1973 Guild D55 Questions and Mysteries!

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Hello fellow guild lovers!

I am in need of your expertise and help to solve some mysteries I have with a 1973 Guild D55.

I will post pictures to illustrate where my confusion lies and hope that someone can help me figure this out.

My 2 main questions are
1- Why does this D55 have a D50 top?
2- Does anyone have any idea what kind of wood is on this sides? It does not look like the Indian Rosewood on the back in grain or in color, I have had people tell me that it is everything from Koa to mahogany to Brazilian Rosewood... and I have no idea what to make of it.
Between these two mysteries I am not really sure what to make of this D55 : ) But one thing is certain, it sounds amazing!

Any help would be appreciated.
 

adorshki

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Hello fellow guild lovers!

I am in need of your expertise and help to solve some mysteries I have with a 1973 Guild D55.

I will post pictures to illustrate where my confusion lies and hope that someone can help me figure this out.

My 2 main questions are
1- Why does this D55 have a D50 top?
2- Does anyone have any idea what kind of wood is on this sides? It does not look like the Indian Rosewood on the back in grain or in color, I have had people tell me that it is everything from Koa to mahogany to Brazilian Rosewood... and I have no idea what to make of it.
Between these two mysteries I am not really sure what to make of this D55 : ) But one thing is certain, it sounds amazing!

Any help would be appreciated.

HI Sakura, welcome aboard!, somehow I missed this yesterday.
First, don't worry if your first few posts are delayed showing up.
New member posts are checked by moderators to be sure they're "real People", then they'll show up and all your posts will post in real time.
NOW, to business:
It's important to understand that D55's were originally D50's with the very fancy F50 type neck, special ordered by well-known folk musician Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers.
They were actually labeled as "D50 Specials".
So it makes sense it has a "D50" top, although I'm not sure why you're making that distinction.
Is it because you've seen the abalone rosette on later D55's?
That didn't happen until the early '90's "if I recall correctly".
They started getting attention when Smothers used 'em on the Smothers Brothers television show and in '68 Guild gave them their own model name, the "D55 Television" model.
If your guitar looks like this you'll probably be the envy of some folks here:
smothered_main.jpg

hqdefault.jpg

It was only made by special order until 1974 when it finally became a regular production model.
So yours is from the last year of their "special order only" status, assuming it's dated correctly.
We have a member who can confirm that, Hans Moust, author of "the Guild Guitar Book".
Let us know if you want contact info, there's a couple of ways to reach him.
In fact, now that I think about it, he might be very interested in getting that D55 into his s/n database if he doesn't already have it.
There might also be a date written on the inside of the top or one of the braces, during that period.
Your back and sides are absolutely rosewood although in '73 it's possible there's at least some Brazilian in it.
Although Guild had some stocks of Brazilian lasting into the early '70's, and we've even seen it used as late as '73 on some D50's, by then it was usually combined with EIR as they ran out of slabs big enough for backs or sides.
So it's possible and as a D55 maybe even probable it's combined wood on yours, but I'd be a little surprised if it's 100% Brazilian.
We've even had members here question rosewood bodies as looking like mahogany, so I understand why some people might think that.
The quality of all the woods was much better back then so the figuring can fool some people, especially under a dark finish stain..
So yes, please show us your pics as soon as you can!
:friendly_wink:
 
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davismanLV

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Thanks for jumping in here, Al. I saw this yesterday and wanted to throw some information out and clarify, but it was a day of busyness and knee injections and chores and then a steak dinner with some wine as a "reward" for my dedication to my chores, which can be derailed by a convenient Happy Hour.

I think that's pretty much the information he needed, so let's see if he gets it.

Welcome to the forum, Sakurasanta86!!
 

Nuuska

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Hello

While at D55 - I clearly remember seeing a picture of D55 with carved heel - decorations - quick look at Hans Guild Guitar Book reveals nothing on that - any info ???

