Guild D-40

Natural, high gloss lacquer finish. Dreadnought. Spruce top, mahogany back and sides.Schaller tuners (I had installed after I bought the guitar). Pre-Fender, bought in the early '80s.

I play mainly folk and folk-rock, fingerpicking. This guitar is great for anyone who fingerpicks -- big, full volume and clear tone.

The only flaw I could find when I received the guitar (mail-ordered from Elderly Instruments) was a slightly misaligned reference dot on the side of the neck; looked as if they'd gotten it wrong the first time and tried to correct it -- but didn't quite make it. The action was slightly higher than I prefer, but slightly tweaking the truss rod took care of it. At the time I bought this guitar, Guild was putting some kind of no-name tuners on the D-40. I didn't think they held a tuning very well, so had a local music store replace them with Schallers, which work perfectly.

The guitar is built like a highly melodic tank. Despite its age, the finish is still in superb condition, with no crazing or cracking. If I could carry only one guitar, this would be it.

My D-40 has a lifetime warranty. Not that I've ever had to use it.

I've been playing guitar 44 years. Besides my D-40, I have a Gretsch Hauser model (nylon-strink folk acoustic) I bought secondhand when I was in college and a La Patrie Concert classical guitar I just got from a local pawnshop (I've recently started learning classical guitar). For folk and folk-rock, the D-40 is unbeatable. If (god forbid) it were lost or stolen, I would get another one. A year or so ago, we had a tornado warning. When we went down to the basement, I carried my D-40 and my late father's 80-year-old saxophone. I originally planned to buy a Martin D-28 but choked at the price. I can't imagine I'd have been any happier with the D-28 than I am with my D-40.

Solid spruce top

?? Solid mahogany back and sides
?? Mahogany neck
?? 12" radius rosewood fretboard with pearl dot inlays
?? Rosewood bridge
?? Hand-shaved bracing
?? Grover chrome plated die-cast tuners
?? 20 frets
?? Tortoise shell pickguard
?? Classic Guild rosette
?? Richie Havens signature truss rod cover
?? 1.68" nut width
. Fishman pre amp & electronics
?? 25.625" scale length
?? 4.81" body depth (at deepest)
?? 16" body width (at widest)
?? Nitro-cellulose natural lacquer finish

?? Made in USA

Very clear and distinct across the spectrum as are most Guild D40s. Had my concerns at first because although I own several other Guild guitars, this is the first post-Fender acquisition I've purchased from the Tacoma WA plant. My fears were unwarranted.

Perfectly set up, right out of the box. Low action. Well built as are all Guilds... I own several martins and Taylor guitars and although I really like them, the Guilds are heavier and can take any reasonable accidental abuse. I'm a nut about keeping all my guitars pristine. All this will need is some time for the spruce to age. If it matures as my 90s era Westerly-build Guilds, I'll be very, very happy.

Its a Guild...should last my lifetime and well beyond. I'll will her to my granddaughter when the time comes. No backup needed for mechanical concerns; I keep my Taylor 314MCE ready as quick backup in case of broken strings...

No experience with the Fender folks who now provide support. I'm a bit picky, though, and if necessary, I'll go to my personal luthier. I know he cares...

Playing off and on since 1967. Sizeable stable includes: 1974 Epiphone FT-16- Texas 12, 1987 Yamaha FG-340 II, 1999 Taylor 314 MCE, 1994 Martin D-35, 2006 Martin DX12, 1984 Martin Shenandoah 2835 (12 string), 2007 Little Martin, 2004 Guild D-25 (Corona), 1998 Guild D4-12-NT-HR (Westerly), 1999 Guild JF-30-12 (Westerly), 2007 Guild GAD 212E ANT, Just ordered a 2007 Guild D55 (Tacoma made).

