New 2020 Guild D-55E

Hello fellow Guild folks,

after watching many videos and doing a lot of reseach, I finally ordered my suspected dream guitar from a web store - a Guild D-55E.
Unfortunately there was no way to try it out beforehand, as there isn't even a single Guild Dealer here in my country.

After trying it out for the first time I had mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand: that low end - wow, it's a really nice feeling when the guitar's back is vibrating against your body.
On the other hand, the higher strings felt quite dead and sounded "dull". There was some kind of "midrange forwardness" missing.
Also the whole sound was quite compressed, which I kinda also liked but it also seemed to make the guitar very "undynamic", especially compared to my old guitar - a Guild GAD-40CE. What also made me kinda wonder is that my old guitar is way way louder, although it has a smaller body.

At this Youtube Demo the guitar sounds quite contrary to mine - the higher strings sound more alive and have more bite to them.

The guitar there also has factory strings on it, but is built in 2018 - mine in 2020. Has anyone else experienced anything similar with his/her D-55E?
Can there be such big differences between the same model (built in the same factory)? Did I just catch a "bad" one? Or maybe does it have to be played in a bit longer?
Also the nut seems not to be processed perfectly (see picture) which I could expect for such an expensive guitar, right?

I am really considering sending it back, as this is quite a lot of money for me - and I wanted the guitar that I keep for the rest of my life. What do you think?

Thanks in advance for your comments and opinions

Beautiful guitar. Maybe you got a dud or maybe it needs a setup and time to open up.

I might try carefully changing the strings but nothing more if you have the opportunity to send it back for a refund.

Maybe another one of the same model will provide the sound you are looking for.

I would suggest changing the strings. Two years is a long time, even if you aren't playing it.

Welcome to LTG, and sorry your first post is re: a problem.

That nut doesn't look properly cut at all. Hard to believe it would have left the factory looking like that . . . the slots look way too deep (except for the low E), and possibly too wide. And maybe some kind of damage to the nut on the fretboard side, at the G string.

I assume this was purchased as a new instrument, with warranty? If so, perhaps consider calling Guild and see if they're willing to pay for a repair person to cut a new nut for it.

A D-55 should put a smile on your face!

Maybe I expressed it poorly, the Strings are most likely new (as I good it shipped a few days ago and it was built in 2020) - I was just comparing the tone of the D-55E 2018 in the Youtube video, that also has factory strings on it and has a completely different timbre

geoguy said:

Welcome to LTG, and sorry your first post is re: a problem.

That nut doesn't look properly cut at all. Hard to believe it would have left the factory looking like that . . .

I assume this was purchased as a new instrument, with warranty? If so, perhaps consider calling Guild and see if they're willing to pay for a repair person to cut a new nut for it.

A D-55 should put a smile on your face!

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Hello, thanks for the welcome and for the answer

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. The guitar is brand new and the nut really looks sloppy for a guitar in that price range. Besides warranty I also have a 30 days Money Back guarantee from the store I bought it.

Hey, if you're not thrilled with it, then back she goes! Do they have more of them in stock so they can send you a different one?

The nut does not look like what I would expect the nut to look on a new Guild USA guitar. I would be shocked it the guitar made it through final inspection with that nut. Have you checked action at the first and 12th fret? Perhaps the dealer's tech thought he or she could "improve" the guitar by filing on the nut and possibly the saddle.

Agree, bad looking nut. it should not look like that.

That should have never left the factory. Cordoba,, you have a problem.

Ralph

First thing I do with a new guitar regardless of it's age is put new strings on. Something that I'm very familiar with on my other guitars. I only didn't do that on one guitar that I bought from Springfield Music because after he played it for me over the phone, he asked what strings I wanted and he then he put them on. Amazing service from them. But the cost of the strings might tell you if the guitar could sound more the way you want. However, there's no getting around that nut. It's not right. And rather than start dealing with warranty issues (since you don't like the sound anyway) send it back to who you bought it from!!

Thanks for all your answers guys.

I have taken another two pictures from another angle (one with flashlight, one without), as the nut slot depth appeared to be more severe due to the flashlight and a certain angle. But still (to my untrained eye) it looks like the slots - especially for the highest strings - are to deep and broad. Maybe this could also be a reason for the high strings not sounding "present" enough?

Also the nut glueing work on the high E-string looks kinda messy, not what I expected from Guild USA, the nut on my GAD-40CE looks way cleaner. Maybe I gonna visit my luthier next week to also have a trained eye looking at the guitar and most likely will send it back to the shop then.

There's no way it left the factory like that. Your second set of photos reveal that the string slots weren't even cut with the proper tools.

This is an after-market attempt to "improve" the action by someone unskilled.

wileypickett said:

There's no way it left the factory like that. Your second set of photos reveal that the string slots weren't even cut with the proper tools.

This is an after-market attempt to "improve" the action by someone unskilled.

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Well, that could actually explain a lot. From the beginning I had a feeling that the strings are thicker than those that I am used to (light), but as the factory strings on the new D-55 are also light I told myself that it is probably just imagination.
Now it seems possible that the guitar has been re-stringed with mediums and the nut has been "adjusted". Unfortunately I have no caliper here to prove my thesis right now. But it would also explain the higher strings lacking the brilliance.

Welcome to LTG! I would send the guitar back and find another one. You were not thrilled from the beginning and correcting issues on a brand new guitar should not be something a buyer should care about. I would explain this to the shop that the nut seems to be not in the condition the guitar left the factory with. At least that's hard to believe if it did. It looks like somebody has worked on it before you got her. And since you disliked the sound as well I would not accept a repair attempt by that shop, I would probably look for a different shop, if that is possible. Not sure where you live.
Hope you find one you will be happy with!
Ralf

Send it back, let Cordoba hear your complaint, and make sure next time you get an unmolested guitar, assured by Cordoba. Cordoba must hear about this.

Ralph

F312 said:

That should have never left the factory. Cordoba,, you have a problem.

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F312 said:

Send it back, let Cordoba hear your complaint, and make sure next time you get an unmolested guitar, assured by Cordoba. Cordoba must hear about this.

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How do you know it was Oxnard's fault? What if the guitar was messed up by the store's tech or by a buyer who returned it to the store? We don't know where the OP bought the guitar.
Ralf

SFIV1967 said:

How do you know it was Oxnard's fault? What if the guitar was messed up by the store's tech or by a buyer who returned it to the store? We don't know where the OP bought the guitar.
Ralf

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I've just seen that you are from Germany. I am from Austria and ordered the guitar from Musicstore. I always trusted them, but the guitar was not labelled as being a display item or B-ware. On the other hands there have been quite some signs that the guitar already has been played a few times before (the frets had a different colour/shine where the strings touched them). I definitely gonna send them an email and ask for an explanation and a replacement.

SFIV1967 said:

How do you know it was Oxnard's fault? What if the guitar was messed up by the store's tech or by a buyer who returned it to the store? We don't know where the OP bought the guitar.
Ralf

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You got me wrong Ralf, maybe on my part. 1) I did say it should have never left the factory like that. I failed to mention "I wouldn't think it "would have" and Cordoba would know if it did. They should investigate the store owner why has the nut been tampered with. 2) Cordoba "should" hear about this, and ask the store owner why this issue is like it is. Maybe it was returned. Would/should that make it a new purchase?

Ralph

JMK said:

....I am really considering sending it back....

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Yes, the consensus here seems to think returning it is reasonable in this case. Get a new one. No worry, be happy!