Any love for Guild D35's?

[tp2356]

I own an early 70's D35 which I bought new. I have been thinking about upgrading to another dread like maybe a D18 or D28. Yesterday I went to the local GC and did a side by side with the D35. The D18 and the D28, make no mistake are great guitars. Two of the best dreads out there. BUT side by side with the D35 I didn't really feel the need to spend $2800 to upgrade as the D35 really held its own. Now I also own a Taylor Grand Auditorium 414 which I love, but it doesn't project like the dreads. I grabbed a Taylor entry dread off the wall, a 210, honestly , I almost walked out the door with it ! It played great , very bright and darn loud. Maybe I see a used 210 down the road to take out to the jams rather than a 55 year old Guild D35. What do ya think ?

[KenL]

I would certainly hang on to that old Guild, especially since you bought it new. And it's really not worth all that much money, despite being a great guitar.

Adding either a Martin or that Taylor, which sounds like a good one, to your collection makes good sense.

I love Guilds and Martins both. Didn't pay any attention to Taylors for 20 years. But I have a second one arriving today. I really like the modern Taylor neck.

[tp2356]

Originally Posted by KenL

I would certainly hang on to that old Guild, especially since you bought it new. And it's really not worth all that much money, despite being a great guitar.

Adding either a Martin or that Taylor, which sounds like a good one, to your collection makes good sense.

I love Guilds and Martins both. Didn't pay any attention to Taylors for 20 years. But I have a second one arriving today. I really like the modern Taylor neck.

yep the D35 doesn't bring in the cash, its a Westerly built guitar and in top shape its valued near $1500. I would rate mine as a 7 on the scale but I have no intention of sending it packing ! I've owned probably 6 or 7 different Taylors , I'm down to just the 414. I would grab a 210 in a NY minute if one cross my path at a reasonable price point in good or better condition. The one I played at GC was a bit pricy and the expression system wasn't functioning properly so I passed. ( no it wasn't the battery)

I guess I should add this, when I bought the D35 new ( 1971) in NYC, ( 48th street) iI believe it was around $180, thats all I had . The brand new Martin D28 If I recall was around $275. LOL ! I remember sitting with the Guild ,the Martin and a Gibson. I came home with the Guild ! I'm sure it was totally about price.

[TheGITM]

'Want' and 'need' are very different things. I have several guitars that I got just because I wanted them. Nothing wrong with that! Realistically, we don't 'need' a lot of different guitars. They all do the same thing, just with variations in volume, tone, playability, and aesthetic. How much that matters is very subjective. To most 'listeners' it really doesn't matter. A guitar is a guitar. To the player, it can matter a lot, or a little, depending on the individual.

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to have some things just because I wanted them. I've not always had that privilege, and it's really just a matter of individual judgement on what makes sense.

I started with a D55 (which I still own), but now have 8 additional acoustics. Objectively, I don't need any of them. The D55 is more than enough. The struggle is weighing the value of the $$$ versus the desire to own something new/different. Those decisions are personal, and can vary from person to person, day to day, and guitar to guitar.

If you want something and can afford it without creating financial issues then it's just a value judgement you need to weigh and decide. The assortment of guitars to choose from is vast, so whether it's a Martin or Taylor or other... there will always be another guitar that interests you. Best of luck in your pursuit, and let us all know what you decide...

The struggle... is real.

[tp2356]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

'Want' and 'need' are very different things. Best of luck in your pursuit, and let us all know what you decide...

The struggle... is real.

LOL, thx for the note. Nahh its not a struggle and yeh I can probably go out and grab a Martin , but at this stage in my life I am actually parting ways with stuff rather than ADDING stuff ! I actually thought I would be blown away in the comparisons, I wasn't. In fact it was the other direction. Those Martins are indeed great guitars no doubt. But when I left the store after the comparisons to the D35 , my entire mindset changed regarding the D35. I don't think I ever appreciated how nice it is. But then again I've been a Telecaster player non stop for almost my whole life, I never dabbled in folk or Bluegrass. The D 35 sat in the case or hung on the wall for almost its whole life. I only took it out for casual pickin now and then.

Now there is a small shop across town that has ( had) a Westerly built D 55 , I saw it and played it a couple of months back. I really liked it. Maybe I'll change directions and give that one another look, that is if its still there. Meanwhile the D35 will be my buddy hopefully for another 53 years !

[LawrenceMollard]

Never had a D35, although I would absolutely buy one, but I have had two D40s, both made in the New Hartford Guild era.

