New Member - Old D-25

MartyG

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A local Goodwill store had this on display recently. It was set up as a silent auction, so I placed a bid and took it home. Cracked bridge, but no other damage. Serial number (79304) dates it to 1973. It's an arch-back hog-top D-25. Sounds wonderful now that I had a little work done here in Pennsylvania.
Here it is when I spotted it.
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And here's a few after a little work:
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I have not played since 1966, (an old sunburst Silvertone) gave up guitar for drums when I was ten, so I have to start over. I would have been 17 when this was built. Spent my career so far in the industrial design field for the most part. Companies like Honeywell, Black & Decker, Caterpillar and now Boeing. Plan to retire in a few years. I also collect old Weber grills and mess with old bicycles. Married, four grandkids. I'm a little beat up myself, so not having a pristine guitar feels right to me. I have enjoyed reading the forums, and love the history and passion that everyone exudes. I hope to join in once in a while.

Marty
Stewartstown, PA USA
 

adorshki

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I have enjoyed reading the forums, and love the history and passion that everyone exudes. I hope to join in once in a while.

Marty
Stewartstown, PA USA
Welcome aboard, Marty, and you probably realize some folks here consider that one a "grail".
Love that label shot, confirms they didn't necessarily call 'em "D25M" themselves, when it was the standard build formula.
 

gjmalcyon

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Welcome, MartyG, and I gotta say this is one of the better entrances I've seen around here. That is a fine, fine guitar you have there, and I can assure you there are more than one or two members who are now checking listings on shopgoodwill.com.
 

Cougar

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A local Goodwill store had this on display recently. It was set up as a silent auction, so I placed a bid and took it home..... Sounds wonderful now that I had a little work done here in Pennsylvania.....

That ought to work! Congrats, Marty, and welcome to the boards!
 

MartyG

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Dug up this pic of me with my Silvertone. Must have been some kind of costume party at school. No idea what happened to that old guitar. I got it for Christmas one year. It was used at the time but I thought it was so cool. The Beatles were just emerging then, and some girl at school said I looked like Paul. The first album I bought was Sgt. Pepper's in 1967, and I brought it to a 6th grade dance party. Not much on that album you can dance to that's for sure. Should have stuck to Herman's Hermits.

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MartyG

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Found a nice used case at a local guitar shop. Fits like a glove.
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dreadnut

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Welcome to the neighborhood, Marty! Nice example of an early arch-back, classic. Not sure how many they made in this configuration, but ultimately they settled on spruce tops. So it's kind of rare; in the transition period from flat back to archback, and from 'hog top to spruce top. It's been said that Guild hated to waste inventory so they used it up in creative ways.
 

sailingshoes72

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Welcome to LTG, Marty. That guitar still has a lot of great music in it! I'm glad to see you rescue it from the counter at Goodwill and then get it back into playing condition. I love the vintage look of that aged mahogany top. And have fun with the adventure of playing guitar again. Make a joyful noise! :barbershop_quartet_
 

Stuball48

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Dug up this pic of me with my Silvertone. Must have been some kind of costume party at school. No idea what happened to that old guitar. I got it for Christmas one year. It was used at the time but I thought it was so cool. The Beatles were just emerging then, and some girl at school said I looked like Paul. The first album I bought was Sgt. Pepper's in 1967, and I brought it to a 6th grade dance party. Not much on that album you can dance to that's for sure. Should have stuck to Herman's Hermits.

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You were styling and profiling as a sixth grader and that old Silvertone looked great.
 

Charlie Bernstein

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Good score! My first decent guitar was a sixties spruce-top flat-back D-25. Now my Numero Uno is a seventies D-35, and scoring it felt like coming home.
 

evenkeel

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Welcome to the LTG gang. Nice intro and you've got yourself a wonderful old Guild. Nicely done.
 

Grassdog

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Welcome Marty - great story and it's nice to know that old D-25 has found it's way to a good home. Whoever donated that must not have known what they had. What kind of work did you have done to it?
 

MartyG

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What kind of work did you have done to it?

I had the bridge removed, epoxied and reglued. New pegs, new strings, neck adjusted, one minor crack on the top glued, and a good cleaning.

Bridge before:
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After:
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Needs a bit more cleaning around the bridge.
 
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