Played a SWEET Westerly D-55 Today...

[6L6]

Went by Gryphon today and played this SWEET '79 D-55:

http://www.gryphonstrings.com/instpix/30618/30618.html

This baby has been well cared for. Looks/sounds/ plays just about perfectly. I also played it with a capo at different spots up to the 7th fret and it sounded wonderful.

It does feel heavy compared to other acoustic guitars, but as we all know here in Guildland, that extra weight only means greater strength and has no detrimental affect on tone or sustain.

If I didn't already have a D-55 I love, I would have grabbed this one for sure. And NOPE, I don't work for Gryphon or have any affiliation with them whatsoever.

6

'06 D-55
'06 D-40BJ
'06 F-412
'74 D-40

 

[FNG]

Sure seems like a pretty good price....

 

[tjmangum]

I played it on Saturday and thought it was great. If I didn't have so many recent purchases (and something special in my sights) I would have taken it home. Wonderful condition for being nearly 30 years old and you can't beat the seller. I don't think it'll last long.
tj

 

[6L6]

Sure seems like a pretty good price....

I just don't get it. This guitar BLOWS AWAY so many others sitting around it for $1000's more.

What can you say other than it's just an unbelievable deal for those who really know a great instrument when they see it?

6

 

[FNG]

Kinda surprised they have it priced so low. I'm full up on rosewood dreads, or I would be seriously tempted.

 

[starhopper]

Called Gryphon and talked to "Derrick". He said the reason the price is lower than one would expect is because the saddle is very low - meaning a neck reset is probably not too far in the distant future for this instrument. He stated it plays great, as he has a "light touch" when playing. He did say that if one has a "harder" playing style, they may have issues.

Anyways, I was gonna pull the trigger on this but decided I really don;t wanna hassle with the expense and trouble of finding a luthier who could do a neck reset on this particular model.

Cheers,

 

[dayuhan]

That's beautiful, and I AM seriously tempted. Do they ship overseas? Guess I should look on the site...

<edit> They do ship overseas. I'll e-mail and find out what it would cost. What I'm really looking for is a 12 string, but that's such a good deal...

<edit again> Ok, if there's a neck reset coming up, that's out. There's nobody in this country that I'd trust to do that job...

 

[FNG]

Doesn't Frank Ford work for Gryphon? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[6L6]

Derek knows his guitars very well indeed. However, I feel there's enough saddle left that a neck reset is a long ways off.

Further, I play with a plastic thumbpick and two metal fingerpicks. Not a buzz in the guitar anywhere!

It's a good one ready to be PLAYED with no further luthier action necessary IMHO.

6

 

[jcwu]

<edit again> Ok, if there's a neck reset coming up, that's out. There's nobody in this country that I'd trust to do that job...

Gryphon's got a pretty good repair department.

 

[6L6]

Gryphon's got a pretty good repair department.

Second to none.

That said, there's no way this guitar is currently in need of a neck reset.

6

 

[Recky]

You Yanks are so lucky You bump into these great guitars left, right and centre, and over here in Germany, we can only drool over guitar porn on the Internet. If I had seen that guitar in the shop, I'd have drawn my credit card faster than Billy The Kid his colt, especially at that price...

In fact, if I weren't looking for an F-50 right now (hassling everybody on this forum and off if they'll help me find one in the US of A), I'd buy it. I'm a sucker for that bling - few of my guitars are this fancy. You equip a gorgeous lady with nice, skimpy clothes and some shiny jewelry, and you can't take your eyes off her anymore...

Cheers,
Recky

 

[dayuhan]

If you think Germany's bad, try living in the Philippines, especially up in a remote mountain corner... I have to drive 5 hrs to get to any music store, 10 to one with any kind of selection (and not much even there, especially for acoustics). But I do know all about guitar porn on the Internet! And I recently came across a practical and cost-effective shipping arrangement, which could be dangerous...

As far as this one goes, though... well, I understand that it doesn't need the reset right now, but I can't see shipping a guitar that could need a reset soon to a country where I can't get a proper reset done. Of course the reset could be done there and the price would still be fair, but it wouldn't be quite the killer deal any more. And the truth is... well, I'd love it for sure but it's not what I'm looking for. Top of the GAS list now is a really nice jumbo 12, second would be a basic beatable mahogany dread that I could haul around to campfires, beaches, and other places where I really don't want to bring the F50R.

So I guess I keep looking, except every time I look back at that page the trigger finger starts twitching uncontrollably... STOP!

 

[jgmaute]

It does feel heavy compared to other acoustic guitars, but as we all know here in Guildland, that extra weight only means greater strength and has no detrimental affect on tone or sustain.

6

'06 D-55
'06 D-40BJ
'06 F-412
'74 D-40

My D-55s (previous and current) were/are heavy. Did they get lighter and still sound the same?

