DV52 nat HG for $600

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Hi everyone,
This is my very first post and I am not one to normally use forums or social media so if I am posting in the wrong place I apologize. Please just let me know and I'll do my best to not make the same mistake again.
I wanted to get some opinions on whether or not I should purchase a Guild DV52 that I currently have the option of buying.
First my background.. I started playing guitar about 8 years ago. Was given a cheap guitar and I quickly realized I wanted to upgrade. I was regularly going into my local GC playing guitars trying to figure out the best bang for the $400 I had to spend. The manager was really cool to me. He happened to be a Martin fan and really pushed my towards a Martin DX1 which at the time was still being made in America. Basically Martin's cheapest guitar or one of their cheapest. Had a price of $499 which was out of my price range. Believe it or not, he dropped 25% off and sold it to me at $350 before tax which I still feel was a good price for that guitar. I took it into a local luthier who also happened to be a certified Martin repair person and he lowered the action and put in a bone bridge for me. For me, being a new guitar player, I was very satisfied and honestly the action on that guitar after it was adjusted was phenomenal. Unfortunately it was dropped by a roommate about 5 years ago during a time when I was trying to finish at uni and I went from playing everyday to not at all. The guitar sat in my closet for years until my lovely girlfriend took it in last year and had it repaired by the same Martin tech who adjusted it initially. I started playing daily again almost immediately. Well.. sadly the same girlfriend also dropped (more like fell down a couple stair while holding it) the guitar about 2 months ago. It has since been repaired again but really doesn't sound the same anymore and has some buzzing issues it did not have prior to this last drop.
I really am sorry for the length of this post and appreciate anyone still with me:)
So while my guitar was being repaired the second time, a friend let me borrow a Guild DV52 nat. The guitar is actually his friend's but the guy apparently has 12 guitars and the DV52 is his "cheapest". He actually used it as a classroom guitar for years (he is a teacher) which shows how attached he is to this amazing instrument. In other words, he doesn't care about this guitar that much. He was more than fine with me borrowing his guitar even though I did not know him personally.
The DV52 has had a repair done to the headstock. The repair job looks to have been done by a very skilled luthier. It also has some pretty minor cosmetic blemishes and a little of the finish has chipped away around the sound hole. My understanding of the DV52 is that it was purely an acoustic instrument and this one also has some pretty fancy looking pick-up equipment that has been added. So other than the headstock crack which has been repaired and some minor blemishes, the body and top are in fantastic condition and the guitar sounds incredible. My only issue with it is the action isn't great (much better on my cheap martin even) but I feel this can likely be resolved by my awesome local luthier. I honestly love the sound of this DV52. It kind of blows me away every time I pick it up. So rich, so deep, so pretty and pleasant. I jokingly asked my buddy to tell his friend that I would take it off his hands for $600 and to my surprise the guy seemed to be up for it. I have not gotten a final word yet but it seems like a very good chance that he would be willing to sell it.
So finally, and again I am sorry for how long this post is, but in your opinions is $600 for a DV52 with some pretty minor cosmetic issues and that has a pick-up installed and has had a repair to the headstock seem like a fair price?
When I get home from school (yes I am back at uni again pursuing a second degree) I will post some pictures of the pick-up and repair job etc. But in the meantime I would greatly appreciate hearing your opinions about this. Thanks very much everyone!
 

fronobulax

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Welcome. I moved the post, not because it was in the wrong place, but because it might get more views here. While I have opinions on many things, I don't think my opinion on this guitar will help. People will ask for pictures, because that's what we do. See here if you need help with that.
 

richardp69

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Personally, even with the repairs, I think $600 is more than fair. I also have a DV 52 and it's superb. In fact, I have several of the DV series and am more than happy with all of them. The only thing I'd make sure to check out really good is the neck angle. If a reset is required that's pretty pricey and generally runs $300 to $450 or so depending upon where the work is done.

Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.
 

kostask

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I would suggest that you have the guitar inspected by your local luthier. The action may be adjusted to your taste, or it may be an indication of a neck angle problem. It is fairly early in the life of the guitar to need a neck reset, but neck angles are impacted by a number of things, and it is best to know everything up front. He can inspect the repair to the headstock crack, and look at the curvature of the top to see if the guitar has been properly humidified.
 

phinegan

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Hi and welcome to the Guild forum!
My two cents? I'd be very hesitant to purchase a guitar that had a headstock repair done in the past. It's an area of extremely high stress and many of the repairs I've seen over the years have left much to be desired. There is also the question of long-term stability of the repair. Having said that, if your trusted luthier says the guitar passes muster and it's calling to you, $600 is certainly a fair price for a 50 series Guild.
I'd really like to see the pictures. Is the headstock repair pretty much invisible?
Enjoy the hunt!
Dan
 

killdeer43

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WELCOME TO LTG!
No need to apologize for a lengthy first post, or a short one for that matter. It's all good. :eagerness:

As to the DV 52 in question, I agree with others who have said that it sounds like a good/fair deal and to have it checked out if you have any concerns at all. If you take it to a qualified luthier, ask as many questions as you might have to satisfy spending the money.

