My "Hoboken" D-35

[Norrissey]

Following @dreadnut 's lead. I thought I would post in praise of my humble D-35. Picked it up in San Diego via Craigslist about 6 months ago. It was a closet queen that needed new tuners and a new nut and saddle but had barely been played in 50 years. The gentle San Diego climate preserved it well. Now it has opened up nicely and is a wonderful sounding guitar with a neck that is an absolute pleasure to play. It has a Hoboken label, a Hoboken style truss rod cover, and the location of the Guild stamp in the sound hole and the sticker placement are both typical of 1960s Hoboken acoustic guitars but the date stamp is February 12, 1971 - I believe all Guild production was at Westerly by then - or was it? Correct me if I'm wrong. Pics attached.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Very nice D35! Bet it sounds great. That sure is a Hoboken sticker but 1971 would put it coming out of westerly. I know that is early ‘71, maybe they were still using Hoboken stickers in the early westerly years. While supplies lasted. Or maybe your D35 was one of the last to be built in Hoboken. Hans will know. Either way, what a great find.

 

[Bonneville88]

Westerly.

 

[donnylang]

That’s odd to see a Hoboken sticker in 1971 as far as I am aware. I’ve seen 1970 guitars with the non-Hoboken label, maybe even ‘69?

My ‘68 D35 was made in Westerly (Hoboken label) … I’m not sure any D35s were ever made in Hoboken actually. Maybe the very first ones earlier in 1968.

 

[donnylang]

That also has the older style truss rod cover.

Curious why you say it needed new tuners? I like the stock tuners, especially the look.

 

[dreadnut]

My buddy still has the 'burst D35 he bought new in 1976.

 

[Norrissey]

That also has the older style truss rod cover.

Curious why you say it needed new tuners? I like the stock tuners, especially the look.

I prefer the stock tuners too, but a couple of them were weirdly corroded and would not turn at all.
The guy I bought it from found the guitar in a dirty, dusty cardboard box at an estate sale - it apparently was not stored in a case - it's pretty fortunate the guitar survived in the condition it did.

It is curious how the Hoboken sticker and older truss rod cover found their way onto a 1971 guitar but I'm not too concerned about it - it's a great guitar either way.

 

[donnylang]

I prefer the stock tuners too, but a couple of them were weirdly corroded and would not turn at all.
The guy I bought it from found the guitar in a dirty, dusty cardboard box at an estate sale - it apparently was not stored in a case - it's pretty fortunate the guitar survived in the condition it did.

It is curious how the Hoboken sticker and older truss rod cover found their way onto a 1971 guitar but I'm not too concerned about it - it's a great guitar either way.

Well one thing you can be certain of w/ Guild in these days is that there are always exceptions. Could be as simple as someone found a pile of those stickers. Or they simply continued using them through '71, even though the newer label seems to have appeared around 1969-70. I don't think I've ever personally seen a 1971 guitar with the Hoboken label.

I did once see a very confusing (but legit looking) D44 online once that was clearly a guitar from around 1969 (including serial number dating to '69), but had what appeared to be an original post-1972 label. I emailed Hans about it, and he said it was "clearly a late ‘60s instrument that apparently went through ‘final assembly’ many years after the guitar was completed."

However in your case, everything looks about right for a circa 1970 D35. I do wonder if the ink looking like it was written with a marker (and a couple smudges there) rather than pen might indicate someone filled out the label after it was inside the guitar? Is the serial embossed in the back of the headstock too?

 

[Norrissey]

Well one thing you can be certain of w/ Guild in these days is that there are always exceptions. Could be as simple as someone found a pile of those stickers. Or they simply continued using them through '71, even though the newer label seems to have appeared around 1969-70. I don't think I've ever personally seen a 1971 guitar with the Hoboken label.

I did once see a very confusing (but legit looking) D44 online once that was clearly a guitar from around 1969 (including serial number dating to '69), but had what appeared to be an original post-1972 label. I emailed Hans about it, and he said it was "clearly a late ‘60s instrument that apparently went through ‘final assembly’ many years after the guitar was completed."

