Bracing on Guild dreads: 1971 - 1992 (several pics)...

GardMan

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I spent some time this weekend doing my semi-annual guitar cleaning and string swap on six of my dreads (I swapped strings on the G-37 in Oct, so decided it could wait). While the strings were off, I stuck my smaller camera into the body and snapped some pics of each to document the different bracing ...mostly showing the different shapes of the tone bars. Thought some of you might be interested...

1971 D-44 (pearwood).
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This one came to me with a split end block and top crack. Someone had tried to glue them, but missed... you can see the glue residue on the sides. I had both glued and cleated, and the repairs are visible (large plate on the tailblock and top cleats between end of the tone bar and X-brace). If you look closely beyond the shadow of the bridge plate, you can also see a faint glue line... that, the smaller size, and the diagnonal grain of the bridge plate are evidence that it is a replacement (done before I got her). A very clean repair (tho' a lot of "tear out" when he drilled the pin holes!). Note that the tone bars taper gradually in height towards their peripheral end (compare them to the next pic showing my D-35).

1972 D-35 (flat mahogany back)
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The tone bars have a more constant profile along their length (maybe a slight taper in height?), and the end taper is straight. The bridgeplate appears to be maple.

1974 D-25M (arched mahogany back)
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The tone bars have a consistent profile along their length, but the ends are "scooped" instead of straight (compare to D-35 in previous pic). The bridgeplate appears to be rosewood (or mahogany?).

1976 D-50 (rosewood)
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Notably, the tone bars and X-braces appear to be "shaved," beginning about half-way along their length. I don't know if this was done at the factory, or to voice the guitar after it left the factory. I'd appreciate it if anyone with a D-50 from the same period (say, '75 - '80) could look and let me know if theirs have a similar appearance. Rosewoodbridge plate. You can see stains where super glue I used to seal the hairlin crack in the bridge wicked down the pn holes to the bridge plate.

1981 D-46 (ash)
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"Standard" profile tone bars. Large rosewood bridgeplate. No cloth side reinforcements. Note the bright reflection from the screw-on end pin (replacing the end-pin jack it had when I acquired her).

1992 D-55 (rosewood)
120991053.jpg

Scalloped X-braces and tone bars. Rosewood strip side reinforcements (none visible in this pic; others are cloth, D-46 has none). Note the two piece end block (edit 21Jan10: In looking more closely at the pics from Jazzmang, I now realize that the endblock on my D-55 isn't two pieces... it simply has a thin strip of veneer glued across the grain as a reinforcement). Note the pin holes are set farther back in the large maple bridge plate.

Dave
 

jazzmang

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Awesome pics Dave. I had posted some pics of the bracing of a few of my guitars somewhere around here...


It would be nice to have a pictorial database of internal bracing in one place!
 

FNG

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Seems like a mix of rosewood and maple bridgeplates...
 

Bikerdoc

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Very Cool Dave. I have been wanting to do the same with my dreads. Maybe I'll get to it now.

Peace
 

evenkeel

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Wonderful pics. Great clarity. Thanks for all the effort!!
 

killdeer43

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Thanks for the show, Dave. I enjoyed seeing the different woods without any finish on them. Beautiful rosewood!
[What's your camera, if I may ask?]

**I can just see you with a little ladder climbing down inside....ala "Fantastic Voyage." :wink:

Joe
 

GardMan

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[What's your camera, if I may ask?]
Those were shot with my 5 yr old Canon Powershot S60, remote controlled from my laptop via USB connection. Wish I had a smaller camera, that I could lay on its back and take pics of the bridge plates... but this one is too big for that (once the lens is extended; my "big" camera is a 4 yr old Canon PS G6... it won't go thru the soundhole). Settings were: Av mode (aperture priority) @f/8; lens @ 28 mm f.l. (in 35 mm equiv); flash on (auto).

**I can just see you with a little ladder climbing down inside....ala "Fantastic Voyage." :wink:
Only if I might find Racquel Welch inside. She looked pretty good in that white wetsuit... :wink:
 

Qvart

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plaidseason said:
I would like to take a moment just to say that posts like this are one of the main reasons I hang out at LTG. Cool stuff and thanks for sharing.

+1

Great pics!
 

adorshki

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Qvart said:
plaidseason said:
I would like to take a moment just to say that posts like this are one of the main reasons I hang out at LTG. Cool stuff and thanks for sharing.

+1

Great pics!
+2. One of the main reasons I joined,then I found out how much fun participating is!
 
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I agree with the other comments, G-man. Thanks for a great set of pictures and thanks for sharing them. And I'll say it again, what a fine collection of dreadnoughts you have.

~nw
 

Rich

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Wow, that is fascinating! I've always wanted to see what goes on inside that sound hole and now I know. Thanks for posting those pics up.

-Rich
 

KenL

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Great photos, enjoyed them very much, especially since I have an '91 D-46 myself. Tremendous guitars, my favorite.

The serial # on mine ends in 319. Is yours anywhere close to that?

I saw one for sale a few years ago that was within 9 or 10 numbers of mine, probably rolled off the line the same day.
 

GardMan

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KenL said:
Great photos, enjoyed them very much, especially since I have an '91 D-46 myself. Tremendous guitars, my favorite.

The serial # on mine ends in 319. Is yours anywhere close to that?

I saw one for sale a few years ago that was within 9 or 10 numbers of mine, probably rolled off the line the same day.
Glad you all liked the pics...

The SN of my D-46 ends with 168. It's one of the early '81s, with a rosewood centerpiece in the back (a link to pics in my signature). In fact, mine is stamped Dec 5 1980 on one of the braces just inside the soundhole, and Dec 9 1980 on the neckblock, so some of it was clearly assembled in 1980.

My D-46 has been my main player for the last 2 years... it has such a rich, balanced sound, and a great neck! It has only been supplanted in the last couple months by my newly acquired '76 D-50, as I learn what songs/styles suit its voice. The D-50 and D-55 have (as you might expect) stronger bass. But the D-46 has great balance across the whole range... the trebles/mids really sparkle and bass is surprisingly rich. It's definitely a keeper!
Dave
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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Great pictures.
There is a very noticeable difference in the bracing between all of your guitars.
I guess this is a big part of what gives each model it's own voice.
Thanks for sharing,
TMG
 

onewilyfool

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Great pics.....the evolution of a guitar.....my 2000 F47MCE.....the "X" braces just below the sound hole are scalloped too....
 
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