D-25 In GC

davismanLV

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Re Holy Grail D25s (all-hog archbacks) - I personally did not experience anything
close to Holy-Sonic-Angels-Singing-Guild-Grail-ty at any point with either of mine -
it's likely that I'm just predisposed to enjoy and expect the feral clash & bang of spruce & hog 25s.
And the narrow-ish nuts on both hog 25s aren't ideal for my XL hands.

That said - one of my long-time guitar techs got so excited after playing one
of the all-hog archies - and he doesn't get very fired up about any guitars at this point -
I told him right then and there to just keep it and play it, I'd get it back
if I ever want or need it - which I won't :02.47-tranquillity:
I tend to agree with you, Bonneville88!! I don't get the whole "Holy Grail" notation. Especially with a guitar that was made in such quantities. It may be something that you really like and appeals to you on multiple levels in which case I guess the second definition of holy grail as "a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after" might apply. I tend to think along the lines of something that is excessively rare or unable to be found. Guild D25's don't fall into that category in my book. But it's his grail, not mine.
 

Westerly Wood

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That said - one of my long-time guitar techs got so excited after playing one
of the all-hog archies - and he doesn't get very fired up about any guitars at this point -
I told him right then and there to just keep it and play it, I'd get it back
if I ever want or need it - which I won't :02.47-tranquillity:

that is awesome B88!
 

Westerly Wood

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Not just any D25: the all-hog archback version is definitely the rarest of the breed.

exactly Al, and i find that interesting...they were only made for like 18 months too.

sure, no one here is claiming a D25 is on par with a D55 etc...I just find them intriguing...

i like the fact that they were so acoustically dynamic for being a base model dread. like a couple three hundred bucks out the door. how many players started with a D25, etc.

cool stuff.

thanks for the encouragement Al!
 
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dreadnut

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Not just any D25: the all-hog archback version is definitely the rarest of the breed.

Yeah, I believe we applied the " holy grail" designation to this model not due to the sound but due to the rarity.

I know tone and sound are a subjective thing, but my grail guitar is my '76 D25M. (Arch back spruce top.) A few other Guilds have passed through my hands over the years, but this one is a real cannon. Still my main guitar after 44 years, and I still gig with it at least 2-3 times a week. I love the fact that the bass strings are so loud and clear, not muddy at all. This baby will stand right in there with a banjo and a mandolin too. Yeah, Woody, it set me back $300 otd w/hsc back in '76. And I just like the fact that it was made during the US Bicentennial year.

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Westerly Wood

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very cool Dread. yeah, i took the term from another who used it on here for this rare bird when i first learned of the model.

$300 out the door for all that dread power. just incredible value.
 

Bonneville88

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Dread, that '76 is a beauty.

Appreciate reading the "Grail" observations, gentlemen - good stuff!

Expectations were indeed Indiana Jones high - and as I've since realized,
possibly misguided :highly_amused:
 
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davismanLV

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So tell me guys. Apparently the D25 in question (based on a couple of different members impression of them) is an arched back and ALL mahogany (back "laminated", sides and top "solid", and neck as well), yes? And they were made for 18 months. Can someone tell me the years, beginning and end of production and does anyone have any idea how many were actually made during this time? I'm very curious......

I understand that the word "grail" and especially "Holy Grail" can be interpreted in very different ways. So use the term as you like. I'd just like to get some information about this particular model of D25. :encouragement:
 

Charlie Bernstein

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this is why used Guild acoustics are so awesome...You get so much guitar for so little investment.

"Played a Taylor 300 series something or other, and at 2k they can keep it. 2k and that is the lowest series of American made guitars you make"...
Yup. If the neck is set right, $700 is a steal. (Versus $2k for a Taylor, which is a robbery.)
 

dreadnut

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Well Tom, no one knows the answer to that, not even Hans, I bet, because they didn't really keep track of which was which during the changeover from flat to arch and from 'hog top to spruce.

And I believe I may have been the culprit that originally called it the "holy grail" here on LTG...
 

Westerly Wood

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Well Tom, no one knows the answer to that, not even Hans, I bet, because they didn't really keep track of which was which during the changeover from flat to arch and from 'hog top to spruce.

