Guild DV-52

Dreadnought, with gold Grover tuners, rosewood back and sides, a beautiful abalone work in the rosette. Ebony bridge and fingerboard.

What can I say. It's perfect. I own a Martin DC28 special order. I do believe that this DV52 is the best acoustic guitar I ever heard.

Playing since 1998 and it's still brand new.

never tried

Perfection.

Mine is a 1993 Guild DV52 NT, made in Westerly Rhode Island. I'd heard so many good things about these guitars over the years that I finally broke down and bought one. Boy, what a great sounding guitar. Solid all around, rosewood sides and back. Easily as good as any Martin I have owned or played. Guitar is tastefully appointed, but not gaudy like many expensive Martins. I wouldn't be embarassed to play it anywhere, like some of the Martins that look like something from the Italian Renaissance, and cost as much as the Mona Lisa.

I play everthing from folk to Bluegrass. Been playing for many years. This guitar has a rich and full sound, and would make any professional musician proud.

Great guitar, no flaws whatsoever.

This guitar will be around when the cows come home.

No, I've never dealt with the company. Mine is pre-Fender. But I understand that they are a decent company to deal with.

I am very glad I purchased this guitar. I have been playing for over 25 years. If stolen, I would chase down the thief and make sure he is sent to Sing Sing. (ha ha). Guitar is great, no other features needed.

1998 - Westerly, RI. I bought it new 3 months after it left the factory. 20 frets. Dreadnaught. Solid Spruce top, Rosewood sides/back, Ebony fretboard and bridge, pearl inlays but nothing too grey-poupon, gold Grover tuners, Chesterfileld Guild logo on headstock, high gloss. Neck is slightly curved - feels like a dream. I had a l.r. baggs doulbe-barrel dual-system pick-up installed two years ago and play it through an Ultrasound Acoustic Amp when needed.

The tone-woods on this beast are absolutely beautiful - Guild put quality above asthetics when making this guitar and I actually prefer the keyed down look of the dv52 when compared to other models.

I will never, ever, ever forget the first time I strummed this guitar in March, 1998. I leterally fell in love right there. This guitar's sound is quite simply - AWESOME! Unbelievably rich, textured tones resonate from this instrument. The bass is gut-wrenhcingly sick - the highs are well-balanced and the whole damn thing sounds like a symphony. I play many styles on it - jazz choards, blues and folk mostly. Whether strumming, finger-picking or leading - in my opinion the sound of this guitar is second to none! I have since learned much about guitars and played the Taylors, Martins, etc. To me - there is no equal. This thing rocks! I'd give it an 11 if I could.

I had mine adjusted by lowering the strings a hair. The only flaw is a tiny, hairlike width space between the pick-gaurd and outside design of the sound-hole. The guitar is extremely sturdy feeling and being that it's basically the only guitar I play (although I own three others) - other guitars feel light and delicate to me. This thing can take the punishment of hard-strumming and picking.

I have only had this guitar for 8 years - but from what Iv'e heard and how it has held up so far - I plan on playing it and only it for as long as I live. These guitars age wonderfully so Iv'e been told and I assume that this is due to time-proven effectiveness of the bracing employed in these Guild dreadnaughts and the fact that only premium woods were used in the contruction. Time will tell.........

don't know - haven;t used it

To me - this is the BEST sounding guitar I have ever played or been around (other musicians, etc.) I just happen to own it which still blows my mind every time I play it or look at it. I am blessed to own it.

If you ever get a chance to play a DV-52- don't pass it up.

All solid spruce/rosewood dreadnaught, ebony board and bridge, scalloped braces, herringbone trim, gold-plated Grovers, made in Rhode Island around '93 or '94. Mine seems to be minus some of the usual aesthetic features for this model (no fancy rosette and the finish is all satin, but I prefer this look); nevertheless, I give it a high (9) rating because for what it is, it's perfect, and all of its features add up to FANTASTIC output, which is all that counts.

I play just about everything, and wherever my mood takes me, this guitar is always right there with me. It sounded great when I bought it, and now - after 11 years - it sounds even better. Bright, clean, unbelievably responsive to controlled touch and, if you want it to be, LOUD. Some people would object to the amazing, gut-grabbing depth of bass on this guitar, but for me it's probably my favorite feature. This guitar has become a great friend. It knows what I want with the slightest touch and it always, always, always responds impeccably. I use light (.011 - .052) Martin SP phosphor-bronze strings although mediums could be handled with no worries.

