Guild D-55

A beautiful top of the line dreadnaught guitar with highly figured Indian Rosewood back and sides and a fine solid spruce top. Standard body B&W binding extends up the entire neck and includes large block abalone fret markers and the deluxe Guild headstock. I bought this guitar new in 1975 at Sam Ash music in Paramus, NY to replace a Martin D-28. The Martin had really great tone but this was before they used adjustable truss rods and I had to have the neck reset twice in three years and as a working pro I couldn't afford the downtime.

This Guild is heavier than most of todays dreadnaughts and it has been structurally solid for the last 25 years. The downside is the tone and volume are not what I think they could be because of the thick finish and unscalloped braces. The tone is quite full, leaning towards the low mid-range with big bass. The high-end sparkle so prevalant in many of todays guitars is missing here. A well balanced tone, great for solo work but tough to record without extensive EQ.

Back in the 70's I added a set of BB Hot Dots for amplification and replaced them with an original Martin Thinline in the 80's that has worked fine for me ever since. With my Passac preamp this guitar has always received raves for it's amplified tone although it is prone to low freq feedback howl a bit sooner than most. Very responsive and less tinny than most piezo setups.

The ebony fingerboard and overall neck feel has always been excellent. The gold-finished Grovers always kept a solid tune but the gold finish is disappearing from finger acids I guess. A very solid and strong instrument.

A very full sound with emphasis on the low-mids and a prominent bass. With Phosphor Bronze light gauge strings the balance is quite even. I wish for a bit more sparkle on the high end these days but I fear this guitar is too heavy for that. I use it for solo S/S, duo and trio work with great success. Sounds excellent amplified as well. Tough to mic though, a lot of bass energy at the soundhole. In jam sessions with high end boutique guitars (Collings, Taylors, Moze, etc.)I have a tough time keeping up with volume or "cut".

It took several years of small adjustments to get the action down to where I like it but it plays very well these days. Excellent intonation even without a compensating bridge. The finish is old style Guild - thick and shiny. Perhaps not the best for enhancing the vibration of the wood but for keeping it looking good throughout all these years it's great. The spruce top has yellowed beautifully. The binding on the neck has come off a few times and getting it to stay has been tough. there has also been a bump at the 14th fret for as long as I can remember that causes a few high notes to fret out, I just never had the need to go after this.

Like I mentioned above this baby is finished to last. Thick and shiny, perhaps too thick for tone enhancement but for protection it's been great. I have taken care to oil the ebony bridge and fretboard regularly and they remain in great shape after 25 years of constant use. This has been my only acoustic guitar since I bought it and I made my living with it for decades.

Came with a limited lifetime warranty to the original purchaser. I have never tried to get it repaired under this warranty. Guild repairmen have been quite scarce thru the years and my issues weren't that pressing. Perhaps not that it's under the Fender umbrella repairs might get easier.

This has been an excellent musical companion for 25 years, dependable and musical. If I lost it I would probably look hard at Taylor or Collings although at today's prices I would probably be looking hard for a bank to knock over too.

The D55 is the top of the line Guild dreadnaught. Solid tight grain spruce top, Indian Rosewood sides and back, 3 piece mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. It is beautifully inlaid with mother of pearl(and mother of toilet seat) on the headstock, purfling, and block markers. It has multiple binding around the fingerboard and body. The tuners are gold Grovers, the bridge is ebony. In other words- top notch materials all the way around.

For all you Martin lovers out there who never give Guild a second thought- think again. This is one of the biggest sounding guitars I have played(and I own almost 20). It has a smooth top end, big midrange and full bottom end, with a distinct "piano" quality to it. If you know pianos, it sounds like a Yamaha. No,it doesn't have quite the delicacy of a good Martin, but has clarity and brightness that are very appealing. This is a guitar that likes to be strummed hard and picked with authority. Many Guilds I've played are heavy, but this one(1998 model) is medium light and well balanced.

This guitar plays as well as an acoustic can. I love the neck profile and width- much better than the Martins I own. The action is medium low, with no buzzing or fretting out. It is easy to play all the way up the neck, a rare trait for an acoustic. The construction is exemplary, the finish is flawless(if slightly on the heavy side). My only criticism is the fingerboard binding has light black smudges that shouldn't be there. Otherwise the construction is very good.

This is a great gigging guitar. Very solid feel, well built,not fragile feeling. I would definitely trust it to last for a long time.It should improve with age.

I haven't had a need to contact the company.

These guitars have to be the best value on the market! A top of line dreadnaught for $1150? Get real! You're pushing $2000 for Martin, Taylor or Gibson of that quality. I think you're paying for the quality materials and workmanship, not a name or history. It does have it own distinct voice, but so does every other guitar. I love the way it sounds and plays.