Guild DCE1

Like other DCE1's: solid spruce top; laminate mahogany back -- single-piece, arched, and unbraced; gold-plated grover tuners; fishman electronics; USA made. Give it extra feature points for the great back. I believe my DCE1 was made in 1994.

Full and rich sound. Lots of low-end, but very balanced tonally. Sound has improved with age. Plugged-in, it sounds really nice. With the bass boost on, the fishamn electronics do a good job of reproducing the pure acoustic tone and sound of the guitar. Haven't heard a comparable guitar with drop tunings -- the DCE1 thunders!

Fit and finish was so-so when new. I quickly changed the neck (truss rod adjusted from slightly curved to nearly dead-straight); filed the frets to flatten them and improve eveness and consistency; replaced the original saddle with a bone saddle sanded to my preferred height (if I remember right, the original was bone with shims); sanded the nut to keep a couple strings from sticking; and added a strap button on the neck at the top of the body. After all that was completed, it stays in tune through hard playing, has very good intonation, and does not buzz with medium or medium-light strings.

This guitar has withstood many live events, heat, cold, drops, and more with no problem. Although, after a few years, the original satin finish started checking and I also decided it was hurting tone. It was stripped and refinished with a wipe-on satin polyurethane. Looks great and sounds even better than before. No problems with bindings or the fishman electronics. Top and back still firmly attached.

Never needed customer support.

I love this guitar and would definitely try to replace it with another DCE1.

This was my 3rd guitar purchased in 1999 after owning a cheap Fender acoustic and an Ovation (that I hated). This has been my "every day" guitar since that time. Here's what I know...

American-made acoustic/electric dread with cut-away, satin finish, Fishman electronics, & gold Grover tuners. Top is made of solid spruce, back and sides are laminate mahogany, and the back is arched.

There are better guitars out there, BUT for the price, this has been a solid instrument. Like I said, I've been playing mine for 10 years.

I've come to realize since I've owned this guitar that it was built for acoustic playing, though it has electronic capabilities. I've received numerous comments on the acoustic sound of this instrument, both plugged and unplugged, but my person preference is unplugged.

Acoustic sound is very rich and deep, with good balance from bass to mids to highs.

Plugged in, the Fishman electronics just don't do what I would like for them to do. I'll talk more about the durability of the Fishman pre-amp later, but plugged in, this guitar sounds really "plunky" - I know, great description. This has been reduced slightly by continually working on the set-up of the guitar, playing on Elixir lights, and running it all through a L.R. Baggs para-acoustic DI box to clean up and soften the sound. If the Fishman pre-amp gave an accurate picture of the acoustic sound of this guitar, I would be happier with it.

From the factory, the action was incredibly high! I took it to a local guitar shop who did a great job getting the action lowered. Now it plays great acoustically with no buzz all the way up the fretboard.

As is common with many flat-top guitars, a slight bulge has developed just behind the bridge from string tension, which in return has caused the bridge to lean a bit toward the neck. It's not a big deal and the guitar still stays in tune fine, but it's something I'm watching.

The satin finish has held up over the years well.

Here's where the most negative remarks concerning my guitar will be contained.

First, after years of traveling and gigging, the binding that would be closest to my body while playing had started to come loose. Since it's plastic, the only thing I could do to rectify the situation was to break it and glue it back on.

Second, after about 8 years, the Fishman pre-amp died. I'm not a luthier and really didn't have the tools/experience to fix it at home at the time, so it cost me $329.00 from a local guitar shop (for a transducer!) to have the pre-amp replaced - the exact same Fishman pre-amp - keep in mind I wasn't a fan of these electronics from the beginning. Fishman makes great products, I know, but these electronics are not a good fit for the instrument. It just doesn't produce an accurate picture of the acoustic sound of the instrument.

Never had to deal with them.

Like I said, I've been playing this guitar for 10 years, and even after I replace it (some day), I'll still keep it. When I do replace it, I would consider going with Guild again, albeit a higher-end model (American made, of course), but I'm saving for something really high-end (Goodall, McPherson, Avalon, etc.). For under $850.00, I've been pleased with the performance and durability of the instrument.

Natural satin finish, Fishman, Grovers, cutaway, Made in Rhode Island, USA.

I also went to Iron Maiden last night in Calgary and it rocked!!!

