Guild D-4

Plain & simple.

Rich, full sound.

I've played bass for the past 40 years, so I'm not a good judge of the action. To me the action feels great, but I'm used to a whole different feel. As far as fit & finish goes, it seems to be as near perfect as a guitar can be.

It gets passed around more than a ... well it's seen a LOT of playing and a lot of players and is still in near-perfect condition.

Never used.

My ex-wife bought this new and gave it to me for my birthday in 1993. Mine is the high-gloss model and has a manufacturing date inside of Jan 4, 1993. Like I said above, I've played bass for 40 years, but I love to do some picking & strumming once in a while. I have been in love with this guitar since the day I took it out of the case. I rarely get to play it when other guitar players are around. Whenever we have a get together at my house (which is often), the first thing I hear is "where's that Guild of yours?" Several have tried to get me to sell it to them "what do you want a 6-string for anyway?" I've never used it professionally, but it has been loaned to friends to use performing several times. One wanted to take it on tour with him and leave me his Martin. This is a wonderful instrument, and of the many people who have played it over the years there has never been anything but praise for it.

Satin finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top. Whaddya want for 300 bucks?

The thing sounds like a cannon and plays like an eighteen year old virgin.

See above.

Built like a tank. I could kill you with this, then use it at Fisher Hall.

Seriously, though, after ten years, the thing is well-worn, but sounds fantastic.

Never needed them - 10.

I bought this thing on Ebay ten years ago for 300 bucks and it's been my baby ever since. It's also been my protector. I'll forever love this Guild.

The Guild D-4, introduced in 1991, is a straightforward mahogany dreadnaught with spruce top. I got mine in '92 and it is my old friend. The mahogany sides are matched but do not have much figure in the grain, the arched back is one piece and the grain is close together on one side widening up to a broad open grain on the other. Not really a handsome guitar but not meant to be, either, at the price. The value in the D4 is in the sound and quality.

The spruce top has very straight grain moderately spaced at a USA quarter thickness apart. Mine has some bear claw on both sides of the upper bouts. The superb 1-1/16 mahogany neck is ONE piece except for blocks to widen the headstock just outside the silver Grover tuners.

Bindings are black with the top bindings and rosette enhanced with a simple white/black/white/black micro bands. Understated but looks good with the usual Guild western style pickguard.

My Guild D4 has clarity and punch with single notes and finger picking (a bit like aged mahogany OMs or 000s made by Martin), but still has the jangly Guild singing sound if you play a full handful. Very balanced across the fretboard. It has plenty of headroom so you can whang it without breaking up or getting messy, a quality I dearly love and hard to find in a moderately priced guitar

This guitar is about 15 years old now and the sound is better than ever. I suppose it is my main love. I have a half dozen guitars and always reach for this one. A fabulous box, IMHO.

When I got this guitar I played everything in the store. The sound was just right but the action was a little high and the frets needed dressing. A country luthier set it up for me. He happened to like the guitar so he took his time and got the setup right the first time and rounded the edges of the fretboard, too.

I've gone through some changes with this guitar. The finish was no big deal so I painted it twice. One time flat brown with some decorations in red paint, then later green with palm trees. I was playing bars. I trimmed the signature Guild shape off the headstock (I'm a cabinetmaker), leaving a gentle curve at the top. Finally I stripped off all the paint, stained the spruce a little and shot a satin nitro finish on it. It's a handsome little dreadnaught now and a lot of players ask about it beause there are no labels.

This guitar is well built and will be there when your grandkids grow up.
I have used and abused mine every which way and it takes it. Sure you can scratch and gouge it if you aren't careful and if you play clubs you eventually will. Don't worry about it; doesn't change the sound.

I think the D4 came with light gauge strings on it. Whatever the case, I strung it with D'Addario mediums for volume and played it that way for years. The belly has swelled a little now so I've gone back to lights because I don't gig anymore, anyway.

Never needed it.

