Guild D25 - just received

[sitka_spruce]

What, are you some bloody psychic?! :twisted:

I knew you would say that. :shock:

So you're one as well, eh?! :twisted: :lol:

 

[brian f]

This thread has taken a bit of a turn, and I'm not necessarily trying to get it back on course, but all this D25 talk has gotten me riled up. Wasn't there some talk not long ago about a D25 fan page or something? Did I dream that?? Does it exist or was it a seedling in someone's Guild obsessed brain?

Nice guitar Travis. I installed a JLD Bridge Doctor on my '78 D25-CH to fend off that bridge lifting that Graham mentioned, and I think it sounds a tad bit better now. Have fun with it.

 

[JerryR]

Welcome, Travis, and congrats on the D-25.

Does it have a flat back or a bowed back? If it has a flat back it's likely a mahogany top, if it's a bowed back it's likely a spruce top. I believe this was right during the transition. Hans says there are some bowed (laminated) back D-25's with mahogany tops, I'd love to play one of those!

My buddy Frank (usually plays a Martin, sometimes a resonator, and a brilliant blues guitarist, but I forgive him) has an archback D25 which I have played - and I'm pretty sure it was a mahogany top - dark red wood like the sides. I preferred my D35, but maybe my strings were newer :roll:

 

[travisfling]

Hello gentleman!

It is a bowed back, so I assume that means the spruce top. Hard tellin', but it's all that sweet, sweet wine colored stain, like the pichers up further in the thread. Dang.. Every time I play that guitar I love it. Seems like the action is super-low and easy to play, I would hate to think that's from the bridge lifting (?) doesn't seem to make sense when I think it through... seems like that would make the action higher... I guess I'll have to take it to a luthier and have him check it out.

Unfortunately, it sat in a closet since probably... 92? so I'm a little dubious as to the humidity in there being perfect, but who knows... it's a beautiful guitar and plays wonderfully. I can't believe how much better I like the sound than my Taylor.... It just sounds so rich and warm and full... I'm in LOOOOOVE!!!

Been a long time since I felt that way...

 

[capnjuan]

Sometimes you need a Willys for your Porter.

Now that is a vintage one - but does it beat a Humvee? Hardly.
8)

Hi Jonas: I owned a 1955 Jeep pickup like the one in the pic and my wife works for the local Hummer dealer. I've had the pleasure of driving the truck in the pic and the H1/H2/H3 Hummers and, given the choice, I'd take the Willys! YMMV Cheers! cj

 

[Graham]

Seems like the action is super-low and easy to play, I would hate to think that's from the bridge lifting (?) doesn't seem to make sense when I think it through... seems like that would make the action higher... I guess I'll have to take it to a luthier and have him check it out.

Just look st the bridge Travis and see if there is a gap between it and the top. If you can slide a piece of paper in there then it should probably be reglued, but it's really no biggie for a repair shop.

I think Jeff has some pictures of what to look for, don't sweat it though.

 

[Mingus]

This thread has taken a bit of a turn, and I'm not necessarily trying to get it back on course, but all this D25 talk has gotten me riled up. Wasn't there some talk not long ago about a D25 fan page or something? Did I dream that?? Does it exist or was it a seedling in someone's Guild obsessed brain?

yeah. . .that was my suggestion. i'd love to host it if we had some ideas of what to do with it!!

 

[dreadnut]

Maybe Coastie could make us a bumper sticker:

"I'll give up my Guild D-25 when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

 

[Graham]

Maybe Coastie could make us a bumper sticker:

"I'll give up my Guild D-25 when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

Great idea Dred. Case sticker for sure. I'll buy a few.

 

[fungusyoung]

Maybe Coastie could make us a bumper sticker:

"I'll give up my Guild D-25 when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

LOVE IT! I'd buy one. Then again, it could just say "I'll give up my Guilds when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

 

[Graham]

LOVE IT! I'd buy one. Then again, it could just say "I'll give up my Guilds when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

That might be better for most.

 

[chazmo]

Next year's LTG poster in the works!!!!

 

[dreadnut]

Of course, I borrowed the phrase from the gun owners...

 

[Scratch]

LOVE IT! I'd buy one. Then again, it could just say "I'll give up my Guilds when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

That might be better for most.

Or in Sitka's case: "I'll give up my Guilds when they pry my cold, dead fingers off my willy!"

 

[GardMan]

It is a bowed back, so I assume that means the spruce top. Hard tellin', but it's all that sweet, sweet wine colored stain, like the pichers up further in the thread.

Apparently, during the transition from all mahogany flat-backed D-25s to spruce-topped arched back D-25s in the early 70s, there were some mahogany-topped arched back D-25s made. Don't know how many (Hans might know)... I have seen several (3-5) on eBay or on-line shops in 2 years of watching. As I recall, all have been from '73. All the '72s (and earlier) I recall seeing have been all 'hog flat-backed, while the '74s (and later) I recall (including mine) were spruce-topped arched back. '73s have been a mix. There was one mid-'70s "spruce-topped flat back D-25" on eBay more than a year ago that turned out to be a D-35 in disguise... it clearly had D-35 stamped inside on the neck block. Hans suggested that its spruce top got stained like a D-25 by mistake and it got mixed in with the D-25s, so the soundhole label was written as a D-25 (even tho the neck block said D-35).

It's easy to tell what the top is made of... just use a mirror and flashlight to look at the top thru the soundhole... it should be obvious if its mahogany or spruce by the color (you can usually tell by the grain pattern of the top, as well... the mahogany has much more stripey pattern that the stainied spruce tops). On my spruce top, the light spruce of the top clearly shows thru the worn spots around the soundhole.

What I can't quite figure is the cherry (CH) vs. mahogany (M) stain... perhaps it's just the pics, and side by side in person it would be obvious, but I can't see much difference between my D-25M and others pics of D-25CHs. Here's my '74 D-25M:

 

[Graham]

What I can't quite figure is the cherry (CH) vs. mahogany (M) stain... perhaps it's just the pics, and side by side in person it would be obvious, but I can't see much difference between my D-25M and others pics of D-25CHs. Here's my '74 D-25M:

It's definitely a lighting thing Dave. Your looks brown to me and the second pic of mine looks brown, but the guitar is most definitely red, can been partially seen in the first one of mine.

 

[mole2]

Hey Travis...welcome aboard. Here's my baby below. She's a '78 D25CH. She was on the road with me till 1984 and then spent 22 years under my bed uplayed. I broke her out about two years ago and started playing again. I'm the original owner.

 

[sitka_spruce]

LOVE IT! I'd buy one. Then again, it could just say "I'll give up my Guilds when they pry my cold, dead fingers off the frets!"

That might be better for most.

Or in Sitka's case: "I'll give up my Guilds when they pry my cold, dead fingers off my willy!"

Why turn ones flat or arched back on a good friend? :lol: Maybe should be the other way around "When they pry my Willie off my cold, dead hands"