Factory setup was, believe it or not, perfect. I've had this guitar for 11 years & have never once had to take it in for a setup or even touch the truss rod. It is incredibly easy and comfortable to play. The rosewood on this baby is so darkly beautiful that sometimes I just hold it in my lap and look at it... Gorgeous grain on the perfectly bookmatched top. Fret ends LOOK slightly sloppy but are perfectly smooth and there are no rough spots anywhere on the board. Except for the pearl headstock inlay this is in many respects a plain-Jane-looking guitar and that is one of the things I love most about it.

I'll say it again: 11 years of playing the heck out of this thing & never one visit to a luthier, never once touched the truss rod. Treat this guitar well (if they can stil be found) and it'll last a lifetime. I leave the guitar in its case - with a humidifier - when I'm not using it. I can do this for weeks and it'll come out of there in perfect tune. I've heard people describe Guild guitars as tanks. The comparison is fitting. This is a very well-constructed, solidly built guitar.

I've never needed to contact them. However, on entirely separate matters I will say it seems impossible to even figure out HOW to contact Fender or any of its subsidiaries with a repair issue. Their websites don't seem to provide any coherent contact information whatsoever, and I think this is a shame.

I've been playing for 30 years, and this is unequivocally the best guitar I've ever played - not just owned. If it were lost or stolen, I would grieve the rest of my life because it's nearly impossible to find this model anymore except for an occasional appearance on ebay. When I bought it 11 years ago, I'd tried out every Gibson, Martin, Lowden, Taylor I could find on 48th Street, and the Guild just spoke to me. It was brand new at the time and sounded like it'd been broken in years ago... It's an awful shame this model isn't still being produced. I think I'm a Guild player for life.

This is an all solid wood guitar, rosewood back and sides, AA spruce top, eben fretboard and bridge, grover tuners, pearl inlays rosette.

overall, these are the top appointments for acoustic guitars.

Guild is not cheap on wood, and the guitar is not lightweight, many manufacturers build with very thin wood for tops back and sides. It is not the case with those.

This guitar is ageing wonderfully, many friends, musicians, comment on it everytime they hear it. It is also very loud drowning all other acoustics. It is a blues beast but it will also perform wonderfully in any style I use it for. From folk, to blues, to rock or jazz. It is also very even in tone all the way up the neck

I had to order my left handed from the shop and it was perfectly set up right out of the box. Ths finish, natural, is not very strong and chipped after one winter and a bad humidity thermometer, Kept it like this until one day, the rain poored on it on the porch. A shower in the middle of the night...

Cried all the way to my luthier who clearly had seen worse. He sanded it down, straigtened it up, and a new very thin high gloss finish was applied. This took three months. WOW!

I can depend on this guitar!

When I spoke to them about our dry winter and my two humidifiers, they were still unwilling to refinish the guitar.

I love the tone of this guitar for blues especially, top notch.

I have had Alvarezes, a Gibson, Seagull, Larrivees, and the Guild is a keeper.

Especially for the price, solid rosewoood, spruce, eben, mahogany.

Solid Spruce Top, Rosewood back and sides, Mahogany Neck. I think is a rosewood fingerboard...maybe ebony. Very Tight wood grain. Satin Finish. Manufactured in 1994 at the Rhode Island Factory. Grover Tuning machines, bone nut and saddle. I had a pickup put in. The Dean Markley under the saddle model. No Controls. For the amount I'll have it plugged in, it'll do fine. Came with The hardshell case.
Standard Dreadnaught guitar.

This is by far the best acoustic guitar I have ever heard. It has tone that my ears love and thats all that matters at the end of the day. Its big, bold and has enough top end to cut and not be tinny. I'll put it up against any guitar. I searched for years trying to find the tone. A Friend of mine has a 1997. Same model. I loved it. Nothing I came across had the tone. Its got the balls you'd want out of an acoustic guitar. Play with out a pick and its very warm and big. Still retains clarity. Hit with a pick and it just sings at you!
Perfect 10 in my opinion!!