I have been playing for 45 years. I got this guitar for its clear note-for-note mahogany voice and its ability to punch through other music (think Irish). There are other guitars with spectacular voices similar to the D4, but not at this price. You can find some great Asian guitars these days in this price range of $500-600US but you won't get the classic Guild sound and quality.

Guitars are tools, really. They don't have to look good to make beautiful music. I like mine simple and tough. That's what this guitar is: simple, tough, and sounds great. If I happen to bust up this one I will be on the Net next day looking for another just like it.

My American made Guild D-4 is an acoustic dreadnaught with a satin-finished mahogany body and a solid cedar top. I don't know when it was made but I'd guess in the late 90's. I've had it now for probably 5 years. It has a beautifully contoured and unbraced back, and the body depth increases slightly from neck to end pin. The individual tuners are strong and sealed with the Guild logo on them (probably Grovers). The full size neck is also mahogany with a fairly hefty feel to it. It does not taper much towards the nut. What baffles me is the fingerboard. If I had to guess I would say it too was mahogany but I've never heard of that material used for a fingerboard. Whatever it is, it holds up well and seems to meld right into the neck. The twenty frets are large and rounded with no angles. The bridge is chunky and solid with no compensation in the saddle. It has a thin tortoise colored pickguard and slim black and white binding that is copied around the rosette. I find it difficult to rate this guitar accurately by it's "features"...it features exactly what is required to be a guitar.

The sound of this guitar is terrific. When I picked up this used guitar in a shop it was (of course) out of tune and buzzing all over the place. Surprised that this should be my first response to a Guild I sat down with it and examined it. I couldn't understand it. Everything seemed to be solid, not tampered with, and the wood was responsive with a deep mellow resonance. I was able to get the guitar nearly in tune yet there was still rattling and an inexplicable dullness in certain positions. I put the guitar down and started playing other guitars that had caught my eye including a $1500 Alvarez and the mid range $1200(?) Martins. No matter what guitar I played my thoughts returned to the low-end $460 Guild. The glossy woods of the other guitars didn't seem nearly as responsive. I had to pick up the Guild again to re-evaluate. I sat down with it and played a couple of chords. Just then another player came in and picked up a guitar. Hearing my progressions he started to break over them. After a few minutes he asked if he could try the Guild (probably disappointed with the overall sound). We traded guitars,and he strummed a deadened chord or two, broke into a buzzing lick, and said "This guitar sucks! What are you playing this for?" He replaced the Guild and grabbed another guitar and we continued jamming for another ten minutes. Throughout, I still couldn't get my mind off the Guild. The guitar he had handed me was more in tune with no buzzes, yet still not as responsive. We both left shortly after but I returned a few days later and talked the shop into selling the Guild to me for $400. It sounded so bad they were probably happy to get rid of it. As soon as I got it home I loosened up (or is it tightened?) the truss rod and lo and behold the buzzes and dead spots disappeared! The guitar stays in tune perfectly and the responsiveness of the wood really shines. The sound is incredibly versatile. The combination of materials and design is what makes this instrument so special. The unbraced rounded back improves the sound projection in spite of being mahogany and yet the solid cedar top instills a sensitive warmth with no brittleness. Having also played a glossy D-4 I believe the satin finish also allows a little more vibration, increasing resonance and the wonderful "feel" of an acoustic. Although not the loudest guitar for fingerpicking, the tonal separation between strings is wonderful. This separation also makes for strong full chords. Again the strength of this guitar is its responsiveness. Strong strumming will bring out loud sure chording while softer fingerpicking will bring out clean distinct notes. The overall tone is deep, slightly dark, and rich so if you are primarily a fingerpicker or lead player willing to sacrifice warmth for brightness I would suggest a spruce top version may be a more appropriate choice. I honestly believe this is one of the best all around sounding guitars I've ever played, and DEFINITELY the best under $1200. That includes Martins, Taylors, Alvarez, Breedloves, and others.