The picture was in Guild ad.
 
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davismanLV

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Nuuska, my Guild history is not anywhere near a lot of the people here, but I only remember carved heels on the higher range of the 100 series. Either a D100C (meaning carved heel, not cutaway) or the jumbo version the F100C. However, I could be totally wrong. Both of those had abalone purfling around the top, I'm fairly certain. And not ALL of those guitars had the carved heel.

Someone will be along to correct me I'm sure. They were rosewood guitars.
 

Nuuska

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Tom

You may well have that right - after all - it was over 30 years ago . . .
 

adorshki

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Tom

You may well have that right - after all - it was over 30 years ago . . .

Tom's right, the D100c's in that '90 catalog I posted over in the "original case?" thread, and on the cover of the '96 catalog as well, and those were the only 2 models where the "C" stands for "carved" instead of "cutaway".**

Unless you saw a pic of that one D55 somebody special ordered with a carved heel.
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:glee:
(Because these days we've finally learned that anything's possible...)


**Except it was a "JF100" not an "F100".
I think he was recalling his long-lost beloved Ford truck at the horse ranch.
 
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GuildFS4612CE

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A lot of people may have missed this as it's in the wrong category...maybe one of our nice mods will move it.:friendly_wink:
 

adorshki

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A lot of people may have missed this as it's in the wrong category...maybe one of our nice mods will move it.:friendly_wink:

Well, to be fair, I didn't want our new member to feel scolded if it was brought up right away, since we're notorious for tolerance about these things anyway, or think it was "deleted" if "he" came back looking for it in the same forum, so I didn't say anything at first .... but that's probably a good point.
I'm thinking we should make sure he knows what's going on first?
He may not have realized there's an "Acoustic" forum below this one and thought it was a "hollowbody".
 

GuildFS4612CE

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It's noted in the original category that it's been moved. Thought it's better for the OP to have answers to his questions.
 

GardMan

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According to Beesley, the D-70 and D-80 were also available with carved heel.
 

awagner

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Some other models with carved heels are the D80-12, JF100, JF100-12, and DC130.
 
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fronobulax

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If I am aware that a post is in the wrong category I will move it where it belongs. I usually will leave something behind that indicates the post has been moved so people don't go crazy looking for something they remember that isn't there anymore. Sometimes I move things "silently". Other times I will post in the thread about it.
 

adorshki

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According to Beesley, the D-70 and D-80 were also available with carved heel.

No snark intended, but "never seen 'em", but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
And actually I could believe it on those models, so good point.
Also, I HAVE seen errors in Beesley book; which given some of the likely source material (Guild catalogs), is understandable.
"IIRC" he had F65's listed at 15" lower bout (it's 16"), when I had a chance to look at PDF's of some of the pages a while back.
I vaguely recall seeing another "goof"; I think it was about very late Westerly F30 size spec, but not sure about that.
Edit:
Just saw Awagner's post, I must stand humbly corrected about how many models actually had the carved heel option offered and what the "C" meant on those.
The "CRV" was pretty self-explanatory.
 
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awagner

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It's a dreadnought cutaway with maple back, sides and top (I believe). It also has the cloud inlays found on the D100 and JF100 models. I believe it has built-in electronics with volume and tone knobs on the shoulder. From what I have read it is a sonic dud acoustically, due to the maple top, which I understand was used to reduce feedback. It is really a stage guitar, meant to be played plugged in.

I believe Phil Collen from Def Leppard played one, and you can find some pictures of it online.

I personally don't care for it.
 
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adorshki

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It's a dreadnought cutaway with maple back, sides and top (I believe).
Yes to maple top:
175701.jpg

Only other Guild acoustic (or technically a/e) I know of offering a maple top was the F65ce, but it wasn't "standard" on those.
Like the Dc130, unplugged sound was "unsatisfying" by majority of reports here, always suspected to be for the same reason AW mentions.
 
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