D-35

[guitartrends]

This is my first post. I just purchased a used D35 (1979?) and its gotten me pretty excited about Guilds. I look forward to learning from the people on the forum. I have a couple of questions. What is the original saddle on this guitar made of? Would you recommend I try a bone saddle? Tuning the guitar sometimes seems a bit quirky. Are the original tuners junk? They are 3 on a side 2 screw holes. Any replacement tuner recommendations? I am really enjoying the guitar...a very "full" sound.

 

[GardMan]

Welcome, Guitartrends!
I've got a '72 D-35 that I bought new in January of '73, and until recently also had a '78 D-35 (sold it to partly finance my recently acquired D-46). Odds are, the original saddle was plastic. Those in most (all?) of my '70s Guilds were. It may already have been swapped out, tho'. My understanding is that you could tell just by touching it (in an inconspicuous place) with a hot needle. If it melts, it's plastic. Never tried this myself. I swapped several of my saddles out to Tusq (by Graphtek; another synthetic, but MUCH better than plastic), but have been choosing bone more recently. Bone saddle and nut might brighten up the sound to a noticeable degree!

As for the tuners... I am not really a "techie," but the 3-on-a-plates certainly aren't the most precise tuners in the world... but I still have mine on my '72 D-35 and '74 D-25 (and prefer to keep my guitars "original"). They work... just not a great gear ratio. What may be causing more of the problem is the string sticking in the nut... so no change as you turn the peg... then suddenly, twang, it's past where you want it to be! There are nut lubricants (this will get a "rise" out of the guys here, for sure! search eBay for "nut sauce" there's a thread on it in the tech shop on LTG... if the search function is working)... or you could swap the tuners to some with a better gear ratio (if the nut is sticky, this probably won't completely eliminate the problem).

Anyway... enjoy the D-35. Welcome to LTG... and enjoy the ride!
Dave

Added: here's a link to the thread that talked about Big Bend's nut sauce... scroll down partway thru the chatter!
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5524&hilit=nut+sauce

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome.

While you wait for someone who can help to come along, you might want to visit the "museum".

 

[JerryR]

Hi Guitartrends

I also have a 1979 D35 - you might find my post under Miscellaneous/D35 back from surgery relevant - which is a change from most of my posts :mrgreen:

My tuners though are individual not 3 in a line - I think they are the originals but the gears were pretty worn out, easily detuning as I played (not that anyone noticed with my playing) and Jim Macey had to do a fair bit of work on them. The nut will almost certainly be plastic too, and worth replacing.

Enjoy - the D35 is a great guitar, not pretty or flashy, but it gets the job done

 

[Metalman]

A little graphite from a pencil makes for good lubrication in the nut grooves. Just twirl it around in the slot, and the dust will fall right in there.
Had a similar problem where I cut the groove too deep, and to try to fill in the groove, I used a bit of Tite-Bond in there. It filled it in alright, but made a very hard surface into which the string moved in and out. Got that problem of tuning the string, and it just won't go, and all of a sudden, twang, it jumped ahead of its proper tuning.

Anyway, the graphite dust in there helped. The nut is just temporary - I would not suggest this as a permanent fix.

My point here is the graphite dust. Good lube job for what ails your nuts . . .

Ahem . . . if you know what I mean!

 

[GardMan]

Snip...My tuners though are individual not 3 in a line - I think they are the originals but the gears were pretty worn out, easily detuning as I played (not that anyone noticed with my playing) and Jim Macey had to do a fair bit of work on them....

Hey Jerry,
Your tuners may be factory upgrades from the 3-on a plate... or maybe Guild was in the process of switching what they used around that time. My (now gone) '78 D-35 originally had 3-on-a-plates (screw holes and faint outline were still visible)... but had been retrofitted by the previous owner with Grovers. Your tuners look to be the same as the factory originals on my '74 G-37, and I have seen the same on D-40s and a couple of other D-35s from that era. So they are Guild appropriate tuners... thus my guess that they were a factory upgrade. Hans could probably tell you for sure...
Dave

 

[guitartrends]

Gentlemen-I appreciate the advice for my sticky nuts. I apologize if I was unclear earlier. My tuners are 3 individual machines on each side (for a total of 6 separate units). Each individual unit has 2 screw holes. I believe they are original. It is likely I am having nut problems. It looks a littly gunky down there, if I get right in there for a close look. yikes! I am seriously considering upgrading to a bone nut and saddle...and as long as Im at it, I thought I should look at upgrading the tuners. I gotta believe that the bone would sound good with the mahogany/spruce.

