D 40 confused- help please

[teamgreen]

I’ve been playing this old and beat up D40 for a couple years and finally bought it from my buddy who’s had it since 1975 or 76. He bought it in Hollywood back then used. A extra pick guard was added and removed, the fret board may have been re-done and the Guild sticker up high by the tuner was removed and looks to be painted over. The inside serial sticker is only partially legible. I can make out about 75% of it. The model D 40 is legible the serial number only the first letter “A” is legible. The “Ho” for Hoboken and the last “y” in New Jersey are legible. The guitar is light and sounds absolutely amazing, especially for its condition. I have yet to hear another acoustic sound this good. The serial number on the backside up high by the tuners is stamped- AJ 3578. And when I looked that up on another serial number site, it cannot place the guitar, and does not have any record of that number, and is not consistent with Hoboken made.. I realize that guild moved from Hoboken to Rhode Island in the very late 60s. And my questions are - can we place the year that the guitar is made based upon the stamped serial number, was the guitar made in Hoboken? Or is it possible that the Rhode Island factory was still using the Hoboken stickers early on for the D 40? I believe the guitar is mahogany with a spruce top. It looks to be a Brazilian redwood neck. I am attaching some photos. Thanks for any help

 

[Guilderland21]

Welcome to LTG! Someone more knowledgeable will no doubt be around shortly. In the meantime what I can say is that I do think the factory in Westerly, RI used Hoboken labels on some guitars in the years after the move, so the label on yours doesn't rule out the possibility that it was made in Westerly.

If I were to venture a guess for the year, it would be 1970, based on this PDF (known to have some inaccuracies and omissions) showing AJ3218 as the last D-40 made in 1969. The numbering scheme changed at some point in 1970 to use only numbers, without a prefix for each model, but I don't believe the change was made at the beginning of the year, so some D-40s with AJ3xxx serial numbers may have been made in the earlier part of that year. Take this with a grain of salt for now, though - someone else on this forum will probably be able to determine when your guitar was made more confidently.

It's nice to hear that your guitar sounds so good!

 

[teamgreen]

Welcome to LTG! Someone more knowledgeable will no doubt be around shortly. In the meantime what I can say is that I do think the factory in Westerly, RI used Hoboken labels on some guitars in the years after the move, so the label on yours doesn't rule out the possibility that it was made in Westerly.

If I were to venture a guess for the year, it would be 1970, based on this PDF (known to have some inaccuracies and omissions) showing AJ3218 as the last D-40 made in 1969. The numbering scheme changed at some point in 1970 to use only numbers, without a prefix for each model, but I don't believe the change was made at the beginning of the year, so some D-40s with AJ3xxx serial numbers may have been made in the earlier part of that year. Take this with a grain of salt for now, though - someone else on this forum will probably be able to determine when your guitar was made more confidently.

It's nice to hear that your guitar sounds so good!

Thanks so much!

 

[hansmoust]

I’ve been playing this old and beat up D40 for a couple years and finally bought it from my buddy who’s had it since 1975 or 76. He bought it in Hollywood back then used. A extra pick guard was added and removed, the fret board may have been re-done and the Guild sticker up high by the tuner was removed and looks to be painted over. The inside serial sticker is only partially legible. I can make out about 75% of it. The model D 40 is legible the serial number only the first letter “A” is legible. The “Ho” for Hoboken and the last “y” in New Jersey are legible. The guitar is light and sounds absolutely amazing, especially for its condition. I have yet to hear another acoustic sound this good. The serial number on the backside up high by the tuners is stamped- AJ 3578. And when I looked that up on another serial number site, it cannot place the guitar, and does not have any record of that number, and is not consistent with Hoboken made.. I realize that guild moved from Hoboken to Rhode Island in the very late 60s. And my questions are - can we place the year that the guitar is made based upon the stamped serial number, was the guitar made in Hoboken? Or is it possible that the Rhode Island factory was still using the Hoboken stickers early on for the D 40? I believe the guitar is mahogany with a spruce top. It looks to be a Brazilian redwood neck. I am attaching some photos. Thanks for any help

Hello teamgreen,

Welcome!

Re. The serial number on the backside up high by the tuners is stamped- AJ 3578. And when I looked that up on another serial number site, it cannot place the guitar, and does not have any record of that number, and is not consistent with Hoboken made.. I realize that guild moved from Hoboken to Rhode Island in the very late 60s. And my questions are - can we place the year that the guitar is made based upon the stamped serial number, was the guitar made in Hoboken? Or is it possible that the Rhode Island factory was still using the Hoboken stickers early on for the D 40?