Very easy to play, nice neck size, loud enough, way louder when plugged in if you can control the feedback!!! Have to keep the volume low onboard.
Celtic, folk, metal - this guitar can handle all styles. Lots of folks comment on the warm big sound. Great for blues and finger picking in my opinion.

Haven't done much to it in 10 years, had it set up 2-3 times and change the strings regularly. I made the purchase based on trying several guitars and this one was the best sound & action for its price range by far.
The battery case clip broke within days of purchase but I put some crazy glue and duct tape to hold it together and I never put the battery clip in the guitar unless i'm plugging in.
Others I know with the guitar had the same problem with the clip breaking but they both lost their clip and resort to taping the battery in place. I luckily still have my battery clip.

This is where this guitar suffers.
After 10 years, it looks pretty good but the binding broke under my arm. Cracked clean through both layers and peeled off several inches each way. This has happened to the others I know with this guitar. I live in a dry climate and this and every other guitar hates that. A damp weekend with the guitar left out of the case was the most likely culprit.
However, I find it highly suspect that my battery clip broke and my binding cracked and peeled off in a typical fashion in the same way that two other people with this guitar also had occur.
Seems like there is a quality issue with the Fishman battery clip and also something with the binding is in error if they seem to be peeling off these guitars.
I play this guitar a fair bit and the satin finish has a nice shine in areas and there is some pick wear above and below the sound hole.
But who cares, it was made to be played. Have you ever seen Willie Nelson's guitar?

Never bothered to do anything with warrenty because it would be a waste of time. Its in the shop now at a quality luthier to fix the binding and I was shocked to hear him say the guitar was in such fine shape for a 10 year old. He did find it odd that the binding broke clean through two layers at the same place and it won't fit back together, almost like it was put on too tight in the first place.

I love pre-Fender Guild guitars. I also have a Guild Starfire III w/Bigsby, what a beauty. I want a Starfire V or utimately a Starfire VI. If you find one, buy it. I look eternaly for 60's to early 70's Guilds, acoustics and electrics. They were very good until Fender takeover and even then some of those can be saved by a good guitar tech.
I got into Guilds in college when an older dude in my class had a 1972 Guild acoustic that he babied but played every day. Still, to this day one of the nicest guitars I've ever heard. I've played on some very expnsive rigs too.
If I had this one stolen i'd be choked but i'd buy something better nowadays. I would still be looking for a pre-Fender Guild though. Would pass on the satin finish and probably the Fishman pickup.
Well worth what I paid but not the MSRP.
If you found one at a store, I would proably recommend it if the price was in your range and for this particular model it should be a bargain today. Just check out the battery clip and make sure it stays in and inspect the binding carefully.

"True American" model, with a single cutaway, standard clear acoustic guitar finish, with what I believe to be a solid spruce top & rosewood sides and back. The Guild sticker in the guitar shows "GUILD MUSIC, WESTERLY, RI 02891". According to the serial #, this is a 1997 model year. Nice Fishman under-the-saddle pickup and preamp with notch filter and four-band EQ. Neck feel is a nice compromise between a modern electric guitar neck an a chunkier acoustic neck from the early 1990's.

I play a range of styles from jazz to rock, and have used it extensively in a church praise & worship setting, and have found it to have great tone, fitting in very nicely in a band setting, or as a solo instrument. Comparing to Taylors and Takamines and other high-end instruments, the DCE1 has it's own tone and occupies a nice niche. The single cutaway design can sometimes produce an instrument that has a shallow sound, but the rosewood sides and back and the construction of the guitar compensate for the loss of internal air volume, resulting in a well balanced and full sound.

Action was a bit high from the factory, but the neck has an almost-electric-guitar feel to it.

I purchased this as a factory blem model. The only thing blemished that I can tell is a 'birthmark' on the face of the guitar in the wood grain itself. Everything else was perfect when new.

Since then the binding has started separating from the top and side woods at the neck and at the cutaway. I'm in the process of talking with a service shop now to get it repaired.

I've also had to get the saddle compensated and cut down some to improve the action and intonation from the factory. This has made quite a difference.

This guitar tends to stay in tune during performances (after it's "warmed up"), and will hold tune from day to day and week to week. I have used the instrument without taking a backup for years with great success. No problems with string breakage, etc.

The finish on the sides has started checking, I suppose aging is starting to set in, but the front and back finishes as good.