The neck is well played...hence being used. It feels like an old friend that you've known for a long time. It fits my hand perfectly. I usually complain about acoustic necks being too fat and wide. Not this one. It just works. Thats all I can say.
The action is excellent. Low enough to play quickly if I want and when I really hammer it, it doesn't buzz out. I had the saddle compensated for Intonation...big improvment. The Binding on the body was starting to come off...no probs. Took it into the local repair shop and had it fixed up in no time. Its used, so it looks well played. So I can't give it perfect 10, if it was new, and I've seen some newer guilds...it'd get a 9. theres some finish flaws at the neck and body joint. No biggie...I'm not picky that way...its about the tone.

Well...its a 1994 and the previous owner did nothing. I had 6 frets put in and dressed and had the guitar setup again. Few minor repairs and its good as new. Built very well. Anyone I've talked to about guilds say a few things come off but its in time. I have yet to see a guild so bad that it isn't playable. I'd take this to any gig that I might play. End of story. Its road worthy.

Never deal with. So...NO Opinion.

I've been playing guitar for about 13 years. Been looking for a good acoustic. Finally got it. I have a few Electrics and such. Never had a good acoustic. If it was stolen, lost or anything like that, I'd definetly try to find another one.
If you see one, try it out.

1996 Rhode Island factory, DV52 with spruce top, rosewood sides and back, mahogany neck. Satin finish, gold hardware;

This is my workhorse accoustic. Keeps a great tone with Martin accoustic strings, sound is reliable for blues; my lighter strings keep the bass tones modest; great guitar for rhythm and folk work;

Factory set up was excellent; needed one neck adjustment in 7 years; fit and finish are first class; bracing work inside is flawless; saddle and nut were perfect; a friend who is an excellent player, and owned a shop sent this to me on the blind knowing that it was an instrument I would appreciate.

THis guitar gets moderate play. Never a worry about reliability.
All hardware is great. This guitar sets a great standard for dreadnaught style.

One incident; they responded well;

Played for 20+ years. Would always consider a Guild over Gibson and Fender due to workmanship. I hope the sale to Fender doesn't kill the quality. Would by their guitars anytime

Mine is pre-Fender buyout. The Tonewoods are wonderful, the rosette and headstock have pearl intlays. Solid spruce top with solid rosewood back and sides. Eben bridge and fretboard. Fishman natural II Left-handed version

This is a great guitar with professionnal stable sound and tone all along the mohogany neck. There is a definite blues side to this guitar, this is where it really shines. It is also loud. People around agree that among the 30 or so musicians I play with, it beats Martin, Larrivee and even Taylors.

Had the guitar high glossed after satin finish was destroyed when it rained on the guitar for 7 hours. Was surprised to save it. The woods have really opened up with time.


Natural finish was like ...vintage.. as they wanted the guitar to
look old ans scrap from day one.

This is the guitar I depend on.

Fantastic instrument

1993 Waverly,R.I. factory. Standard Guild Dreadnaught. Solid Spruce Top,scalloped braces, soilid rosewood back and sides. Mahoghany neck,ebony bridge and fingerboard. Bone nut and saddle,gold Grover tuners. High Gloss on the complete guitar. Factory installed Fishman AG-125 piezo saddle transducer and AGP-2 preamp(w/concentric bass/treble and separate volume knob.

I ordered this from Guild after I had a Washburn Prairie Song D-66(a nice guitar) stolen from me. This was a new model at the time and had nice features and good value.
I'm writing this review basically because I believe this guitar deserves it. It's sound is deep and rich. The highs and the lows are balanced. I didn't like the electronics at first but then I learned how to apply them with the right e.q.'s and amplification. The action is very nice and it plays well in all positions. It is a good fingerstyle guitar but probably could hold it's own in a bluegrass enviroment.(I also own a Martin D-35). I guess there is nothing about this guitar that I don't like.
It has it's own personality for sure. The bass is deep and piano like. The mids are there as well. The high end does'nt have that "Taylor" sparkle but they are sweet and pronounced. There is good sustain with this guitar. The instrument is weighty compared to my D-35.

I have not had to do any adjustments with this guitar in 11 years! Can you believe it! The intonation is great as well. Guilds are built extremely well. I've looked at some new Fender made Guilds and they seem to be following this tradition, albeit they don't seem to be as heavy.

I also own a '76 Guild D-40 and it too is like a rock. Guilds are VERY underrated. Probably snob appeal. I gig frequently with this and my D-40...no problems.

I hope Fender will support past Guild owners. Never needed anything from the old Guild people.

