Ah, just joined the forum, glad to see this thread.
I am having some warranty issues with my basic player (a Martin that I dearly love) and was occasionally entertaining the thought of an "inexpensive" good, solid player guitar. I used to have a Martin D-15 that I'd sold to finance the D-28 I'd eventually pick up. I did like that guitar. I played a few at local shops and none of them caught my attention.
I happened to find a shop with the Guild line and played a few, the D-40 (Havens) and complained because they would not sell it for below MAP (don't blame them, but I was testing to see how good it might get!) The sales guy suggested I try this "other" Guild, the DV-4, that he said was similar but without the frills. I played it and was surprised. To my ears, it was louder and a bit more balanced than the D-40 (could be strings, could be my playing, but subjectively, I liked that individual DV-4 better than that individual D-40). He quoted me, you guessed it, MAP, still a bargain in my opinion, a very D-15 sort of price, low end good basic guitar.
I wandered the internet and found an auction for a DV-4. I bid the minimum bid (was about half retail!) and was sold bidder - where was everyone? :lol: I should have the DV-4 here in California by late next week. I sure hope it sounds about as good as the one downtown, it was a sweetie.
I was very impressed by what Guild in Tacoma did with this guitar. Scalloped bracing, all solid woods, bone parts, really clean, articulated sound. This mahogany model probably didn't have a piano inside it (but I understand what you're talking about!) ... but it was just wonderful. Very much like a Martin D-18 if you like that sound, and also very much like a Guild D-40, the nice full, warm, round mahogany sound. It was not at all like a Gibson 50 series of mahogany, they must brace their basic mahogany guitars differently. The Guild was "fuller" to my ears (though I do also like the Gibson sound, it has less midrange or something.)
Wish me luck. I'll come back and tell you about my DV-4 when it arrives.
Clark