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Pros:
- Lovely Sound
- Great Build
- Powerful Mid Tones
Cons:
- Pricey
The Guild D-55 is part of a long tradition of dreadnought guitars, following in the footsteps of its ancestors from the 1960s, to become some of the best guitars ever made. These slightly expensive guitars find their place in the hands of professionals, either as main instruments or as parts of extensive collections. After all, what collection would be complete, without a steel string acoustic guitar of high quality? Let us take a closer look at the guitar and see what makes it an integral part of an instrumentalist library.
Build Quality
First and foremost, let’s talk about the body shape. The dreadnought is legendary among musicians for it’s expressiveness and strong projection. It is also the body shape of choice for so many professional guitar. The reason is simple: musicians need loud instruments that sound clear and have a strong projection across the range of all tones. The dreadnought here is powerful and a great asset to any musician.
The top wood of this guitar is Solid AAA Spruce. A higher quality variety of the tonewood, one which you will often find among luxury guitars. This one has excellent resonance with the high and midtones, further nuancing the expressiveness of the already eloquent dreadnought. The back and sides of the guitar are Solid Rosewood. The choice of this wood is apt as the back and sides, though playing a smaller role in determining the sound of the guitar, balance the high and mid tones of the spruce through the excellent rosewood resonance to low tones.
The bracing of the guitar the high quality, Guild Scalloped Red Spruce. An excellent addition to the combinations above.
The neck of the guitar is a little unique: it is a three piece combination of mahogany to walnut and back to mahogany with a dovetail joint, slim heel and an ebony headcap. All created for your own comfort and a lightweight, but sturdy, design. The fretboard is bound ebony, with a smooth surface that feels like home when you play it.
Hardware
The ebony bridge of the guitar dampens the powerful vibrations of the tones slightly, so as to cause less buzz, as well as allow the tones to be heard in more intricate detail. A little bit of dampening helps you make out more of the sounds made by the guitar.
The nut and saddle of the guitar are high quality bone. These neutralize any kind of noise that could’ve been produced by the strings, while also allowing for a warmer, thicker sound to be played by the strings.
The Gotoh 700-series open-back tuners are a pleasure to have on any guitar, and especially on one so good. With excellent tuning stability, you will never have to worry about your guitar being after tune.
Electronics
The electronic pickups on this guitar are optional. If you do end up getting electronics you will be receiving top notch acoustic guitar pickups, though limited controls are available.
Guild D55 Sound
The sound of the guitar is impeccable. It can be warm and sweet, as well as vibrant and lively, without ever having to think about changing anything about the guitar. The projection is strong, so much that it feels like the sound is reaching way into your soul, grabbing you by it, and making you feel whatever emotion the player is trying to transfer.
Conclusion
This guitar is a treat and a pleasure in one. It is a delight to have and a delight to play, though the expensive price sticker might turn some off to picking it up. The money is worth it, I tell you. Quality is worth more than anything, especially for a guitar that will last you for years to come, always providing with great sound. The guitar will mature as it ages, just like you will, so that the sound will eventually reach a deepness and warmth you did not think was possible. A definite recommendation.
Click here to find out more about Guild Traditional Series D-55.
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