I've been playing since I was 7... I'm 42 now(ouch!)
I used to be in the R&R seen B.C.(before Christ). Now I play praise and worship. I also play electric. I have a bunch of guitars and equipment...Gibsons,Fender,Heritage,Washburn,etc. I really like this Guild. It really has a unique flavor!(you Guild owners know what I mean)

1996 Guild ATB HG (Antique Burst, High Gloss) - old Waverly Factory
Same features as below, all solid wood, spruce top, Ind rswd back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, chesterfield logo.
give it a ten as for any regular dreadnought it has tasteful adornments (abalone rosette, logo inlay)

I've had a Tayor 310, Own a Larrivee LV-05. I've played all others. I was looking for a box that could be punished like a Gibson, could develop a bass response of a Martin D-28, and would provide smooth, blended chord response - strong and articulate with that shimmer (Takamine sound?)
This old gal had it all. I found this older Guild's neck the most comfortable of anything i've tried before. It has a slight eliptical neck shape.

It's a '96 and I just bought it Nov 28/03. It's practically flawless except for where the high gloss finish coversthe ends of the frets - its a little opaque but will be worn down with further use.
I placed custom 12-54's on it and the low E rattled a little. Put back on the 52 and problem solved. I prefer a touch more bass response so I'll likely get a new bridge so the same specs as this one but with one that provides a little more room for a larger low E.

It's a tank! I have to be careful with the Larrivee as it's appearance is immediately affected with any ding or scratch. But with this Guild any marks will only add character. So Im more likely to pick it up and play anywhere in the house.

It's fender now, right? Look for an older Guild for a sound with stand-out character.

The model was advertised as a 1994 but Mr. Gearhead website indicates its a 1996. Who cares! I was looking for a solid rosewood dred that could spank. Compare this to anything used for under 1200US and this one stand head and shoulders above anything out there. The only thing better, I've found, is a Collings but price tax would be over 3500US.
Finger picking still articulate but will likely sell my Larrivee LV-05 and pick up a collectible/functional Martin OM.
If stolen I would definately try to replace it BUT ONLY with an older Waverly, Rhode Island built one.

Wave goodbye to the Guild DV-52 cause the factory closed about two years ago, and there may not be no mo. But in the cause of sharing a fun tale I'll tell you about my Guild. (Yes, it's possible Guild will come out with this again...but who knows...and where are the craftsmen?)

I was not looking for an acoustic at the time I bought this, in fact, I didn't even like it too much when I bought it. It was an orphan.

I was visiting with Roger Thurman of Thurman Guitar in Kent, Ohio 330-673-4054, and he's been raving about Guilds forever, claiming they're a deal, in truth I'd bought Guilds before...a Starfire II from 1962 and a concert sized acoustic in mahogany and a Blues Bird. Now to get this story you have to understand Roger and his shop. Walk in and you smell wood, cause he makes guitars, by hand and there's wood and tools and glues everywhere piles of aging wood, and guitars so packed that he stumbles over them. He almost knocked one over the other day just walking around, he growled.

Anyhow, before the Guild factory closed he bought a bunch of guitars and in came this DV52. I saw it but it was too expensive for me. A DV52 is a full sized dreadnought, kind of their bare bones quality sound acoustic, money went into materials and good sound, not carvings and too much pearl inlay, with solid Indian Rosewood on back and sides, spruce top and mahogany neck, excellent tuners in gold. There's pearl inlay, but not much, not like their higher end guitar. Well that was fine by me, but there was no way I was going to pay the $1900 retail on this guitar, or even half that cause I didn't want another acoustic. I never asked Roger what he'd sell it for, cause I told you, I didn't want another acoustic.

Anyway, so he puts the guitar by the front window and some wannabe rocker throws a brick through the window at 3 am to get this piece of shit cheap baby blue colored electric guitar, and the glass shards strike the DV52, scratching it and putting a few little dents in the face, and the guitar gets hit so hard it falls to the floor along with some other guitars too. Like bowling.

I go to his shop, see the glass, and what the hell happened. He explains and I see the DV52.

Now my mind starts working and I think, "Maybe I should buy this thing for the tone, and if I want another acoustic I'll have it."

So I bought it for $500, and then my life changed.

Kids come to my house and they pick up the DV52, and I don't care cause it's scratched and they have a ball.

And I play it all the time cause the sound's A+.

Sheepishly I admit that I recently sold most all my older guitars, but I kept one, just one. (Well actually two, because I don't count my hand build classical.) Yes, the DV52 stayed, it's the best guitar I've ever owned. This is the kind of instrument Guild built their reputation on, bare bones, great sound, built like a tank. And it survived the brick through the window and bowling test.

