I'll get some closeups of the bridge. I was hoping someone would know what the specs should be, and I could order one to the right size. I've never trimmed a bridge, but it shouldn't be too hard to sand it, fit it, test, etc. Trying to figure out how to recreate a fully-conpensated saddle seems to be beyond my patience and skill. If I have to buy a radiused blank, and it looks like that is going to be the plan, I'll wing it.
Hi Sperry, welcome aboard!
Couple of preliminary observations:
A D4 is basically a D25 less the headstock faceplate with a pearloid logo, and a couple of other minor cosmetic details depending on year of make. D25's and D4's even share serial number sequence from '95 forward. Fender bought Guild in '95 and there's a group here that believes that the "Fender Westerly" period ('96-'01) was a high point for them QC- wise, based on input from a member who used to work in Westerly (
and the quality of our instruments).
You can see a date on the heelblock bevel of the guitar, you have to hold it just right to see it through the soundhole, but it should be there. That's the date the "superstructure" (guitar body less hardware) was completed and there's generally a lag of a fcouple of weeks to a couple of months (depending on the model) until it's actually completed and had the s/n stamped into the headstock and goes to finishing. THAT step sets the "official" year of manufacture. For those guitars at that time, I suspect it was less than a month before it got finished.
I have a '96 or '7 D25 myself.
It's stamped "Oct 31 96" on the heelblock and I bought it new in March of '97, not sure how long it was in the store, but it was a display/demo piece for at least 3 weeks before I got it. Gives you an idea that it was probably less than 90 days from date stamp to "shipped out"
I do not want to trim the plastic bridge on the guitar. In case it gets lowered and the strings start buzzing. So I'm going to buy a few once I get the right size figured out.
Lowring the saddle's really no big deal, but understand that Guild kept a stock of bridges of varying heights to match to the neck angle once the neck was set.
Target spec was for a
combined height of bridge and saddle of about 1/2" plus or minus maybe up to a 16th".
That 1/2" height is pretty commonly accepted as being optimal for string energy transfer into the soundboard.
SO, taking a straightedge and laying it on top of the frets along the neck (long enough to extend back over the 12th fret at least for accurate measure), extend it to the bridge and ideally it will meet the top of the bridge. If it does that your bridge height and neck angle are good, and that's where you need to start to get the best possible set-up.
MY D25, all original, has a bridge height of 5/16" at the top of its arch and a saddle height 5/32" for combined height of 15/32"; just 1/32 under that 1/2" ideal. The saddle height at just over 1/8" inch is consdered ideal for gtting a good string "break angle", this enhances energy transfer to the top.
Ok, once you know bridge/saddle are "within tolerance", you can check action height at 12th fret: Guild spec'd 5.5-6/64" under bass E and 4.5-5/64" under treble.
All of mine came out of the box that way and it's perfect for me with my fairly percussive and heavy handed style.
Should also note that all late Westerly Guild dreads were shipped with LIGHT gauge strings, .012-.053, and several of us believe mediums won't improve volume on those guitars as they put too much tension "preload" into the the tops, inhibiting vibration.
So, if you want to lower action at the 12th fret, you must remove twice as much material from the saddle as you wish to lower the action by. If you want to lower by 1/32", you need to lower the saddle by 1/16".
A final note is that the saddle profile is curved to match the fretboard radius, 12" for Guild at that time, so be careful if you're modifying the top of the saddle.
RE: bone saddle/nut/pins:
In my recollection it's virtually unanimous opionion around here that bone saddle will give the most improvement in tone/volume, followed by a bone nut (enhances open strings only, but that's good for my technique, so I got 'em both), and very few people claim to be able to hear an improvement with upgraded pins even if they do like the aesthetics.
On the pins, I did use the search but nothing concrete came up, except for a member that stated that his Guilds have used, to date, FOUR DIFFERENT PIN SIZES. Crikey!
. Right, we do know search can be bit rough.
I think that was Dapmdave or Gardman, right, and to put it in perspective, his selection spans like 20 years, right? (with humor, not scolding)
It might ease your search for pins if you looked for D25 pins since that model was w--a-a-y more commonly produced.
However, if the resonance will improve with a tighter pin set, I'd consider making the investment in a reamer and getting a set of larger pins. The guitar already sounds pretty darn sweet, though.
Some of us think that wrapping some sandpaper around slightly oversize pins and gradually adjusting 'em down is a little safer for the bridge, if nothing else. :wink:
Good luck!