JF-30 Serial Number Question

JF-30 said:

I saw this on Reverb. I asked if the neck is straight and would it need a reset. He said no, but if it did I could return it. What does anyone think? Jump on it or run away.

https://reverb.com/item/19988791-1989-guild-d15-m-natural

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I think it's a 90 by the s/n, but so much the better.
If you're gas-ing for a hog body archback dread I think this one's preferable to the GC item.
Note the "narrow" (what we call a "snakehead") headstock, that's one of Gruhn's design legacies.
My personal suspicion is that by that time Kim Walker had also instituted bracing and top thickness refinements, but it's nothing more than suspicion on my part based on reports that by this time the guitars were getting lighter.
I don't see anything jumping out at me as a problem on a quick once-over, and the returnability clause is always good insurance.
Interesting that one's got the "deluxe" case, the arched top case was an upgrade for the standard flat-topped cases that would have been offered with entry level guitars, like my D25.
At that time Guild may still have been listing cases separately so maybe the original buyer had an opportunity to specify the upgraded case, but a lot of us would consider that to be around $150.00 stand-alone item when evaluating price of an offering.
Also looks like the D16 was dropped by '87, probably explains why this one's got gloss finish.
Guild did a lot of that, changing specs as a model evolved, did the same thing with D4's, started off as stripped down D25's and gradually got upgraded.
Yeah I'd do it.

Thx.

JF-30 said:

I saw this on Reverb. I asked if the neck is straight and would it need a reset. He said no, but if it did I could return it. What does anyone think? Jump on it or run away.
https://reverb.com/item/19988791-1989-guild-d15-m-natural

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Hmm - I do like the light natural finish on that one. If it's structurally sound, it seems like a fairly reasonable price - maybe a bit at the high end. I did pay virtually the same amount for my 1992 D-6nt-hg a few years ago, and it's in near mint condition - but prices seem to be steadily increasing for used Guilds.

Cougar said:

Thread veer....
Hey Bob, how do you like that "compact jumbo"? I've sort of gassed over that model for years, but was basically waylaid by Guild jumbo 6- and 12-strings. Your thoughts on the model would be appreciated!

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Well, I really like mine a lot. This one's got the maple body (there was a rosewood version, too). Punchy for fingerpicking with just enough bass to satisfy, and super easy to hold & play with the 15" small body/short scale combo.

There were only two years of the CJ-165ec model (and the following J-165ec) where it had soundhole electronics (vs a side cut-out mount). Those two years were '07 and '08, so I haven't seen these come up for sale too often. That said, Gibson's current parlor-model series has the same dimensions & soundhole electronics, but with significantly different appointments & visual cues.

bobouz said:

Well, I really like mine a lot. This one's got the maple body (there was a rosewood version, too). Punchy for fingerpicking with just enough bass to satisfy, and super easy to hold & play with the 15" small body/short scale combo.

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If Oxnard don't get off their patootie and come out with a true 16" GA I might get tempted to go out and look for one o' those to try out meself.
I'll give 'em another coupla years though, since I don't actually wanna spend any money 'till I know what the 401k's gonna look like.
:biggrin-new:

JF, "veering"'s kind of a time-honored custom around her, but don't wan't new members to feel like they're getting "hijacked", either.
Let us know how it goes and know what happens and whatcha think if/when it comes through!

I'm a big boy this is not my first forum.

JF-30 said:

I'm a big boy this is not my first forum.

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Cool!
We've just had feedback in past that other places are less tolerant of that kind of thing.

I usually enfureate the Gibson guys on the Acoustic Gibson Forum. Ask bobouz and cougar. Gibson acoustics sound like they are stuffed with wet socks. I had a J-15. And within hours of owning it I knew I would sell it. P played every Gibson I can get my hand on whenever I go to a shop I don't understand what people see in the J-45s. I do like the hummingbirds and the doves but there's big bucks.

JF-30 said:

....I don't understand what people see in the J-45s.....

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Yeah, I figured I had to get a J-45 at one point. Picked up a red custom shop flamed maple J-45. Was not impressed. Sold it within a couple months. There must be some good ones, but I figure I don't need to be looking for 'em.

JF-30 said:

Gibson acoustics sound like they are stuffed with wet socks.

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Well, we are all informed, but also limited, by our personal experiences. I'm sure we've all experienced guitars with that dead & thumpy "wet socks" tone, but my experience has been that the vast majority of Gibson acoustics I've played, built from 1999 on, have typically been very lively & have had excellent note separation.

This includes the signature roundshoulder "dry & woody" tone, to the punchy & percussive tone of their maple bodied instruments. The one model where I ran into more duds than I would have expected was the jumbo bodied J-200, but even with those, there have been some that were stellar, including a J-100xtra jumbo purchased new back in 2001.

But even more important than pro & con testimonials, I think it's important to always keep in mind that what we're dealing with are production line instruments, and almost assuredly, any given model will fall into a bell curve syndrome. There will be some out & out dogs at the low end, a majority of mediocre to quite good instruments, and then a much smaller group of truly stellar examples of a particular breed.

When we're talking about iconic models such as a J-45, or a Martin D-28, or a Guild F-50R, the finest examples are instruments that have been widely recognized at first strum to be something special. When you run into one of those, it's immediately apparent, and if that tone also just happens to match your playing style, it'll be locked into your brain for good.

Sad to say, that's not what you're usually going to find out there, again because of the bell curve - and because in this day & age of internet shopping, what you can get your hands on via a local big box store is terribly limited. Therefore, we're often reduced to the online crapshoot game, where one middle-of-the-road guitar can sour you on a model that might otherwise have some truly fine examples.

Sure wish I could walk into a few local stores & readily get my hands on a wide variety of Guilds to test drive, like back in the '70s!

Got my first Gibson when I was 16. It was a "The Paul". I've played J-45's in every store that has them whenever I go. To me they sound dead. To me the only thing better on a Gibson that any other acoustic is the finish. And to me when I close my eyes I can see the finish, but I can still hear how it sounds. I do like the Dove and H'bird and Songwritter. Notice the pattern. I think the slope shoulders just don't sound right to me. The full Dreads sound great. Not 4 - 7k great, so they go back on the rack after I pine. That is if there is even a Dove in the same state as you. I think in my life I have touched one. And it was locked behind glass and like a child I had to go ask the GC dillweed employee to please let me be worthy enough to strum it.