1982 Guild D-35
This veteran Guild D-35 dreadnought guitar was made in the fabled Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1982, judging from its serial number (DB103682) and the Guild website. It was a substantial solid wood upgrade from the more common laminated D-25 until it was discontinued in 1987. As such, this particular guitar has been dominating lesser instruments for 37 years, and the resonance of its aged woods will only improve with its 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 D-35 has a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back, sides, and neck. The body is fully bound in black, top and back, and it has a large tortoiseshell pick guard, a rosewood bridge with ivoroid pins and a bone saddle, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The 14/20 fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay ends in a bone nut and a mahogany headstock with three-per-side chrome Guild enclosed tuners and the screened Guild logo.
Structurally, it has no remaining issues at all, but there are several cosmetic items to report: there is considerable finish “crazing”, but relatively little fret wear, even in the first three frets. However, as might be expected after 35 years, there are a number of dings visible in the top, back, and sides and some slight buckle bruises on the back. There are also three repaired cracks in the top: one below the pick guard, one from the bridge to the end binding, and one in the bass upper bout from the binding to the sound hole. Finally, the back seam appears to have been glued although I see no sign of damage inside or out.
Thus, while this is still a truly attractive instrument, it is far from collectably perfect; it’s a real Guild, “Made to be Played”, and it has been making music and turning heads for a generation. Thoroughly checked out and set up by a professional luthier, the action is now medium-low (a hair over 3/32” at the 12th fret low E), and it’s ready to beat up on some banjo and fiddle players. 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 a generation or two to come.
This guitar is currently in a solid black gig bag, which of course is included for free. I don’t have any spare dreadnought cases, but for $20 I will evict some lesser guitar from a chip board, for $50 I’ll steal a hard shell case for it, and for $100 I’ll victimize my D-50 for its vintage original Guild hard shell case. But however it’s cased, it will be packed with extreme care so it will arrive safely.
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. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.
Thank you for your interest in this vintage Guild 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.