First Guild! Lots of questions

[JLo618]

Just bought my first guild after a couple of years of searching! Ended up with a 1980 D25 in antique burst. The sale included the original case and owners manual/ promo materials. It’s an absolutely amazing guitar! Hoping it lasts a lifetime… I have a few questions though:
1.) The oval serial number sticker was included but has fallen off. It has lining from the case on the back of it. Can/ should I try to reglue it? If so what kind of glue should I use?
2.) I need to put a pickup in this guitar. I’m considering the LR baggs anthem. Any recommendations? Will adding something semi-permanent like this hurt the value/ integrity of the guitar? There is a white plastic strap hook id need to remove to insert an input Jack. I assume I’d also need to widen that hole a bit.
3.) The serial number on this guitar is DA104642. My research here and elsewhere leads me to believe this is a spruce and hog. Is that correct? It has a curved back. Manufacture date on the inside is October 3, 1980.
4.) Does anyone else have an owners manual or are those pretty rare? It was pretty cool to flip through the 20 or so pages. They even wrote the serial number of my guitar inside the book. Pretty cool.

thanks for any help!
My new Guild!

 

[Aarfy]

What a burst! Welcome and congratulations!

I’ll let those more knowledgeable help out (no doubt soon) - but stick around - lots of good folks here

is the serial # stamped on the back of the headstock too?

mid so, as I believe it should be, I’d just keep the sticker safe and not try to reglue

just me…

aarf

 

[JLo618]

What a burst! Welcome and congratulations!

I’ll let those more knowledgeable help out (no doubt soon) - but stick around - lots of good folks here

is the serial # stamped on the back of the headstock too?

mid so, as I believe it should be, I’d just keep the sticker safe and not try to reglue

just me…

aarf

Thanks! Serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock. My gut says to leave the sticker unglued as well, but we’ll see what happens!

 

[Heath]

I’d keep the sticker in the case and not re-glue it. I believe they change from all mahogany to mahogany with a spruce top around 1974.

 

[Stuball48]

Welcome and you got a fine guitar. Lots of love for D25s on this forum.

 

[SFIV1967]

Welcome to LTG!

From the 1981 catalog and March 1981 price list:





Ralf

 

[Stratboy]

Good choice, D25's are great guitars

 

[mavuser]

put the label in a ziplock bag and keep it in the case.

the owners manual is not super rare but it's nice when u have the original case, manual, etc...we don't see those everyday. some of us, myself included, have the manual with a different guitar's serial number and model number written in it, than the guitar is came with...Pepsi Friday??

adding a pickup will not hurt the value of the Guild. as long as it is done professionally/correctly...lots of opinions here on which pickup...depends a lot on your own needs and likes/dislikes. I would recommend a *passive soundhole pickup (Baggs,Fishman, Duncan, Markley...) with a nice *external preamp (I have the Baggs Para), personally...since u asked...(then u can use the preamp with any guitar and any acoustic pickup...)

congrats and enjoy! is this your first post? welcome!

 

[JLo618]

Welcome to LTG!

From the 1981 catalog and March 1981 price list:





Ralf

Welcome to LTG!

From the 1981 catalog and March 1981 price list:





Ralf

Amazing! Thanks for sharing!

 

[JLo618]

put the label in a ziplock bag and keep it in the case.

the owners manual is not super rare but it's nice when u have the original case, manual, etc...we don't see those everyday. some of us, myself included, have the manual with a different guitar's serial number and model number written in it, than the guitar is came with...Pepsi Friday??

adding a pickup will not hurt the value of the Guild. as long as it is done professionally/correctly...lots of opinions here on which pickup...depends a lot on your own needs and likes/dislikes. I would recommend a *passive soundhole pickup (Baggs,Fishman, Duncan, Markley...) with a nice *external preamp (I have the Baggs Para), personally...since u asked...(then u can use the preamp with any guitar and any acoustic pickup...)

congrats and enjoy! is this your first post? welcome!

First post! Good insights! My gut was leaning toward storing the label for now. I’ll take a look at the baggs. Thanks again!

 

[AcornHouse]

Welcome to the camp! I think we all know why we’re here.
I would look into a K&K mini. Very uninvasive, only requires enlarging the end hole for the jack, and a very natural sound.
As far as the label, not only shouldn’t you try to glue it back, you won’t be able to without it getting very messy. Now that the fuzzies have gotten on the old glue surface, it’ll be hard to get a good bond without making a mess or possibly damaging the label trying to get them off.
It happens, Guild’s labels do fall off now and then. Just keep it protected in the case with guitar.

 

[HeyMikey]

Welcome and congratulations JLo !
That is a great burst. I had an F112 from the same period with a similar dark burst that was referred to as Tobacco Burst. Can you show a pic of the label?

 

[Rayk]

Congrats nice looking guitar and welcome

 

[GGJaguar]

Welcome to LTG and congrats on the beautiful burst D-25!

 

[Andrew79]

Welcome to LTG JLo618, others here have answered your questions with more authority than I but I also have a D-25M from 1981. It's a fabulous guitar, congratulations . Mine also came with it's original case and booklet (normally a sign it's been at least half cared for). Stick around on the forum - it's a great place to absorb info about Guilds (and much more besides) from very knowledgeable and supportive enablers - I mean people!

 

[Andrew79]

And I LOVE yours in a burst finish. Congratulations again. Great find.

 

[chazmo]

Congrats on your D-25 and welcome aboard, JLo618. Very nice looking axe!

There are lots of pickups to choose from, but yes most/all will need you to enlarge the hole to install the endpin jack. The K&K Pure system ( https://kksound.com/products/purepickup.php ) is very popular passive system. K&K also offers the Trinity system (blended) with microphonics that looks really interesting ( https://kksound.com/products/trinitypro.php ) -- I think you can do this without a battery on board.

The LR Baggs Anthem looks like a nice blended system if you want to go active with batt. onboard. Guild in New Hartford a few years back was using a blended system that was originally called the D-TAR multisource, but is now offered by Seymour Duncan ( https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/wavelength-duo ) for their higher-end pickup. I heard this system and it blew my socks off, but it utilizes an under-saddle transducer which I wouldn't recommend for retrofit (I don't like to put more holes my my guitars.

Best of luck with your choices, JLo618.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

Howdy!

 

[walrus]

JLo? Here on LTG? Oh my, welcome!

walrus

 

[JLo618]

Welcome and congratulations JLo !
That is a great burst. I had an F112 from the same period with a similar dark burst that was referred to as Tobacco Burst. Can you show a pic of the label?

Here’s the back end… pretty gnarly.