1972 Guild D-50 Excellent, Hard, $1,595.00
This wonderful Guild D-50 Bluegrass Special dreadnought guitar was made in the fabled Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1972, judging from its serial number (63205) and the Guild website. It was introduced in 1963 as a rosewood version of the mahogany D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee until it was discontinued in 1993. Thus, this guitar has been dominating lesser instruments for over 40 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. With exceptional string-to-string balance, excellent playability, and powerful projection, the D-50 Bluegrass Special is a versatile and well-rounded instrument that is well suited for a variety of different playing styles.
The Guild D-50 has a solid red spruce top with scalloped red spruce braces and solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The body is fully bound, top and back, and it has a large tortoise pick guard, a rosewood bridge with ivoroid pins, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The mahogany neck is faced with a 14/20-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlay; it has a 25.5” scale, and a 1.69” nut. It ends in a mahogany headstock with three-per-side chrome Grover tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild logo.
There are very few cosmetic items to report: there is very little finish “crazing”, and almost no visible fret and fingerboard wear; there is a bit of pick wear above and below the sound hole and pick guard. There are no cracks, repaired or otherwise, and relatively few other small dings and bruises. Considering its honorable 40 years of service, the beautifully straight-grained back and sides are in excellent condition, with only very slight signs of belt rash and so forth.
However, while this is a truly attractive instrument, it is a real Guild, “Made to be Played”, and it has been making music and turning heads for a generation. It has been thoroughly checked out and set up by a professional luthier, the intonation and tone are spot on, and the action is low to medium at 3/32” at the 12th fret low E. It’s ready to beat up on some banjo and fiddle players, and 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.
It comes with a non-original Guitar Research hardshell case that shows almost no wear and is virtually indestructible. The latches work perfectly, the black plush lining is soft and odor-free, and structurally it is solid as a rock. It fits like a glove and is the ideal complement for this vintage guitar—and of course it 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 buy 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.
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.