Question about my D55e

[Phoenix 602]

Ive always wanted a Guild, no model specific, just wanted any Guild really. Recently I acquired a Guild D55e out here in phoenix, az. I got it pretty cheap cuz it is in need of repair due to its unplayable. It got dried out a little bit and caused a bit of sunken belly. It's not cracked yet so I'm doing my best to rehumidify and give some relief to the neck. However upon looking it over something doesnt seem to jive with me. For starters the headstock logo isn't abalone, I dont think. It's a light metallic blue color, almost like the plastic they mite put over something to protect it from scratches however I am unable to peel it back but I thought all d55 had the abalone logo? It has the open gotoh tuners, but the L.R. Baggs pickup system has been replaced with a Trance Audio pickup which I believe is similar to the LR Baggs, as far a price goes anyhow. My question is: is this a real Guild D55e? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

 

[Heath]

Does it have a label? Date on the neck block and serial number on the back of the headstock?

 

[chazmo]

First of all, welcome aboard to LTG!

I'm not sure exactly what I'm seeing here, but it looks like someone taped over the MOP inlay, Phoenix 602. The tuners and the lack of a label seem to indicate this is an Oxnard build, but the faceplate should be ebony, not plastic/celluloid (which is what I think I'm seeing). I can't tell from the picture, but when you look closely at the truss rod cavity, can you tell what the faceplate is made of? If it's not a real piece of ebony, then perhaps this guitar has some sort of neck / headstock repair. Also, the neck itself is really unusual with the striping in the mahogany. I would've thought they'd bookmatch it when they made the laminate (for strength), but this was clearly not done that way. Weird, but pretty cool looking!

To confirm it is an Oxnard build, please look in the soundhole towards the neck block, and there should be a plate on there that gives you the serial number and model name. Also, there should be "Guild" branded into one of the back braces (look for that). If you can take a picture, please do. Once you get those details, you might be able to contact Oxnard to get more history on this particular guitar.

 

[geoguy]

The Oxnard s/n plate would be behind what I think is the battery holder for the pickup system.

I expected to see a "Guild" brand on the back brace, directly below the soundhole. And the pickguard shape is also different from what I expected, but maybe those are both Oxnard differences, too?

The bound fingerboard and rosette look correct to me.

 

[Phoenix 602]

Faceplate appears to be ebony and it kinda looks like there may have been some kinda repair perhaps maybe, cuz there is some glue inside the truss rod cavity there. And yes i also thought somebody taped over the headstock logo or it came that way from factory to protect the logo from scratches or whatever butI tried peeling it off but had no luck. It mite be really stuck on there just as the velcro was. The battery pouch was held on by 2 heavy duty velcro strips affixed very very well to the heel block but after a little muscle I got them off and it revealed nothing. No plate, no holes, Nor was I able to find a stamp inside it.

 

[Heath]

Is there a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock?

 

[Phoenix 602]

...also the 2 velcro strips were stuck on vertically and evenly spaced on the the heel block.

 

[Phoenix 602]

If there was a label on it I wouldnt be on here.

 

[Phoenix 602]

From what I can tell there are no brands or stamps anywhere. Are the stamps or plates easily removable. And from what I've "read" the neck is supposed to be mahgony with a walnut stripe and a Indian rosewood overlay? With solid rosewood back and sides which they are.
Idk looks to me like the face plate is the same wood as the stripe? I'm not sure I think if incn figure out the blue logo then I'll know perhaps

 

[Heath]

There should be a serial number actually stamped into the wood on the back of the headstock. I believe they did this at all factories, but someone else would know for sure.

things I find concerning so far is no label or stamp, no serial stamped on the back of the headstock and no “Guild” stamped on the wood inside…. Although I believe there was one other similar example once that was made for an employee.

 

[Phoenix 602]

An employee? I got it from a guy who claimed to worked special projects at fender. He had an example of a Vietnam version of the strat and it was solid body but it had an f hole for decorative purposes only no logo but it felt like a strat and it was sexy too. Also had a takamine classical prototype. But all the info on this was that he brought it home to swap out the electronics and then I guess it sat in a case for a few years after that. I should have prolly been a little more diligent. When I asked him what model guild it was cuz he only put Guild guitar in the listing. he told me "I believe it's a d55e.".

