Told my dad that after I saved my first $1K from my first real job, I was going to spend the next paycheck on a guitar. Took me 5 months to reach that goal, and in January 1973 (I was 17), I was ready to go guitar shopping. I couldn't afford a Martin or Gibson, and the Epiphone acoustics and a couple of Japanese models didn't catch my ear. Found a little shop on N Burnside in Portland that had three Guilds hanging on the wall, a flat back D-25, a D-35, and a D-40. I preferred the sound and look of the spruce-topped D-35 and the D-40. The D-40 was out of my price range. So was the D-35, for that matter. But the next day I went to the bank, and then rode the bus downtown to pick it up my new Guild D-35. Took it home in a chipboard case the shop loaned me, 'cause I didn't have the money for the hard case (got it the next month). My dad was a bit peeved at the price I paid... but I still have that D-35 hanging on my guitar room wall (it will be 50 years old next year... it's top already is). I think Dad finally realized that it was one of the best purchases I ever made.
In 2006, I started looking for another Guitar. I liked the feel of the Guild neck, the look of the Guild dreadnaughts, and the tone of my D-35... so I stuck with the familiar, and bought two used Guilds ('74 D-25 and '74 G-37) off eBay. I haven't looked back... Guilds work for me.
