Repair Advice

[profesrgeo]

Hi All,

 

My wife's prized 1973 Guild D50 needs a neck reset:

 

Question 1: Is this covered by Guild's lifetime warranty

 

Question 2: If not, how much should this cost

 

Question 3. Who in the Chicago area would you

recommend for this work?

 

Thanks in andvance for any input...

 

geo

[Caevan O’Shite]

I'm hesitantly guessing that a neck-reset would be expected to be a possible need in an acoustic guitar in the long-run, and thus NOT covered by a warranty; it's basically down to the fact that a cheaper instrument of lesser quality is not worth it, but a better one is. Age and string-tension conspire to do their worst. It's not necessarily due to any faulty workmanship or materials, it just happens to many old guitars in time.

 

Of course, contact Guild to check on this; perhaps you should ask an authorized Guild dealer and repair center about it. Look in your local Yellow Pages and call all of the places with the Guild logo in their ad first. Go with a place that does repair and mod work in-house, on-premises. They'll know, and they'll want your business, whether it's paid for by you or Guild.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Originally posted by profesrgeo:

Hi All,

 

My wife's prized 1973 Guild D50 needs a neck reset:

 

Question 1: Is this covered by Guild's lifetime warranty

 

Question 2: If not, how much should this cost

 

Question 3. Who in the Chicago area would you

recommend for this work?

 

Thanks in andvance for any input...

 

geo

My guess is that all the Guild legal commitments to customers disolved with the transfer of the company to Fender.

 

The D-50 was a low end guitar... I seem to remember the cherry model being around $250? Unless this guitar has great sentimental value or sounds particuarly good, I'd likely not put much money into it.

 

If you want to get the work done, pricing on such a thing would be on a case-by-case basis depending upon the complexity of the job. It would be standard work for any competent luthier, and I have no doubt that there are several in Chicago. Check with some home boys. In Pittsburgh I would recommend Michael Pellow. Excellent guitarist, and guitar builder as well as repair tech.

 

Bill

[profesrgeo]

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Actually, Guild D50s retail for $1,899.00 US. They're just a cut below their flagship model.

 

regards,

geo

[profesrgeo]

Hi All,

 

Just an update: as suspected, the need for a neck reset on a 30 year old guitar is considered "normal wear and tear" and is not covered under Guild/Fender's Limited Lifetime Warranty. According to The learned folks at Guitar Works in Evanston, 5 years is the cutoff point.

 

Terry at Guitar Works and Geoff at the Musicians Exchange are the frontrunners for the repair work. Anyone have any experience with these guys?

 

Thanks in advance

[dave251]

Assuming your wife is the original owner, you need to check with Guild, not a local music store. Write them a letter, including the original sales receipt and warranty statement, if you still have it.

 

Martin does take care of neck resets...perhaps Guild does too.

 

Here's the basic cost breakdown for a neck reset...Guilds are usually higher due to a problematic design in the dovetail...because of the broad heel, they don't like to come unglued, like a Martin or other narrow heeled acoustics, but...

 

Neck reset: $300-400

Refret(almost always necessary): $175-250

 

You will probably have to pay for a new nut and saddle too, perhaps another $50 to $70.

 

The D50 was Guild's top of the line when yours was made.

 

Good luck.

[profesrgeo]

Hi Dave,

 

Thanks for the info. Besides being an excellent guitar, is has vast sentimental value. I'd have no problem dumping the cash to put it back in top shape.

 

I did check directly with Fender (who now owns Guild) and also had two highly regarded local repair guys do the same. Even with both the original sales reciept, a reciept for warranty work done at Guild's factory in 1980 (truss rod issue), and the original warranty itself, the consistent response was that it was not covered by the warranty.

 

I am aware that Martin will do resets as warranty work. I intend to contact the Guild factory in Nashville directly and inform them of my disappointment.

 

Thanks again,

 

geo

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Originally posted by profesrgeo:

Hi Bill,

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Actually, Guild D50s retail for $1,899.00 US. They're just a cut below their flagship model.

 

regards,

geo

Hmmm... which one was the $250 model? (in 1973 dollars?) I thought that it was a "50" ... maybe J-50? As I remember, it only came in cherry or some medium dark brown wood, and the tops matched the sides in color. Guess I'll look it up.

 

Anyway, it was a nice sounding guitar.

 

I owned a nice acoustic cutaway (G40 maybe? 37? .... I think that I have owned too many guitars....) some years ago. Guild was my favorite acoustic guitar maker until about 1990, then I started to learn about the boutique manufacturers. My friends were into Gibsons and Martins, but I liked the Harptones and Guilds.

 

Bill

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

Ahh... I found it.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2385&item=3732656517&rd=1

 

THAT's the model that I thought we were talking about. Not that it changes any of the advice that I gave about the repair. Any competent luthier should be able to do it for you, it's a standard repair. As was mentioned before, a new fret job is probably going to be a part of the package, too, and it likely needs it if it has never had any fret work in the past.

 

Bill