DCE-5, 90s dreads lagging in price?

fuman

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2015
Messages
132
Reaction score
128
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
I'm not a dreadnaught guy really, but I've always liked the 90s Westerly-made dreadnaughts. I've noticed used prices for Guilds are up sharply lately, but the prices for Guild dreadnaughts are still pretty low. I routinely see DCE-5s for $800-950. I think these are great guitars and wonder why the prices don't seem to be keeping up with their Jumbo/GF contemporaries. Thoughts?
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
I have two friends that bought DCE-5's, both from Guild forum members. They both love the guitars. They're a tad bit on the heavy side, but theyt sound great and have a nice electronics package.

I think that price is about right.
 

Guildedagain

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
8,999
Reaction score
7,160
Location
The Evergreen State
I think I paid around $600 something for mine with the usual crazing, in the OHSC... They are a bit of a tank around 6lbs even, saddle was full height and I had to take it down around halfway, sound nice, Fishman Matrix is tolerable, great looking Rosewood. Hardly ever seen a better deal on a quality used guitar with fairly good resale value.

I buy guitars that scare other people.


large.jpg
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,789
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
I have two friends that bought DCE-5's, both from Guild forum members. They both love the guitars. They're a tad bit on the heavy side, but theyt sound great and have a nice electronics package.

I think that price is about right.

That's interesting, I always remembered that one as being the one that surprised me that it seemed to have an unusually high percentage of "underwhelmed" owners, way back during my first 2 or 3 years here, and I think the complaint was about unplugged tone for a couple of 'em.
I'm thinking it was like 3 out of 5.
It made me wonder if possibly the issue was with the arched rosewood back, and extremely unusual combo for Guild and I think the only time they ever offered it in a dreadnought.
Maybe it's a combination with a very narrow appeal, and maybe why they didn't last very long
Now I wonder if your friends got theirs from the guys who weren't really in love with 'em?
:biggrin-new:
Since then, in any case, including your feedback, and according to my informal mental tally, it seems to be about 5 out of 7 liking their DCE-5's now, and still one "indifferent".
But if it really is a narrow range of sonic appeal, it could be part of why they don't seem to be valued the way fuman mentions, and I agree I think $900.00 would be a fair price for one in good nick.
I'm not a dreadnaught guy really, but I've always liked the 90s Westerly-made dreadnaughts. I've noticed used prices for Guilds are up sharply lately, but the prices for Guild dreadnaughts are still pretty low. I routinely see DCE-5s for $800-950. I think these are great guitars and wonder why the prices don't seem to be keeping up with their Jumbo/GF contemporaries. Thoughts?
After all, list price in last year of production as $1799.00, meaning street price was probably around 1200-1300, so $900 means it's holding its value pretty well for a Guild.
From another perspective, what's the Vintage Guitar Blue Book say?
If sellers are taking their cue from that, it could simply be that all that is, is a recap of average selling prices for a period of time and if only one or 2 sold then that's all they've got to go by.
Something else occurred to me, you mentioned "GF"'s:
Those carry a double whammy of Gruhn/ Walker design DNA combined with the fact you can't buy a new true F40 from Guild right now; Oxnard's F-40 is actually a 17" lower bout that Westerly called the F48.
It seems like we saw the same thing with all the Guild models when they weren't being made in Oxnard "yet", especially the D55, the F50, and the F512;
Prices spiked in the used market and settled again when new production became available.
We see the same thing going on with F30's right now.
So maybe that's part of the "imbalance"?
 

Guildedagain

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
8,999
Reaction score
7,160
Location
The Evergreen State
I'm about to put a set of GHS S&S .011's on it, when I finally put off procrastinating...

Interested to hear what it does for the tone. I'm still on my 1st set of strings from last summer, and they're just about shot but I can still get some sweet tones out of it. Gave it some love last night and sounded great after some tuning. Guitars that sit in cases don't sound good for a bit. It's heavy and doesn't get a ton of love these days but I'm anxious to play it with the S&S strings, if the action ends up anything like the F-30 with S&S, hello easy country string bending. Two fret B/E string bends are do-able now with 12's, but barely.
 
Last edited:

Bonneville88

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
2,695
Reaction score
1,255
Location
St. Louis, MO
Guild Total
40
I'm the local Guild guy representing Indifferent, Inc.
Nice to meet 'cha :cool:

Have 4 Guild dread cutaways (not pictured is a 2nd DCE3, same
model different finish as the guitar in the center).
The DCE3s have unique, growling big-boom maple personalities, the DCE1 (far left)
is a lot like a D25, so no shortage of sonic character there.

Not a thing wrong with how the DCE5 plays and sounds, but
IMO it's just a bit of a shrinking sonic violet compared to the other
3 guitars...
that and I've found I'm just not much of rosewood dread
guy, have purged three fine D55s and a D50 in recent times.

Anyone interesting in trying out a DCE5 for cheap - this one's kind of
a beater - pm me.


X5ubGFm.jpg
 
Last edited:

Guildedagain

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
8,999
Reaction score
7,160
Location
The Evergreen State
They're also a pretty fine looking guitar, or I wouldn't have it.

Many other shapes of Guild cutaways over the years, coupled with high prices, make this series of guitars very attractive.

Wish I had the time to accurately photograph mine, it is extremely classy with the Ebony fingerboard/bridge and black P/G, there is something about it, very simple, bold, like a Telecaster. In fact, I've wanted to do a shot of it alongside the Butterscotch Tele since I got mine, which is a DC5E, to make things a little bit more confusing.
 

Bonneville88

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
2,695
Reaction score
1,255
Location
St. Louis, MO
Guild Total
40
My personal observation is that there is a fit / finish level on the DCE5 that seems subtly better than
the others - an understated elegance, in a D50 kind of way :02.47-tranquillity:

GP, might just be the lighting but the rosewood sides on yours look lighter than on mine.
Gorgeous lacquer checking, btw!
Fwiw, serial on mine is FC050674, neck block stamp reads APR 29 1996.
 
Last edited:

beecee

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
3,569
Reaction score
2,407
I'm not a dreadnaught guy really, but I've always liked the 90s Westerly-made dreadnaughts. I've noticed used prices for Guilds are up sharply lately, but the prices for Guild dreadnaughts are still pretty low. I routinely see DCE-5s for $800-950. I think these are great guitars and wonder why the prices don't seem to be keeping up with their Jumbo/GF contemporaries. Thoughts?

You can always pay more....

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Guild/1990s-DCE5-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar.gc
 

Bonneville88

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
2,695
Reaction score
1,255
Location
St. Louis, MO
Guild Total
40
Never can tell by the GCs wonderful photos :wink-new:
but offhand, that one looks like it might have
been a case queen.
 

Bonneville88

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
2,695
Reaction score
1,255
Location
St. Louis, MO
Guild Total
40
Couple of variants with the same cutaway body - haven't tried either of these as of yet,
a D50 CE and a D40 CE. Guild sure got some mileage out of this body style.

X0VGWXc.jpg
 
Last edited:
Top