Question about my D55e

[davismanLV]

I've run two whole-house humidifiers since moving from LA. It's a constant chore and rough buying wicks for the machines. We downsized a bit over 4 years ago, and in just the last six months was doing the same and after some cleaning when we needed to move the guitars around, we found the perfect use for our (so far useless) atrium!! So now the guitars sit out there with one humidifier!! It also looks kinda cool when you see it. So if you can humidify one room or one space vs. the whole place, it makes it so much easier. Looks like this!!



I just close the slider you see on the left and let it humidify away!!

 

[Phoenix 602]

I know its impolite to toot your own horn, but I'm gonna do it anyway. for me, being able to breathe the life back into this was a great accomplishment for me and it taught me that patience really is a virtue. All the low end guitars I've tinkered on and worked on was preperation for this moment. Since 2015 ive been about 400 or so guitars. Never owned a Taylor, Gibson, Martin, or anything on that level and certainly none as prestigious as this Guild and i've prolly had only, literally, a handful that couldn't be saved. I'm damn glad this one wasnt one of them.
So does this make me a luthier now too?. I'm kidding. ...sort of

 

[Phoenix 602]

I do have a hydometer in the case now. The good thing about the broveda packs is that they're 2 way rh packs. it can absorb the over moisture but it can also release moisture if needed but you make a valid point about it can only use the moisture that's in the case.
....I was certainly look into creating a humidified antrium type space because I do like the ease of just being able to grab a guitar with ease instead of pulling it in and out of the case all the time. That and I like them on display for others to enjoy as well.

 

[Phoenix 602]

I've run two whole-house humidifiers since moving from LA. It's a constant chore and rough buying wicks for the machines. We downsized a bit over 4 years ago, and in just the last six months was doing the same and after some cleaning when we needed to move the guitars around, we found the perfect use for our (so far useless) atrium!! So now the guitars sit out there with one humidifier!! It also looks kinda cool when you see it. So if you can humidify one room or one space vs. the whole place, it makes it so much easier. Looks like this!!



I just close the slider you see on the left and let it humidify away!!

I noticed you have a blue guild logo guitar there as well. We may have gone over this already but what model is yours? Nice little collection too btw

 

[davismanLV]

Both my Guilds are from 1994. The blonde is a D65S limited run of 20. The other is a DV-72 with the turquoise inlays all over the place. Both amazing guitars!!

 

[Neal]

Here is my set up. Two racks of five, in my home office.

I run a room-size humidifier, which has the added advantage of humidifying me!

Right now the windows are open and the RH is at 46. Winter is the real guitar-cracker in these parts, with the heat on and untreated RH running below 20 most days. But just the other day, I glanced over at my gauge and it read 23! I had to close the window, fill the humidifier and turn it back on to bring the room up to a healthy RH.

Having said that, the D-35 I bought nearly 50 years ago was not humidified for most of its life, and it is totally crack-free.

 

[Boneman]

Just read through this thread while waiting for a flight, and it is an amazing story, and watching Phoenix go from dismay to hope to dejection to elation was quite the roller coaster. Glad to hear it is working out in the end and that you’ve got a great sounding instrument and your luthier skills are being honed!
Few questions I had is there a possibility Sam Ash caused the finish checking? Or did you have it out of its case in the interim before going to the “recommended luthier”? Also did you tell Sam Ash the guy they recommend sucks?

RE humidity: I live in arid Southern California and my Martin acoustic got a small crack in the top because I left it hanging on the wall and the rH was all over the place. The room it was in is too large to control humidity so after I noticed the cracking I opted to move the bulk of my collection into my smaller office, and just run a room humidifier and keep that at 45%. Only problem is the possibility of moisture issues in the room, so I open the windows and air out the room every so often when I sense the air quality is off. I watch the rH drop and then get the process started again. It is a chore but for the humidifier, I recommend a Venta air washer, as they don’t leave the white film on everything, and maintenance is super easy.

Thinking someday I too will own a D55.

cheers!

 

[Phoenix 602]

Here is my set up. Two racks of five, in my home office.

I run a room-size humidifier, which has the added advantage of humidifying me!

Right now the windows are open and the RH is at 46. Winter is the real guitar-cracker in these parts, with the heat on and untreated RH running below 20 most days. But just the other day, I glanced over at my gauge and it read 23! I had to close the window, fill the humidifier and turn it back on to bring the room up to a healthy RH.