You'll be happiest when you take it home and hear the sound coming from your 'new' Guild.

Cheers and keep us posted,
Joe
 

Neal

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Usually, I consider a headstock crack to be the kiss of death, but I have made one exception on a Guild F-20 that had so many other issues that the poorly repaired headstock was almost an afterthought!

Let your ears and fingers tell you what to do, understanding that a headstock repair will make that DV-52 more difficult to sell should you ever decide to let it go.
 

richardp69

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Headstock and neck repairs used to be a "no buy" situation for me. My Luthier has gotten me well over that. As long as it wasn't messed up/screwed up by an amateur repair wanna be person, if done right I've found no reason to be afraid of such a repair. It goes without saying of course, that the price paid needs to reflect that condition. Of course, I'm not talking about a collectable guitar here because with that repair the resale price will for certain be reduced and probably significantly. I'm talking about a player guitar.
 

davismanLV

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I would suggest that you have the guitar inspected by your local luthier. The action may be adjusted to your taste, or it may be an indication of a neck angle problem. It is fairly early in the life of the guitar to need a neck reset, but neck angles are impacted by a number of things, and it is best to know everything up front. He can inspect the repair to the headstock crack, and look at the curvature of the top to see if the guitar has been properly humidified.
What ^^^ he said. And I agree with the other guys too. You say you have an amazing luthier who does great work. USE HIM to evaluate this guitar for neck angle, headstock repair, and overall condition. If the repair is done badly, skip it. I'd rather have a broken guitar in two pieces than one with a bad repair. Without photos we can't really evaluate the repair, the saddle, or neck angle so get your expert to help you out. If it all checks out, $600 is certainly a fair price for a Guild DV-52.

Welcome to LTG!! :encouragement:
 

adorshki

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Hi "Diving", Here's another welcome aboard!
The DV52 has had a repair done to the headstock. The repair job looks to have been done by a very skilled luthier.
Just adding another vote for not worrying about a good quality repair, as long as your preferred guy gives it the ok.
In fact it's often forgotten that a properly glued break is actually stronger than the surrounding wood.
It also has some pretty minor cosmetic blemishes and a little of the finish has chipped away around the sound hole. My understanding of the DV52 is that it was purely an acoustic instrument and this one also has some pretty fancy looking pick-up equipment that has been added. So other than the headstock crack which has been repaired and some minor blemishes, the body and top are in fantastic condition and the guitar sounds incredible.
Again just agreeing the price sounds fair for the condition you're describing and the most important thing is you like the tone
My only issue with it is the action isn't great (much better on my cheap martin even) but I feel this can likely be resolved by my awesome local luthier. I honestly love the sound of this DV52. It kind of blows me away every time I pick it up. So rich, so deep, so pretty and pleasant.
Again, that's the most important thing right now and as long as it's not in need of a neck reset any competent luthier should be able to set it up to play as easily if not better than that Martin.
If you want to get an idea of what your luthier checks and adjusts, see Frank Ford's Frets.com
It has a series of short essays with illustrations on how to check a guitar's set up and neck geometry.
Basically lay a 18" or longer straightedge on the fretboard and extend it to the top of the bridge, ideally it should just meet the top of the bridge. I'm sure your luthier'd be happy to show you how he does it himself, takes about 15 seconds...if that's good (And assuming the ridge and saddle are sufficiently tall, haven't been shaved) then everything else is low-cost parts (maybe a saddle and nut, and strings) and adjustment..
 
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Wow! Thanks everyone for the welcome and responses. Far exceeded my expectations and sure is appreciated.
Can't wait to get home and post some pics a little later. Won't be able to take the guitar in to my luthier until next Tuesday but I'll definitely let you all know what he has to say. Even if he said the repair is spot on (which im assuming he will..it's so smooth I can't even feel it when I run my hand over it. Definitely glued and not screwed) I would still have sought out the opinions of all you guild enthusiasts.
And the actions is by no means terrible. Bar chords are easy up to fret 7 but it gets a little higher than i'm used to past that. Thanks again.
 