Oh, I see I'm supposed to address features. The tone is about it as long as the thing holds together right? It has a bone nut and saddle, a dark ebony fretboard, gold plated tuners, a little bitty nub on the bottom for a strap, and a plastic guard glued to the face of the instrument to protect from the pick, which is nicely scratched from glass too!

Thrusty, full bodied acoustic, very balanced tonally, with a bit of focus on the lower sound spectrum. Nice vintage sound, lots of punch, listeners always say how pretty it sounds and tell me not to bring the Mahogany guitars I have, cause they think the Rosewood sounds prettier, it does.

They think the face scratches are some kind of special diamond effect, ha ha, it's just scratched.

This is not the easiest acoustic I've every played, but it's got more volume. I played a Paul Taylor once and it was easier, as was a nice Martin. But the cost was 3 to 1. Guild is not tough to play but it ain't no baby, and heavy built compared to the others.

I don't think this guitar was meant to be a real fancy guitar, just a player.

Well, it got hit smack on with a brick and glass, hard enough to crack the clear varnish on the face, denting the wood in places, scratches everywhere, but it didn't crack and it plays great and sounds great, maybe you will want to try throwing a brick through glass at your guitar to improve it's tone?

I thought about having the face re cleared, but I don't want to do that. It's fine by me, and it's a fun story too, which is always a plus with any instrument. The weirder the better!

I don't know anything about Guild's customer support, but Roger wouldn't have dealt with them if they weren't good.

Overall, this is a very fine acoustic indeed, if you like simple looks, lots of volume with the bass full, and are comfortable with vintage action.

I will keep this until it gets driven over by a truck. This is not so improbable. I did have a portable computer once that I laid down behind the car next to me, while I loaded my car. The other car then started moving and drove over it just a little. It ran for a week then the mother board got sick and hickkuped. I threw it away, actually I threw it on a concrete floor I was so pissed. Then I threw it away. They just don't make computers to last, do you agree?

Manufactured June,1995. Purchased April, 1996.

Rosewood back and sides, Spruce top, Mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard, Rosewood bridge. Solid Grover tuners (very nice). Abalone inlay around the soundhole. High gloss finish, which is very nice, but if I ever purchase another one I'm going to get the satin finish because it took a while for this guitar to really start to breathe.

Bone nut and bone compensated saddle added after purchase (I always have my local luthier put new nuts and saddles to my liking on all of my guitars). Fishman under-saddle pickup and preamp installed after purchase.

Hardshell case included, but I've found from past experience that most Guild cases tend to give out after about five or six years.

This guitar sounds fantastic. I tried all different makes and models and this one took the cake hands down. Trebles cut through nicely without being too harsh, mids are nice and even, and this baby can pump out some bass. This instrument suits all styles of music. I am also very impressed with all the different textures that can be coaxed out of it adjusting the position of your strumming hand. Adjusting the tone in this way offers more possibilites than any of the tone controls on all of my electrics.

Guitar came from the factory very clean. Top was nicely matched, frets were nicely crowned and not one protruding edge on any of them. Interior is just as solid. After playing this baby HARD every day for six years it is still solid as a rock.

Factory action was nice, but too low for my liking. I've found that I like the action on my guitars higher than most people can tolerate. However, I think that most people would be pleased with the action as it came from the factory.

ROCK SOLID! This guitar has been used at hundreds of gigs since I purchased it six years ago and I have never needed to use my backup for anything other than a broken string. This guitar also gets played at home more than any of my others, so it has seen literally thousands of hours of use and held up very nicely. I've never been one to "baby" my guitars and other than the finsh getting thinner on the back of the neck and a few dings and scratches it looks almost new.

I did need to have this guitar refretted last summer, but every five or six years seems to be an average for me so I do not see it as a cause for concern.

I've never had to deal with Guild customer service. They build them so tough that you don't need to.

However, I have dealt with Fender in the past on a few things and they have always been very accomodating

I've been playing guitar for 18 years and this is one of my favorite acoustics ever. Incidentally, the best guitar I EVER owned was also a Guild but it's not around anymore due to unfortunate circumstances. If anything were to happen to this one I would definitely replace it with the exact same model (except without the high gloss finish). I would not hesitate recommending it to anyone. Probably one of the best buys on the Acoustic market.

