Guild D-50 GAD

2004 Guild DAG D-50. Simple dreadnaught style body. Solid Sitka spruce top. Indian Rosewood back and sides. One piece mahogany neck. Incredible appointments. Grover tuners. Prewar Martin style bracing - forward shifted. The fit and finish inside and out is so clean. I've played guitars in every price range - this Guild is up there with some of the best of them (Huss & Dalton, Taylor) but not up to spec with a custom built guitar. The best I've ever seen is a McPherson. For the money, these appointments are a heck of a deal. You won't see inlays like these and all wood binding without paying three times as much. There aren't tons of features - but it has solid, high quality features throughout.

Deep and bright. Thick, throaty, and LOUD! Well balanced tone - not open at all like Taylors, slim body, mini jumbo's and the like. I bought this used so the strings aren't new and it still sings like a fat lady. I play pretty hard with a percussive style - Dave Matthews, John Mayer, etc, so I can be tough on guitars. The response off the solid top is great, fingerpicking is clear, hard strumming will stir your soul.

It's set up well - I did buy it used, though. Plays great with light strings. The action is not too low and there's no buzz. Stays in tune as you play up the neck - sounds just as good with a capo up the neck too. My Garrison G-25CE is equipped with the Buzz Feiten intonation system, so I've become accustomed to that - I wish this Guild came equipped with it. I may look into a retro fit. Once you've owned a guitar with the Buzz system, you won't want anything else.

I don't plan on gigging this guitar much. It has a light top and light bracing, so take care of it. Again, it needs a Buzz Feiten retrofit and I'll probably add an LR Baggs as well. The quality of the craftsmanship shows through and I'm sure this guitar will stand the test of time. The end strap pin isn't set in very well. That will be replaced with the pickup. Finish looks solid. Any wear over time will only sweeten the look. It does have a clear pick guard, which is nice. I'll keep a backup though, I tend to bust strings and play long sets.

Bought it used. Warranty probably doesn't transfer. I doubt I'll have any problems though.

I've played for 10 years, mostly acoustic. I prefer Grand Auditorium and Mini Jumbos, but the sounds and quality of this dreadnaught made it an absolute steal. Plus it's a Guild - even though they are owned by Fender these days. There are only a few brands of dreadnaughts I would play - either custom built (Huss and Dalton, Froggy Bottom, Collings) or a Larrivee - I would usually go with a Grand Auditoriun body - but the sound out of this guitar is so pure and deep that I couldn't resist. I love to find some other GAD series Guilds to compare them to mine. I'd buy this again in a second - I got mine half price, but I'd gladly pay more.

Brand new, features just like the other guy said.
When I bought this guitar I didn't think it had a pick guard, but it does. Clear plastic thing. I bought it online, so it didn't show up in the pictures.

It's got good sound. I've never owned this nice of a guitar.

The guitar holds it's tuning very well. They come pre-tuned from the factory (down a half step), and even though this guitar went through the mail system to get to me it was still in tune when I got it. 2 minutes to tune it up the half step and I was go.

Only had the guitar 2 months. The strap button wasn't solid, and will come out if you pull on it. I'm not fixing that though. I might put a pickup in it, and I'll fix it then.

No clue.

I've been playing for almost 10 years. I have an Ibanex Roadstar, and a Washburn XB 120. I have an old Kent that I bang around on for an acoustic, and all it's been doing since I got this guitar is collect dust.
I've always wanted a Guild, and this is the best way to do it if you're on a budget.

Brand new, 2004 Guild GAD D-50. This all-solid Sitka Spruce/ Indian Rosewood D-50 is from Guild's new made in China "Guild Acoustic Design" line. It features a (dark) rosewood fretboard with pre-war D-28 style pearl diamond and snowflake inlays, rosewood bridge with ebony bridge pins, bone nut and saddle (nut width is 1 11/16"), gloss finish (nitro-cellulose?), traditional 50's-60's Guild headstock with rosewood veneer and pearl Cherterfield logo and Grover tuners, real wood body bindings (gorgeous) and D-28 style rosette. Clear pickguard. Dovetail neck joint. The guitar is EXCEPTIONALLY well made, with meticulous craftsmanship. The woods are beautiful throughout (the top is spectacular). The guitar is lightly built with a thin top (looks thick from the soundhole, but that is due to a reinforcing ring around the soundhole--the top itself is quite thin) and light, scalloped bracing. The internal work is like that on the highest quality instruments--impeccably clean. It has a modern, low profile neck that feels great. All in all, I am completely knocked out by the quality of this guitar! It would be excellent if the guitar sold for $2000+ plus; at $600, it is unbelievable.

I have owned and played them all (well, almost). Martin, Taylor, Larivee, Santa Cruz, Collings, Everett, Lowden ... you name it. This guitar is simply KILLER. I like it as well or better than anything I have owned. I am NOT kidding. And I don't get effusive about every new guitar I pick up--I did when I was younger, but I'm much more jaded now. This is the first guitar that has blown me a way in quite a while. The guitar that I have played that is closest to it tonally is the Santa Cruz D/PW, which, like this, comes set up (and sings) with light gauge strings. This guitar is less voiced for bluegrass than that guitar--it has a bit more of the Larrivee or Taylor about it, though on the whole, I would say it's tone is more Martin-esque in character. It has some noticeable Guild qualities, but it definitely taps into the character that a good, lightly built Martin D-28 has (though with less bass boom). Very crisp and detailed for a Rosewood dread. Fingerpicks very well. Sustains for days. Plays so easily. I love it!

Fabulous. The set-up, detailing and workmanship are as good as nearly any I've seen, regardless of price.

No idea. It IS lightly built, so we shall see. Whether there were any compromises in construction that will show up as issues later on, I can't say. It look to have been built right, with time tested techinques.

No experience with Fender/Guild yet ... we'll see.

I've been playing for 20+ years. My favorite thing about the guitar? Sound, playability, looks, quality of contruction--it's all outstanding. The PRICE is the steal of the century. It will be interesting to see whether the "MIC" issue (which to be honest, is a complex and difficult one) gets in the way of the attention these guitars deserve. I have never seen a deal quite like this. The bang for the buck is just obscene. This guitar has immediately become my favorite axe, moving ahead of a number of others by the big names; many of which, I have to admit, I am now contemplating selling. If you find one of these to try, do so ... you will be shocked, I suspect. I played 3 D-50's and 3 D-40c's at the local shop and they were all wonderful--though for me, this D-50 was clearly the pick of the litter. For us acoustic guitarists, these are amazing times!!