Choosing between the F50 and D55

Good day all. I'm new to the forum. Nice community of very helpful people.

I'm so new to Guild that I don't even have one yet. However, after reading so much about them and seeing many on Youtube, I am in the market. I've narrowed it down to either a D55 or F50. From what I can tell, both are supremely good guitars and both are beautiful. Love the antique burst!

I am interested in your observations of the differences or similarities between them in sound and playability and maybe your thoughts on the types of music each might suit.

Unfortunately I can't find any locally to try out and may buy one online used. Risky but it's worked for me before.

Much appreciated

Rick

Welcome to LTG, vastier.

I can vouch that the D55 has a glorious, chimey sound, and it will be less of an armful compared to the jumbo F50. I find that I appreciate smaller-bodied guitars as I get older. Admittedly a dread isn't exactly small, but it is easier for me to hold than a jumbo nowadays.

I'm sure someone else will be along shortly to make an argument for the F50 . . .

First of all, WELCOME TO LTG!
You've come to the right place to talk about Guild guitars but when it comes to choosing between two specific models, yours will be the deciding vote.
You can't go wrong with either model, and geoguy made a good point with the relative sizes of the two, but again, it's your choice.

Cheers,
Joe

Welcome! I'm sure some of the specs experts and the experienced players will share their info soon.

For the F50 jumbos there are a F50 (laminated maple arched back, maple sides) and an F50R (rosewood back and sides);
On the dreads side there's no maple guitar in the list of US Guilds nowadays. D55 has rosewood back and sides.

Markus :smile:

I hope I am right with my statement, since I own both an F50r and a D55. In my opinion the D55 is the nicest standard dread that Guild makes, and a good all purpose guitar. But if you're like me and you just don't want to be seen as another guy showing up with another dread, the F50 is the one. The F50 makes more of a statement and does seem to draw more lookers from a crowd. Many discriminating guitar players such as Bonnie Raitt and John Denver play(ed) an F50r.

BUT if I get too many comments such as "he always brings THAT guitar to play", I leave the F50 or F512 at home and bring out the D55. If you want to just blend in folks don't seem to object to the D55 as much.

Its funny, but folks like to criticize what they don't have (with the approx. >$3000 cost and all). But the D55 keeps the lower profile, so most folks seem to say "OK another dread, but it sais Guild on it", or something.

Good luck with it

Welcome, Rick.

It sounds like you have narrowed your quest down to two of Guild's finest offerings, and you could not go wrong with either. As Markus suggested, I am assuming you are comparing a D-55 rosewood dreadnought to an F-50 R rosewood jumbo.

Comparisons beyond those already made are difficult, as opinions are subjective, and the words we rely on to describe sound tend to have different meanings to different people. But that doesn't stop us from trying, anyway. ;~}

To me, apart from the size consideration, the primary sonic distinction between the two models is...bass response.

I am a fingerstyle player. In a Guild, I prefer the sound of the jumbo body style(s) to the dreadnought(s). If you had an EQ on both guitars, imagine boosting the bass of the jumbo. It is typically a subtle difference, though there are dreadnought aficionados that would consider a jumbo "boomy". By contrast, some jumbo players consider a dreadnought a bit weak in the low end.

Either guitar is suitable to the task of making great music, and you may end up owning both.

Welcome Rick. Personally, like Christopher above, I prefer the sound of a Jumbo to a dread. That said I wouldn't mind a D55, the two I've played have been outstanding guitars.

Where are you located? If you're anywhere near central Florida, Stevie B's in Clearwater has a 97 or a 98 F50. It's a maple bodied Jumbo in antique burst, it used to be Stevie's personal guitar. It's in fantastic condition and sounds great too. I think they're asking $2000 for it. A bit high, but a fantastic guitar!

cheers
m

It all depends on one thing, and one thing only: The strings you are using.
Kidding of course. I got nothing. Well... I do have something, but it's based on my own ears and musical preferences, so it might have no relevance whatsoever to you.

But I do want to welcome you to the one and only Guild enthusiast forum, enjoy, and don't fear the veer!

PS: French name?

If, in fact, you are interested in a comparison between the D-55 and the F-50 in maple, the tonal differences are striking.

The D-55 (and to a great extent for vintage instruments, the less blingy D-50), as Geoguy so aptly described, is "chimy". Big, full, resonant, and loud as all get out. Some describe the tone as orchestral. A D-55 will hold onto a note for a long, long time.

The F-50 maple is a completely different breed, and offers a tone that is unlike either the D-55 or F-50R because of two things:

1. It's maple, which produces a warmer, softer, woodier tone than rosewood. Maybe a little less loud than my D-50, with greater note articulation better suited for fingerstyle.

2. It has an arched, laminated back (and has since it's inception in 1954 as one of Guild's first models). That arched back provides projection that is a wonderful match to the maple. And it allows the same low end "boom" that Christopher described in the F-50R. You can feel the low E string in your chest as you play.

Cosmetically, the F-50 often comes with a striking maple flame pattern on the back, like this:



You can't go wrong either way. I suggest you eventually get one of each!

Neal

'71 D-25BR
'73 D-35NT
'77 D-50NT
'81 D-212SB
'07 F-30SB
'12 F-50SB Std
'13 M-120CH

Neal said:

I suggest you eventually get one of each!

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That's the best advice you'll get here! :laughing:

Joe

I have a Gibson J-200 which is a maple jumbo (not exactly like an F-50), and a D-55. They are both exceptional guitars (as would an F-50) but I grab one or the other depending on the mood. You really need to play a few of both and pick the one that you like best. I will admit that I grab the D-55 more than any other guitar.

