Help with dating D40?

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Greetings!

Can anyone help me date this D40NT? It was my wife's great uncle's, who was a troubadour-lefty-Catholic-Priests. From the pictures, he played/loved it relentlessly for decades. I have a Guild Bass (B-240E) which I like a lot, but this will be my first 6-string Guild. Arrives via UPS tomorrow.😛

I don't know when it was made and this "Dating your Guild" guide doesn't seem to provide an answer. Looks to be AFTER 69, but...


Thanks in advance. Pleased to discover this community!

Cheers, Eric

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SFIV1967

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Welcome to LTG! Your D-40 NT (Natural Top) was made in year 1970.
Guild used this serial number system with the two letter prefix well into 1970 and only towards the end of 1970 the serial number system was changed to the former system with numbers again.

Ralf
 

GardMan

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A 1970 date also likely means this D-40 was made in Westerly RI, not Hoboken NJ... Guild continued to use the Hobken labales after they moved the factory to Westerly.

(now watch me get corrected by Hans!)
 

Br1ck

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You won't be corrected, you are right. Hans told me the Hoboken lable story when he dated my D 35. Surely Westerly built.
 

adorshki

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A 1970 date also likely means this D-40 was made in Westerly RI, not Hoboken NJ... Guild continued to use the Hobken labales after they moved the factory to Westerly.

(now watch me get corrected by Hans!)
Hoboken was already closed (for production at least) by 1970. ;)
 

Br1ck

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I doubt anyone at Guild thought the label would be viewed as important fifty years down the road.
 
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sorry for the radio silence. life.

Good news tho! she's back from the shop :). needed broken and loose top braces reglued, 4 new frets (uncle clearly played only open chords, see pics) and overall fret dressing, bridge shaved (to account for the rotating/higher saddle). result? she definitely shows her age but can still SING! My other 6 string acoustics are a Martin D35 and a Yamaha F420CE. I love them both, and the D40's narrow nut will take some getting used to, but there's a quality to the Guild's tone, especially in the bass and open positions, that I'm quickly falling in love with ;-).
 

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Br1ck

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70 is a year dear to my heart, and an era where Guilds were still lightly built, but don't cost the premium at least I would pay for a Hoboken. Of course, they all likely need some work as you have seen. Enjoy your guitar's uniqueness.
 
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I like the “lightness”. Less energy for tone than the Martin or Yamaha (both also dress). Plays and sounds more like a 70s era concert body Yairi I’ve played.
 

7GuildsandanSG

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What a beautiful, heavily played but cared for look this guitar has. Someone got a lot of good use and loved this thing!
 

Br1ck

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I just noticed the Guild logo you can hardly read. Mine too. And that serious thumb spot on the neck. Beautiful honest playwear.
 
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