Guild Dreadnoughts

[sunvalleylaw]

I stopped in a couple guitar shops yesterday when I was in Boise, and when looking at acoustics, was pointed in the direction of a Guild D-40 Richie Havens signature. It seems to have a great, "old Martin" type tone, and that really throbby low E thump that I just love right now. (more Neil Young influence). They also sell a D-50 that is rosewood side and back, the D-40 is mahogany. Both are spruce top. Nice necks, rosewood fretboard. I also liked that they are built in Tacoma, WA (my home for the first 30 something years of my life), at the Tacoma guitar plant, as both Guild and Tacoma are Fender owned. Fender seems to be staying with the traditions of those smaller marks, at least in the acoustice realm. I understand there is some re-booting of guild electrics. Anyone have any experience with these acoustics? A bit less pricey than the Martins, and seem to have great tones.

Steve

[Ro3b]

My main guitar these last 20 years has been a Guild D-35, which I guess is the 1980s equivalent to the D-40 (i.e., mahogany dreadnought). It's a sweet, sweet player, and it loves alternate tunings (I've had it in DADGAD or CGCGCE most of its life). The company has been bought and production moved to Tacoma since my guitar was made, but as you say, the level of quality is still way up there.

[sunvalleylaw]

My main guitar these last 20 years has been a Guild D-35, which I guess is the 1980s equivalent to the D-40 (i.e., mahogany dreadnought). It's a sweet, sweet player, and it loves alternate tunings (I've had it in DADGAD or CGCGCE most of its life). The company has been bought and production moved to Tacoma since my guitar was made, but as you say, the level of quality is still way up there.

Tacoma, being a bit of an ugly stepsister to Seattle, and a longshore town, has some rough and tumble soul of its own. The guitars coming out of the Tacoma Guitar factory, (where the Guilds are now being made) are well regarded I think. I mostly just see the alternative sound hole Tacomas around, and I am interested in traditional dreadnoughts. But the build quality is good.

[r_a_smith3530]

My main guitar these last 20 years has been a Guild D-35, which I guess is the 1980s equivalent to the D-40 (i.e., mahogany dreadnought). It's a sweet, sweet player, and it loves alternate tunings (I've had it in DADGAD or CGCGCE most of its life). The company has been bought and production moved to Tacoma since my guitar was made, but as you say, the level of quality is still way up there.

Just for curiosity's sake Ro3B, does the Guild D-35 have a 3-piece back, or two? I just wondered because a Martin D-35 does.

[Ro3b]

Mine has a one-piece back. The guitar is pretty plain ornamentation-wise. Black binding, the thinnest w/b/w purfling I've ever seen on the top, two bands of purfling around the soundhole, no fretboard or peghead binding, no peghead veneer. But the spruce has a gorgeous figure.

[r_a_smith3530]

Yeah, that's way off from what a 35 Series means to Martin.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, that's way off from what a 35 Series means to Martin.

From what I can tell, having looked at the Guild D-40 and 50, the Guild numbers are not meant to compare with Martin at all. Guild has done its own thing. The D-55 is more ornamental, with inlay and such. Have not seen one with a 3 piece back like a Martin D or HD-35. The Martin reps, on their visit to the local store, told us that the 35s were originally intended to use up rosewood that was not being used due to size, and that some people really liked the result. It is a bassy guitar. My instructor uses one he has had for years.