Favorite feature: electronics

Purchased from ebay retailer. I thought sure it was a blem at this price (vs. 1799.00 list). It arrived in perfect condition complete with good serial number and Guild warranty papers

Guild D40 Bluegrass Jubilee - 2007 Tacoma, Wash. Beautiful nitro finish. Tortoise binding and pick guard. Grover tuners so nice, I don't know how to act. Slightly (1/16) wider nut makes it easier to finger pick than most steel string guitars. Really solid case, but not heavy. Superior solid woods. Perfect, minimalist inlay. I like the flat heel at the body, making it easier to reach 15 - 18 (14 to the neck). No electronics...if I need to amp it, I have a Markley pickup.

The lightest touch will produce full, round tones. Hammer it - "Guild. Made to be Played" - and you will blow the room away. Major sustain. Perfect intonation to the end of the fretboard. The overtones produce nearly a singing quality to chords. I play rhythm for gospel, olde timey and bluegrass; flat pick Irish and Celtic tunes; finger pick classical and DADGAD; I had to try an open G and the slide just because, and was amazed.

Absolutely flawless.

I've only had it for a week, but have put about 30 hours on it, and have not had to re-tune. Amazing.

The customer support at Dave's Guitar is legendary. Now that Clay Riness is working the acoustic room, it like having your very own master musician on hand.

I have been playing guitar for over 40 years, and this is the nicest, sweetest one I have ever played...including $2500 Martins. And I like Martins a lot. Got it brand new at Dave's Guitar in La Crosse Wisconsin, on May 24 for about $300 less than any intenet store. Finger pick, flat pick, rhythm strum, slide, frail, use your teeth...all that will come out is sweet music. The guitar plays better than I do, and I can't put it down. "I got blisters on me fingers". Like other reviewers, once I played it in the store, I kept coming back to it because it really felt like "my" guitar. If it were stolen or lost, I would enter a deep depression; and then file an insurance claim. If you don't have this or any of your instruments on a personal property option with your insurance guy, you're taking a huge risk.

I have the last year of the Guild D-40 out of Corona, CA (fender owned them at the time and the D-40 was made until 2003 as I understand it - then they came out with the Bluegrass Jubilee version out of Tacoma - who cares, I know) It's a nice looking classy dreadnought. Solid Spruce top and Solid Mahogany back and sides. Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Nice Grover Tuners. 1 11/16" nut. No electronics. Sexy Guild Headstock

Full, but fairly mellow - with fairly crisp highs - fairly definitive lows, but mainly a midranged - middle of the road guitar. Fingerpicks well - great sound for that and good old folky tunes. My style is sort of Americana, grass-roots style. I never used picks - so I fingerpick or finger-strum - and I have been known to get a bit percussive (I have been a drummer since age 6). Great sound for what I use it for.

Came set-up well - no buzz, but low and lanky enough to fingerpick well. Responds well to my organic playing style (I sound nuts right now, yeah I got that). Bridge, bookmatching, and body-binding are well done. Mine has a few small lacquer checks - no biggie, does not affect sound. Also had the lacquer eaten through where it hung on the headstock in the music shop I got it from. I just live with it - doesn't effect sound - and you had better not complain about how my headstock looks.

Durable overall, but like I said - little lacquer checking, a few ridges around the soundhole. Hardware is great and it stays in tune well. finish is the biggest complaint - but just cosmetic. Don't use a strap, and yes - I feel like I can depend on it. I take care of her. Keep her in her case with her humidifier. I can trust it to play live - I do it every night at home.

Haven't bugged Fender about the finish issues, so I do not know. I hope I never have to find out how good/bad their customer support is.

I have been playing guitar for about 14 years. I have had a cedar simon and patrick (good fingerpicker), a Guild D4-12, Alvarez dy80-12, Martin Jumbo 12, Taylor Koa, Epiphone Masterbuilt, Samick (shoot me now - I hated that thing), a gibson resonator, and I do not know what else. But, this is my favorite all around player. Yes, I would try and replace her if she were lost, but I would be nervous and lonely. Hey - are you threatening to steal my guitar??? I love the way it plays - easy and smooth, but laborious enough that I feel like I am playing a classic design, with a good size neck and a fat dreadnaught waist. No, I did not compare it when I bought it - I loved the way it sounded and that was that.

