1991 Guild D-50 Natural
This veteran Guild D-50 Bluegrass Special dreadnought guitar was made in Guild’s Westerly, Rhode Island, plant in 1991, judging from its serial number (D500760) and the Guild website. The D-50 was a rosewood version of the mahogany D-40 Bluegrass Jubilee until it was discontinued in 1993 (to be re-issued later). As such, this particular guitar has been dominating lesser instruments for over 25 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-50 has a solid spruce top and solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The body is fully bound, top and back, and it has a large tortoise pick guard, an ebony bridge with white black-dot pins, and a multi-stripe inlaid rosette. The mahogany neck is faced with a 14/20-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlay. It ends in a mahogany headstock with gold enclosed Grover tuners and the pearl inlaid Guild logo and Chesterfield.
There are several cosmetic and functional items to report: there is some slight fret wear, especially in the first three frets. Apparently, it suffered from being dropped once on its top edge at the end pin. There are several cracks that I can see, all professionally glued and cleated: two at the sound hole from the sides of the neck extension, and the others from the bridge to the binding. There are relatively few other small dings and bruises, with the exception being the several dings and chips in the finish of the headstock. Considering its honorable 25+ years of service and the passion with which it has evidently been played, the beautifully straight-grained back and sides are in excellent condition, with only very slight signs of belt rash and so forth.
While this is still 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 now been thoroughly checked out and set up by a professional luthier, the action is medium for the heavy pick work for which it was designed (just under 4/32” 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.
The included original hard shell case is in good working condition, and obviously fits the guitar perfectly. The burgundy plush lining is soft and relatively odor-free, and structurally it is solid as a rock. It is the ideal vintage 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 read the description carefully and check out the pictures before buying. 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 powerful Guild classic.
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.