One day someone offered to trade me a D-18 for an ES-335 I had, so I went up to the store and played a D-18 to see if I felt there was any need for another mahogany dreadnaught and came to the conclusion that there was not.

Granted, the Martin and Guild sounded different, but as you say not in a way that justified the expense of it.

I would bet that a D-35 would make me feel pretty much the same. Guild is just great.

Now, if you wanted a less rare guitar to play out with, sure, I could see adding another mahogany dreadnaught for that.

But if that isn't a concern, I'd bet your Guild D-35 would be all the mahogany dreadnaught you would ever need and you would be best served by getting a different kind of guitar.

The D55 would be a very strong choice. But so would an F-30 or something.

[RLetson]

A 1971 D-35 would be a D-40 with a bit less decorative detail but otherwise pretty much the same guitar with the same kind of voice. My sister-in-law had a D-35 in the '70s, and I used to see them in song circles all the time, so I'm familiar with the voice and playability. (I still have a '65 D-40.)

My personal taste in Guild dreads has been for the mahogany rather than rosewood flat-backs--though the less-expensive laminate archbacks have their charms. And, as always, I'm willing to be pursuaded otherwise by particular examples.

[Rogerblair]

I admire you for not getting caught up in the new guitar fever. When something’s good, it’s good regardless of age. Play that Guild proudly!

Rb

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by tp2356

What do ya think ?

Guilds are great!

[schoolie]

I love Guilds, and I think old wood has a special sound. The D-35 is a great guitar. For a fraction of the price of the new D-18, take the D-35 to a good luthier and get any maintenance done, frets, neck reset, structural issues.

[Br1ck]

I rescued my 70 D 35, and after $1100 worth of work, it remains my 2nd favorite. It is a guitar I value more as time goes by and the reason I don't own a D 18. The neck is a dream to play and it has a clarity I value more as I get better as a player. 68 to 72 is my sweet spot.

[Don Grimm]

I have two of them. I bought one from West Music in Iowa City in 1970 and my friend liked mine so much he bought one in 1975. Unfortunately, he has a neurological condition and got to where he couldn't play anymore, so I bought his D35. They are actually quite a bit different. The older one is dark-sounding and "thumpy". It sounds great with medium gauge strings tuned down a step or in open G. The other is a very good dreadnought with a brighter sound and tons of volume. I've had several people play it that were astounded by it's sound. I've honestly never played a Martin as good as this particular Guild. Both of them are heavily built and took some time to "open up" to become what they are today. If you can find a good one they are in every sense a professional quality instrument.

[NeptuneBlue]

I have a small 'guard D-35 from either late 1969 or 1970. I picked it up for about $600 a few years ago. The thing is a mess - the front is full of scrapes and checking, the bridge was taken off and re-glued slightly east of center, and it had a neck adjacent crack on the treble upper bout which I didn't notice until I got home with it. It was actually stable for the first couple of months, but I did eventually get it fixed.

I think I can be similarly honest here, I made the decision I did partly because of money. But I also don't think I'm rationalizing things to myself when I question whether a D-18 is worth the extra 2 grand. Actually, as time goes on, I find myself kind of glad I didn't - while they are lovely guitars, I've started to fall into the camp that finds Martins' bass bias and mid scoop kind of muddy. The horror!

Anyway, the point is I've fallen in love with the warm, dry sound of my D-35. It is my only dreadnought, and given I'm more a spruce/mahogany guy and have found something that's already incredibly played in and open, I will only ever need the one to cover the dreadnought sound. If I'm lucky, it'll remain the only one I want, too

I will say, in spite of that, I do admire your taste in Taylors. I used to own a 310 but couldn't get on with the shimmery-ness so away it went. The only other Taylors I have been tempted by were an '02 Fall 710-LTD and a few of the 210 Deluxes I've had my hands on through the years. And I say this despite being a confessed mahogany person. I would not, however, give up my D-35 for either the 210 or even the much more expensive 710-LTD I mentioned.

[Br1ck]

Mistake #1 is equating a Guild D 35 with any Martin, particularly a D 18. Very different animals. Which you like is subjective. Do you crave the heavy bass, scooped mid Martin signature? Many, many do. An older Guild D 35 with have a much more balanced tone with a lot of clarity. My 70 has THE neck for me. Modern D 18s have MLO necks which I don't like.

With all the work it needed, I have $1400 into it. Worth every penny.

[keith.rogers]

One of the guys at a bluegrass jam I go to has a 70s D35. Sounds fine to me, and we talk about those old Guilds with some appreciation - I had a D25 (bought new in 1973) that a friend still has, and it plays just fine at 50 years old.