1999 Guild DV52 with Antique Sunburst spruce top. Pretty standard features and mine also has had a Fishman pickup installed.

This guitar has a super sound. Very clear with a whole lotta bass power when plugged in. It's a dream to play and is quite loud unplugged. I've yet to hear a guitar that can match it's wonderfull deep tone, a Martin came close but really didn't have the depth this one has. It sounds fantastic with Martin SP lights or Rotosound Country Golds.

Setup ex factory was okay but a few tweaks were neccessary just get it to my personal liking. The finish is very good but there are a few overspray marks from the black paint of the sunburst top. You have to look hard though. Other than that there's no fault at all.

This guitar gets gigged every week and yes it takes a few knocks. It has the nitrocellulose coating which is not very hard. It doesn't really take knocks very well, even when the buckle hits the top it puts a small mark on it somewhere. But hey I don't mind, I'd rather have the sound....."Made to be played" right!

N/A

This guitar is defintely a keeper and a genuine bargain. You get the rosewood sides and back, which the grain has opened up beatifully, gorgeous spruce top which again is ageing wonderfully. Abalone around the sound hole and ebony bridge and fretboard. Also bone nut and saddle. They haven't skimped on this guitar but have kept the price down. Yes I would buy another in a flash.

Mine's a 1999 model - bought in spring 2001 - salesman's demo - or so I was told. Bought in, my native, Canada. Great finish.
Tuners are great with the exception of the "D" which is kinda mushy (can't think of another word).
Really a pretty guitar without being over-the-top. I really like the head-stock, and low-key look.

I shopped for about 6 months to replace my old Epiphone shit-box. I had 2 major issues - how it "fit" my hands, and tone. As soon as I heard this guitar I was sold. It doesn't "fit" may hands quite as well as a wider nut guitar (Taylor??) but, the tone won me over right away.
Really a nice, complex tone that other guitars in the price range can't come close to. The only guitar that I liked better was a Guild
d55 that I tried - maybe I just like Guild's tone.

Factory set-up was great - but it was a salesmans demo (??) so maybe it had been altered. I haven't adjusted a thing in the 6 months I've owned it.
Some of the internal work seems a little messy, but not bad - external craftsmanship is great.

This guitar is built like a brick shit house. I thought it was almost too solid at first - but the tone and resonance is excellent - so I figure it's got to be A-OK.
I'll pass this guitar down thru to a few generations.

I have no idea - haven't even contacted them.

My guild is a 1998, I ordered it sight unseen on the recomendation of a friend that I trusted. It has a rosewood body and double grade spruce top. The neck is mahongany and the fret board and bridge are ebony. The finish is high gloss. It has gold grover turners and just enough mother of pearl and abalone to make it look like a real nice guitar. It came with a deluxe hard shell case.

I play the old blues and country. Stuff that is 40 years old. This guitar has the same sound that was what every country and blues player wanted back then. A full rich bass sound without to many highs. You can do a solo act without a bass and still sound real good. When I play the blues I can go into a lead lick and back to rhythem without a loss of any kind.And straight from the factory there where no buzzes or problems of any kind.

As for the action, fit and finish, my guitar was flawless in every way. It even came with a real bone nut and saddle.

As far as live playing goes, I play three or four nights a week. It is all I do to make a living. I play all over the country, even Alaska, and I don't even carry a backup. I believe it will be the last guitar I ever buy,( I am 51 years old and have been playing guitars from the time I was 14 )

So far i've never had any problems with it. I installed a humididy gague in my guitar case and when it is needed I use a damp-it. I've ajusted the neck twice, very little at that

I bought my Guild DV52 April 2001. Solid Top (color natural) high gloss dreadnought with rosewood sides/back with a one piece mahogany neck. The width of the nut is 1 11/16"; the fretboard is made of ebony with 20 frets. The turners or gold plated Grovers. Unique features: Abalone Rosette, Dot Inlay, Cream Binding, and Bone Nut & Saddle. Includes a Standard Hardshell Case. Strung with Guild Phosphor Bronze L350L ---- gauge .012. Made in the U.S.A

I play R&B, Folk, Classic Rock, and fingerstyle and she's able to handle all of my musical needs prefectly. The Guild bass response is rich and full, and her sound has a warm tone but, it can fill a room. I find it a breeze to move up, down, and around neck. I did replace the strings with Martin SP Lights and she revealed herself to be able to produce an even more richer/complex sounds.