 

[tjmangum]

It does feel heavy compared to other acoustic guitars, but as we all know here in Guildland, that extra weight only means great...

My D-55s (previous and current) were/are heavy. Did they get lighter and still sound the same?

I have played both older D-55's and Tacoma ones and this particiular guitar felt no different - solid and ready for serious playing. Regarding the neck, I agree with 6L6, Gryphon would not let a guitar that was on the verge of a reset go out the door. As was previously stated, somebody is going to walk in there and compare it to a HD28 on the wall and pull out their wallet real fast and consider it a steal.
tj

 

[chazmo]

You Yanks are so lucky You bump into these great guitars left, right and centre, and over here in Germany, we can only drool over guitar porn on the Internet. If I had seen that guitar in the shop, I'd have drawn my credit card faster than Billy The Kid his colt, especially at that price...

In fact, if I weren't looking for an F-50 right now (hassling everybody on this forum and off if they'll help me find one in the US of A), I'd buy it. I'm a sucker for that bling - few of my guitars are this fancy. You equip a gorgeous lady with nice, skimpy clothes and some shiny jewelry, and you can't take your eyes off her anymore...

Cheers,
Recky

Recky, we're spoiled and, well, we're darn proud of it!

You should pay a visit to Meinl sometime... Those guys have been distributing some wonderful guitars in Germany for a long time. I know for a fact they got certain guitars into Germany that never were brought into the US.

The primary issue for Germany, at least back in the late '70s and early '80s, was that Germans couldn't afford to buy high-end instruments. Now, with the Euro highly valued against the US Dollar, it's a different story! That said, I think you guys pay higher taxes and fees for imported instruments.

 

[Frosty]

Be still, my heart.

I had a 1980 D-55 (dark tobacco 'burst) that had the sweetest tone. Heavy? Yup. Not an issue - I always play seated.

A good D-55 can be a great guitar for a fingerpicker. Was a time when I would have snatched something like this up in a second, but that's not where I am at the moment. Would love to see a gem like this adopted into the LTG family!

 

[Recky]

Yes, spoiled rotten, you lot!

The problem has always been an import duty battle: In the 50s and early 60s, the USA imposed extortionate taxes, e.g. on German studio microphones that even the biggest studios couldn't afford them. As the best mics were produced in Germany, US studios were forced to use domestic mics, which weren't as good. Likewise, German customs charged extremely high taxes on instrument imports to protect its own brands, such as Framus for guitars.

To some degree, this is still the case, although import duties are no longer as high as they used to be, around 3.2 % on guitars (plus 19% sales tax!!!!).

So while Gibson j-45s, for example, have always been "working man's guitars" in the States (especially until the 80s when tonewood was still fairly cheap), we would rarely see, let alone play them in the stores and would aspire to them for when we got rich and famous.

I do know the Meinl company; these days they are a manufacturer of cymbals...

Cheers,
Recky

You Yanks are so lucky You bump into these great guitars left, right and centre, and over here in Germany, we can only drool over guitar porn on the Internet. If I had seen that guitar in the shop, I'd have drawn my credit card faster than Billy The Kid his colt, especially at that price...

In fact, if I weren't looking for an F-50 right now (hassling everybody on this forum and off if they'll help me find one in the US of A), I'd buy it. I'm a sucker for that bling - few of my guitars are this fancy. You equip a gorgeous lady with nice, skimpy clothes and some shiny jewelry, and you can't take your eyes off her anymore...

Cheers,
Recky

Recky, we're spoiled and, well, we're darn proud of it!

You should pay a visit to Meinl sometime... Those guys have been distributing some wonderful guitars in Germany for a long time. I know for a fact they got certain guitars into Germany that never were brought into the US.

The primary issue for Germany, at least back in the late '70s and early '80s, was that Germans couldn't afford to buy high-end instruments. Now, with the Euro highly valued against the US Dollar, it's a different story! That said, I think you guys pay higher taxes and fees for imported instruments.

 

[starhopper]

Derrick didn;t state that is was "on the verge" of a reset - simply that the price was low because it would EVENTUALLY need one as the saddle had be lowered considerably. He also stated he didn't know anyone who did neck resets on this particular Guild model. Don't shoot me, I',m just the messenger! lol

 

[Frosty]

Every guitar will need a neck reset someday. I have purchased guitars in such a condition, low saddle, and played them for a long time without issue. Bear in mind, I have not seen this particular D-55.

I have personally had a repair person refuse to reset a neck on an F-50 stating that the laminated, three piece neck in combination with the shallow heel is a recipe for potential disaster. Heel cracking (which did happen to an F-30 I once submitted for reset to another person) and de-lamination of the neck. This guy is an authorized repair person, very competent and well regarded.

Caveat emptor, I suppose. But $1200 is small change for a vintage Guild. MHO.