And I believe I may have been the culprit that originally called it the "holy grail" here on LTG...

and this conundrum is part of the allure. the intrigue. the wild history and folklore of the iconic Guild brand...:)
also keep in mind, my pull to the Guild acoustic is cause I grew up 30 minutes from Westerly, and didn't know...
I would blame my parents for this one, but they would not have known either, and I must give them a huge pass here as they did buy me my first guitar, after all...:)
 

adorshki

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PS - My first good guitar was a sixties flat-back spruce-top D-25. Wish I still had it. Happy memories.
Charlie I think you've said that before but there was never such an animal.
It would have been a D35, although it's entirely possible it was mis-labeled.
They were both introduced in '68.
And in fact only recently did I realize that early on, the D35 far outsold the D25, going by the s/n charts: 233 D25's by end of '69 (and only 30 of those from '69!) vs 1592 D35's (!).
OK, It's also likely that there are "invisible" numbers from '69
Although one can't sort by model starting with the '70 charts I'm guessing the D25 never really came on strong until it got the spruce top.

Well Tom, no one knows the answer to that, not even Hans, I bet, because they didn't really keep track of which was which during the changeover from flat to arch and from 'hog top to spruce.
Right, one can't tell which is which by s/n alone, and I don't think Hans has ever made a statement about it, even though he's corrected the Guild Guitar Book about when the archback was introduced.
So I think if he was willing to make an estimate he would have told us by now.
18 months of production is about right, maybe up to 24 if for example there were more than 6 months of production in '72 and '74:
By far the most reported sightings of all-hog arch tops are '73's, but we've seen 'em dated as early as '72 (assuming they were dated correctly) and as late as '74, and even one far outlier from '76: member SpiderMan's guitar was labeled "D25M" even though it had a 'hog top.
The "most likely scenario" deduction is that they started introducing the archback while the flat backs were still in production and then started phasing in the spruce tops while the all-'hog archbacks were still in production.
It's entirely possible that they built both 'hog and spruce top archbacks at the same time since I'm sure they had enough body bucks to build both types simultaneously and/or if, for example, they got enough orders for the 'hog tops to justify making a run even though they'd "officially" changed to spruce.
It's also possible that during both transitions they had finished or near-finished "old spec" inventory waiting for dealer orders which they continued to finish and ship even though they were only building to the "current spec".
That could explain flatbacks dated as '73's and even that far outlier '76 mentioned above.
 

Bonneville88

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So using production numbers as the "Grail" denominator - wonder how production
of flat-back all-hog Corona D25s might compare to the arch-back all-hog
Westerlys... but I know there's no answer to that.

My white Corona D25 is pretty close to being a sonic "Grail" guitar -
all the Corona D25s I've had have been great:wink:
 
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adorshki

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So using production numbers as the "Grail" denominator - wonder how production
of flat-back all-hog Corona D25s might compare to the arch-back all-hog
Westerlys... but I know there's no answer to that
.
It wouldn't surprise me if the Corona D25's number fewer than the all-hog archbacks since Westerly was probably geared for higher output and the Corona D25s were only made from '02 to sometime in '03 (since they don't even appear on the spring '04 price list), probably an overall shorter production period, certainly not significantly longer than the 18-24 month approximation for the all-hog archbacks.
My white Corona D25 is pretty close to being a sonic "Grail" guitar -
all the Corona D25s I've had have been great:wink:
Yeah Corona doesn't deserve its bad rap.
I frequently wonder now if my D40 might actually be the best of all 3, it absolutely records the best.
I'm just glad I don't have to decide on keeping "just one".
 
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Grassdog

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seeso-Monty_Python_And_The_Holy_Grail_Mov-Full-Image_GalleryBackground-en-US-1483993549331._SX1080_.jpg


We seek the grail . . .
 

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davismanLV

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Great post, Grassdog!! It kinda sums up my odd view of a "Holy Grail" production guitar, although I do get it, guys. I really do. And Al, believe it or not, I understood your explanation and how that possible timeline scenario could produce such an anomaly!!

Bonneville, I forget if you're a photo poster or not but I'd love to see a photo of your white Corona D25!! Those colored ones they made, flat backed, all mahogany were super amazing to me for some reason!! They're like candy colored versions and we've even had posts of those in the past. HEY AL!! Maybe with your amazing search skills you could find that one post where we posted so many photos of the different colored D25's? Of course, some of them were from Westerly as well, but that was a fun post. I fear that it may have fallen victim to the Photobucket fiasco (shakes fist angrily at them!!) from back in the day, but it sure was fun looking at all the pretty colors on offer over the years!!

I, for one, have no bias against Corona made Guilds. None at all.... :encouragement:
 

Bonneville88

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Tom I'm definitely a photo poster :encouragement:
As Al often reminds me - the white one is not really white.
Here's a dark cherry one too.
All the ones I've owned have had great volume, great tone, slick & fast
necks, easy to play - the Coronas are
my Grail D25s.

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davismanLV

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Oh HELL YEAH!!! That's the one I was thinking of!! Thanks for posting that!! It looks like it would melt in your mouth if you bit it!! That's just plain beautiful....... :encouragement:
 
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