Gold or Chrome?

[dapmdave]

Hello, all.

I'm new here, and boy, you guys know your stuff.

I just picked up an '87 D-30 bld. It's dirty, needs a few new frets and a bit of general TLC, but should be a nice player. It happened along at the right time and the right price. I'd been trolling for another Guild for a while, having sold a much-loved favorite '76 D-40 many years ago.

It has chrome Grovers on it, and they look a little "off" somehow. All of the pictures I've seen (not many) show gold hardware. The chrome looks OK, but that gold sure looks nice with all that blond flamed maple.

Were these produced with the chrome Grovers? I would swap them for some new or slightly used gold ones, to keep it real. Someone on here may even have a set.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Graham]

Hey Dave, welcome to LTG.

You bet we know our stuff, and if we don't we'll make it up.

I do believe the D30 came with gold grovers.

Stew-Mac has them at a reasonable price, IMO. I had them on my DV52, but they were rather worn so I put on a set of the Super-rotos, gives it a nice higher end look.

 

[dapmdave]

Thanks, Graham.
Dave

 

[hansmoust]

I just picked up an '87 D-30 bld. It has chrome Grovers on it, and they look a little "off" somehow. All of the pictures I've seen (not many) show gold hardware. The chrome looks OK, but that gold sure looks nice with all that blond flamed maple.

Were these produced with the chrome Grovers? Thanks for your help.

Hello dapmdave,

Welcome!
Chrome tuners on a '87 Guild D-30 would be correct. The change to 'gold' took place a couple of years after that.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Graham]

See, what I said. :lol:

Thanks Hans, you passed another test. :mrgreen:

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Dave, welcome to LTG, and congrats on your D-30! CJ

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome, dapmdave. Post often and don't forget the guitar pr0n, er.... PICTURES 8)

 

[chazmo]

Welcome aboard, Dave.

 

[dapmdave]

Thank you all for your help. I'll guess I'll hang with the chrome and save fifty bucks.

Right now, I'm just trying to rid the guitar and case of that old "bar" smell. You know the one - years and years of beers and cigarettes.

I'll send up a few pics when the guitar is clean and respectable again. Too late now for a true "before" picture, though.

And Hans, I enjoyed your web site. If I had a catalog, I'd have known this, right?

Dave

 

[hansmoust]

If I had a catalog, I'd have known this, right?

Dave

Hello Dave,

Not necessarily! Catalogs are not always the best source for an instrument's specs!
You would think they would but .............

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Jeff]

Hello, all.

..........

I just picked up an '87 D-30 bld. It's dirty, needs a few new frets and a bit of general TLC, but should be a nice player. ........

It has chrome Grovers on it, and they look a little "off" somehow. ........ The chrome looks OK, but that gold sure looks nice with all that blond flamed maple.

Were these produced with the chrome Grovers? I would swap them for some new or slightly used gold ones, to keep it real. Someone on here may even have a set.

Thanks for your help.

My G37 has chrome tuners as well, . . never thought to ask if these particular tuners were ever available in gold. personally I think this particular guitar would look richer with Gold.

 

[chazmo]

Jeff, those are interesting tuners on your G37... Do you know what brand they were/are?

Oh, and Dave, there's nothing to stop you for substituting gold for nickel/chrome... Whatever floats your boat, man.

 

[GardMan]

Welcome aboard, from one Dave to another...

 

[Jeff]

Jeff, those are interesting tuners on your G37... Do you know what brand they were/are?

........

Hans told me what brand they are, it's been some time & I disremember.

My G37 is pretty darn heavy & I suspect these tuners are part of the reason.

 

[RussD]

Welcome aboard, Dave. Since we're not talking pre-war Martins, but an honest working-man's guitar, Jeff is right; it'd look great with gold tuners.

Hans is always right. (He wrote the bible.)
Graham, not so much, but he's good for a laugh and a song. :lol:
Jeff was around when they wrote The Bible, but he still plays purty.

 

[kitniyatran]

For what it's worth, I prefer the look of Chrome on instruments over Gold. Gold just seems too gaudy to me(then again, same goes for "bling" in general). Then again, some nice Ebony buttons... :wink:

 

[AlohaJoe]

I replaced the chrome Grover buttons (only) with ebony on an X-150bl and I think they looks nice on it. Neck is a bit lighter but not much. I think a pearl look is available too.

 

[coastie99]

Not a "blingy" kinda guy, but I do believe that gold tuners can add a little oomph to the aesthetic of some guitars, especially those with "natural" headstock and gold peaked logo.

The infamous F4CE.

 

[chazmo]

My '71's original Grover Rotos were pitted and barely gold anymore... Fortunately modern Grovers are just like the old ones!

I think it was worth giving the old girl some new jewelry:

 

[AlohaJoe]

And the gold looks great with the reddish finish Coastie... very classy!