The Guilds - 2004 Natural Guild D-55 Forty years after buying my first Guild guitar I was looking for another classic, the Guild D-55. Again, eBay was the source of choice and I found a new, 2004 D-55NT for a reasonable price from a Long Island dealer. It was a transitional (Guild being bought by CBS/Fender Instruments Corporation) instrument that had been renumbered (via adheasive labels) to fit in the new numbering series. Further, there were finish cracks in the nitrate clear finish that would clearly relegate it to "second" status by the manufacturer. While almost invisible when viewed straight-on, these are annoyingly crystal clear when viewed from the player's perspective. Guess that's why it was priced as it was...
The back and sides are rosewood, the top is Sitka Spruce, the fretboard is ebony and the fret markers are the perloid blocks with triangular abalone inserts. The neck and headstock are bound, as is the body, in white plastic. The tuners are gold Grovers which compliment the other appointments.
The tone and playability of this instrument are what I expected in a new, unplayed Guild of these dimensions: though still "tight", there is the audible potential for deep, rich tone across the entire range of notes. The easily navigated fretboard is a joy to play, though a bit more rounded than the Taylors. The projection is not as loud as I might have liked but I attribute that to its being unplayed to this point - just one more that I need to play!
And now for the pictures (click to enlarge):
So concludes the presentation of my 2004 Natural Guild D-55 guitar. Feel free to contact me with any questions and/or comments.
*8o)
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Changes last made on: Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 8:15pm