D 30 vs. G 37

Bonneville88

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Rich,

I own both, among others... and was just looking at another used local
G37 yesterday afternoon on consignment at Music Folk in St. Louis.
I may be mistaken but some 70's era
G37s may have had mahogany necks - I'm just not sure that's exactly
what I'm seeing in photo below from a G37 currently for sale on
Reverb, but sure looks like it. I've never seen
a D30 with anything other than a maple neck.

The maple on both D30s I own has a fair amount of flame in it -
can't recall seeing any G37s that had flame maple.

My G37 feels noticeably heavy compared to the D30s - not sure what that's about
as construction from what I've gleaned was similar between the two instruments.
I need to have a guitar weighing party some day soon, should be some surprises.

If I have my history mostly correct, the "G37" model name stopped being used around
the mid 80's and "D30" was used instead.

My G37 has a very different sound than the D30s, both of which are balanced but not
volume monsters like my D25s. The G37 is a bit of a sonic puzzle to play - also not a volume box, but
I'd describe the mid and low-range sustain as preternatural - think piano with the sustain pedal
permanently floored - but I haven't quite figured out how to use / leverage that to best effect.
Have not yet played another G37 to compare, but might get around to doing exactly that
as early as tomorrow...

Also posting a couple of bragging pics of my antique burst '80 G37... had seen
very few burst G37s, found this one on CL (replete with bad pics and poor description)
and had to have it!

Reverb-G37.jpg


G37-FRS-1.jpg




G37-RS.jpg
 
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GardMan

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From my Dread spreadsheet (posted as a blog entry)

G-37 (1972-1986) Spruce over arched maple; "morphed" into D-30 in 1987. Mahogany neck/silk-screen Guild headstock before 1976. Maple neck/Chesterfield after 1976.

D-30 (1987-1995) Spruce over arched maple; scalloped braces. Re-number of G-37.

SO, according to my notes, the D-30 got scalloped braces, while the G-37 braces were straight.
 

davismanLV

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Dave always comes to the rescue!! Good job, amigo!! :encouragement:

Now the G-45 was super similar but with fancy trappings, yes? But a maple neck I think. Then my D65S is a mod on the G-45 with a D55 neck and some fancy trappings and a limited run. As far as I know. I've been wrong before..... well, just the one time.....
 

bobouz

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My G-37 was built in 1976, and has a one-piece mahogany neck with silkscreened headstock logo. The mahogany is quite light in color. The guitar is heavily built, but has a rather bright & responsive tone, typical of many maple bodied guitars.

The transition to a maple neck & chesterfield logo appears to have taken place mid-stream during the '76 model year.
 

D30Man

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B88 - The D-30 climbed up in the weight bracket in the 90's. Mine weighs about 3000 lbs. However, there is a pretty significant boom coming out of it despite its heft thanks to arched back. Also went to the snakehead in the 90's ( not sure which year ). Mine is a '97. Maple all the way around. When I bought mine in 2013 it had been in someone's closet hardly played. It had a smaller voice, so I did what any good guitar owner would do and played the hell out of it. Now I cant get it to shut up. Never played a G-37 but I know there are many who love them and the D-30 was the model that replaced it in the lineup.

 

Bonneville88

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D30man... gawd... LOVE that burst... WOWEEEEEE!

So... you play it right into the giant fan / swamp cooler for some really weird
acoustic special effects... right?:biggrin-new:
 

D30Man

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D30man... gawd... LOVE that burst... WOWEEEEEE!

So... you play it right into the giant fan / swamp cooler for some really weird
acoustic special effects... right?:biggrin-new:

Acoustic feed back!!!!!! Yeah I have to get them to move that damn thing every time I play there but they do.
 

GardMan

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Snakeheads came to many of the Guild dreads ~1987. IIRC, it was a Gruhn "thing."
 

Bonneville88

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The earlier "pre-snake" headstock has always looked better to me...
Got more genuine Guilditude, or something...
 

Bonneville88

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Interesting G37 on CL with really dark back & sides, I don't think I've seen coloration like
this on a G37 recently. Non original tuners. Guitar looks pretty good in the photos.
https://salem.craigslist.org/msg/d/guild-gmade-in-usa-dreadnought/6256039784.html

Another... although looks like this one has just been HAD, if you know what I mean...
I really don't want to know what people do in bed with their guitars TYVM!
Gotta love the strap, LOL
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/msg/d/vintage-guild-g37-guitar/6240342634.html

aaannnd another
https://boulder.craigslist.org/msg/d/1977-guild-g37/6254372209.html

and...
https://chattanooga.craigslist.org/msg/d/vintage-guild-g37-blonde/6247139634.html

There are a half-dozen G37s for sale on Reverb, including one just
listed that looks damn-near mint!
https://reverb.com/item/6346295-used-guild-1979-g-37-blonde-acoustic-guitar-with-case
 
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D30Man

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Hey, D-Man, what is the venue, if you don't mind disclosing? And your schedule?

