What Guild is right for me ?

[Br1ck]

Be aware, guild used Hoboken labels until they were used up. My 70 D 35 was made in Westerly with a Hoboken label. Because they are voiced to be balanced, you should love how they record. No need to EQ a lot of bass out of the track. A backing strum sits in a mix better than my Martin D 35 or my 65 Epi Texan.

The neck on my 70 Guild is the easiest for me to play. After 73 or so, Guild built beefier guitars. they have their fans, but a different sound. There are folks who buy and sell old Guilds but I cant remember who they are.

 

[GardMan]

Which is brighter or like louder the 50? I have a D-18 Martin so I want like a different sound to that Mahogany.

"Brighter" means different things to different folks. To me, "brighter" means more emphasis on the mids and trebles. THere still may be a strong bass, but fewer overtones and harmonics.

"Warmer" means stronger bass and more overtones, giving a "fuller and richer" sound. There still may be strong trebles.

I would expect the D-40 and D-50 to have equal potential for volume (with differences being due to individual instruments), with the mahogany D-40 being "brighter" and the rosewood D-50 being "warmer, with more overtones. That's how I would have rated my mahogany '72 (Guild) D-35 vs my '76 rosewood D-50. My D-50 still had a nice jangly treble... loved it for strumming, and it could be driven pretty hard.

I would expect a rosewood D-55 (more bling, but also different tonally) to have an even warmer, richer voice than the D-50. I had a '92 D-55 with an incredible rich, lush tone... but obviously from a different build era.

Others have mentioned the pearwood D-44, built from '65~'72. I had a '71 pearwood D-44, and found its tone most similar to my mahogany '72 D-35, maybe just a touch more overtones. Not loud, by any means, but with a nice "folksy" tone...

From ~1971 (meaning, from Westerly, until at least 1977) there was also the D-44M, which was similar to the D-40 and D-44, but had maple sides and braced, flat maple back. I would expect these to be even brighter than the D-40, but have never played one.

Then again, depending on your definition of "vintage" there are a couple different versions of the mahogany-bodied D-25 (all hog flat back, all hog arched back, spruce topped), each with their distinctive tonal characteristics, and the arched maple back G-37 (which later morphed into the D-30).

If you want to see minimal specs and date ranges for Guild dreads thru the Hoboken/Wesetrly years, I compiled a list some years ago, that you can find here...

 

[GardMan]

Again, depending on your definition of "vintage," the ash-bodied D-46 (built from '80 to '85) has a very balanced tone, somewhere between the brightness of mahogany and richness of rosewood.

 

[donnylang]

Be aware, guild used Hoboken labels until they were used up. My 70 D 35 was made in Westerly with a Hoboken label. Because they are voiced to be balanced, you should love how they record. No need to EQ a lot of bass out of the track. A backing strum sits in a mix better than my Martin D 35 or my 65 Epi Texan.

The neck on my 70 Guild is the easiest for me to play. After 73 or so, Guild built beefier guitars. they have their fans, but a different sound. There are folks who buy and sell old Guilds but I cant remember who they are.

True, you'll see the Hoboken labels through 1970 ... which means these guitars are often sold (and priced) as "Hobokens". I notice Hans usually says "completed in Westerly" on some instruments, which might indicate there are indeed hybrid examples from certain periods ...

My understanding is: by and large, unless it's an M20- the guitars through 1967 will be Hoboken. Guitars 1969 and on will be Westerly. 1968 will be the transition year where they will definitely have a Hoboken label but may in fact be Westerly guitars. I think these 1968 guitars are also unique in that some may be fully Hoboken, fully Westerly, or partially Hoboken/partially Westerly. I believe the Westerly 1968 F212 I used to have had a 1967 stamp inside.

*Of course, knowing Guild- there will be exceptions. But I think the info above is generally correct in most cases.

 

[adorshki]

Anybody recommend the Richie Havens models or too new ?

HI DPC, welcome aboard!! Richie's one of my heroes, too. (see my sig)

Have never heard anybody describe any D40 neck as "slim", suspect they tended to have pretty thick necks for most if not all of their life.

