1996 Guild D-30 Black
This great dreadnought guitar was made in the Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in late 1996, confirmed by its serial number (AD 300297) and the Guild website. The D-30 was a substantial upgrade from the more common dreadnought D-25, with an MSRP of about $1400--$200 more than the D-25--when it was discontinued in 1999. This particular guitar has been dominating lesser instruments for 25 years, and the resonance of its seasoned woods will only improve with each new generation of players. Its classic good looks make it stand out in a crowd, but it’s the huge sound that will make other musicians turn around to check it out.
The Guild D30 (Black) has a solid spruce top, solid curly maple sides, and a three-piece curly maple neck, while the maple back is arched for greater projection. The high gloss black body is fully bound in white, (top and back), and it has a large black pick guard, a rosewood bridge with white black-dot pins, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The 14/20 fret figured rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay ends in a contrasting black headstock veneer with three-per-side gold Grover tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild Chesterfield and logo.
As one might expect with a maple guitar, the sound is not muddy or too heavily weighted toward the bass register: it is extremely well balanced, with a warm, full sound from all the strings, whether strummed in open chords or isolated in lead lines. I have it set up at the standard 3/32” at the 12th fret low E to accommodate my amateurish finger-picking, and the action is very fast and comfortable; I suspect it would be even more responsive with heavier strings and a medium pick..
There are a few cosmetic items to report: there is some barely visible fret wear in the first few frets and professionally repaired cracks below the bridge and at the sound hole. There are a few dings and chips around the edges and on the back, and the end pin jack has been removed, leaving a hole for its replacement. This is not a truly like-new instrument, but it is still beautiful, a real Guild, “Made to be Played”, and it has been making music and turning heads for over two decades. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, it will pass into the hands of a player able to make music and turn heads for decades to come.
The included original hard shell case, arched to conform to the guitar it protects, has a few dents and dings, and there is a bit of tarnish on the hardware. However, the latches still work perfectly, the plush lining is still like new, and structurally it is still solid as a rock. It is the ideal vintage complement for this vintage guitar—and of course offers outstanding protection.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have made every effort to describe and illustrate this guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy it
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Thank you for your interest in this cool vintage guitar.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.