My Guild Birthdate

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I have a Guild D-35 accustic that I puchased new in 1979.
I am trying to find the "exact year" it was "actually made".
The guitar has a serial # 197338 embossed on the back of the head.
I have contacted Guild directly and they were not able to give me any info on this model since, as they told me, it is classified as a vintage build.
They did direct me to this web site.
Any suggestions? Thanks, Dennis
 

F312

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I have a Guild D-35 accustic that I puchased new in 1979.
I am trying to find the "exact year" it was "actually made".
The guitar has a serial # 197338 embossed on the back of the head.
I have contacted Guild directly and they were not able to give me any info on this model since, as they told me, it is classified as a vintage build.
They did direct me to this web site.
Any suggestions? Thanks, Dennis

Yeah, it's to bad they didn't know about this website when they started making Guild guitars.

Ralph
 

Westerly Wood

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well, according to this website it is a 1979, and most likely made in the spring of that year.


but Hans will know for sure...
 

sailingshoes72

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It is possible that a date of manufacture is stamped on the inside of the guitar. This is true of my 1981 D-25 NT. Look inside the soundhole toward the neck and see if there is a number stamped on the neck block, usually on the bevel on the right hand side. There may also be a number stamped on one of the flat braces that form a triangle around the soundhole. You need an inspection mirror to see this one.
 

gjmalcyon

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I see a first post - welcome! Stick around, nice bunch of folks around here.

The date stamped on the neck block bevel represents the date the guitar's rim was completed. Here's a discussion about that. In particular see the post from our resident Guild expert, Mr. Hans Moust:

 

Rambozo96

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Seems to me the neck block stamps are kinda at random. My 86’ D-25 and 74’ D-35 lack these stamps. It’s possible there is a stamp elsewhere. I think I heard they sometimes stamped on a piece of wood within close proximity of the X brace. Unfortunately the 74’ has no such stamp. Too lazy to check my D-25 as I don’t own a spot mirror. My 92’ D-4 has a neck block stamp but I recall Hans telling me these stamps weren’t necessarily a birth date or date of completion. I don’t know at what point the neck block receives a stamp. Perhaps Hans knows.
 

Andrew79

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I have a Guild D-35 accustic that I puchased new in 1979.
I am trying to find the "exact year" it was "actually made".
The guitar has a serial # 197338 embossed on the back of the head.
I have contacted Guild directly and they were not able to give me any info on this model since, as they told me, it is classified as a vintage build.
They did direct me to this web site.
Any suggestions? Thanks, Dennis
Hi Dennis,
According to: http://support.guildguitars.com/downloads/datingyourguild.pdf
It was made in 1979
Welcome to LTG!
 

adorshki

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Seems to me the neck block stamps are kinda at random. My 86’ D-25 and 74’ D-35 lack these stamps. It’s possible there is a stamp elsewhere. I think I heard they sometimes stamped on a piece of wood within close proximity of the X brace. Unfortunately the 74’ has no such stamp. Too lazy to check my D-25 as I don’t own a spot mirror. My 92’ D-4 has a neck block stamp but I recall Hans telling me these stamps weren’t necessarily a birth date or date of completion. I don’t know at what point the neck block receives a stamp. Perhaps Hans knows.
Not sure when they actually started, but neck block stamps were consistent from at least '92 through 2000 (they stopped in '01), but now I expect '70's &'80's era instruments to be stamped on a top brace (or even top itself) rather than the neck block.

Neckblock got stamped when rim was completed as explained in the link GJMalcyon posted. I myself seem to continue to confuse "completion of the rim" with "completion of superstructure" which happened a bit later.
 

adorshki

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I see a first post - welcome! Stick around, nice bunch of folks around here.

The date stamped on the neck block bevel represents the date the guitar's rim was completed. Here's a discussion about that. In particular see the post from our resident Guild expert, Mr. Hans Moust:

Thx GJ, was finally able to bookmark that post again...lost the bookmarks I had on my work 'puter and haven't fully rebuilt "the list" yet.
 
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