Mine's got the thickest neck (and best finish) of the bunch, first year Richie Havens D40. Neck is a baseball bat compared to the 2 late Westerlys. It'd be a "U" compared the modern flat oval on this Fender chart:

Funny thing, when it was new, I literally called it "the sonic runt of the litter" more than once. Given Richie's rep, I expected it to be louder than my D25, but was surprised it wasn't. Took around 7 or 8 years to to accumulate enough playing hours and really start opening up.

Now I get that a flatback's got a different type of voice than an archback and it's almost as loud as the D25 but cleaner, more articulate. No more sonic runt. Love it as much as any of 'em, and it records the best, too.

There's really not much to distinguish the Corona ('03-04) Havens models from the regular D40 except the signature TRC and extra 'guard. Note also early Corona D40's got a Gruhn-inspired snakehead (narrow) headstock leftover from the '99 Westerly revival of the model, but my Havens has the traditional "paddle" style.

Whoah, almost forgot to mention: to me, my D40 must be an example of the classic Guild "built like a tank" rep of the late '70's.
But they always paid attention to getting the tops right, so even those sound very good.

@Westerly Wood: the 2nd 'guard was always shipped in the case, to be installed at owner's discretion (peel off backing, press on, probably comes off with gentle heat).

@dpc915: If you see one that doesn't have the guard installed, and it's not in the case, that's a small deduct. Also those came with 4-latch deluxe case: arched top, deep pile green lining.

In Tacoma ('05-'08) they got Adi bracing, not to be confused with the Tacoma-revived D40 "Bluegrass Jubilee" named model, which got adi tops.

Those are highly regarded and have led to many on-line sellers mis-identifying older sitka -topped D40's as "Bluegrass Jubilees" when in fact Guild had dropped the use of the "Bluegrass" names by the mid-to-late '70's.

Adi tops were only used in Tacoma and New Hartford ('09-'14), Tacoma always ID'd 'em as "BJ" or "Bluegrass" on the label but New Hartford didn't, sometimes one has to verify the small cosmetic details that ID the NH D40BJ.

Note the D40 was "on hiatus" for about 7 years from ca. '92-'99. During that time its niche was filled with the D6, then the DV-6, both of which are highly regarded by owners. I've suspected they paved the way for the revived D40 to get shaved bracing if they didn't get it before, not sure. Haven't see it confirmed in marketing lit it prior to '00 catalog, that I recall.

Good hunting, whatever you decide.

 

[adorshki]

True, you'll see the Hoboken labels through 1970 ... which means these guitars are often sold (and priced) as "Hobokens". I notice Hans usually says "completed in Westerly" on some instruments, which might indicate there are indeed hybrid examples from certain periods ...

My understanding is: by and large, unless it's an M20- the guitars through 1967 will be Hoboken. Guitars 1969 and on will be Westerly. 1968 will be the transition year where they will definitely have a Hoboken label but may in fact be Westerly guitars. I think these 1968 guitars are also unique in that some may be fully Hoboken, fully Westerly, or partially Hoboken/partially Westerly. I believe the Westerly 1968 F212 I used to have had a 1967 stamp inside.

*Of course, knowing Guild- there will be exceptions. But I think the info above is generally correct in most cases.

I've come up with a hypothesis that certain model production was moved to Westerly "ASAP".

The M20's were the first because they made great "training builds". Have a sneaking suspicion F30's were next due to popularity, and after all, Westerly was intended to be able to handle larger production demands. D25 and D35 introduced in '68, "volume models", suspect only built in Westerly.

And by the same token suspect 12's as well as flagship and special order models like F50 and D55 stayed in Hoboken where they could be built by the "old hands".

Seem to recall "completed in Westerly" has been used primarily in reference to electrics where we've also seen a "spike" in occurrence of "non-period correct" hardware in early '70's that would seem to indicate parts (even "bodies in white") got shipped to Westerly but weren't "unpacked" (or maybe even lost?) for a couple of years.

 

[Rich Cohen]

Some show up on eBay. Sometimes CL. Basically the usual suspects. Get 10 posts and the you could try a WTB here. The enablers will widen your search and perhaps your interest will pry one loose.

As a member of LTG you can use the "Buy Sell Trade" link on the website to post your WTB. You might get lucky and find someone willing to sell you a 60's D-40! Go for it.

 

[Rich Cohen]

HI DPC, welcome aboard!! Richie's one of my heroes, too. (see my sig)

Have never heard anybody describe any D40 neck as "slim", suspect they tended to have pretty thick necks for most if not all of their life.

