Guild D-25 NT

You're reviewing my Guild D-25 NT with original HSC, 1986, purchased used on eBay in 2008 simply because I've always wanted a Guild acoustic (along with the P-90 SG Special and the standard Telecaster, my three most wanted guitars). This is one of the very last pre-snakehead models, made in Westerly, RI and equivalent to the earlier D-35 which was the spruce-topped version of the original all-mahogany D-25 (Guild were infamous for swapping their designations around). Oh, and no electrics on this one.

Full dreadnought (or dreadnaught, as Guild preferred to call it at the time) size with unusually deep body. Top is spruce, natural finish. Sides and back are mahogany. Sides may be solid, but back is almost certainly laminated as it has an arched profile with no back braces. Back and sides finished in a very dark translucent shade, appearing almost black in some lights. Body is simply bound back and front in black with a minute single white stripe at front only. Neck is mahogany, one piece, unbound, rosewood board with some very slight visible surface irregularities which can't be felt and which don't affect playability. The traditional wide Guild headstock has no headplate, the MOP Guild "peaked" logo being unusually inlaid directly into the mahogany. Twenty medium frets, fourteen clear. Small dot markers commencing unusually at the fifth fret. Trussrod has a hexagonal nut adjuster unique to Guild, being similar to but smaller than Gibson. Tuners are chromed Grovers with the usual smooth action. Traditional Guild scratchplate and trussrod cover plate, both in unlaminated black. Traditional Guild rosewood bridge with pin fixings. The nut and saddle are a discoloured yellow but I think they're plastic rather than bone.

Overall a nice simply-appointed guitar for playing rather than looking at, which is how I like 'em. Not many "features" to speak of, but a high 9 for doing exactly what it says on the tin.

Sound has full frequency range with great clarity, but differs from a Gibson in being more strident and assertive, less mellifluous and polite, as compared to my '66 Epi Frontier, possibly because of the arched back. Good volume, and will certainly have greater projection than a Gibson, especially when accompanying singing. Certainly sounds OK to me when played fairly hard in Travis style with a light thumbpick and fingertips. If I want a more mellow tone, I put it down and pick up the Epi. Sound may not be to everyone's taste but I give it 9 for being so direct.

When this came to me the action was high by my standards, and I believe unadjusted from the factory setting. The bridge is quite acutely sloped upwards to the bass side in the modern way. I shaved the saddle down a couple of mil, slightly more on the bass side, and replaced the fitted D'Addario 12s with my preferred Martin 11s. It now plays barre chords comfortably up to seventh position without any sign of buzz if fingered accurately, and I think there's still scope for even more lowering should I choose to do so in the future. Neck is slim front to back, comfortable flattened C profile. Spacing is quite narrow at the nut but flares to be wider at the saddle than a comparable Gibson, being ideal for fingerstyle.

Finish is very shiny all over and of high quality, and on this 1986 instrument is almost NOS condition, even though the instrument has clearly been played quite a lot judging from the condition of the frets - obviously very well looked after. Finish and quality are certainly worthy of Guild's reputation, even though this one came from the company's difficult mid-80s period - they don't appear to have suffered from the quality downturns which affected the other "G" company each time it changed hands. Following my intervention, a definite 9 for action, and similar for quality.

A very solid acoustic guitar. The top is still as flat as the day it was built, with stacks of saddle remaining. No reliability issues present or anticipated.

Probably not applicable - I doubt the new Guild owners (Fender) will see these earlier products as their responsibility.

This recent acquisition now accompanies my '65 Hagstrom H-45E, '66 Epi Frontier and mid-sixties Fender Newporter acoustics. They all sound and feel different and I love 'em all. For pure clarity and projection, though, the Guild is probably the best of the lot, whilst being the least distinctive in looks. But hey, what's the main reason for playing a guitar? This one feels and sounds just right.