New to LTG: D25C fixer upper, need help - internet search = no luck...

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Hi All,
New to LTG here, and I have to say--how much fun, this looks like a cool forum.
A friend of mine recently gave me an old Guild acoustic D25C, serial number 180091. I feel like I've exhausted my searches online and, what I did find, requires some more detail before I can move ahead with my plans.
The guitar is in fantastic shape, aside from a neck crack at the head which has been fixed.
The only real fix that needs to be done before I string this up is to replace the head nut. I measured it up and found that the distance from the "E's" is 1 7/16" wide and 5/16" high.
I can't seem to find a solid replacement nut option, and before I spend $20 in shipping and material, I wanted to double check this here.
Any thoughts? Has anyone replaced a nut on one of these, and can offer some better detail than I have?

Also, since I'm here, and there are clearly people that 'know' guitars on this forum:
*best way to clean the frets? There is 40 years of finger crud on the frets that I have not been able to remove using regular ol' fret cleaner.
*Any other tips to know about this guitar? Fun facts? (Knowing that I have read up on it on this forum).

I've provided pictures to get started, and I thank you for your time in looking at this thread post. Here's to giving this guitar new life in 2017!
Thanks,
Wilson. Duh duh. Duh duh.
http://i.imgur.com/vQC7bJa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/aoah06N.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vQC7bJa.jpg
 

Neal

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Welcome, Wilson!

Your D-25 dates to 1974, according to the serial number. I can't see your photos, however.

Does the guitar have a mahogany top, or a stained spruce top? Does it have a braced, flat back or an un-braced arched back? This guitar was built during a time of transition for the D-25, and there are examples that are a mix of the above.

As far as a replacement nut is concerned, my advice would be to find a good luthier to cut you a new one. Nuts usually come in blank form, and are cut and filed to the taste of the player and the needs of the guitar in terms of the overall set-up. Nut files alone cost more than what a good luthier would charge to make a nut to your liking.
 

hansmoust

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New to LTG here, and I have to say--how much fun, this looks like a cool forum.
A friend of mine recently gave me an old Guild acoustic D25C, serial number 180091.

Your D-25 dates to 1974, according to the serial number.

Welcome Wilson,

Actually, the guitar is from 1978, so that makes it a spruce top, arched back D-25 with a Cherry top. Usually, the Cherry finished ones from that period are a somewhat dark looking red, so I am curious what your D-25C looks like.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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GardMan

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Hey Wilson, Welcome to LTG!

I don't think you will find a "drop in" replacement for the nut on your D-25. Replacing/setting up a nut is not quite so simple, because the string slots in the nut must be cut to the correct depth to set the action. If they are not deep enough, the strings are too high and the guitar is difficult to play, if they are too low, you will get buzzing. Although setting up a nut is not rocket science (I have made several from scratch, and set up others on my Guilds), it does require a set of nut files gauged for the string diameters (or equivalents). So... unless you REALLY want to get into doing your setup (and paying the $$$ for the tools), I would suggest that you find a local guitar tech and have them make a nice bone nut for you... and have you guitar "set up" to your liking at the same time. It's been a while since I have had that done here in SLC (I do my own now), but the last time I did, a new bone nut, saddle, and setup was ~$100... and was well worth the cost.

Good luck, and enjoy your D-25!
 

davismanLV

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Welcome to the forum, Wilson. As Neal has said your direct links to your photos do not work. Not sure why. And Neal, Dave, and Hans have answered your date and nut questions. The best way to clean a really grungy fretboard with nasty frets is using a soft cloth with some NAPTHA on it (a solvent, also can use lighter fluid) which will de-grime and de-grease and clean very well without hurting the NCL lacquer or any finish. Then once the grime and dirt is gone, use 0000 steel wool and rub in the direction of the grain up and down and that will polish off the frets and your fretboard should be good to go. That's fairly standard for seriously dirty fretboards. :encouragement:
 

geoguy

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Welcome to LTG.

I've had good results cleaning up gunky frets & fretboards with a product called Gorgomyte. Readily available from Amazon, etc. It does a really nice job removing oxidation from tarnished frets, & has a pleasant coconut-oil scent. It comes as a small piece of cloth (impregnated with the cleaning material). You cut it up into little squares, use one or two squares for cleaning a guitar, & keep the remaining pieces sealed up in a zip-lock bag for future use. A little goes a long way.

And I agree with the others who recommended having someone else cut a new nut for that guitar, unless you are determined to purchase the tools & learn how to do it yourself.

If you tell us where you are located, someone in your area might be able to recommend a suitable repair-person for that task.
 