If you're concerned with the sound, then as others have said, you've got to compare rosewood to rosewood or understand the difference between rosewood and maple. There is definitely a difference. I'm a guitar junkie, buying and selling all the time. With that said, my D55 is the only Dreadnaugt (rosewood) that I want. It's my #1 guitar and is as good as it gets. In my room, or on stage, it's the ****. However, all of our opinions are that, OUR opinions. Only your ears can tell for sure..

I have a 1975 F50 Blond. Maple arched back. It is an amazing guitar in all respects, and if you are okay with a guitar being a work of art, the arched back is as beautiful as it is practical. The maple sunbursts are gorgeous too. my first choice by far, but if I could have 2, the D55 would be 2nd. that's not counting a jumbo 12 string of course. You've got it narrowed down to the 2 best in my opinion but the fact that the maple F50 has been in the line since 1954 says it all to me. they got it right. it's as pure and as original a Guild as you will find. Enjoy, and welcome! Another Rick

micklevanon said:

Welcome Rick. Personally, like Christopher above, I prefer the sound of a Jumbo to a dread. That said I wouldn't mind a D55, the two I've played have been outstanding guitars.

Where are you located? If you're anywhere near central Florida, Stevie B's in Clearwater has a 97 or a 98 F50. It's a maple bodied Jumbo in antique burst, it used to be Stevie's personal guitar. It's in fantastic condition and sounds great too. I think they're asking $2000 for it. A bit high, but a fantastic guitar!

cheers
m

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Thanks for the warmth and the knowledge, all of you.

I live on Vancouver Island. Seems most US dealers won't ship a new Guild up here, I guess to protect foreign distributors?? As a result, I'd probably pay more for one with a Canadian Distributor. In any event, I can't afford a new one, so used it is, and used can be just fine as we all know in instruments.

The local distributor, a chain, seems to have mostly foreign made Guilds in the local store.

Such a shame about the US factory.

Rick

geoguy said:

Welcome to LTG, vastier.

I can vouch that the D55 has a glorious, chimey sound, and it will be less of an armful compared to the jumbo F50. I find that I appreciate smaller-bodied guitars as I get older. Admittedly a dread isn't exactly small, but it is easier for me to hold than a jumbo nowadays.

I'm sure someone else will be along shortly to make an argument for the F50 . . .

Click to expand...

____________

Ya, I hadn't thought about how that large bout would feel when I wrap my right arm around it. I'm not a performer, I'm 5ft8", and I'm in the habit of sitting to play.

Mind, I have a NH D55 which is just wonderful...

But, take a listen to a few Dave Van Ronk videos on YouTube. Granted, "the tone is in the fingers," but...

And his F50R(s) is/are from 1966 I believe

Welcome!

I have now logged several hundred gigs with my 2006 D-55NT (K&K Pure Mini equipped) and love it to death. Also had a lovely '76 F-50SB that I loved. But one had to go, and it wasn't going to be my D-55.

Basically though, if it says "Guild" on the headstock you just can't lose!

My '76 F-50:



My '06 D-55NT:




Bill

Oh, Neal! In adoration I fell on my knees in front of that pic you shared. Just beautiful!

And then I found these two oriental fellows playing a duet with a D55 and an F50. Interesting to hear them together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISh2sWSKAz8

Rick

vastier said:

I'm so new to Guild that I don't even have one yet. However, after reading so much about them and seeing many on Youtube, I am in the market. I've narrowed it down to either a D55 or F50. Rick

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Hi Welcome Rick! A couple of folks have mentioned the two types of F50, and even though I don't own either an F50 or a D55, I want to to reiterate that an F50 is truly a different animal than an F50r.
Like Neal and Christopher Cozad described, not only the tonewood but the shape of the back affect the "sound" .
Arched backs tend to produce a lot of harmonics and sustain and tend to create wonderfully complex chord sounds. Are you a "strummer"?
Those same characteristics have been perceived as counterproductive by some fingerpickers here, they might even call it "muddy". A flat back (D55, F50r) is more appropriate for them, as the notes aren't as heavily blended in overtones and are more readily "heard".
Christopher mentioned for example that he considers his F50R (flatback) to be a good fingerpicking guitar.
To my ear the differences are actually pretty subtle, and it took me a couple of years to hear it between my archback D25 and my flatback D40, which otherwise are virtually identical guitars in size and woods (Mahogany back/sides dreadnought).
That'd be my take on your question about what types of music each one's likely to be suited for.
For sheer versatility though, I'd go with an F50, the maple archback, same reason I'd keep the D25 if I had to pick between it and the D40.
Only reason I don't lust after one is that I want something a little smaller, so I'm dreaming of an F30 with arched rosewood back, 'cause I don't have any rosewood in the collection yet. It'll have to be a special order if they ever re-open that capability.

Snip -- [Arched backs tend to produce a lot of harmonics and sustain and tend to create wonderfully complex chord sounds. Are you a "strummer"?
Those same characteristics have been perceived as counterproductive by some fingerpickers here, they might even call it "muddy". A flat back (D55, F50r) is more appropriate for them, as the notes aren't as heavily blended in overtones and are more readily "heard". snip

Yes, I am a "strummer." And I really appreciate the fine points on the F50/F50R differentiation.

I notice the arch back is a "laminate" and my mind immediately jumped to the laminate that is found on cheap guitars. But I imagine this is not the case here. Is it several layers of maple laminated together for strength which is needed because of less bracing on that curved surface?

The more I read, the more I am starting to lean in the direction of F50/F50R rather than D55, although I get it that both are tremendous. And the enablers here would drink to my health if I bought both. LOL!

Rick