Flatback vs archback D25 ?

[Br1ck]

I've paid more than the going rate more than once and never regretted buying a guitar I really liked. I buy so few guitars it does not matter to me. It's like drinking $80 a bottle scotch, you can afford to if a bottle lasts you two months. A flatback D 25 certainly has rarity going for it. Another reason to overpay is I don't buy a guitar to sell. If that thought enters my head, I don't like the guitar enough and move on. I've sold two guitars in forty odd years. Both to the same friend. One I had for 25 years, but was better at fingerstyle that I used to play. I sold the other to pay for that one.

Discrimination on the buying end is the key. I know, I'm no fun.

 

[dreadnut]

Get the archback with the spruce top.

 

[bruno]

While no one likes to feel they're overpaying for something, there are guitars that I turned down because the seller was asking 50 or 100 bucks more than I wanted to pay at the time. A year later, and not having come across the same models again, or not in as good condition, I wish I'd swallowed my pride and ponied up when I'd had the chance.

Two years later the price I'd turned down was the basic asking price for those same models in so-so condition.

You are a wise man ! I know that in the end, five years later it won't matter if I overpaid by 200$.

 

[Br1ck]

Before I paid for my 65 Texan, I thought it was too much. Once I paid, I never thought of it, unless a thread like this comes up, and then only to muse on my good judgement.

Several months after I bought my Texan, there was a 68 in the same store, $500 cheaper. That guitar was not worth it. There was a reason my Texan was $200-500 more than the same vintage J 45s hanging on the wall. I'd never ever buy a 60s Gibson product without plating it.

 

[chazmo]

Honestly, it's an interesting phenomenon that folks rarely regret paying "too much" for something that brings them joy. I have ALWAYS been a firm supporter of buying instruments that are beyond my own ability because, well, they inspire. And, there are a few possessions that I have overspent on, but never regretted, for essentially the same reason.

 

[davismanLV]

And just for the sake of completeness, know that the two years Guild was in Corona, CA, the D25 was again built as a flat backed, all-mahogany guitar! They came in SIX fun colors, too. So if you want a flat-backed, and something newer, consider a Corona D25!



I know this photo only shows 5 colors, but the "Brown Burst" is not pictured. But it was available.

 

[bruno]

I notice the Corona ones were finished in acrylic lacquer, were the old ones finished with nitro? I wonder why they went with that "satin lacquer" instead of a more traditional finish

 

[davismanLV]

I'm going to assume that non-lacquer finishes are more consistent over time. Nitro tends to yellow with time and on some woods that's fine. But on the Honey Blonde, Seafoam Green, and the Sapphire Blue Transparent that's going to change the color significantly. It's why poly finish is good on specific colors as they will remain as they intended. If you put Nitro on a blue guitar, over time and with UV exposure, it'll yellow and you'll end up with green. I think that is probably why.

 

[chazmo]

^ I'm guessing that Tom is right about that, bruno. If you look at older Guilds that were supposed to be blue or some such, what you see today is some shade of green. But it is a relevant difference (not that anyone's knocking the tone on those Corona instruments).

 

[bruno]

I'm going to assume that non-lacquer finishes are more consistent over time. Nitro tends to yellow with time and on some woods that's fine. But on the Honey Blonde, Seafoam Green, and the Sapphire Blue Transparent that's going to change the color significantly. It's why poly finish is good on specific colors as they will remain as they intended. If you put Nitro on a blue guitar, over time and with UV exposure, it'll yellow and you'll end up with green. I think that is probably why.

This absolutely makes sense !

 

[bruno]

So, after listening to a lot of all mahogany vs spruce top guitars, I think I'll pass on the 1972 mahogany flatback.

To my ear, the Guild spruce tops sound way richer while the all mahogany sound muffled to me. I'll post a few clips of a few guitars I love the sounds (the 3 first ones) and lastly a D25 vs D35 comparison where I find the flatback all mahogany sound muffled.

Can you confirm me that in real life it translate the same way? If I want to try the guitar, I have to rent a car and drive 1 hour, that's why I don't want to go there just to "try" it if I already have doubt.... Thx !

The spruce tops:
1968 D35:


1974 D25M:


1964 D40:


All hog D25 vs D35 comparison:

 

[geoguy]

I would describe the mahogany-topped version as more woody & warm.

Don't know if you realize this, but the fourth video features an LTGer: westerly wood

 

[Bonneville88]

I've owned various D25s, my impression of the early 70's all-hog flat-back and all-hog arch-back variant which briefly followed it is that they were noticeably sonically understated compared to any of the arch-back spruce top models - with the notable exception of
the Corona-era all-hog flat back models, of which I've owned five (was attempting for a time to re-create the
ad Tom posted earlier!) and all were exceptional guitars with plenty of boom, not at all like the early 70's flat-backs,
perhaps closer in feel and character to the recent D20, but better, as I found a D20 I tried much too bright sounding.

The only disappointment I found in the Corona-era flat-back D25s was the finish, which is satin and tends to have
a noticeable orange-peel texture to it - IMO just doesn't look great, almost like a not-quite-sorted refinish.
2nd photo below are of a Corona D25 on the left and a Corona D40 on the right. Every Corona D25 I owned had
these finish characteristics, so at least they were reasonably consistent in application.

 

[bruno]

Don't know if you realize this, but the fourth video features an LTGer: westerly wood

Oh no, I didn't realized. I'm still a newbie here !

 

[bruno]

Also, in the second clip I posted (1974 D25), I assumed it was a spruce top, but could it be a mahogany top with arched back?

 

[geoguy]

It appears as the 2nd clip to me, but the 1974 D25M should be spruce-topped with a dark-colored ("mahogany") lacquer.

 

[Br1ck]

I think 73 was the end of the hog top, though there was a small transition period. It was in a recent post. I can tell you that 68 D 35 is pretty much what I hear from my 70. The D 40 sounds pretty good too.