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I'd love to get you all some pictures but my posting permissions say I may not post attachments. Any recommendations? Thanks!
 

fronobulax

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I'd love to get you all some pictures but my posting permissions say I may not post attachments. Any recommendations? Thanks!

This board doesn't work that way. If you get a message about permissions then whatever you are doing is not correct. Short answer - host the pictures somewhere else and link to them here using the IMG button. Long answer.
 

adorshki

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And the actions is by no means terrible. Bar chords are easy up to fret 7 but it gets a little higher than i'm used to past that. Thanks again.
Guild's factory setup action height specs at 12th fret were 5-6/64ths bass E and 4-5/64ths for treble per Guild Gallery #1 in '97.
Some folks prefer something a little lower but it's perfect for me as it allows a good compromise between ease of action for scales and bar chords (And I do play all the way up) and no buzzing when strumming hard.
Also makes for nice crisp hammers/trills and roll-offs.
Also fretboard radius is 12", that'll be handy for him to know if he suggests a new saddle or even if he wants to re-profile what's on there.
What you're describing could even be as simple as a truss rod adjustment, might be a wee bit loose, creating a slight bow in the neck.
Also note that guitar was designed for lights (.012-.053) and Guild used a private label version of D'Addario EJ-16 strings.
Some folks like to string 'em up with mediums and that in itself could be what's making it a little harder to fret at 7th, if the action's at factory height.
I point that out because during that era (and it appears maybe always), Guild was very consistent about sending 'em out properly set up and I suspect your luthier'd appreciate knowing those details, as they changed over time.
There's been some debate over whether or not mediums are "better" and will make the guitar louder.
In a nutshell, it's not necessarily a given, as most people seem to think.
Personally I think Guild knew what they were doing and the guitar will sound its best when strung with what they used, but if nothing else it's a good place to start.
 
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Hey everyone,
I guess I am digging this up from the grave but I felt bad that I never responded back after you all were so helpful.
Shortly after my last post my dad was in a semi-serious accident and spent some time in the hospital and between that and being back in school full time I got distracted from my guitar quest.
Also the gentleman decided he didn't want to sell after all but is such a cool dude that he has let me hang onto the guitar all this time while I am looking for another. I am sold on guilds now and am really hoping to find something before too long:)
Anyway, thanks again for all your replies. I'll certainly be back when I finally find my guitar, if not sooner. Best to you all!
 

richardp69

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Check the FS/FT section. There's one for sale there now at a good price. Sounds like it's quite playable but neck angle is not as good as it could be.
 
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You know I saw that one on ebay and was considering it but I decided I'd rather spend a little more if I have to and hopefully come away with something in a little better condition. Thanks though I do appreciate the heads up.
I'm considering a D40. I have played a couple of those the last few weeks and really liked them. Just hard to pull the trigger on one I have't handled yet.
Any opinions on what a fair price for one in good - very good condition from the 70s or 80s?
 
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Personally, even with the repairs, I think $600 is more than fair. I also have a DV 52 and it's superb. In fact, I have several of the DV series and am more than happy with all of them. The only thing I'd make sure to check out really good is the neck angle. If a reset is required that's pretty pricey and generally runs $300 to $450 or so depending upon where the work is done.

Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.
Hi Richard,
Does this Guild DV52 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar look familiar?
- Dave Makowski

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I must say that the Guild DV52 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar is a fantastic instrument. I was very very lucky to find a "one owner" DV52 back in 2002. I contacted Guild Guitars and they told me it was made in February 2001. I was just a couple hundred dollars short of buying my "brand new" Martin D-28. I had to have a "brand new" Martin D-28 because I live in Pennsylvania about 90 minutes from The C.F. Martin & Company and only the "original owner" gets the lifetime warranty. I thought it would be so cool to drive my guitar up to the factory should it ever need any type of repair. So why did I buy a "used" Guild? First of all the price was right! Secondly I had the opportunity to play the DV52 against several Martin D-28's and the Guild DV52 played, felt, and sounded better than any of the Martins. I have never ever looked back. At one point I sold it and kind of regretted doing so. Luckily I had the opportunity to buy it back and now it's not going anywhere. It's my #1 go to acoustic. 100% genuinely satisfied.
- Dave Makowski

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Westerly Wood

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offer $500 cash. :)

(i know, i am replying to a 2016 post. just super funny to me)
 
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