1969 Dreadnaught made in Hoboken,New Jersey. Ribbon grain mahogany body, 3 piece mahogany neck, sodid spruce top, original Guild tuners, bound top and back of body. Beautifully finished, bought new in 1969, now showing signs of age, but absolutely no structural problems.

I play bluegrass, country, gospel, flat picking and fingerstyle. It works well for anything I play. It's the only acoustic guitar I'll ever need for rhythm or lead. Tons of volume, very sweet tone, brighter than Martin dreadnaughts, not as mellow. Clearer tone than Gibsons which sound "chunkier". The ultimate answer for bluegrass flat picking, and sweet mellow but clear tones for fingerpicking. It came with Guild M410 medium bronze strings, but I like it better with light guage bronze strings, usually Martin or Yamaha. Easier on the fingers. I went through a phase using an old DeArmond removable pickup in the sound hole with medium round wound steel strings, which gave a sound similar to a good deep body jazz guitar, but I went back to bronze for the acoustic sound. I think it has mellowed slightly over the years. I love this guitar. I don't know whether the newer Guilds since Fender took over are similar.

Guitar was perfect from the factory, except for my preference for light strings instead of medium. A guitar tech checked it out and his comment was, "This is the most fantastic guitar!" I think I lucked out with this one. I've seen other D-40s with not as pretty ribbon grain in the mahogany sides and back. The finish has checked a bit over the years

Very reliable and durable. Original tuners, bridge and nut still going strong. If I would stop bumping it and accidentally closing the case on it, it would still be like new, except for the small amount of checking in the finish. Never take a backup.

I have never needed warranty service, but have heard support was excellent. Don't know, now that Fender owns the company.

Have played on and off for 40 years, but recently more seriously practising, and trying new styles. Have had 2 other acoustics, both junk, and one Framus electric, also junk. I compared it to Gibsons, Martins, Hofner, Barclay, and many others. Closest competition was Martin, but they were more expensive and the Guild was much better sounding when fingerpicking.

I bought my left-handed Guild D-40 new in 1974. It has a Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top and Honduras mahogany (with some figuring)sides and back. Although offered at the time for this model and it's 12 string companion, this old axe has no on-board electronics. I used Bill Lawrence, Shadow, and Dean Markley sound hole pick-ups when performing but opted for good mike placement for recording. I still have the original hardshell case for it. The quality of the wood and construction have far made up for lack of cosmetic goodies. It has the original Guild tuners that have been trouble free, ebony headstock with MOP inlaid Chesterfield and Guild. The top has turned dark and a small hole has appeared beside the pickguard from years of percussive strumming. I have made arrangements with a luthier in Columbus Ohio to have the very worn rosewood fretboard and frets replaced. Years ago I replaced the worn bone bridge pins with brass pins.

I play a variety of music, heavy-metal, grunge, Neil Young stuff to bluegrass. My D-40 allows me to fingerpick to percussive strumming without compromise. It was a very bright sounding guitar when new but now it has a clear open tone with clarity from strong bass to treble.
This guitar never fails to get great comments about it's sound. The sound is so great, I find myself playing longer just to hear it. I have other acoustics, but none sound like this D-40.

The original action was okay when received. I was still learning to make music when I bought it 1974 so I was not to concerned about the action until I started to flatpicking up the neck. I had a professional in Nashville make the needed adjustment and it blew me away. Since that adjustment, I have only made one neck adjustment and that was after I replaced the original worn out bone saddle. The overall construction of this D-40 is flawless.

This D-40 has been one of my main guitars since I started performing and remains my main guitar. I usually have my Taylor lefty 855 12 string along as well but if I had to choose one, it would be the Guild. The finish now has held up well. Except for finish missing on the back of the neck, various dings on the top, sides and back, and pick wear around the sound hole, it looks fairly good for it's age and has held up very good.

I've never contacted Guild since 1974. That was when I called them to see if a left-handed D-40 could be had and they responded within a few weeks. Martin told me it would be several months and that I should shop around for a left-handed D-18.