The setup from the factory was just fine. The action was great. I was able to move from one chord to another and barre chords with prefect ease ---- I own a Washburn D10--- I've been able to do so many things on my Guild that I've labored to do on my WB. Once she's tuned she stays their up and down the fretboard. I was surprised when I purchased my Guild her strings dull and oxidizing, I had them with replaced with Martins.

This guitar is built solid! She will last a lifetime with proper care.

Guild customer support is excellent. Limited Lifetime Warranty. I've always had my email questions replied too within 24 hrs. When I purchased my guitar, my guitar case would'nt close properly; Guild replaced my standard case with "deluxe case", at no cost.

I've been playing for 3 years. My starter guitar was an Washburn D10 ------ I thought it was time to take the plunged, and buy my frist solid body acoustic. I was looking for a solid top spruce with rosewood back/sides. Guild offered the most bang for the buck. I bought an amazing guitar for little over a grand! Taylor and Martin wanted more money for the same spec's. Guild is very underated and undervalued if she were lost or stolen I buy another Guild in a heartbeat.

Made in 2000(US,RI) with a 'AA' solid spruce top and solid Rosewood back and sides and one piece mahogany neck. I wanted a guitar that was a throw back. I can only give it a 9 because it doesn't have a "ton of features". But that's why it 's a vintage model. I didn't want the extras.

Rich/full bass response. This guitar sings. I like to play mostly blues and old rock, and this guitar is perfect for that style.

The factory setup was perfect. I was surprised at how low the action was. The only blemish I could find was the a little glue overlap, but very minor.

I live in probably the worst state to own a guitar(Arizona). I only had the guitar 3 months when it started to buss. When I brought the guitar in for repair, I found that the fret board was shrinking. Now I was using a humidifier, but I guess it wasn't enough. They had to file the frets and God knows what else. I believe they used a lot of lemon oil to help keep the neck from shrinking. I was told to use 2 humidifiers. One in the sound hole and one in the case. My only complaint with Guild is that it seems that the wood has not been aged enough. But I bet that all guitars these days are like that!

Even though the guitar shrinking is weather related Guild repaired it under warranty. The customer reps for the most part were very easy to talk to.

I have been playing for 20 years. This guitar is a keeper. It is so underrated! If this guitar was stolen I would buy a new one just like it. I also own a Yamaha Weddington series electic that was also under appreciated and it is no longer made. If you only have 1000 dollars to spend I think that you will find it hard pressed to find a better made guitar in that price range. Hell it probably compares to guitars that are almost twice its price range. I love this guitar! Thank You Guild!

Made in 2000 with a 'AA' solid spruce top and solid Rosewood back and sides and one piece mahogany neck. This is a 'no frills' model with just the necessities for a great playing and sounding acoustic guitar.

This guitar is designed after the vintage style acoustics that have that desired warm, rich balanced tone and sound projection. I highly recommend it as the best playing/sounding all solid wood guitar for the money available today.

Everything on this guitar is perfect - from the construction to the high gloss finish. It was set-up extremely well from the factory.

Time will tell but I see no reason why it won't last a lifetime if it is well taken care of.

Have had the need to contact them yet!

I've been playing guitar for 30 years and I must admit, this is one of the finest acoustics I've had the pleasure to know!

2000 DV-52: AA Spruce top, Rosewood back/sides; 1 piece mahogany neck, ebony fretboard; high gloss antique burst finish.

As far as style goes, I am an all-round player. I just like to perform at church or at coffee houses. This baby has a very balanced tone. Nice bass response, and very good treble action as well. (I was considering a Martin because of it's incredible bass response, but the high strings just don't sound as good to me) Right when I got this guitar, I put some medium Martin SP's. It is powerful! The action was set very well, I'm able to do many finger acrobatics that I can't really do on Martin models. It's got a very thick sound.

Factory conditions were excellent... the finish was just beautiful! I really like the pearl rossette. No flaws at all. Absolutely perfectly done. The action setting was just amazing... I was so sure before I got it that I would have to get it adjusted, but it is very well done.

This guitar drives awesome. It'll last the rest of my life, I'm sure of it. I'm not a travelling person, but I like to do little gigs. She'll stick around for a long time.

Haven't had to deal with the company.

