar before the guy I bought it from had either repaired the damage himself or had hired someone with limited experience to fix it. Even though the guitar played perfectly and sounded incredible the job had been very sloppily done, with glue poured randomly into cracks and slopped inside around the heel block. Kind of amazing that the repair held for as long as it did.
In addition the original plastic heel cap had off-gassed over the years and was cracked and curling and crumbling into little pieces. There was also significant fret wear on the first few frets; numerous places around the sound hole and next to the pickguard where a flatpick had gone through the finish and into the wood as well as gouges, chips, and dings to the top.
I told Kim and Chris to do whatever was necessary to fix any structural damage, even if it meant undoing previous repairs. And while I wasn't super concerned about appearance I did want all the cracks cleaned up, the exposed wood to be relacquered and the top be made as good as possible under the circumstances. And I wanted the bad frets and the heel cap replaced.
Chris said the neck would need to be removed to fix everything properly but he didn't envision any problems. I gave him the go ahead.
Here are the "BEFORE" pictures, as taken by Kim at Guild.
And, below, are the "AFTER" pictures.
Chris not only did everything we talked about but he also relacquered the headstock and the back of the guitar, replaced the bridge and fitted it with a new bone saddle, polished the ebony fretboard to a sheen and even cleaned up the worst of the glue residue inside the guitar. He also dressed and polished the frets and did a set up, which I assume is SOP.
The neck removal and reattachment was so cleanly done I had to write Kim after I got home to confirm that the neck actually had been removed!
What I got back is, if not virtually a new instrument, a dramatically improved one.
It is not only the best sounding Guild I've ever owned but the best sounding guitar I've ever owned, period.
The work of the Guild repair shop far exceeded my expectations. I cannot recommend their work highly enough.
Kim and Chris -- if you're reading this -- thanks again!
(By the way, neither Kim nor Chris were able to say with certainty if the sides are also Brazilian. They might be, or they might be Indian rosewood. Sorry the one photo of the back isn't a bit clearer!)
Glenn//.
The seller and I emailed back and forth about it and talked on the phone. He was completely upfront about all the work he thought it needed, but me being in Boston and him being in Florida -- well, if it hadn't been Brazilian, I probably would have just let it go.
But that and the fact that the seller kept insisting that whatever its problems, the tone on this guitar "was to die for" pretty much decided me.
Well folks, he wasn't kidding!
We met up in Saratoga Springs, NY, where he and his wife were taking their vacation, and as soon as I played it I got goosebumps.
For the first week after purchasing it I couldn't put the guitar down. I was totally in love with it, so much so I even used it for one my live shows in western Massachusetts instead of my usual "A" guitar, my beloved DV-52.
Around then, Kim Keller posted here on the LTG site news of the creation of the Guild repair shop. I decided, being just two hours from New Hartford, to get the guitar repaired by the folks I figured had the resources and the expertise to best do the job.
After taking it in and consulting with Kim and Chris (the guy who did the actual repair work -- sorry I didn't get his last name) I was told that the heel block had failed at some point and the top had cracked on either side of the fretboard as well as between the end of the fretboard and the soundhole. There was also a lumpily repaired center crack below the bridge, and a smaller crack below that which had been cleated, but not properly glued or filled.
Whoever had owned the guitar before the guy I bought it from had either repaired the damage himself or had hired someone with limited experience to fix it. Even though the guitar played perfectly and sounded incredible the job had been very sloppily done, with glue poured randomly into cracks and slopped inside around the heel block. Kind of amazing that the repair held for as long as it did.
In addition the original plastic heel cap had off-gassed over the years and was cracked and curling and crumbling into little pieces. There was also significant fret wear on the first few frets; numerous places around the sound hole and next to the pickguard where a flatpick had gone through the finish and into the wood as well as gouges, chips, and dings to the top.
I told Kim and Chris to do whatever was necessary to fix any structural damage, even if it meant undoing previous repairs. And while I wasn't super concerned about appearance I did want all the cracks cleaned up, the exposed wood to be relacquered and the top be made as good as possible under the circumstances. And I wanted the bad frets and the heel cap replaced.
Chris said the neck would need to be removed to fix everything properly but he didn't envision any problems. I gave him the go ahead.
Here are the "BEFORE" pictures, as taken by Kim at Guild.
And, below, are the "AFTER" pictures.
Chris not only did everything we talked about but he also relacquered the headstock and the back of the guitar, replaced the bridge and fitted it with a new bone saddle, polished the ebony fretboard to a sheen and even cleaned up the worst of the glue residue inside the guitar. He also dressed and polished the frets and did a set up, which I assume is SOP.
The neck removal and reattachment was so cleanly done I had to write Kim after I got home to confirm that the neck actually had been removed!
What I got back is, if not virtually a new instrument, a dramatically improved one.
It is not only the best sounding Guild I've ever owned but the best sounding guitar I've ever owned, period.
The work of the Guild repair shop far exceeded my expectations. I cannot recommend their work highly enough.
Kim and Chris -- if you're reading this -- thanks again!
(By the way, neither Kim nor Chris were able to say with certainty if the sides are also Brazilian. They might be, or they might be Indian rosewood. Sorry the one photo of the back isn't a bit clearer!)
Glenn//.