 

[Heath]

I’m not saying yours is. Just the only other one I’ve seen missing some of those things.

 

[Phoenix 602]

Perhaps it's in the little things....?
The stripe that runs down the back ? Does anybody know what wood it is SUPPOSED to be from factory. and if there is a particular pattern it should follow ? Cuz from what I understand they kept the receipe for this guitar the same since "68. I have a hard time believing that somebody would go they the trouble to carve out a copy cat guitar using the same materials in every aspect, and match the tuners. The only real discrepancy I can see is the faceplate logo not being MOP. And if it was another prototype or whatever why wouldnt he tell me that if he told me bout the others. ? Just ain't jiving with me. I dont have the luxury of knowing anyone who owns a d55e and I am.just a fan of Guild. I think they make very respectable and beautiful guitars, certain class about them so I really am hoping this to be legit.
The neck is starting to show signs of relief slowly but surely and maybe once I can play it i will know for sure

 

[geoguy]

That back stripe looks correct to me.

Do you know the seller's name? And could you ask him a couple questions about this guitar's origins?

I don't think this is a fake . . . too many features appear to be right. But it may not be a regular production example of a D-55.

 

[Heath]

That’s my thinking too, given the lack of serial number and branding aside from the headstock, and even that is different. Perhaps on purpose?

 

[fronobulax]

There should be a serial number actually stamped into the wood on the back of the headstock. I believe they did this at all factories, but someone else would know for sure.

things I find concerning so far is no label or stamp, no serial stamped on the back of the headstock and no “Guild” stamped on the wood inside…. Although I believe there was one other similar example once that was made for an employee.

Stamped serial numbers on the headstock stopped being used. New Hartford only had serial numbers on the label Oxnard engraved them on the neck block.

 

[Heath]

Stamped serial numbers on the headstock stopped being used. New Hartford only had serial numbers on the label Oxnard engraved them on the neck block.

Thanks!

 

[fronobulax]

Perhaps it's in the little things....?
The stripe that runs down the back ? Does anybody know what wood it is SUPPOSED to be from factory. and if there is a particular pattern it should follow ? Cuz from what I understand they kept the receipe for this guitar the same since "68. I have a hard time believing that somebody would go they the trouble to carve out a copy cat guitar using the same materials in every aspect, and match the tuners. The only real discrepancy I can see is the faceplate logo not being MOP. And if it was another prototype or whatever why wouldnt he tell me that if he told me bout the others. ? Just ain't jiving with me. I dont have the luxury of knowing anyone who owns a d55e and I am.just a fan of Guild. I think they make very respectable and beautiful guitars, certain class about them so I really am hoping this to be legit.
The neck is starting to show signs of relief slowly but surely and maybe once I can play it i will know for sure

To me it looks like a non-factory build that had access to factory parts. We have seen several from New Hartford. The origin stories vary. Some are instruments that were supposed to be destroyed because of some flaw or error but an employee made the decision to destroy it at home and fixed or otherwise addressed the flaw. Some were assembled with factory parts but not at the factory. When New Hartford closed somewhat suddenly, some employees acquired instruments in various stages of completion and they were completed and made it to the market. The fate of all of the prototypes made in New Hartford is unknown but some may have made it to market.

There are also several stories about instruments being made to spec for FMIC "bigwigs" that show up for sale near Scottsdale ;-)

Tangentially, Guilds were made in several factories since 1968 and D55 specs were not necessarily consistent across all years and factories.

I focused on New Hartford because the instrument just looks like New Hartford to me, although I can't really say why, and some of my information comes from factory tours and employees. But similar things could have happened elsewhere.

 

[chazmo]

I agree with Fro. This is not a standard build and it's very suspicious that there's no "Guild" branded into one of the back braces.

Whatever this instrument is, it's not a production version of a D-55 Phoenix 602. This might very well be one of the D-55 prototypes that was built in New Hartford in 2008 before they'd shuttered the Tacoma plant and New Hartford was cutting their teeth on D-55s before going into production in 2009.

Oh, and it's the butterbean Gotoh tuner buttons that date it to New Hartford (or Oxnard). Tacoma didn't use these for D-55s (I think).

 

[GGJaguar]

Tacoma didn't use these for D-55s (I think).

I've only seen Rotomatics on the Tacoma-made D-55s.