Mine's got the thickest neck (and best finish) of the bunch, first year Richie Havens D40. Neck is a baseball bat compared to the 2 late Westerlys. It'd be a "U" compared the modern flat oval on this Fender chart:

Funny thing, when it was new, I literally called it "the sonic runt of the litter" more than once. Given Richie's rep, I expected it to be louder than my D25, but was surprised it wasn't. Took around 7 or 8 years to to accumulate enough playing hours and really start opening up.

Now I get that a flatback's got a different type of voice than an archback and it's almost as loud as the D25 but cleaner, more articulate. No more sonic runt. Love it as much as any of 'em, and it records the best, too.

There's really not much to distinguish the Corona ('03-04) Havens models from the regular D40 except the signature TRC and extra 'guard. Note also early Corona D40's got a Gruhn-inspired snakehead (narrow) headstock leftover from the '99 Westerly revival of the model, but my Havens has the traditional "paddle" style.

Whoah, almost forgot to mention: to me, my D40 must be an example of the classic Guild "built like a tank" rep of the late '70's.
But they always paid attention to getting the tops right, so even those sound very good.

@Westerly Wood: the 2nd 'guard was always shipped in the case, to be installed at owner's discretion (peel off backing, press on, probably comes off with gentle heat).

@dpc915: If you see one that doesn't have the guard installed, and it's not in the case, that's a small deduct. Also those came with 4-latch deluxe case: arched top, deep pile green lining.

In Tacoma ('05-'08) they got Adi bracing, not to be confused with the Tacoma-revived D40 "Bluegrass Jubilee" named model, which got adi tops.

Those are highly regarded and have led to many on-line sellers mis-identifying older sitka -topped D40's as "Bluegrass Jubilees" when in fact Guild had dropped the use of the "Bluegrass" names by the mid-to-late '70's.

Adi tops were only used in Tacoma and New Hartford ('09-'14), Tacoma always ID'd 'em as "BJ" or "Bluegrass" on the label but New Hartford didn't, sometimes one has to verify the small cosmetic details that ID the NH D40BJ.

Note the D40 was "on hiatus" for about 7 years from ca. '92-'99. During that time its niche was filled with the D6, then the DV-6, both of which are highly regarded by owners. I've suspected they paved the way for the revived D40 to get shaved bracing if they didn't get it before, not sure. Haven't see it confirmed in marketing lit it prior to '00 catalog, that I recall.

Good hunting, whatever you decide.

Al's advice is amazing...a veritable encyclopedia of information.

 

[adorshki]

Al's advice is amazing...a veritable encyclopedia of information.

Forgot to mention the Havens D40's were available in Black, but the others weren't.
Oh, also, @dpc915, re already having 'hog in a D18, I refer you to Br1ck's comment over here in the "D35 vs D40" thread:

What I have supposed from my 70 D 35: There was a spruce cosmetic reject pile for D 35s. I believe the D 25 of the time was all hog. Correct me if I'm wrong on that. Tuners were a cheaper three on a plate type to save money. My original Guild script case is of the flat variety and I don't know if a D 40 got an arched ply case or not. My Guild headstock logo looks like a decal and has faded such that it's not visible across the room. My guitar has four ply binding, very thin w/ b/w/ outer, thicker black on top, plain black on the back. It has a very balanced tone and only resembles a D 18 in the most basic sense. If I recall, there was not much more than a $75 difference between a D 35 and a D 40 back then. From a D 40 to a D 18 was maybe $100. Or less. I took a mirror to the inside for the first time in 15 years. Straight braced, but it doesn't seem too big. The guitar records well, better than any of my others. If what you want is a D 18, buy a D 18. A D 35 or D 40 will never make you happy, as it is a different animal.

After all that, can't fault you for wanting to investigate D50's for the rosewood. Got a hankering for some myself, never owned any yet, but it'd be an F47R. (16" lower bout F-body)

D50's and D40's started out as sister models in '63, suspect virtually identical build techniques were used over time, although knowing Guild it's possible they tweaked the bracing on D50's due to the rosewood back.

Oh I also forgot to mention the silking on the Havens top is magnificent, I like it the best of the 3 now, even though the F65ce's supposed to be a grade higher with AAA.