I've compared the Guild DV-52 model to Martins, Taylors, Tacomas, and Takamines. For the price range that I was in, Guild won out. I wanted a guitar that people could look at, and say "Oh, that's really pretty", but I wouldn't have to sacrifice any of the sound. That's what I got. Guild made me a beauty. All i gotta do now is have a pickup installed.

This is a brand new 2000 Guild DV-52. Very simple. I got it because I wanted a great old style acoustic guitar. Did not want features. No cutaway, no electronics, ect.. It is natural finish in High Gloss. Satin finish is also available and you can get it in Antique burst finish too. The features I was looking for were tone, balance, harmonics and playability.

I play a mixed style. Mostly rock influnce with blues and pick and finger style. Very balanced tone from lows to highs. Very complex also. It responded to different dynamics very well. Lots of harmonics. All guitars, even of the same model sound different from one and other. This one is rich in tone. Lots of depth, resonance and sustain. Projected very well and was moderately loud.

Excellent quality workmanship. Stayed in tune. Was very "player friendly". I was able to pull off some technical stuff on it that I couldn't on other guitars. All glue joints looked tight. It looks and plays like it was made by people who cared. Seemed to be set up well for being right "off the shelf".

This tone of this guitar will only improve with age.

Haven't had to deal with them.

Excellent guitar; especially for the money. Guild is very underrated. This is the third Guild I've had in the past 15 years. I compared for 2 weeks before going with this one. Played a Gibson Hummingbird, SJ-200, Taylors, Alvarez other Guilds(D55)and Martins all ranging from $699 to $2899 and HONESTLY liked this one the best. Funny, the Guild D55 is about $600 more too. Try a few. All brands sound different and people gravitate toward a certain type of acoustic sound. Also, try to play more than one of the exact same model. As I said earlier, they are all different.

1996 DV-52 NT HG dreadnought acoustic, made in Rhode Island (USA). Solid spruce top, solid rosewood sides & back. One-piece mahogany neck. Ebony fretboard & bridge. Small MOP dot inlays give it a nice vintage look, as does the abalone rosette. Has the Guild "Chesterfield" logo inlay in the headstock. High gloss finish is very attractive. Gold Grover tuners look good and work well.

I play mostly solo folk and acoustic rock in coffeehouse settings, and in a praise and worship band at church services a couple times/month.
The DV-52 is supposed to sound like a "vintage" instrument (hence the "V"). Since I've never played any vintage guitars, I can't say much on that. I DO know that this is a fine sounding guitar.
Deep, rich bass response and excellent volume and projection. Treble is a bit weak, but I'd expect that from a dreadnought. I don't play up the neck on acoustic so I avoid cutaways--not to mention that a cutaway kills the bass!
This instrument doesn't have a pick up. Guild sells some of their acoustics with Fishman Matrix systems, but I've yet to encounter a piezo pickup that actually makes the guitar sound like an acoustic. For live work, I either mic it (which sounds very good) or use a Dean Markley Artist transducer that sticks on the top. The DM Artist is a cheapo pickup (I paid $30) but it sounds good for a transducer. I don't care for magnetic soundhole pickups--too electric for my taste.

Factory set-up was satisfactory. There was one small "dent" in the top when I bought it, probably from being knocked around or played in the store. Hasn't caused any sound problems as far as I can tell.
I think it came set-up with 12's. I use a regular 12 set, but replace the (1) with a 13 and the (6) with a 56. I use a lot of alternate tunings and the larger strings hold their tone better when tuned down. The 56 also gives better bass and volume when tuned standard.
The neck is 1-11/16 (I think), a nice width for chord work and fingerstyle.
In the two years I've owned it, I've had the truss rod adjusted a few times, the saddle shaved (to lower the action a hair), the frets dressed, and a strap button installed on the heel of the neck. One of the frets was lower than the others, which created some annoying buzz. The fret dress solved that.

I've played the guitar several times a week for two years, gigged with it a bunch and it's held up fine. I have a fairly heavy right-hand technique and have never felt reluctant to thump on the top.
Of course, a good acoustic requires special care. I use a Damp-It during the dry winter months and try to be careful of temperature changes when I'm travelling with it.

Lifetime warranty--can't beat that.
I've contacted Guild/Fender a couple times through e-mail and have received prompt, helpful replies each time. No major support issues though (fortunately).

I've been playing for about 12 years. This is the first "quality" instrument I've owned and I'm very pleased with it. This model easily competes with comparable solid wood Taylors and Martins but is a few hundred bucks less. A great value in my book.