DV-52 HG?

[Sats]

There was a 97-98 DV-52 HG posted Reverb for a matter of minutes this afternoon. Anyone snag it? I've always felt this was a kind of an under-appreciated model. Especially considering what Gibbys and Martins are fetching these days, whoever got today's DV-52 made a great choice, and a great deal.

 

[Heath]

I sold mine only when I got a ‘71 D50 with BRW back

 

[Norrissey]

I don’t see that image in the Reverb sold listings-perhaps the seller took it down?

 

[kostask]

This is one of the later DV-52s, with the mother of pearl/pearloid rosette. The earlier DV-52s had a herringbone rosette.

 

[HeyMikey]

Here is the listing.

Guild DV-52 HG Acoustic Guitar | Reverb

Made in Westerly, RI in ‘97 or ‘98 Great build, seasoned nicely, plays well and sounds great. Full rich Guild dread!Good to very good condition. Some typical nicks, marks, etc- nothing major (see pics)Played but not abused over the years.Little to no fretwear, first few fretsPerfect neck angle.So...

reverb.com

 

[plaidseason]

This is one of the later DV-52s, with the mother of pearl/pearloid rosette. The earlier DV-52s had a herringbone rosette.

I prefer the herringbone!


Also, that seems like a decent price. A used HD28 will cost you another thousand!

 

[kostask]

I prefer the herringbone!


Also, that seems like a decent price. A used HD28 will cost you another thousand!

So do I. Seems more in keeping with the spirit of the overall guitar design.

 

[Pike]

I prefer the herringbone!


Also, that seems like a decent price. A used HD28 will cost you another thousand!

I have owned both versions. The herringboned rosette was the better one. Neither was on par with my ‘98 D55…

 

[davismanLV]

I'm not surprised it didn't last long. Beautiful example of an amazing and understated guitar. That price is great for these days!!

 

[Guildplayer]

I guess I have one of the later pearloid DV52s. I bought it in either 1998 or 1999, new. I wanted a used Guild, and tried looking for one, but I wanted one with Rosewood back and sides. I'd give the serial number but it's currently in the shop for a partial refret.

I did have to take it in for a repair when the bridge began to separate a little but no problems like that since. The sound has opened up really well! It has a nice full tone with sustain. I feel the vibrations when I play it. The only thing I don't care for about it is the high gloss finish. As much as I've played it, the finish hasn't started wearing down to the wood. It looks cloudy now in some areas.

 

[wileypickett]

Sats: If you comb through old posts on LTG, you'll see that the DV52 is not under-appreciated here -- far from it! (Out in the real world, yes.) Several of us, including me, think the DV52 is one of the "best guitars for the money" Guild ever offered.

I've owned several of both the MOP and herringbone versions -- still have one of them. While I too prefer the look of the herringbone, I couldn't discern any appreciable difference in sound between the two versions. Which makes sense -- unless there was a difference in the internal build, and I've never heard anyone suggest that there was, the trim itself wouldn't have had any impact on the sound.

I'm not saying that there aren't differences in sound between the same exact models made in the same time period. I've played D25s and JF30s, models I'm very familiar with, that were not quite on par with the best versions of those models I've encountered. And a number of LTGers have reported encountering the odd "dud" Guild now and again.

Part of the reason for that may be that Guild guitars, for nearly the first half century of their existence, were made by hand, so there was bound to be some slight variances.

But another part of the difference may have to do with how much the guitar was played. In my experience the best sounding guitars are the ones that got played a lot. For that reason, I never turn up my nose at a guitar that has a lot of miles on it.

 

[Guildplayer]

Sats: If you comb through old posts on LTG, you'll see that the DV52 is not under-appreciated here -- far from it! (Out in the real world, yes.) Several of us, including me, think the DV52 is one of the "best guitars for the money" Guild ever offered.

I've owned several of both the MOP and herringbone versions -- still have one of them. While I too prefer the look of the herringbone, I couldn't discern any appreciable difference in sound between the two versions. Which makes sense -- unless there was a difference in the internal build, and I've never heard anyone suggest that there was, the trim itself wouldn't have had any impact on the sound.

I'm not saying that there aren't differences in sound between the same exact models made in the same time period. I've played D25s and JF30s, models I'm very familiar with, that were not quite on par with the best versions of those models I've encountered. And a number of LTGers have reported encountering the odd "dud" Guild now and again.

Part of the reason for that may be that Guild guitars, for nearly the first half century of their existence, were made by hand, so there was bound to be some slight variances.

But another part of the difference may have to do with how much the guitar was played. In my experience the best sounding guitars are the ones that got played a lot. For that reason, I never turn up my nose at a guitar that has a lot of miles on it.

I prefer the mojo that comes with a used guitar and really wanted a used Guild but I couldn't find one like I said. I spent a couple of hours in the music store I bought it from. I played a natural finish version but I kept staring at the Sunburst model. I played that for a few minutes and went with it. It's only gotten better over time. I began coveting a Collings some years ago, and while I love the sound and look of them, I don't play in a band or play out in order to keep my Guild in use. Setting it aside would be an awful shame.