Having said that, the D-35 I bought nearly 50 years ago was not humidified for most of its life, and it is totally crack-free.

Daaaang neal, are those all Guild with some gibson sprinkled in maybe, hard to see

 

[Phoenix 602]

Here is my set up. Two racks of five, in my home office.

I run a room-size humidifier, which has the added advantage of humidifying me!

Right now the windows are open and the RH is at 46. Winter is the real guitar-cracker in these parts, with the heat on and untreated RH running below 20 most days. But just the other day, I glanced over at my gauge and it read 23! I had to close the window, fill the humidifier and turn it back on to bring the room up to a healthy RH.

Having said that, the D-35 I bought nearly 50 years ago was not humidified for most of its life, and it is totally crack-free.

Daaaang neal, are those all Guild with some gibson sprinkled in

Just read through this thread while waiting for a flight, and it is an amazing story, and watching Phoenix go from dismay to hope to dejection to elation was quite the roller coaster. Glad to hear it is working out in the end and that you’ve got a great sounding instrument and your luthier skills are being honed!
Few questions I had is there a possibility Sam Ash caused the finish checking? Or did you have it out of its case in the interim before going to the “recommended luthier”? Also did you tell Sam Ash the guy they recommend sucks?

RE humidity: I live in arid Southern California and my Martin acoustic got a small crack in the top because I left it hanging on the wall and the rH was all over the place. The room it was in is too large to control humidity so after I noticed the cracking I opted to move the bulk of my collection into my smaller office, and just run a room humidifier and keep that at 45%. Only problem is the possibility of moisture issues in the room, so I open the windows and air out the room every so often when I sense the air quality is off. I watch the rH drop and then get the process started again. It is a chore but for the humidifier, I recommend a Venta air washer, as they don’t leave the white film on everything, and maintenance is super easy.

Thinking someday I too will own a D55.

cheers!

I'm certain it was caused by the luthier cuz it didnt look like that before I left it in his care. And no I'm not gonna bother with telling sam ash. For 1, I doubt it would do any justice cuz I'm not a regular buying guitars from em. I've never even made any type of purchase for that matter. And for 2, I doubt they'd even care. I'm sure they would still refer folks.
....I'm still thinking hard about keeping it but if I do decide to sell I'll give you first crack at it if you want. (Pun intended)

 

[Neal]

There used to be more Guilds than Gibsons, but now it's the other way around.

The "newest" Gibson I own (1950) is older than the oldest Guild ever made (1953).

 

[Phoenix 602]

I played a reissued gibson humming bird and it didnt really have the sound to match the price tag I thought. I'm know there are better gibsons but that's the only model I've played. No match for the d55 ill say that.

 

[Westerly Wood]

There used to be more Guilds than Gibsons, but now it's the other way around.

The "newest" Gibson I own (1950) is older than the oldest Guild ever made (1953).

Neal, you sold the D25 Br?

 

[Neal]

No, Woody. I gave it to a music resource center.

 

[Westerly Wood]

No, Woody. I gave it to a music resource center.

oh that's right, I remember now. That is a great gift. I had mis-remembered your F20 went to a store, but I think you gifted that to a friend etc. that beat up old F20 you saved.

 

[Phoenix 602]

I owe you guys some pictures....

 

[davismanLV]

I owe you guys some pictures....

You ABSOLUTELY do!! Don't forget us..... okay?/

 

[Phoenix 602]

After the luthier...

 

[Phoenix 602]

Now I took a close up of the back. Would this also be considered finish checking? It's an odd pattern if so but has a weird crow foot pattern to it and is not consistent with the front

 

[chazmo]

Hi Phoenix.

That's not a natural finish checking pattern on the back. Well, let's just say it's nothing I've ever seen before. It almost looks like someone dragged a wire brush or something on it. It's a very weird herringbone pattern that scratched the surface. I'm trying to figure out how it was created. So weird.

In any case, I bet that would buff out (seriously).

 

[geoguy]

I've never seen anything like those photos. My examples of temperature-related finish checking show in wildly-varying directions, sometimes parallel to the grain, but mostly across the grain in wavy patterns.

Also, I think of temperature-related finish checking as being due to a cold instrument being opened up in a warm room. In your climate, the most-likely scenario I can think of would be coming from an icy-cool air-conditioned home/office/car into a warm room. And then opening the case while the guitar was still very cold.