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bluesypicky

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Welcome Wilson! Would be interesting to track the number of LTG members that have been drawn to this board by means of a D-25....
I'm one. Mine is a 1972 flat back (all mahogany)

Cheers!
 

adorshki

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Hi All,
New to LTG here, and I have to say--how much fun, this looks like a cool forum.
Welcome aboard Wilson!
The only real fix that needs to be done before I string this up is to replace the head nut. I measured it up and found that the distance from the "E's" is 1 7/16" wide and 5/16" high.
Others have pretty well explained why it'll probably be easier to have a nut installed than trying to buy one and do it yourself, but it looks like everybody walked right by the way to actually measure the nut width: it's the total width of the fretboard measured right at where the nut buts up to the fretboard. The nut is supposed to be as wide as the fretboard although some folks have had 'em cut ever so slightly wider for their own reasons, like trying to compensate for a slightly too-thin neck width.
Spec for Guild was 1-11/16", but because every neck got its final shaping by hand, we've seen variances of +/_ 1/16 or so, even some guitars with full 1-3/4" nuts in full size dreadnoughts.
String spacing IS relevant but it can be customized to personal preferences somewhat when cutting the slots in a blank nut. Typically you just want to be sure the outside E's aren't too close to the edge of the fretboard, making it easy to roll 'em off the edges.
 
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fronobulax

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Welcome Wilson. I'll second the advice to let someone who already has tools and knowledge do the replacement and note that $100 was about what a new bridge cost me for a B4. I don't know whether the price was higher or lower because I was there while the luthier was working ;-)

Welcome Wilson! Would be interesting to track the number of LTG members that have been drawn to this board by means of a D-25....
I'm one. Mine is a 1972 flat back (all mahogany)

Cheers!

When I decided Mrs. Fro. needed a Guild, I got her a D25. But I was already here because of a Starfire bass.
 
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Hi Everyone-- A most heartfelt thank you for welcoming in a newbie to this forum, and providing such fantastic information! When I return home from work today, I'll try and get some more pix and figure out a way to get the shots to actually be seen. It's a cherry/mohogany (dark red) finish-- in pretty good shape for being so old. I have glued the headstock crack together and had a few clamps holding it in place--it held great and should do the trick.

I appreciate the advice on the nut, taking it to a luthier will be what I do because, though handy, I'm not real interested in dropping the cash for the tools. Now if we were talking a table saw or drill, well then...another story. As for getting it cleaned up, duly noted and once I get this thing up to speed, I'll post pix of the project so you can see before and after. To be honest, it was a gift and I'm not sure I'll keep it--but will definitely give it a test run before I consider selling.

Lastly, I live in Havertown, PA--if there are any Philly folks with good luthier recs, I'll take 'em. I've got a few in my network but will always take more suggestions.
Thanks all--
 

sailingshoes72

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Welcome Wilson! Would be interesting to track the number of LTG members that have been drawn to this board by means of a D-25....
I'm one. Mine is a 1972 flat back (all mahogany)

Cheers!

I'm two! Mine is a 1981 arched back with a spruce top. :cool-new:

Bill
 

Graphicism

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Welcome Wilson! Would be interesting to track the number of LTG members that have been drawn to this board by means of a D-25....
I'm one. Mine is a 1972 flat back (all mahogany)

Cheers!

Browsed these forums for some time but didn't sign up until I bought my 1973 D25 Hog
 

fronobulax

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Hi Everyone-- A most heartfelt thank you for welcoming in a newbie to this forum, and providing such fantastic information! When I return home from work today, I'll try and get some more pix and figure out a way to get the shots to actually be seen. It's a cherry/mohogany (dark red) finish-- in pretty good shape for being so old. I have glued the headstock crack together and had a few clamps holding it in place--it held great and should do the trick.

I appreciate the advice on the nut, taking it to a luthier will be what I do because, though handy, I'm not real interested in dropping the cash for the tools. Now if we were talking a table saw or drill, well then...another story. As for getting it cleaned up, duly noted and once I get this thing up to speed, I'll post pix of the project so you can see before and after. To be honest, it was a gift and I'm not sure I'll keep it--but will definitely give it a test run before I consider selling.

Lastly, I live in Havertown, PA--if there are any Philly folks with good luthier recs, I'll take 'em. I've got a few in my network but will always take more suggestions.
Thanks all--

default might have some suggestions and is somewhat local.

If you're willing to drive I'd suggest Todd Stock/Greenridge Guitars in Germantown Maryland. I brought in a bass that several folks had told me needed a neck reset and they were not interested in doing the work. Todd was willing to do the reset but he had some suspicions about the saddle and ended up solving the problems by building a new saddle for me, while I waited :)
 
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