(SOLD) Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966

Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966
Guild D-40 Dreadnought 1966

Guild D-40, made in Hoboken USA, 1966. This is a lovely vintage dreadnought; it's full of charm. Guild launched in 1952 in NYC and by 1956 they had moved to a new facility in Hoboken, New Jersey, where this beauty was born. It's got a terrific moderately slim neck; superbly easy in the hands and a very intuitive profile. The body is a fairly trad square shoulder dreadnought shape; the tone is somewhere between the rounded warmth of a Gibson and the articulate projection of a Martin. The spruce and mahogany combo is a tried and true classic, and with six decades of play on the clock, this is sounding extremely warm and full while retaining plenty of cut and precision through the top end. The top has aged to a glorious golden brown hue with age, it's matched to perfection with some very tasty rosewood including a cute little light streak on the bottom corner of the board. These don't come up often in this neck of the woods, so if you're chasing a proper 60s USA dreadnought, here's your shot at the title!

Model: Guild D-40
Made: 1966, Hoboken NJ USA (serial AJ-380)
Finish: natural gloss, original tort guard
Body: solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides 
Neck: mahogany, three piece, rosewood board, 25.5" scale
Mods: tuners replaced with Grover open gear tuners
Pickup: none
Case: vintage wood hard case, presumably non-original

Cosmetic condition notes: mild finish wear. Headstock has some minor dimples, no major marks. The neck is clean and smooth, no major marks, just some slight lacquer splitting along the join in the neck and some minor dimples on the back. The board is in great shape. The back has some widespread surface scratches, dimples and scuffs but no major marks, see the pics. The sides have light dimples and scuffs around the whole body, no major marks save for a scratch on the top shoulder approx 4cm long. The front is similar, plenty of light scuffs and dimples but nothing nasty; the most notable marks are a pair of scratches behind the bridge and some dimples around the outside. Overall: good condition (7/10)

Playing condition notes: action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good. Frets are original and in great shape with fairly minor wear only, 7/10 for fret life left. This guitar has never had a neck reset, but at some point in the next decade it may benefit from such a repair; the action currently no problem but as the normal wear and tear continues the action up the neck will continue to increase. Setup with fresh 12/54 Moonshiners strings. 


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