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Description

This wonderful dreadnought guitar was made in the famous Hoboken, N. J., plant and is pure classic Guild. The D-40 Bluegrass was designed to be a substantial upgrade from the more common D-25 and D-35, and has appeared in three separate series: 1963-1992, 1999-2003, and the Third Version Bluegrass Jubilee, 2006 to the present. Whichever version one is fortunate enough to own, the solid woods and robust Guild design add a powerful dimension to its performance. This 1969 D-40’s classic look in its well-played natural finish make it stand out in a crowd, but it’s the huge Guild sound that will make other musicians turn around to check it out.

The Guild D-40 has a solid red spruce top and solid mahogany back, sides, and neck. The body is fully bound in white, top and back, and it has a large tortoiseshell pick guard, a rosewood bridge with white black-dot pins, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The 14/20-fret Indian rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay ends in a mahogany headstock with three-per-side Grover vintage-style open tuners (here upgraded to Grover enclosed replacements) and a black peghead overlay with the pearl inlaid Guild Chesterfield and logo.

There are several cosmetic items to report—mostly due to almost fifty years of playing hard-driving music. Obviously, there is substantial pick wear in the top beyond the pick guard, and the finish is crazed (“to let the sound out,” as my luthier says) to the point where in several areas—notably around the heel—the finish has chipped off entirely. Needless to say, there are numerous other small dings and bruises throughout. In addition, the headstock lamination is either a replacement from another Guild, or it has shrunk, as there is clearly wood showing around the edges; the truss rod cover is also a too-small replacement and is missing a screw. Structurally, the only repair I see is a professionally glued and cleated crack below the pick guard.

While this is not a slick or truly attractive instrument, it is a real Guild, “Made to be Played," and it has been beating up on banjo and fiddle players for almost half a century. The action is set at a fast and comfortable hair under 3/32” at the 12th fret low E, and it is a really LOUD guitar. 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.

The included hard shell case is obviously not original, but it’s almost brand new. Naturally the latches work smoothly, the soft black lining is clean, structurally it is solid as a rock, and the guitar fits perfectly. It is the ideal complement for this classic 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. 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 fine vintage guitar.

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

1969
Guild
Good
Hard
9 Years
ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS
ARTHUR H LUMPKIN
803-731-0515
Online Only
2:02 AM
24/7 by e-mail: akmgj@bellsouth.net. I'm old; I don't sleep much.

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.