D4 HG Unicorn?

[goodnightaustin]

Ancient thread, I know. This is a 1993 D4 made in Westerly, a gift to me in 1994 from my wife and father. D4-NT-HG to be specific. HG equals high gloss I know. Top has aged nicely. Searching, I cannot seem to find another D4 HG. Headstock logo is inlaid, not a decal. Grover Rotomatics, not Guild-branded machines. This closely resembles D25s from the same era, biggest difference I can see is D25 has a headstock face veneer, or black paint. Do I have a unicorn? Thanks!

 

[chazmo]

Welcome aboard, Austin. Holy necrothread revival!, Batman!!

Well other than the fact that your TRC is upside down, I don't think there's anything unicorny about your D-4... I think this is just how they did them in the late 1980s early '90s.

You're right, most of what I see in the early-mid '90s catalogs on gad.net are decaled faceplates, not inlayed... I guess we'll see if anyone has more to add, Austin. And, again, welcome aboard!

(please flip that TRC before someone has an aneurysm!

 

[portsider]

Not a unicorn, but fairly uncommon. I think the HG was something like a $100 upgrade and if you were looking for a low cost Guild you were probably tossing nickels around like they were manhole covers.

 

[chazmo]

Sorry, I already answered you in the necrothread, Austin. Again, welcome aboard.

 

[adorshki]

This is a 1993 D4 made in Westerly, a gift to me in 1994 from my wife and father. D4-NT-HG to be specific. HG equals high gloss I know. Top has aged nicely. Searching, I cannot seem to find another D4 HG. Headstock logo is inlaid, not a decal. Grover Rotomatics, not Guild-branded machines. This closely resembles D25s from the same era, biggest difference I can see is D25 has a headstock face veneer, or black paint. Do I have a unicorn? Thanks!

Hi Goodnight, welcome aboard!

It is a rare bird as Guild only made some of the HG's at that early time and then it went away until they revived a "G" versions in '97. And the D25's got black faceplates, but only the Natural top ones. Colored finishes had matching headstocks which we also saw on D4's post-'97.
Note June '92 price list only shows "satin finish". Ah, just noted a '93 list with th HG version listed at a $245.00 upcharge (!!!! )

No wonder they're so rare.

You can see available price lists and catalogs from '90-'01 (last year for D4) here: https://www.gad.net/Blog/guild-guitar-price-lists/
Note in this '97 catalog page, they call it "Gloss" as opposed to "High Gloss" and I believe they're differentiating between the traditional spray/cure/polish/repeat "High Gloss" and this new "Gloss" applied over a hand-rubbed base:

 

[adorshki]

Welcome aboard, Austin. Holy necrothread revival!, Batman!!

Well other than the fact that your TRC is upside down, I don't think there's anything unicorny about your D-4... I think this is just how they did them in the late 1980s early '90s.

Actually it is a pretty rara avis.
D4 was "officially" introduced in '92 and the "HG" finish only ever showed ever showed in a '93 price list :

The "HG" was only done on some early ones, then there was no HG again (Although they introduced a "G"in '97.

In fact I never knew HG was available on those early ones until Hans confirmed a similar example a few years back, took me completely by surprise. I suspect it was just to get 'em some attention.

Prior to that I'd never seen a ref to a gloss finish on early ones, and when I see that $245.00 upcharge I think I know why.

 

[bobouz]

Here’s my ‘92 D6-nt-hg. As you can see, the headstock treatment is very similar (I changed the TRC). So not a unicorn, but rather rare (as Al noted) because of the up-charge for high gloss.

 

[SFIV1967]

This is a 1993 D4 made in Westerly

Welcome to LTG!
One thing very important as Guild owner:



Ralf

 

[GGJaguar]

Welcome to LTG! The high gloss version is less common, but not exactly rare (I have a D-4 HG, too!). What I find interesting about yours is the pearloid logo on the headstock. From the year yours was made, it usually has a gold silk screened logo like this:



Here's mine. It was made a few years after yours and has a black logo.

