While we're discussing mid-60's D-40s, can anyone confirm mine (40909) is a 1965 model? According to the published lists, the last 1964 was 38636 and then in 1965 they went to an alphanumeric series of serial numbers.
Thanks
Dan
Those lists are "sketchy"; for one thing I think the operative phrase on that period is "that there is a
record of", and bear in mind the change to alpha-numeric could have happened "any time" in '65.
I'd say there is a very good chance yours really is a '65, but Hans can always confirm with certainty.
He prefers emails at his website though because his mailbox here is constantly "filled".
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/
Hans--I recall someone (it might have been you) reporting that early on, all the Guild necks were hand-shaped, which would explain some of the differences one finds in individual instruments' profile/feel.
At least all the way through close of Westerly, in fact. Not sure how they did it in Corona, but we see reports of neck variation from there too.
And I certainly defer to you on specifics, but nevertheless it's surprising that one batch of D-40s would be so far from what I'd always thought was the standard fingerboard width.
I distinctly remember also being pretty surprised when I first read it a couple of years back, it was in answer to a new owner reporting his '64 D40 with a "flat" fretboard that at least a couple of us thought must have been "re-radiused".
He confirmed it was "as built" with the 1-3/4 nut, and when one thinks about it, those are what fingerpickers (like bluegrass players) are supposed to like for playability so it actually made a lot of sense for guitars called "Bluegrass Jubilee".
We also saw another post recently about the "fan" bracing they tried out on 'em at about the same time too.