That particular guitar was completed during the year 1970 in Westerly, RI. At that time they were indeed still using the labels with the Hoboken, NJ address.

Re. I believe the guitar is mahogany with a spruce top. It looks to be a Brazilian redwood neck.

The guitar does indeed have a spruce top and mahogany back & sides. The neck however is laminated from 2 pieces of mahogany and a maple centerstrip.

The only parts that could be Brazilian rosewood are the bridge and the fingerboard; that is ...... if the fingerboard is still the original one!

The pickguard is a replacement and you probably know that the tuners were replaced at some point as well.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Westerly Wood]

What a spectacular guitar! I love how beat up it is and so well played over the years. Very emblematic of Guild in general. But this sticker pic is the best, and very representative of Guild's own record keeping, which I find often hysterical and mostly haywire. One of the many reasons I so love the brand...

 

[teamgreen]

Hello teamgreen,

Welcome!

Re. The serial number on the backside up high by the tuners is stamped- AJ 3578. And when I looked that up on another serial number site, it cannot place the guitar, and does not have any record of that number, and is not consistent with Hoboken made.. I realize that guild moved from Hoboken to Rhode Island in the very late 60s. And my questions are - can we place the year that the guitar is made based upon the stamped serial number, was the guitar made in Hoboken? Or is it possible that the Rhode Island factory was still using the Hoboken stickers early on for the D 40?

That particular guitar was completed during the year 1970 in Westerly, RI. At that time they were indeed still using the labels with the Hoboken, NJ address.

Re. I believe the guitar is mahogany with a spruce top. It looks to be a Brazilian redwood neck.

The guitar does indeed have a spruce top and mahogany back & sides. The neck however is laminated from 2 pieces of mahogany and a maple centerstrip.

The only parts that could be Brazilian rosewood are the bridge and the fingerboard; that is ...... if the fingerboard is still the original one!

The pickguard is a replacement and you probably know that the tuners were replaced at some point as well.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Thank you so much!

 

[adorshki]

Welcome to LTG! Someone more knowledgeable will no doubt be around shortly. In the meantime what I can say is that I do think the factory in Westerly, RI used Hoboken labels on some guitars in the years after the move, so the label on yours doesn't rule out the possibility that it was made in Westerly.

If I were to venture a guess for the year, it would be 1970, based on this PDF (known to have some inaccuracies and omissions) showing AJ3218 as the last D-40 made in 1969. The numbering scheme changed at some point in 1970 to use only numbers, without a prefix for each model, but I don't believe the change was made at the beginning of the year, so some D-40s with AJ3xxx serial numbers may have been made in the earlier part of that year. Take this with a grain of salt for now, though - someone else on this forum will probably be able to determine when your guitar was made more confidently.

It's nice to hear that your guitar sounds so good!

You got it down.

 

[adorshki]

I’ve been playing this old and beat up D40 for a couple years and finally bought it from my buddy who’s had it since 1975 or 76. He bought it in Hollywood back then used. A extra pick guard was added and removed, the fret board may have been re-done and the Guild sticker up high by the tuner was removed and looks to be painted over. The inside serial sticker is only partially legible. I can make out about 75% of it. The model D 40 is legible the serial number only the first letter “A” is legible. The “Ho” for Hoboken and the last “y” in New Jersey are legible. The guitar is light and sounds absolutely amazing, especially for its condition. I have yet to hear another acoustic sound this good. The serial number on the backside up high by the tuners is stamped- AJ 3578. And when I looked that up on another serial number site, it cannot place the guitar, and does not have any record of that number, and is not consistent with Hoboken made.. I realize that guild moved from Hoboken to Rhode Island in the very late 60s. And my questions are - can we place the year that the guitar is made based upon the stamped serial number, was the guitar made in Hoboken? Or is it possible that the Rhode Island factory was still using the Hoboken stickers early on for the D 40? I believe the guitar is mahogany with a spruce top. It looks to be a Brazilian redwood neck. I am attaching some photos. Thanks for any help

Welcome Teamgreen! Great story, great intro That puppy must sound magnificent. (D40 owner/lover myself)

 

[teamgreen]

Welcome Teamgreen! Great story, great intro That puppy must sound magnificent. (D40 owner/lover myself)

Thank you!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Can't answer any of that, glad others can, but, like, wow.

 

[GGJaguar]

Pretty cool guitar, thanks for sharing!