Watch Guild Guitars Introduce Its ‘Newly Refreshed’ California-Made D-55: Winter NAMM 2017
by Whitney Phaneuf
Last year, Guild embarked on a new era of US production, rebirthing classic models built at its factory in Southern California.
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At Winter NAMM 2017, Guild unveiled its newly refreshed D-55, which product manager Brandon Schmidt calls “The most ornate guitar we’ve built in California thus far.”
Watch above as Schmidt provides some background on the historic axe, first introduced in 1968 as a special-order, top-of-the-line model and added into full production by 1974, then listen as guitarist Tim Bertsch demonstrates its sound. The D-55 was famously played by Tommy Smothers (on the Smothers Brothers Show), Waylon Jennings, Billie Joe Armstrong, and David Nail.
The D-55 — seen here in antique sunburst — remains true to its 1968 predecessor, including a AAA Sitka spruce top, solid Indian Rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and nitrocellulose finish. Internal refinements include scalloped Adirondack bracing as well as an improved dovetail neck-joint. It hits stores in February 2017.