However in your case, everything looks about right for a circa 1970 D35. I do wonder if the ink looking like it was written with a marker (and a couple smudges there) rather than pen might indicate someone filled out the label after it was inside the guitar? Is the serial embossed in the back of the headstock too?

Yeah. The serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock and it's very clear. It will be interesting to see if Hans has any thoughts.

 

[valleyguy]

Sweet, always nice to resurrect a jem like that.

 

[GardMan]

My '71 pearwood D-44 was SN 53516, earlier than your D-35, with a top date of 27 Mar 1971. It had a newer-style label, used in Westerly, lacking the location. Hans confirmed that it was built in Westerly.

My '72 D-35 appears to have a top date of Jul 1971, but a 64XXX SN from early 1972 (I bought it new in Jan 1973).

 

[Norrissey]

My '71 pearwood D-44 was SN 53516, earlier than your D-35, with a top date of 27 Mar 1971. It had a newer-style label, used in Westerly, lacking the location. Hans confirmed that it was built in Westerly.

My '72 D-35 appears to have a top date of Jul 1971, but a 64XXX SN from early 1972 (I bought it new in Jan 1973).

That's interesting that your D-44 has a later top date than my D-35 (the date on the inside of the top of my guitar is Feb 12, 1971) but an earlier serial number. A mystery of the Hoboken-Westerly transition!

 

[Br1ck]

We should not lose track of the fact that these were once parts in a factory.The label could very well be put on by various people at different work stations with a use the old ones until they are gone, or a body sat before a neck was attached. Anyway, your D 35 is very much like my 70. It has a top I postulate was thrown on the "use for the cheaper model" pile. Yours is streaky, mine has bearclaw. These less than cosmetically perfect tops are often found on D 35s. I love the variation, but in the early 70s, I was there, straight grained perfection was a common myth of the times. Spruce was cheap and plentiful, and since they were competing for the I can't quite afford a Martin market segment, the cost savings enabled Guild to offer a viable alternative.

And yes, the necks are superb. I think you will find that this era continues to grow on you. Supremely balanced, they record perfectly. I'd still like the right D 18, but I'm not lacking in the hog/spruce department.

 

[GardMan]

That's interesting that your D-44 has a later top date than my D-35 (the date on the inside of the top of my guitar is Feb 12, 1971) but an earlier serial number. A mystery of the Hoboken-Westerly transition!

I think it has less to due with the Hoboken-Westerly transition, and more to do with how the Guild factory assembled components, completed, and numbered guitars, and the potential for disconnect between completion/dating of the top, rim, or back assemblies and the final completion and assignment of a serial number. I mentioned my D-35 as another example... it has a top completion stamp in July 1971, but the SN suggests final completion around Mar-Apr 1972 (~1/4 the way thru the SNs assigned in 1972), suggesting there might have been as many as 7-8 months between completion of the top and final completion of the guitar.

 

[donnylang]

Yep and I personally think that there are probably a number of guitars out there that are partially Hoboken and partially Westerly. I notice Hans usually says, "... completed in Westerly ..." when dating certain instruments.

 

[donnylang]

*Not that '71 would be Hoboken. Mainly referring the 1968-9 guitars.

 

[fronobulax]

That's interesting that your D-44 has a later top date than my D-35 (the date on the inside of the top of my guitar is Feb 12, 1971) but an earlier serial number. A mystery of the Hoboken-Westerly transition!

Not necessarily. Westerly serial numbers were not assigned at time of completion, so it is not unheard of for a serial number, the internal date and the feature sets to point to widely differing times.

 

[Heath]

It is curious how the Hoboken sticker and older truss rod cover found their way onto a 1971 guitar but I'm not too concerned about it - it's a great guitar either way.

My ‘71 D50 has the older style TRC. Not a Hoboken label though.