 

[Graham]

It is likely I am having nut problems. It looks a littly gunky down there, if I get right in there for a close look. yikes!

:shock: :shock:

Guitar issue I hope?

Welcome to LTG Trends, I think.

 

[JerryR]

Snip...My tuners though are individual not 3 in a line - I think they are the originals but the gears were pretty worn out, easily detuning as I played (not that anyone noticed with my playing) and Jim Macey had to do a fair bit of work on them....

Hey Jerry,
Your tuners may be factory upgrades from the 3-on a plate... or maybe Guild was in the process of switching what they used around that time. My (now gone) '78 D-35 originally had 3-on-a-plates (screw holes and faint outline were still visible)... but had been retrofitted by the previous owner with Grovers. Your tuners look to be the same as the factory originals on my '74 G-37, and I have seen the same on D-40s and a couple of other D-35s from that era. So they are Guild appropriate tuners... thus my guess that they were a factory upgrade. Hans could probably tell you for sure...
Dave

Hi GardMan

Forgive my crappy photography skills using a cellphone camera However, these blurry photos might confirm what my tuners are.

 

[hansmoust]

However, these blurry photos might confirm what my tuners are.

Hello JerryR,

Those are Gotoh tuners and they were standard on the D-35 during that particular period.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Jeff]

MY 78 G 37 has the same Tuners

 

[bdeclee]

Interesting. My 1976 D-35 has replacement tuners which aren't much better than the originals (they're Sigmas). Buzzy Levine at Lark Street told me that the original tuners were "crap" and people often replaced them. Why someone would replace crap with crap-plus is a mystery to me.

Barbara

 

[hansmoust]

Why someone would replace crap with crap-plus is a mystery to me.

Barbara

Maybe because some people are 'cheap' to begin with?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[GardMan]

Hey Hans... you wouldn't have a set of those tuners, would you? Those on my G-37 are a bit pitted (30 yrs of NY salt air or pollution?). I have been watching eBay for a set in better condition. A set sold on eBay last winter (I think to an other LTGer who needed it to restore his G-37). Another set with one bent shaft sold more recently... I wasn't quick enough on the draw to snag it.
Dave

 

[guitartrends]

Those are the tuners (in the pictures above) I've got on my "79 D35. Is it the consensus that they are "crap"?

 

[Jeff]

Those are the tuners (in the pictures above) I've got on my "79 D35. Is it the consensus that they are "crap"?

No concensus, mine work fine, turn smoothly, gear ratio seems OK, they do look bulky & heavy.

Perhaps contributing to the relative heft of the G 37, easily the heaviest Guild acoustic I have. Lighter tuners wouldn't help much, G 37's built pretty stout.

 

[Bluesbob]

Those tuners are alright, not the best, but if you're having problems, look elsewhere for a fix. Definitely upgrade the bridge and pins. This is where the most benefit may be had, although if the nut is the problem, upgrading that is in order also. The nut won't have as much to do with tone as the saddle and pins. I bought a bone saddle and pins from Stew-Mac for my '75 D-35. More sparkle and highs, better clarity too. The saddle is really the worst part. My guitar intonates with the bone saddle as well as my guitars with adjustable saddles. It is remarkably easy to tune and it stays in tune for months, with the original tuners. Great action. I use .12-.52 strings. Enjoy.

 

[GardMan]

I have no complaints about the tuners on my '74 G-37 (same as on the later '70s D-35s)... ain't the best, but ain't the worst. Smoother than the 3-on-a-plates on my '72 D-35 and '74 D-25... not as smooth as the Grovers on the D-55. Mine are just pitted and a bit corroded. Most of my Guild dreads [D-55, D-46, G-37, and D-25M, and recently sold '78 D-35] are tanks... can't tell which is heavier w/o a scale to weigh them. The only (very) noticeable lightweight is my '72 D-35.
Dave