I've been playing and writing music for 30 plus years. I learned to play guitar "upside down", that is a right-handed guitar played with the treble E on top and bass E on the bottom. This proved to be very helpful even today because I can go into a guitar shop, pull down a righty and play it. So I have played lots of guitars and have learned alot about woods, construction, and tone. I have a Rickenbacker lefty 370-12, a Taylor lefty 855 12 string, a Fender lefty San Miguel cutaway, a lefty Ibanez AW100 CE (great sounding guitar through a Zoom 504 and Laney Hardcore amp) and 2 left-handed banjoes. If the Guild were ever lost or stolen it would be very hard to replace but I would definitely try to replace it. I love it for the quality of the wood and the tone, it is a very responsive guitar.

Won't go into great detail because others have already covered most of the important facets of this fine guitar. Mine is a 2001 or 2002 that was made in Corona, CA. I love the fretboard on this guitar and the large, Chesterfield head.

When I was in the market for a mid-range accoustic I started to pick up and play every freakin' affordable guitar of it's like, to include Martin. The first thing that hit me was the unique tone I got...and at that moment I knew I had "my" guitar. I still tried a number of guitars over a week but kept coming back to this guitar because of the unique sound.

This is a slightly used Guild with a couple of small, slight cracks on the body below the bridge - otherwise in great shape. Mahogony sides and back and spruce top with the Fender name at the base of the head below the serial number. It' listed for $1600.00 but the cracks (which are slight as a say) drove the price down...but this guitar would've been out of the shop before long if I hadn't gotten it.

Came with a nice case and Guild durability has already been spoken for on here...this is a guitar that is made to last and if you take care of it, it will last a lifetime.

This is a used guitar and I use local guys for any repairs, etc...with Florida State in the same town with their excellent peforming arts program, I can get great service from a number of people.

I've only been playing guitar for a while, but have played a number of instruments (both formall and just for fun) on and off for 30 years. I started with an introductory Alvarez and have since played a number of Ovation, Seagull, Martin, Takamine, etc. For the price, look, durabilty, and just great accoustic sound, I'll definitely go with Guild again unless something else in the $2000.00 range sounds, feels, and looks better. IMO, a $2000.00 Martin has nothing on this guitar, maybe even a higher end Martin...I went with my "ear" and this guitar just took me right away and I'd be hard pressed not to have another and always have a similar Guild on hand.

My D40 was made in 1978 in the USA. It has a Sunburst top of solid spruce with nitro-cellulose lacquer finish. Solid mahogany back and sides, Guild name and Chesterfield logo in mother-of-pearl. I had to change the machine heads due to normal wear and tear, which broke my heart. The neck is a bit "Chunky" but solid as a rock - no need for adjustment on a regular basis.

It has a fantastic Acoustic Sound to it (I rarely use it through PA). A bit bright on the top end, but not to the extent that I would complain. It has a lovely bright "middle" tone to it, no buzzing or rattling - a really sweet, clean sound.

I bought the guitar second-hand and it had quite a few distress marks on it, presumably because it had been owned by a moron who didn't look after it. Despite that, it still looks good.

This guitar is really well built - typical American craftsmanship. Properly looked after, it will last forever, The finish is still good - no cracks or flaws apart from previous mis-use.

I have been playing for 40 years and the Guild sounds better than anything in its price range. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another, but only an American one - I don't rate the newer models as good as the older ones. I also own a Gibson J30 cutaway, which I love to bits, and use mainly through PA because of its superior electrics, but it is a completely different animal to the Guild, which gives me plenty of variety in what I play.

I am resubmitting my review after playing the D40 for several months now. I play at home, in group gigs, and in a church band. I am a rythem guitarist. I bought my D40 from Musician's Friend on a close out sale. The price was $750 including a hardshell case.

It was made in 2001 at the Corona, California facility. This was their first year of production under the Fender label after leaving the Nashville facility.

