Why isn’t the Guild D-55 as popular as the Martin 28- or 35-series?

[SpruceTop]

I've owned a 1978 Guild D-55, a 2008 Guild D-50 Adirondack Top, a 1977 Guild D-40, a circa 1975 Guild D-35, and a Guild Madeira 12-String, and all were fine-sounding and wonderfully crafted guitars. Overall, however, I've preferred the Martin dreadnought tone over the Guild dreadnought models' tone. To my ears, there's something throatier and warmer sounding about the Martins.

[dwasifar]

This thread is making me want to go play a Guild D-55 in a store. If there were any in stores. And if any stores were open.

[Wellington]

Having not played a D-55 in person, but having watched as many quality reviews as I've found, there would literally be no debate between which one I would buy hands down the D-55. Unbelievable fullness!

[doublescale1]

If the Smothers Brothers Show was available in re-runs, Tommy Smothers playing it on the show would sell more Guilds. Guild having so many owners for short runs hasn't helped the Brand, that's for sure. The two guitars are very different builds, so they sound different. Horses for Courses.

[Scotso]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

There are so many reasons ... one in that Martin has been ... well, Martin for so long. Guild has been through a few owners and different factories.

As for a D-55 vs D-28, I've near owned a Martin D-28 (or any Martin for that matter although I've played quite a few). I owned a Westerly-built D-55 for 20 years. As I've reported before it was a mid-70s model and was the heaviest guitar I've ever picked up. And it was also one of the quietest; I had it inspected by a luthier and he did all he could do, but it just was not a loud guitar.

So it was, to me at least, part of an oxymoron ... a "quiet" dreadnought, which seems to counter the very idea for one of the reasons a dreadnought was built in the first place, to give the guitar that extra volume boost to keep up with other instruments such as a banjo.

However, the D-55 has its own sound but it is a more balanced sound I think; that is, it is not as bass heavy as a Martin nor (to me) as mid and treble-based as a Taylor. It's a fine sound I think and should do well for recording or small group play.

My 2012 D-50 I just sold was lighter than my d-28 and just as loud. My 2019 D-40 is the loudest guitar I have ever played and very light for a dread. The current modern builds are no reflection of 70s and 80s Guilds in terms of weight.

[6L6]

I gigged for 10 yrs with a Guild D-55NT and loved the guitar. It was a 2006 Tacoma-built and just sounded/played killer great.

I've also owned a '74 D-40NT, 2006 D-40NT, 2006 F-412NT, and, best of all, a 1971 F-312NT that I will never sell.

Guilds come and go with me. While the only Guild in my current stash is the '71 F-312NT, I'm sure I'll add another 6 string or two in coming years. In fact, I've never met a Guild I didn't love!

[jpricewood]

I’ve never seriously considered buying a Guild because of the overbuilt comments. I guess I need to find one to play, because they definitely seem to have some amazing depth. All I have to go on right now are these videos, but I’m hearing Martin volume mixed with Gibson smoothness and thump. They also seem to have a fullness in tone that I’ve never heard before.

[Triggs]

Originally Posted by leinad

the real answer - because you can't find em left handed!

I've managed to find some Lefty Guilds

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by jpricewood

But why? Martin is known for their incredible bass response, but most of the Guilds Ive listened to lately have more bass than the Martins they’re being compared against. Granted, I’ve never done a comparison in real life.

Here is an example of a Guild that sounds better than the D-28, IMO.

Your Guild sounds great!!! I've always like there sound. Congrats.

I think I'm going to start looking into finding a beautiful sounding D-55 and or see if I can track down one of the DV-72,73,or 74 models

Oh and when my wife starts in on me, I am going to have to blame you Sir for generating this GAS.

[jpricewood]

What’s the street price on a Guild? Are there any 40% discounts out there?

[RussL30]

The lightly braced vs heavy thing has become one of those Internet forum things that people accept as truth but doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.

I’ve only played the older Westerly Guilds, so I don’t know how the Córdoba ones are braced. The heavier bracing gives Guild it’s signature tone and makes Guilds one of the best strummers out there. It might not be as good at some things as other makes, but it is certainly not inferior overall.

I don’t agree with the whole popularity argument. The Yamaha FG800(great guitars for the price) guitars way outsell Olson, McCollum, Collings etc. Does that mean more people would prefer those guitars or are they just more readily available so more people have access to actually try one and purchase it?

You can replace Yamaha in my analogy with any popular higher end Martin, Gibson etc to get closer to price point.

[baw3]

I would also keep in mind that that Guild is not going to sound the same in person as it does on Ian Meadows video. I listened to his video review of a Eastman E20om-tc a few weeks after I had bought mine and was a little surprised of the difference in the sound of the recorded video and how it sounded while playing it live. And by the way you have quite a collection of fine guitars going. I'm still surprised you sold some of the Eastman you had. I have some of the same models you sold and I am really happy with them. But I understand sometimes you have to thin the herd a little to make room for the new one.

[Mycroft]

Guild's history proper actually goes back further than 1952. Most of the initial Guild workforce was former Epiphone employees who left Epi when the company moved production to Philadelphia. Epiphone was founded in 1878, and was family owned until the family sold it to Gibson in 1957. Epi was THE rival to Gibson during the Archtop jazzbox era.

In the 60s and 70s, Guild was also THE competitor to Gibson and Martin, particularly during the Great Folk Scare and rise of the singer-songwriter.(Taylor didn't exist as of yet, or were building limited production in Lemon Grove in the late 70s) Guild also expanded into Electrics, with players like Bob Weir using them.

Someone mentioned, Bonnie Raitt playing Guilds (and still does). also in the 60s and 70s people like John Denver, Richie Havens, Roger Hodgson, Mississippi John Hurt, and many more favored Guilds. Guild 12-strings ere considered as pretty much the best available. And while Norlin-era Gibsons and 70s Martins are considered as a pretty mixed bag, Guilds from that era are still pretty much highly considered, even through several ownership and management changes.

I won't go into the RUCF that was the Fender ownership of Guild. Lets just they that it was consistent with Fender's practices after buyouts of other quality brands.

I've played a few Cordoba Guilds at Trading Musician. They seems quite nice.

OMMV

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by jpricewood

What’s the street price on a Guild? Are there any 40% discounts out there?

I've always thought it a bit of an odd way to think of price. Does it really matter what the percentage discount you can find is? What it actually sells for on the street is the actual thing people would want to know, I'd think. After all, if I price something at $4000 but then offer a 50% discount it comes in at the same actual price as one that is priced at $3000 but with a 33% discount.

[jpricewood]

Originally Posted by baw3

I would also keep in mind that that Guild is not going to sound the same in person as it does on Ian Meadows video. I listened to his video review of a Eastman E20om-tc a few weeks after I had bought mine and was a little surprised of the difference in the sound of the recorded video and how it sounded while playing it live. And by the way you have quite a collection of fine guitars going. I'm still surprised you sold some of the Eastman you had. I have some of the same models you sold and I am really happy with them. But I understand sometimes you have to thin the herd a little to make room for the new one.

You’re right, but recordings are all I have to go off of right now.

I loved my Eastmans, especially the E8D which I should have kept, but a few of them had minor issues. I’m also a bit of a collector of iconic things. I decided I’d never be happy with copies of the originals. That’s not a knock against Eastman. It’s also why I haven’t considered buying a Collings, etc. I have the same philosophy with gun collecting.