Enjoy the hunt.

 

[RBSinTo]

dpc915,
Just my humble opinion:
All the technical information, and verbal descriptions in the world while well intentioned, are meaningless, unless and until you pick up a guitar and play it. Then, and only then will you know for certain whether to get this one, or that one, both, or neither.
Good luck with your quest.
RBSinTo

 

[wileypickett]

If you don't mind investing in repairs you may find some reasonably-priced "need work" Hoboken Guilds. (They're more likely to need work than the Westerlys because they're older, and because they're more lightly built.)

But don't underestimate Westerlys! Some of the best sounding guitars I own came out of that factory, even in comparison with their more lightly built Hoboken cousins.

 

[Rambozo96]

I’ll say my piece on the matter. I haven’t played a Hoboken era Guild so I cannot vouch for their supposed quality or supposed superiority to Westerly RI, if they were any bit terrible I wouldn’t own 3 and use them on a regular basis. But despite this there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Westerly built Guild. If you’re not into heavier built acoustics I’d personally avoid anything after 76’. I don't know when they became lighter again but my D-25 from 86’ is a little bit on the heavy side but a 92’ D-4 I had was fairly lightweight like my 74’ D-35. Nothing wrong with the heavier ones (at least to me) they’re just heavier built which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. As for recommendations the plain Jane arch back D-25/D-4 is something to experience. Will it sound like your Martin? No, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The DV series from the 90’s mentioned being lighter built so maybe that’s another thing worth looking into.

 

[JohnW63]

I would suggest not assuming that because the OP owns some vintage guitars means they need a vintage Guild to be happy with the sound.
I do think they mentioned liking loud ones.

 

[geoguy]

IMO you might get the best recommendations if you can describe how you would like a prospective Guild to differ from your current instruments.

Welcome, by the way . . . as you may have already realized, folks here are very generous with their time when it comes to helping someone else spend their money!

 

[dpc915]

Forgot to mention the Havens D40's were available in Black, but the others weren't.
Oh, also, @dpc915, re already having 'hog in a D18, I refer you to Br1ck's comment over here in the "D35 vs D40" thread:



After all that, can't fault you for wanting to investigate D50's for the rosewood. Got a hankering for some myself, never owned any yet, but it'd be an F47R. (16" lower bout F-body)

D50's and D40's started out as sister models in '63, suspect virtually identical build techniques were used over time, although knowing Guild it's possible they tweaked the bracing on D50's due to the rosewood back.

Oh I also forgot to mention the silking on the Havens top is magnificent, I like it the best of the 3 now, even though the F65ce's supposed to be a grade higher with AAA.

Enjoy the hunt.

Wish i could find a black one. Only one for sale in France . I’d def spend the money if i could

 

[dpc915]

IMO you might get the best recommendations if you can describe how you would like a prospective Guild to differ from your current instruments.

Welcome, by the way . . . as you may have already realized, folks here are very generous with their time when it comes to helping someone else spend their money!

Extremely generous. Truly. I need a guitar for live work that can really take the attack and cut through in a band setting and also solo. When I play solo gigs i tend to really work the guitar hard.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Extremely generous. Truly. I need a guitar for live work that can really take the attack and cut through in a band setting and also solo. When I play solo gigs i tend to really work the guitar hard.

i suggest the D40 then, not a D50. hog cuts thru better. maybe even consider maple, so a D30...

 

[adorshki]

Extremely generous. Truly. I need a guitar for live work that can really take the attack and cut through in a band setting and also solo. When I play solo gigs i tend to really work the guitar hard.

I've heard that's actually supposed to be maple's forte. I'd consider a D40 to be primarily a rhythm instrument, although 2 out of 3 of my all-time best recordings including extensive lead lines were done with it. The 3rd one was on the maple-archback F65ce.

 

[dreadnut]

Seems like my D25, D15, and DV52 all have the same neck radius and fingerboard dimensions, or darn close to it. Put one down, pick the other up, I'm still right in the pocket.

 

[dpc915]

I've heard that's actually supposed to be maple's forte. I'd consider a D40 to be primarily a rhythm instrument, although 2 out of 3 of my all-time best recordings including extensive lead lines were done with it. The 3rd one was on the maple-archback F65ce.

D-15?