Having bought my D-4 used I can't speak for the factory set-up but Guild (especially pre-Fender) is known for quality. The set-up of mine at purchase was horrible, but that helped me steal it for $60 off the asking price. I had to considerably adjust the truss rod to eliminate the buzzing and dead spots which raised the action slightly higher than my ideal but that of course improves tone. I wouldn't say it's the easiest guitar I've played but the superb tone more than makes up for that. The fine-grained cedar top is bookmatched and it appears that the sides are too. The rounded back is one piece but thoughtfully chosen so the grain shows an oval knot at the high point of the bowl almost directly opposite the soundhole. The back is unbraced but the cut kerfs inside show little glue. A significant part of the neck is darker than the headstock, giving it an appearance of dirtiness or wear although it is clearly underneath the finish. Similarly the fingerboard has some uneven coloring running along the length and the top also has a couple of areas that look dirty. These are purely cosmetic flaws. The D-4 is marketed as a low-end guitar made with quality craftsmanship and quality materials but the materials may have cosmetic deficiencies that make them unsuitable for high-end guitars. I applaud Guild for their willingness to honestly market these materials that other companies may discard or sell as high-end "finished" guitars with a quick spray of colored lacquer. In truth I find the "flaws" and the simple finishes add character. The Guild craftsmen understand this and try to use the materials wisely. The length wise streaks on the fingerboard look like string wear. The discoloration on the back of the neck looks like its been played for years. The "dirt" on the soundboard looks like the player has been resting an arm there. I am grateful to be able to own such a magnificently flawed instrument.

The D-4 is an extremely solid instrument. I am primarily a strong rhythm player and I love to "beat" on this guitar because I know it will take it. The satin finish is a little thin but that allows it to breathe more and any play wear on this guitar will make it more mine. Since it's already cosmetically "flawed", and I bought it used, minor scratches and dings don't diturb me. The strap buttons, neck, bridge, tuners are all hefty and will withstand much abuse. My only concern is the rounded unbraced back and the wedge-shaped profile. Although I have no concerns about this while I am playing, a strong hard shell case is a must for transportation. Unfortunately I have been unable to find one at a reasonable price. It's hard for me to justify a $200 case for a $400 guitar and the distinctive shape makes mail order cases impossible...I know because I've tried. The only problem I've had is the black plastic heel cap came off. I simply glued it back on and it hasn't come off since.

I have never had to have it repaired. I have no idea about a warranty. Although I had faith in Guild, I wonder how Fender will stack up to them if repairs are ever needed.

I have been playing guitar for around twenty-five years, mostly on crappy cheap guitars except for the monthly trip to the music stores. I can tell you that the Guild D-4 is the best deal around. It qualifies as a cheap guitar but certainly not as a crappy one. I do however have eclectic tastes. I prefer warmth to power, sensitivity to speed, and integrity to flash. This guitar offers tone and simplicity and incredible versatility according to one's playing style. It will do what you want it to do...and if you have to use force to do it, it will not be harmed. I am sure there are nicer guitars out there. I'm sure I would like to have a Martin D-28 or a Gibson Dove. But I'm also sure I'd be nervous leaving them in my house everyday, or leaving them on my guitar stand in the living room where I could reach for them at any time. Another thing I can tell you is that this guitar has INSPIRED me. It helped me find and identify my true playing style...a funky jazz/blues/motown chording that I wasn't even approaching with my many other guitars. My Strat, my Epiphones, my Ibanezes, my classicals, my twelve string, my first guitar (an Aria), they all seemed to have their own style that I had to fit into. This guitar fit into me. My playing and songwriting improved dramatically because of this guitar. Of course this doesn't mean I'm not interested in other guitars. As we all know there is no one PERFECT guitar...that's why we have to have so many! I do wish the action could be lowered a tad without bringing back the buzzes but...by the way it makes bottleneck playing and alternate tunings and capoing a breeze! I believe these guitars originally sold at around $600-$700. I would gladly pay up to $800 to replace the one I have now, but the good news is they are overlooked by most people because of their simplicity and lack of flash. I think I could easily find another used one for $400 or less.

