Played a new Oxnard Made D55 Today

My Westerly D55 is strung with lights, and I have no trouble getting a full, rich strumming sound out of it. Yet, it still responds great when finger-picked. I do strum and flat-pick with a lighter touch, for what it’s worth, but this thing is LOUD. (Dave at Jacob’s Custom Guitars called it a “Martin killer” after Tom set it up. I don’t know about that, but it’s my only acoustic without a pickup. . Were Westerly D55s designed with a particular string gauge in mind?

CocoaPicker said:

My Westerly D55 is strung with lights, and I have no trouble getting a full, rich strumming sound out of it. Yet, it still responds great when finger-picked. I do strum and flat-pick with a lighter touch, for what it’s worth, but this thing is LOUD. (Dave at Jacob’s Custom Guitars called it a “Martin killer” after Tom set it up. I don’t know about that, but it’s my only acoustic without a pickup. . Were Westerly D55s designed with a particular string gauge in mind?

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String specs for a given model and year prior to the Fender era are extremely hard to find, but a '94 probably would have had L350 (12-53 pb lights).
For sure it was the spec on ALL dreads by '96 and on through Tacoma, but I think the builds had been lightened up after being "heavily built" for a while, beginning in late '80's Kim Walker period.
Westerly went back and forth between "light' and "heavily built" periods over the years.
Example: Recently saw pic of an owner's manual here for an early '80's D44 spec'ing mediums "M450".
One would think they would have spec'd the same for a D55 during that same period.
In fact, if he hasn't told you, Tom is our member "Fixit" who worked in Westerly as a neck man in late '80's, he oughta know if anybody....
:friendly_wink:

finish is perfect as far as I can tell! Now if I get out my microscope then it may look a little rough!

adorshki said:

String specs for a given model and year prior to the Fender era are extremely hard to find, but a '94 probably would have had L350 (12-53 pb lights).
For sure it was the spec on ALL dreads by '96 and on through Tacoma, but I think the builds had been lightened up after being "heavily built" for a while, beginning in late '80's Kim Walker period.
Westerly went back and forth between "light' and "heavily built" periods over the years.
Example: Recently saw pic of an owner's manual here for an early '80's D44 spec'ing mediums "M450".
One would think they would have spec'd the same for a D55 during that same period.
In fact, if he hasn't told you, Tom is our member "Fixit" who worked in Westerly as a neck man in late '80's, he oughta know if anybody....
:friendly_wink:

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Thanks, adorshki. I’ll ask Tom next time I’m in the shop, which is practically in my backyard. Both of my Westerly Guilds seem to be of the heavy-build persuasion, as everybody exclaims when lifting them. :subdued:

might want a better set up if there is a buzz !

CocoaPicker said:

Thanks, adorshki. I’ll ask Tom next time I’m in the shop, which is practically in my backyard. Both of my Westerly Guilds seem to be of the heavy-build persuasion, as everybody exclaims when lifting them. :subdued:

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Yeah "heavy" seems to be as subjective as "skinny" when it comes to necks.
I consider my '96 D25 (built at end of first full year of Fender ownership) to be a real featherweight, at least it's the lightest flat-top I've ever owned, and the Corona D40's a real tank in comparison.
Some folks have said archbacks are supposed to be heavier by definition due to the laminated back, but I don't buy that. The whole purpose of laminating is to achieve superior strength-to-weight ratio in the first place.
Others have also said they feel their late Westerlys are "heavy" but funny thing, we all agree that no matter the build style, they always "sound like Guilds"...:friendly_wink:
Another tell about build philosophy ion '90's was the introduction of the DV52 in '93.
"Dreadnought Vintage" build details according to '97 Guild Gallery #1(or else the '96 catalog, I forget which, now) included backs and sides sanded for lightness (Nothing was said about tops, interestingly, although scalloped braces were spec'd.
But Guild tops were extremely good quality in late Westerly in the first place, due to the skills of their buyer Willie Fritscher. He would have been there during Tom's tenure too)
Also spec'd were necks and endblocks specially selected for strength and lightness.
DV-52's are held in extremely high regard around here, but to be fair, just because they did this on DV's doesn't mean it extended to D-55's.
We've learned over the years you just really can't make any assumptions about Guild, they just didn't operate the way the "big boys" did.

adorshki said:

Yeah "heavy" seems to be as subjective as "skinny" when it comes to necks.
I consider my '96 D25 (built at end of first full year of Fender ownership) to be a real featherweight, at least it's the lightest flat-top I've ever owned, and the Corona D40's a real tank in comparison.
<...>
We've learned over the years you just really can't make any assumptions about Guild, they just didn't operate the way the "big boys" did.

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It’s fascinating, indeed, that the builds can vary so much over the years yet still have the sound that Guilds are known for. And I find it especially interesting how many folks I’ve read saying that the MIC Guilds even have that sound. I haven’t tried any, except for an all-hog (M120, maybe) that Tom had for sale— not a direct comparison to my two -55s.