stormin1155
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2016
- Messages
- 98
- Reaction score
- 60
Hi! My name is Norm and I'm from Iowa. I guess I've been a member here for a couple of years, but never posted. A bit about me... I spent most of my career as a HR exec/consultant. For the past eight years I taught part-time at Vatterott College, and retired from that last December. For several decades my main hobby has been building, fixing, and just tinkering with guitars. I'm much better at doing that than I am at playing them. Seven years ago I hung out my shingle as a guitar tech/luthier, and I run that as small business out of my home shop. (I don't know what the policy here is regarding posting website links... some forums frown on that, so I'm not)
I've long been a fan of Guilds. I picked up a used GAD-25 a couple of years ago, but have always wanted a well-seasoned US made model. A couple days ago a 1972 D-35 popped up on Craigslist for a good price and I snagged it. I'm really enjoying it... lots of those old Guilds sound a bit dark. Not this one. Very balanced and crisp. Not a boomer by any means. It will get loud, and has good headroom for strumming, but responds best to a lighter touch. The GAD25, being all mahogany, is a lot mellower sounding, and I have a couple other guitars that have a real big sound, so the D35 is a nice addition to my tone palate.
Just a word about the GADs and new Westerly collection... I know I might ruffle a few feathers of Guild purists, but I've worked on quite a few US models as well as the imports, and now owning both, the imports give up very little to their US counterparts. VERY high value instruments. My GAD is the best $300 I ever spent on a guitar!
In addition to the Guilds, I have a Martin OMCPA4, the Yamaki Folk Deluxe I bought with my graduation money in 1973, a 1963 Harmony H1260, a Seagull C-12, a Recording King RD-06, several antique parlor and archtop guitars, and a dreadnaught I built myself, patterned after Martin HD-28. That one is a real cannon! I also have a bunch of electrics, including eight strats. Here is a picture of the two Guilds and the one I built.
I've long been a fan of Guilds. I picked up a used GAD-25 a couple of years ago, but have always wanted a well-seasoned US made model. A couple days ago a 1972 D-35 popped up on Craigslist for a good price and I snagged it. I'm really enjoying it... lots of those old Guilds sound a bit dark. Not this one. Very balanced and crisp. Not a boomer by any means. It will get loud, and has good headroom for strumming, but responds best to a lighter touch. The GAD25, being all mahogany, is a lot mellower sounding, and I have a couple other guitars that have a real big sound, so the D35 is a nice addition to my tone palate.
Just a word about the GADs and new Westerly collection... I know I might ruffle a few feathers of Guild purists, but I've worked on quite a few US models as well as the imports, and now owning both, the imports give up very little to their US counterparts. VERY high value instruments. My GAD is the best $300 I ever spent on a guitar!
In addition to the Guilds, I have a Martin OMCPA4, the Yamaki Folk Deluxe I bought with my graduation money in 1973, a 1963 Harmony H1260, a Seagull C-12, a Recording King RD-06, several antique parlor and archtop guitars, and a dreadnaught I built myself, patterned after Martin HD-28. That one is a real cannon! I also have a bunch of electrics, including eight strats. Here is a picture of the two Guilds and the one I built.