1980 Guild D-40C LH
This veteran dreadnought guitar was made in the famous Westerly, R.I., plant in 1980 and is pure classic Guild. The D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee 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 1980 D-40C’s classic good looks in this rare left-hand configuration 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-40C has a solid red spruce top and solid mahogany back, sides, and neck. The body has a sharp LEFT-HANDED cutaway and is fully bound in white, top and back; 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 Wilkinson vintage-style open tuners (replacements) and a black peghead overlay with the pearl inlaid Guild Chesterfield and logo.
There are a number of cosmetic items to report, but crucially NO CRACKS. There are lotsa dings, scuffs, chips in the finish and the binding, and the finish on the back of the neck is particularly worn and chipped. All of these concerns have been checked by my luthier, and as the pictures indicate, they are barely visible at a distance beyond a few feet. The action is set up fast and comfortable at a hair under 3/32” at the 12th fret low E, and there is a passive under-saddle pick-up accessed through an end pin jack for noisier gigs. While this is still a truly attractive instrument, it is a real Guild, “Made to be Played." 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 new hard shell case obviously is not original. Naturally the five latches work smoothly, the black plush lining is clean, and structurally it is solid as a rock. The guitar of course fits perfectly—and there’s a key, which is good, because every lefty you know is gonna want to play this guitar, with or without your say-so. 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.
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.