Bought new in 1994. I have played other D-4s that were all good, but this one stood out. I love the plain looks although after 12 years of banging around, the satin finish has some scratches, but that's part of the character. I have added an LR Baggs Dual Source pick up and couldn't be happier with the sound I get whether at church or a coffee house gig.

This guitar is perfect for me. It fits my musical style as well as my aesthectic. I play everything from power worship, blues, singer songwriter, folk, hard/medium strumming, fingerpicking, and lead. It truly does it all but excells in strumming with a rich full sound that sustains for days!!!

Like I said I've had it for 12 years and the only problem I had was replacing the stock saddle when I had the LR Baggs installed. The original would not seat properly.

I think my son will end up with this guitar someday and he wasn't even born until 2003. I've used it on numerous gigs and it has never failed me. I've never even broken a string. Fender doesn't know what they're doing by not continuing to make this guitar just as it was in '94. But then again Fender seems to enjoy making poorly made acoustic guitars.

I've never had to use it and don't I ever will.

I would replace this guitar if it was stolen, although I doubt I would be able to find one quite like it. The only other guitar I even want is a Taylor 414ce and that costs 3 1/2 time what this one did.

Westerly, RI, US-made guitar, '97ish. Same spec as the others. No frills dreadnought with fantastic Grover tuners.
Although not flashy, does the job brilliantly.

Sounds beautiful. I play rock, country, folk, picking style, everything really. It has a huge deep sound with lots of sustain, which suits me fine. It's particularly good for rhythm playing, but with some nice Martin SP's on, leads well too.

Decent action/set-up, no complaints.
I like the look of it. See it in action on the photos page of www.thewisemen.net

I bought this in early '98, and have successfully played live with it on numerous occasions, as well as recorded with it. I even took it to India with me - in a gig-bag(!) so it's got a few battle scars, but is solid, durable and reliable. When I got back to England, it was still in tune!

Never had to trouble them.

I've been playing for about 10 years, I've got a Guild T-100, Epiphone G400, Fender Jazz Bass, Epiphone SG Bass, Levin Mandolin, HH Combo. I played an E chord on this and knew I had to have it. Especially for the price, it's great, I'd happily get another.

Bought in early 1999. Features are per other reviewers.
Mine is the "HG" (high-gloss) finished model.
The materials and tuners are of very good quality for
this price range.
The look of the guitar is plain, but not "Tacoma" plain
(read: not so plain as to look ugly.)
The dealer had the guitar on the wall at $600.00. With case
it would have been $685. Because I'd recently made another
big-ticket purchase, he sold it to me with a nearly-identical
non-factory case for $575, in tax-free New Hampshire.

I like to play standard big first-position chords, along
with single string leads. When I want to whack a chord and
let it ring, this guitar is the ticket -- the chord just
keeps on coming, probably due to the rounded, unbraced back.
For faster chording, the sound can get a bit "swimmy" -- like
when you set a reverb's decay to long, and the new sound
gets masked somewhat by the tail of the last sound. Palm
muting and string choking is necessary on faster songs to
keep the attack of the chord intact.
The resonant box makes the D4 a tricky guitar to record. Solo
it's fine, but it can really crowd a mix if you can't tame the
overtones. Again: Mute and choke, and you'll be fine.
All that having been said, though, it sounds better than
most guitars at up to double its price. The nicer Gibsons,
Taylors, and Martins are a cut above, but the D4 kicks ass
on all of those manufacturer's models in the under-$1200
range (w/ the possible exception of the Taylor 314, which is
still at least $300 more than the Guild.)
Good overall balance, long sustain, good initial note definition.