Lifetime warranty, but you MUST have the original receipt to get coverage (I lost mine). The warranty may not cover binding due to 'normal' aging and separating from the wood. Apparently that determination needs to be made by the service center. The gentleman from Fender/Guild on the phone was very friendly and helpful, even though there was no way for him to be able to extend any kind of warranty to me, even though I am the original owner, and sent in my 'warranty card' right after purchase (what a joke).

I've been playing for over 30 years. This was my first 'professional' electric-acoustic guitar. I actually found a mid-80's vintage Alvarez thinline acoustic with a single cutaway a year or two ago in a pawn shop, with a Fishman saddle pickup. The Alvarez feels a bit more comfortable to me. Even though it is a thinline with a cutaway, it still has a relatively full sound, and is great when plugged in. While not quite as good-looking as the Guild, I find myself reaching for the Alvarez faster than the Guild lately.

Nice cut away
Arched back with no bracing

Very loud
Great sound with no effects or amplification

The guitar is just about perfect. I have no flaws

I worry about no bracing, but it seems solid. I have had it over a year and there are no problems. I play it alot.
Stage & studio

N/A

Fender is the owner of Guild now. (They weren't when I bought it)

This guitar had been in the shop for over three years. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I started to buy it many times...but I had a 1960 Gibson J-45 and didn't really need it. I decided to stop using th Gibson on the road and the Guild was my first choice. The store owners had no idea what they had. They didn't even remember to the cost on the guitar. I got a great deal!

this guitar sounds very warm to me, and is good with rythmic percussive strumming... it's perfect for my style, and actually helped to define my style.

the binding seems to be coming off around the sides.

I love how it has a natural finish, and I love the cutaway. The little box that lets you adjust volume has to be open a little or else it rattles when you play, which is annoying. everything else is ideal

It's an acoustic guitar, so you're not looking for tons of gimicks, but this is an acoustic with a pickup and it's a good one. The Fishman pre-amp is high quality. I've had mine for 10 years now and have used it in all sorts of situations. The phase changer has stopped some interferance on more than one occasion.

Excellent sound. Rich and deep. I play a lot of pop, folk and blues and it all works well. Good utility guitar for everything from rythm to fingerpicking and solos.

Satin finish looks sweet--I'm beging to get bit worried about it now that it's getting older. It definitely picks up dirt and stains a little more than a high-gloss deal.

Saw some concerns about action, but that's easily remeded (and wasn't ever a problem for me on this guy).

I've had it for 10 years and it is doing just fine. It's had a couple of injuries (the plastic rim is cracked and I need to get if fixed) and it's gotten scratched up. But over all it's great. Only downside is that satin finish, but, hey, it's a guitar--a little dirt never hurt anyone.

Never had any problems

I love it. I've been playing guitar for 15 years and this was my second acoustic. I've played better sounding guitars, but they cost twice as much. I've thought about Taylors or Martins, but this one is suites me just fine.

Not much for appointments like fancy bindings, exotic woods, etc., but that's a good thing in my book because I don't like to pay for things that don't affect the sound. I'm taking off points here for the electronics, which are adequite at best. It's a pretty simple 3-band Fishman affair with a piezo bridge pickup, and it's pretty lame compared with some of the cool stuff that's around today. The battery compartment is easy to get to, but I like the newer preamps where the battery is under the circuit board better.

I'll be blunt: I love how this guitar sounds. It's loud, and packs a really big punch in the bass. Don't get me wrong, it's got a very balanced sound... but that extra "kick" really does it for me. It's not as organic as a Martin or as prestine as a Taylor. I'd call it more aggressive than those guitars. It's got a personality of its own. I've thought about trading or selling it several times, but every time I do, I can't find a guitar that sounds better.

I'm giving it a 10 for acoustic sound (it mics really well, too). Plugged in, it would be more like 5. I really don't like the preamp, and if I used it much at all, I would have changed it by now.

The setup from the factory was awfully high. After I got that fixed, the guitar played beautifully. It's got a bit wider sting spacing than many guitars, which I like. The finish is not as flashy as a gloss, but does a fine job at showing off the mahogany back. Also, the neck feels wonderful with the oil finish. I'm taking off points for the action, which should have been better at this price point.

Seems plenty durable. The finish isn't as protective as a gloss, but I've never had problems. It's lived all over the country, and doesn't seem to be affected much by climate changes. I gig without a backup (it's my only acoustic), and have never had a problem.

Never dealt with them. Fender owns Guild now, so I wouldn't expect much.