 

[GAD]

Moving posts out of 12-year old thread.

Please don't bump ancient threads, especially when then posting the same info in a new thread.

 

[midnightright]

Note in this '97 catalog page, they call it "Gloss" as opposed to "high Gloss" and I believe they're differentiating between the traditional spray/cure/polish/repeat "High Gloss" and this new "Gloss" applied over a hand-rubbed base:

Thank you, this is what I was trying to remember. . .

 

[West R Lee]

Very nice and essentially a D25 in my view. love the D-6 in this thread as well. Austin, what is the fuzzy stuff on the tuner backs? Love your guitar and welcome.

West

 

[davismanLV]

Moving posts out of 12-year old thread.

Please don't bump ancient threads, especially when then posting the same info in a new thread.

what should they do?? It's important when telling people what NOT to do, to tell them what they SHOULD do. Okay??

 

[bobouz]

What I find interesting about yours is the pearloid logo on the headstock.

It appears to be identical to the one on my D6-nt-hg above, with a predominantly white color. It seems to have been rather limited in its application. On the D-6, the following year (‘93), it was changed to the more common black overlay & chesterfield design.

 

[adorshki]

It appears to be identical to the one on my D6-nt-hg above, with a predominantly white color. It seems to have been rather limited in its application. On the D-6, the following year (‘93), it was changed to the more common black overlay & chesterfield design.

Wouldn't surprise me if they simply diverted some of those D6 (or even D25 necks/headstocks at the time) for use on those D4HG's. I mean, they were ready to go, not like they had to make special necks, right?

Also, @goodnightaustin, for a while, the D4 was the poster child for some of Guild's wilder finish experiments. While the D25 offered a pretty good selection, it was still a pretty traditional palette.

The D4 got some wild 'bursts:
https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/blue-burst-d-4.189512/

There were also a pair of red and green ones that were apparently a special run for a music chain store, but can't find any refs/pics of 'em right now.

While searching though, came across this ref from Hans a few years back with more headstock detail info, post 3 in this thread:
https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/guild-d4-nt-information.187077/

 

[davenumber2]

Wouldn't surprise me if they simply diverted some of those D6 (or even D25 necks/headstocks at the time) for use on those D4HG's. I mean, they were ready to go, not like they had to make special necks, right?

Also, @goodnightaustin, for a while, the D4 was the poster child for some of Guild's wilder finish experiments. While the D25 offered a pretty good selection, it was still a pretty traditional palette.

The D4 got some wild 'bursts:
https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/blue-burst-d-4.189512/

There were also a pair of red and green ones that were apparently a special run for a music chain store, but can't find any refs/pics of 'em right now.

While searching though, came across this ref from Hans a few years back with more headstock detail info, post 3 in this thread:
https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/guild-d4-nt-information.187077/

Those bursts are certainly…something.

 

[plaidseason]

Wouldn't surprise me if they simply diverted some of those D6 (or even D25 necks/headstocks at the time) for use on those D4HG's. I mean, they were ready to go, not like they had to make special necks, right?

Also, @goodnightaustin, for a while, the D4 was the poster child for some of Guild's wilder finish experiments. While the D25 offered a pretty good selection, it was still a pretty traditional palette.

The D4 got some wild 'bursts:
https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/blue-burst-d-4.189512/

There were also a pair of red and green ones that were apparently a special run for a music chain store, but can't find any refs/pics of 'em right now.

While searching though, came across this ref from Hans a few years back with more headstock detail info, post 3 in this thread:
https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/guild-d4-nt-information.187077/

And I've mentioned this before, but I swear I once ran into a D4 gloss (at the Daddy's Junky Music in Orange, Conn.) with a chesterfield headstock.

That's also the only place I've ever run into a Fender Spring Hill acoustic (pre-Nashville Guild Custom Shop).

 

[midnightright]

Wow @bobouz ! That sure is a beaut~!*

 

[West R Lee]

Those bursts are certainly…something.

I think it's the pick guard that really sets them off.

West