Don't mind at all sir. This venue was Hard 8 BBQ Coppell out by DFW. My next gig is October 7 playing San Jacinto Plaza in downtown Rockwall, TX. On the square if you will. I will do a 2 part show solo acoustic first half then blossom into a trio for the second half. I will likely get hit with a Hard 8 gig in September. Not sure the date yet.
 

adorshki

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The G37 is a bit of a sonic puzzle to play - also not a volume box, but
I'd describe the mid and low-range sustain as preternatural - think piano with the sustain pedal
permanently floored - but I haven't quite figured out how to use / leverage that to best effect.
Have not yet played another G37 to compare, but might get around to doing exactly that
as early as tomorrow...
A buddy owns a '74 and his is the same.
Longest sustain I've ever heard from an acoustic.
He uses that property to great effect when playing plugged in with a soundhole pickup.
One of the few guitars I've ever coveted in my life, and I already owned my D25 when I "met" it!

This has probably been discussed before. What are the technical differences between the D 30 and the G 37?
Kinda surprised nobody's mentioned that D30's (all of 'em, I think) had 3-pc necks ('hog centerstrip I think it is, that was the norm)
Don't think that was ever a feature of G37's.
And Grot's got a G37 that clearly shows a maple neck, even though the '75 spec sheet shows a 'hog neck.
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/images/g37.jpg
G37 spec sheet here:
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/images/g37.jpg
D30:
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/d30.html
So along with Bobouz's comment that seems to confirm time frame of change in neck on G37's
The D30 spec sheet confirms Gardman's note about scalloped bracing in D30's.
It seem in the '90's catalogs and spec sheets at least, when bracing's not spec'd it means standard, not even shaved let alone scalloped.
Same thing with top woods, if it's AA or better it's noted, as on the D30 spec sheet.
G37 sheet just shows "solid spruce", and nothing in the bracing slot but have to emphasize I don't know if their "base level" standards might have been higher back then ('70'-early '80's), or if they just started expanding the info shown on the spec sheets.
That reminds me of 1 other detail that could influence weight besides overall thickness of body woods:
We know that for at least a while in the 70's Guild used cloth strips spaced around the sides inside the guitars as the crack prevention technique. (Don't know when that technique started)
They went to wood strips in the '80's I think it was, possibly late '70's?.
Also we never ever see a spec for bridge plates in Guild spec sheets, either for thickness or type of wood.
I've seen both maple and rosewood mentioned at different times and even for different years of the same model.

Also went to the snakehead in the 90's ( not sure which year ).
Snakeheads came to many of the Guild dreads ~1987. IIRC, it was a Gruhn "thing."
Right.
The earlier "pre-snake" headstock has always looked better to me...
Got more genuine Guilditude, or something...
We calls 'em "paddles" 'round heah, boy! :glee:

And here's an '88 (maybe '89?) D30 with the 3pc neck and snakehead head stock:
fu0zxegyfi9pvt06dial.jpg

S/n looks to be "D3000974" which actually falls after the "921" shown in the s/n charts, but then there's nothing shown for '90 (which is probably an example of the known glitches in the s/n charts) and '91 shows "1140" as last number for that year.
 
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Bonneville88

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Very cool info Al!

Was thinking of the variations of color
I've observed on both guitars. The back and sides
of a G37 could be natural or deeply tinted, or the entire guitar could be finished burst, but
the burst finish on my G37 does not have anything close to the intense coloration
of D30Man's kick-a** foot stompin' swamp-cooler killing retina-shocking wonder
(yeah, I'm jealous)

D30 finishes... entire guitar natural, burst, orange, have also seen one example that
was dark cherry... any others?
 

Bonneville88

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Al, at least some G37s did come with a 3-piece, same as the D30s...
from the beauty on Reverb, it's a '79 according to the seller...

teyp2fpk94slnjrhehri.jpg
 

adorshki

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Al, at least some G37s did come with a 3-piece, same as the D30s...
from the beauty on Reverb, it's a '79 according to the seller...

teyp2fpk94slnjrhehri.jpg

AhA! Bet that happened when they changed the neck then, even though I should know better than to make that kind of bet anymore.
(But it's ringing a vague bell in the memory now)
:glee:
 

adorshki

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Very cool info Al!

Was thinking of the variations of color
I've observed on both guitars. The back and sides
of a G37 could be natural or deeply tinted, or the entire guitar could be finished burst, but
the burst finish on my G37 does not have anything close to the intense coloration
of D30Man's kick-a** foot stompin' swamp-cooler killing retina-shocking wonder
(yeah, I'm jealous)
My buddy's '74 has the dark back/sides.
Wouldn't have realized it was maple if he hadn't told me, I was pretty novice at the time and thought it was an older D25.
D30 finishes... entire guitar natural, burst, orange, have also seen one example that
was dark cherry... any others?
'01 price list shows black, and suspect that "dark cherry" was actually Trans Red but don't recall ever seeing a shot of one that color. Seem to recall Amber also, but can't confirm.
The orange was actually "Tennessee Orange" and I seem to recall a story behind the choice of that name specifically but I forget what it was.
 
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