Aah...
The factory setup stunk. The nut was poorly cut (sharp 1st-
position notes because the slots weren't deep enough.) The
bridge saddle was too high, was made from vinyl-comb plastic,
and was leaning at about a 20 degree angle towards the
soundhole. This was making all the strings shorter than they
needed to be, leading to horrible out-of-tuneness. I had
brought a tuner to check the guitar out in the store ('coz
you can easily be fooled by a guitar strung to less than
full pitch) but I had mistakenly assumed that the difficulty
tuning at the store was because the guitar had only just been
tuned to pitch, and was not yet "settled-in." Live and learn.
Finally, there were two frets that were high on the bass
side, leading to notes fretting-out. All correctable, but
I have to say I was disappointed to find so many problems
at one time, no matter how small.
The saddle in particular was really bad, and had me worried
that the slot had been cut incorrectly. Fortunately, it turned
out that it was just too soft, and was bending, in what was
otherwise a correctly-cut slot.
So off it went to my setup guy, who installed a beautifully
cut, hand-made, intonated saddle from cow bone. He dressed the
frets, corrected the nut, and voila! All the potential I'd
heard in the guitar was now reality, and then some. The
saddle made a world of difference in the tone. Since then,
I've just had to crank the truss rod once or twice when the
seasons change, to get the neck action right for seasonal
humidity changes.
The rest of the guitar (box, top, neck, etc) was beautifully
finished -- no orange-peeling in the clear coat, no goopy
balls of brace glue, no poor interior workmanship on the
bridge plate, no fit problems or neck angle issues. I have
to dock some points for the setup, which should have been
better, but the basic guitar was very well constructed.

It's solid. The back is unbraced, but since it's laminated
wood, it is highly unlikely to break. For an acoustic, it
has real heft.

My service guy is a local Fender / Guild certified guy. The
work he did was not warranty work, but he's trustworthy.
He is willing to act as an advocate for his customers,
so Fender doesn't just blow us off. That's a big plus.
His grade is high, but I can't rate Fender.

I've played for a long time, and I like my D4HG a lot.
One word to the wise: The guitar's box is deeper than a
standard dreadnought, so be sure to try it out in your
standard playing position, and play it for a good while.
You may find that the right-arm position causes fatigue
because of the reach required.
I play mine seated, with the guitar facing up slightly
(the T-Bone Walker position) so I'm fine with it, but
do give it a thorough test-drive to see if it suits you.
(Other players have mentioned the right-arm thing to me.)
That having been said, it's an excellent value in its
price range -- better than the cheap Martins, and by
far better than, for instance, a $700 Alvarez I played at
the same store. It's a big, bold-sounding beast if you
can take the size.

1980 jet black Guild D-4 dreadnought acoustic/electric, made in da States, has some sort of pickup, a piezo i believe, but an early one. Incredible guitar. Solid top, rosewood if i'm not mistaken. There are no controls (which is the only drawback to this stellar guitar). The jack is located on the butt of the guitar, on (in? with?) the strap button. The fretboard is rosewood, as is the neck too! The tuners are a riot--the thing looks like some 80s wanna-be metalhead bought it and thrashed it around for a while after taking off the tuner covers, but they're great.

whoooooooooahhh. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This absolutely versatile guitar has done everything i've ever asked it to. i play whatever i feel, which ranges from jazz (but krazy stuff, miles, chick corea, etc) to blues (it does the bottleneck thing wonderfully, along with regular fretted blues) to rock to folk-y stuff to country-esque stuff to my own stuff (which i still haven't been able to classify, haha). manages to be rich and bright at the same time. it does everything from really quite subtle quiet stuff to shredding--sounds slightly similar (alliteration!) to Tim Reynold's guitar on the dave and tim live at luther college album (but don't let that turn you off to the guitar if you hate dave--it's a magical axe.

i can't really tell much about this, because it was 22 years old when i got it, but if after 22 years it still plays, feels and sounds perfect!!!, then Guild must've done a damn good job.

