Guild D-55NT

I've played a D-55NT (Natural Spruce Top) since 1984, when I purchased mine brand new. The factory was still in Westerly, R.I. at the time. With case, I paid under $1,000.00. The price of this same instrument today is well over $2,500.00, so I guess it was a good investment! Regardless, my D-55 is the finest guitar I have EVER owned, period, end of story. It plays effortlessly, has a butter-like silky action (was good from the factory but I've worked on it and had others work on it as well) and the tone of this particular instrument is without equal. My Guild blows the newer Taylors away!! (and Taylor is a fine instrument.....don't get me wrong!)

Absolutely awesome.

Purchased from Spier Music in Garland, Texas on special order. I had to send one back (because it sounded shallow and had glue slopped all over the inside) but it was worth waiting an extra 60 days. The second one was flawless and is the instrument I still have to this day. It just keeps getting better as it gets older (like fine wine).

This guitar is the BIG BOY of dreadnoughts! Heavy, durable and well made. It takes some getting used to playing it, because it is SO much heavier than equivelant Martins or Gibsons. But that weight and heft are a bonus for people like me who tend to be rough on instruments. Martins are a pimp squeek compared to this big boy! The only other guitars I've seen as well built are Gallaghers, and they are custom costing three times the price!

Excellent. Sent the original back and they sent a replacement without comment or hassle, and this was in 1984!

I've been playing since 1975, and own another Guild, the 12-string F-112 in 100% mahogany with the round back. I also own an Ovation 6-string (which I love also) and a Fender Strat.

I bought the D-55 Guild guitar in 1978 from Mandolin Brothers in NY. I was stationed in Budingen Germany and just sold my Gibson Dove to a German guy. I bought the Guild for 500 dollars and it came with a case from the US. The best guitar I have owned. I love Guild guitarw. The first time I heard john renbourne fingerpick the guild, I knew that was the sound I wanted. Stefan Grossmans' guitar was muted compared to the Guild. I met john renbourne in durham nc in 1999 and asked him about the Guild. He said, "that was one great sounding, tough work horse that was worth every pence(sp) I paid for it" as a response. He plays for a living. I can't say it any better. Guild gives you sooooooooooooooo much for the money. Jump in and get one, you will be happy.

The Guild is brighter than my D-35 Martin and the action is better. The guitar is heavy. If you want one of the "thin is in" guitars from XXX don't get the Guild. Its a great sounding, very stable, work horse. Easy to get it adjusted and set up down the road.

My Guild is coming up on 30 years of age. All my Martin friends have made offers and ask to play it when we are together. What can you say. The only guitar I have longed for "action wise" is the early Taylor. Not the new treble wonders.

No acoustic box will hold up like this one. It is great. My friend's Gallagher is a close second and a great box. I still would not accept his offers to trade.

If you ever get to Westerly Rhode Island -- you are home. They treat you like a king. Not like Naz.... PA.

35 years off and on. Ragtime and blues. I love Stefan Grossman, Pierre Bensusan, John Renbourne, Pentangle, and Jorma Kaukonen on the finger-style. Doc Watson and Tony Rice fire me up with that flatpick and their early singing stuff.

I bought mine in 1976, back when I as just a puppy. It's got all the normal D55NT stuff, such as solid spruce top, ebony fretboard and bridge, gold tuners (Grover I think), beautifully bookmatched back, etc.

I searched for a month, or so for the right sounding flat top for me. Gibson was big at the time, but for my ear, it was too tinny. Martin was huge as well. They had a lot of bass, but not the response on the high end I was looking for. I also looked at several models of Guilds, but the D55 was as close as I could find with nearly equal hi and lo output. It is a large dreadnaught with a lot of naked volume.

As I recall, the action was fine. I was used to playing high-end electrics whose action was extremely close, so I guess I would have been very critical. There were no flaws that I can remember, although now, nearly 30 years later, there are two minor issues, explained below.

After nearly 30 years of use/abuse, the body perimeter binding is cracked in one place, but not coming loose. Also, the lacquer is lifting a little on the thumb side of the neck. Other than that the guitar is in great shape. I've also treated it badly, with seemingly no ill effects. Well, I have recently taken it to the shop to get the action fine-tuned. Seems that 30 years of not taking care of humidity may have warped the neck a little, but I guess this is to be expected if you ignore some basic needs.

Never had to deal with Guild directly.

I've been playing since the mid 60s. Have owned a 65 Les Paul and a 66 Gretch Tenneseean. (Where are they now???) as well as other, less expensive electrics. Also owned some cheap acoustics. Now have the D55, a 5-string banjo, fiddle and mandolin. (Used to teach bluegrass banjo and fingerstyle guitar back in the 70s.) If the Guild was swooped, I would look around at other stuff, only to see what technology might have done to the sound. I've played all the Taylors, and although their action is fantastic, and they sound great, they still don't beat the sound of the D55. I'm thinking seriously about giggin' again, so I had a Fishman Matrix installed. Glad I waited for the pickup, because acoustic electrics of yesteyear don't compare with today's gear. Looking back, the $650 I paid was a fantastic value, but I don't know about the $2,000 price tag of today.

built in 1999, At the Guild Westerly,RI factory(before they moved to Corona,CA. Has typical 20 frets. Solid spruce top. I installed a l.r.Baggs dual source system in the guitar after the purchase. has a ribbon bridge pickup and a super condenser mic on the bottom of the top of guitar. Active electronics.The neck is a Three Piece Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany. Finish is a high gloss natural finish. It is a dreadnaught style. Has grover tuning machines on the peg head. came with a delux hard shell case, and i use a l.r.baggs acoustic d.i. to help amplify the signal.

I shoped around for the perfect guitar over a course of 6 years, and this is the guitar I ended up with. So it fits me perfectly. I just use a l.r. baggs acoustic d.i. and if not that, i use a trace elliot TR50 acoustic amplifier(95 MODEL)Not noisy at all, very quiet. Very rich and full sound. Not to tinny and bright but perfect for what i use it for. I have no dislikes. I love everything about it. well excep that it is uncomfortable to just lounge on the couch and play because of the size, but hell ya cant do anything about that.

the set up was almost perfect right out of the case. the action was a little high, but i had it lowered. The build was extreemly well done. No flaws. I examined the guitar point to point and not a thing wrong with it or the craftsman ship of it. the wood was an extreemly pretty shade, and bookmached was right on the money.

Yes it will with stand extream playing. The harware is great very well crafted. The finnish is wonerful, and i really dont expect any issues with the life of it. Yes both the endpin and the stap button on the heal, are not going anywhere. I depend o it every time i play it has yet to fail me. yes i would use it with out a back up.

they are idiots. Not guild, but fender they own them not and they dont know jack about acoustic guitars. They have compleately screwed up the company and name GUILD. Not to mention made it almost impossible to own a good one anymore. I will never send my guitar to those Morons. I will however take it to a builder I know
"John Fitzgerald" he builds custom acoustic guitars and is really good at it. But those people at fender need to stick with electric guitars and sell guild back to the real knowledgable people.

I have been playing for 8 years, and I own a few other guitars which include a 1970 Martin D35. That is the only guitar I have ever played that comes close to sounding as good as min guild. I wish that guild was still around and that there guitars were the same quality as they were 10 years ago. But we cant have everything, evedently Fender does not know that or they would have left Guild alone and let them buld there guitars as they had been for the last 100 years.