The guitar came with a fishman matrix piezo under the saddle. As mentioned previously the guitar had a few minor blemishes. It has since checked about 4 inches across the front almost to the bridge.

The sound is excellent. Everyone that tries this guitar loves the sound. It is a bit on the bright side. I recently played a group gig with a guy that had a Blue Ridge acoustic. His sounded better, but I understand his was made from aged wood, and he did not have a pick-up under the saddle. I think he gave $650 for his. He has a good collection of acoustics.

My wood hasn't aged yet, and the pickup under the saddle does change the sound.

On the piezo pick-up I'm going to upgrade my previous rating. Don't mess with the EQ. It is hardwired into the electronics and you don't need any EQ adjustment. This is the mistake I was making when I first got the guitar. I play it on a Carvin amp and it sounds very good -- not perfect, but I have received several complements on the sound quality.

I'd give it a 9.5 rating. The natural acoustic sound is excellent, and having electric production capabilities is definitely a plus.

I covered this in the first section of the review. The only thing I might add is that the cable nut on the guitar strap button kept falling off so I finally glued it on. I also had to add a strap button under the neck. The guitar tends to lean out toward those heavy grover tuners. I've gotten used to it, and it doesn't affect my control.

The action was perfect for me. I like it really low, which means I can't play as hard, but I make up for the lower volume with amplification.

It seems to be a very reliable guitar. I'd say the tuners are just a tad loose, but they are very stout, and they hold tune quite well.

The checking is just a fact of life with an extra thin finish like I have.

Except for the strap button falling off during a rehersal I've never had a problem in performance. As I said before, glue took care of the problem --it kept coming unscrewed.

They seemed to be co-operative enough. I thought about repairing the checked finish, but I'm going to leave it alone. I don't want anyone to change the sound by messing with the finish. It just isn't a big deal on the looks of the guitar. It is a pretty guitar.

I love this guitar. There are others out there that are better, but for $750 I got a great deal. It plays as easy as an electric. It sounds excellent. I've had a lot of professionals try playing it and they are impressed with it. Yeah, you can do a little better for 2 or 3 grand.

I really like Tacomas too. I might buy a tacoma 12 string, cut-away, semi-jumbo for $1300. It sounds better but it should with 12 strings on it.

I bought it for $750 brand new from Musician's Friend on a clearance sale. It was a sweet deal. I read the other so-so reviews on this model that were 30+ years old, not new like mine. This model is a re-issue of those models, with superior construction -- Beefy Grover Tuners - not those 30 year old cheapies. The neck DOES NOT need a reset. It is solid and a little thick. Only a minor adjustment was needed since it started setting in.

Mine is a Standard set-up on a full body guitar with spruce top, mahagony sides, etc. as described in the Guild literature. This guitar was made in 2003, Corolla, CA, USA. It included the fishman matrix active Natural I piezo pickup option under the saddle. No controls, No condenser Mike. Includes deluxe case.

Without the pick-up it is a great sounding guitar. I play in a band and it cuts right through the mix with clear lows, balanced midrange and sparkling highs. No mud anyhwere on this one. The tone is bright across the entire range and evenly balance. It deserves its name "BlueGrass Jubilee". It could play about anything. My wife says it sounds like a Doobie Brothers acoustic.

With the pickup it is probably is not as good as a Takamine. I have a Carvin 100 acoustic amp.

I give an overall sound rating of 9. If I only judged the acoustic tone I would rate it a 10.

The action was darn near perfect. It played so easy. I made one minor neck adjustment, with full tension applied to the strings as recommended in the owners manual. It cranked real easy.

There was one small ding near the soundhole. The case got a scratch through shipment. Otherwise I would give it a 10. No way I'm sending it back because of these minor flaws.

It looks and feels like a workhorse to me. It is solid, and a little heavy, but it did not give up anything on the sound.

no experience

I've been playing it about 2 weeks. If it were stolen I couldn't replace it, not for what I paid. It's a keeper for life as far as I'm concerned. The piezo isn't that good otherwise I love it.