a little story. i spent the summer in Chicago (yeah!) playin gigs, and ended up having to fly home to new york. i took this thing on a commercial airliner wrapped in bubblewrap, and it sounds better than it ever did. i gig constantly and play real hard--this amazing guitar might be made out of granite! unbelievably reliable, solid, etc...perfect.

n/a...not that i think i'd ever have to deal with Guild. it's that well built.

been playing a few years, and this guitar has adjusted itself (as if by magic) to the changes i've made in playing style, likes, dislikes, etc...if it were stolen i think i would break down and cry and be incredibly unhappy for a large number of days. compared to other guitars--feels more comfortable and more natural than many (much more expensive) Martins and Taylors i've played, and sounds better than them too...i recommend it without reservation.

Not sure when it was made, although I assume it was the last batch. The Fender people don't make them anymore. Solid spruce top, mahogany sides, shaped back which is some kind of ply I guess.
Satin finish. Tortoise shell scratchy. Very simple, just how I like. Very clean. No visible flaws of anykind. Well put together.
Came with Guild hardcase. I give 10, because nothing wrong with it. It delivers what it is meant to.

I play fingerstyle blues, alt country (whatever that means), and folky kind of acoustic stuff. Sound is what i'm after. You can really have a decent whack at it and it never buzzes. Brilliant for my needs.

Action is slightly high at 12, but playability not effected. Barre chords are a dream. Satin finish is very simple, but clean. Macine heads are solid and she stays in tune with out a problem.

Live should be fantastic. Haven't amp'ed it yet, but have heard one that was set up with a fishman soundhole and it sang.

An absolute workhorse to be.

Don't know, but it is Fender now, so I wouldn't hold my breath getting a response.

Absolute pearler. To you Yankee boys and girls prob right up there for price, but believe me when I tell you it was a steal for what I paid in Australian terms. It was $800 off list.

1998 Westerly, RI, USA built dreadnought. Basically, its specifications are listed as: solid spruce top, arched mahogany back, solid mahogany sides, 1-piece mahogany neck, morado fretboard, 1 11/16" nut width, 25 5/8" scale length, rosewood bridge, standard bracing, chrome Grover tuners etc. No electronics, no fancy inlays. Nothing fancy, just a plain high quality guitar.

Nice BIG sound. Good response across the strings. Good combination of Brightness and warmth. I compared it to every acoustic I could find under $1500.00 including Gibson, Taylor, and Martin. To my ear the only thing better was a Gibson Dove (ok so the Dove is $1500+). So the D4 came home with me. I play mostly Country, with a little Blues, and Rock mixed in. The D4 responds well whether strumming, flatpicking or fingerpicking. No buzzing!!

The set-up was great off the rack, no need to adjust. Has what I call a medium-low action. Very playable but doesn't sacrifice sound. There is a slight discoloration in the Spruce top which gives it character. The bindings are flawless (no ridges like some of the higher priced guitars had). The neck, fretboard, and bridge have no issues. Overall a very well made instrument.

She seems to hold up well. I wouldn't have any misgivings about taking her up on stage as my sole support. Time will tell. I will be adding a strap button up top soon. I hate to lace up the headstock.

Haven't had to, hope I don't. Lifetime Warranty.

Been playing for 30 years, I also own a Gibson CL-20, Fender American Strat, and old Emperador Classical made in Mexico (it still plays beautifully). If my D4 were lost or stolen I would replace it and probably pay more for a used one than I did for the new one. I love the tone and sustain. I hate the fact it only has a one strap button. My favorite feature is the radius on the fretboard (playability). Comparison Gibson WM45, Songbird, Dove, Martin D-18, DM, Taylor 410, 510, Ibanez, Fender, Washburn, Hohner, Mitchell, Takamine, Tacoma (see Sound). It was less than 1/3 the cost of the only guitar I liked better. (budgets, hate 'em)