I got this two years after I started playing. Ten years later, it's still my only acoustic, and I have no desire to replace it. Overall, it's a real player's guitar. Nothing fancy, but sounds great and is always consistant. I deducted 1 point for the weak electronics. As an acoustic, I'd give it a 10, no questions asked. If I had to replace it, I'd go out and play everything I could get my hands on. There are lot of great guitars out there these days, so who knows what I'd end up with, but if I found another one of these, I'd probably jump on it.

DC-E1 NT HR is what is says on the label inside the body.
Made in America

Has the Fishman Acoustic Electric preamp and pickups. They're OK, but it's the sound of the guitar in acoustic mde that really rocks. I like the preamp, use it alot in loud situations, but the comments I get on the sound of the guitar all by itself are great.

I like the cutout, I think it's important to have easy access to the upper frets, but the action was too high initially and I had to have my favorite luthier, in Astoria, Oregon, Dave Thompson, adjust it all up. Then it was playable all the way from the nut to the last fret. And it is actually really easy to play, especially when you use it to really grow as a player.

It sounds awesome, awesome, awesome.
A little bit of a buzz in drop-D, but that doesn't make me hate it.

Had to get it looked at, and the changes it the bridge heighth and stuff were important, but it sounds sooooo good now, I love it.

The binding came off in the desert, then in Alaska the rest of it broke off, but I had another luthier put it all back on, and it is fine now.

Besides the binding, and the battery spot, I think it's pretty awesome. Once again, the sound is what ranks, the sound is what matters...and it sounds awesome.

I started playing in high school, but I never learned how to write or play really rocking stuff until this guitar showed me how. I love the big ass sound, the bassy kick. It's an acoustic drum and guitar all rolled into one. I love the case, and the guitar is special to me. It's the kind of guitar you'd want to own forever.

$700 -- MSRP was $1200 or something 1995 or 1996

Label says: DC 1E NT HR. It is an acoustic full-dreadnaught cut-away with an active under the bridge Fishman pick-up (fabulous for gigs -- don't bother with it for studio recording.) The sound woods are all well and obviously hand chosen, the back is one piece and arched, and the bracing is definitely doing a great job. The overall effect is a box projects loud and sustains beautifully. The guitar is extremely heavy duty feeling.

It has a hand rubbed natural satin finish and would look very plain except that it shouts quality every time I bring it out. It has solid-as-a-rock grover tuners that happen to be gold colored.

The neck is good and straight -- now -- although it fell off at one point and I had to have it re-glued. More about that later. But as a feature it is fine.

Best of all it has a bone saddle and nut.

I've been playing almost 30 years, and in general my philosophy is to never buy new guitars. This one was an exception because I wanted something really loud with a pickup and it filled the bill.

The guitar has a rich and full sound. It can sound like a Strat or a Kramer through the right kind of amp though. And it sounds great with tons of effects like distortion, flange etc. Great shock value at a gig.

It has been my primary guitar on two CDs. The guitar sounds great, but mic the guitar, don't use the pickup obviously.

Mostly I use it for coffee houses these days.

The set-up was too high from the factory, and the saddle needed to be compensated.

About 5 years after I got it, I was having the truss rod adjusted, and the whole neck just fell off the guitar. Very shocking. Especially since I was in the middle of a recording project.

Turned out Guild hadn't used any glue when they fit the mortise and tenon neck in. And over time, it just worked its way out. That definitely explained why I was feeling so irritated with the guitar, and why I was in there getting the neck adjusted -- off course it was off -- it was 'out.'

Once that was fixed, the guitar was much better than it had been before. And since then I've been a happy camper.

Yeah the guitar withstands live playing. The hardware seems to last. The saddle pickups make me nervous. I never, ever, ever gig without a backup -- two if I have the room.

I didn't bother contacting Guild when the neck fell off because they had apparently moved to Japan between the time I bought the guitar and the time the neck fell off.

I never bother with Manufacturers. Do you really believe they are going to honor the warranty? And when are you going to ever see your instrument again. Much better to have a local luthier fix it. Which is what I did.

I've been playing about 30 years. This is my main acoustic. Right now I've got a few other acoustics including a couple of high-end ephiphones (one about 15 years old, one before gibson bought them). The others come and go, but this one seems to stick around. If it was stolen I would take the insurance money and go get something comparable or better. I really prefer Made in the USA -- and wouldn't bother with anything else for my main guitar. I definitely would get something that allowed me to replace the battery more easily -- this is awful.