Guild D-40E Review

D40e What a guitar!!!

I went out to buy a Martin D12 or a Gibson J45 and I ended up buying the Guild D40e. It says a lot. The two earlier mentioned guitars are top notch, but to me, with my kind of playing, the Guild just nailed it. It has a loud, warm deep sound, but it remains bright. The sound travels like in a cathedral. It's perfect for strumming and solo's (which i do most), but it's also good… read more for finger picking. I was disappointed by the Martin. Don't get me wrong, it did everything right, but it lacked character. The Gibson was sweeter, and really impressed me, but it cost a lot more and it wasn't as full on the basses while strumming. In any case it didn't justify the price difference. I also looked at Seagull and Taylor, but to my taste they were too bright. I took the guitar to my luthier to finetune the frets an setup. He had some work to do on the bridge. I had a bit of buzz on the two highest strings (B&E) and 2 frets needed to be glued. Nevertheless, the luthier told me he often does that on new guitars, even very expensive ones. He also told me that this guitar is at the very top of what he ever had in his hands. He looked inside and said the bracing proves remarkable craftsmanship (way better than Gibson). If you look for a top class guitar with LR baggs pick up (which is the best to my opinion) no frills and a fantastic sound, this is it. Best guitar I ever bought!! (and I bought a few in the last 30 years)

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Might be the best-sounding guitar I've owned...

After 25 years of playing guitar (mostly acoustic), I've owned more than my fair share of axes. From Taylors (814, 510, W15, AD17 Blacktop, 412) to Breedloves (Premier Concertos, mostly), I've always ALMOST found what I was looking for. Enter the Guild D40E Antique Burst; now I've found it. It's certainly not the most expensive or "flashy" guitar I've come across, but the SOUND… read more and FEEL are superior to any other I've owned or played. It checks all the boxes for me. I can't believe it doesn't cost more than it does.

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Sweetwater's Guild D-40E is the finest acoustic guitar I ever purchased!

I just received my new Guild D-40E and was totally shocked upon opening the shipping box! Speaking about SPEEDY shipping, Sweetwater is the best period. Upon examining my new Guild, I found it flawless. The fit and finish are beautiful. The headstock is beautiful and complimented with Guild vintage-style open-gear tuning machines. The C-profile mahogany neck complimented and an… read more Indian rosewood fingerboard perfect in design, looks and feel. I also found the bridge perfect in height. The solid Sitka spruce top is flawless with a beautiful satin varnish finish as well. The body's back and sides are constructed with solid mahogany wood beautifully finished as well. As far as the electronics are concerned, I will evaluate them when my new Marshall acoustic amp arrives. The factory guitar case is well constructed and totally beautiful. It should last a lifetime. I'm completely satisfied with the entire package I ordered. Thanks 'Jay L' for your assistance. In my opinion you are a great Sales Engineer. Sweetwater is the only place I'm going to buy from.

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Electronics review update

I have had nothing but problems with the Baggs VTC and feedback, so I am upgrading to the Baggs Anthem $300 system. I have another high end acoustic with Baggs Anthem SL in it I am very pleased with. May want to consider the D-40 traditional if available and add electronics yourself.

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Nice Rich Tone

This guitar is my first nice guitar since I got my Martin HD28, new, 32 years ago. I needed a guitar for playing out and around with a band that a bunch of us going grey haired guys recently formed. It is very different from my Martin. This is mahogany, not rosewood, and the difference in tone was much greater than I anticipated... very deep and rich with a much subtler high end.… read more After adjusting my expectations, I came to love it's tone very much. It is what they say, a cannon. Very alive and responsive. A well made, light and simple basic dreadnaught perfect for the music I play. While nothing I have played so far has surpassed my beloved Martin HD28 (and that's just me, I know some players prefer mahogany, and I can see why), this Guild D40E has opened up new tonal explorations in my playing. I am very glad I bought this Guitar. The neck has the same width as my Martin, 1 11/16", but it feels wider, I think because of the neck radius... the Martin being 16" and the Guild D40E being 12"... It is very easy to play. The action is good... I will probably fine tune it a little after I have played it a while, maybe change to the 13 gauge strings I am used to first, then set the action if need be. The L.R. Baggs pick up is great... I am very happy with the sound through my Roland AC60. Better than the Fishman Rare Earth sound hole pick up I use in the Martin, a more balanced tone and easily EQ'd sound, though not as shimmery... while feedback is a bit of an issue, I will tame it with a Feedback Buster sound hole cover and maybe an outboard acoustic preamp. The finish? Meh, I would have preferred gloss, but that would have added to the cost, and I plan to break this guitar in hard anyway. The Antique Burst is beautiful and I have already received many compliments. The tuners work fine, very basic no frills, again probably to keep this guitar at this reasonable for the quality price point. A professional guitar player for some very well known artists recommended this guitar, and I am glad he did.

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Great sounding guitar

Guitar sounds huge. Best sounding acoustic I have ever played.

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Sound Cannon

I have just received my new Guild D40E. I am not surprised in the craftsmanship. When I first picked it up, the quality immediately stood out. The sound projection is what I was looking for as well. It fits all of my needs.

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Guild D-40 E Antique Burst

This Beautifully American

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Exceeded expectations

I've owned 4 guitars previous to my purchase of the Guild D40E. All of these were in the $200-$300 range. I was happy with these while I was learning the ropes.. As I progressed, I began to notice these instruments were incapable of achieving the tone and playability I desired. I did my research and had settled on a Martin D-18E or a 1940's Gibson LG-2 or new Gibson J-45 model.… read more While looking for these other guitars I happened upon the Guilds, then learned that an ex Gibson luthier (Ren Ferguson) had taken over production and design of the new Guild guitars. Listening to online demos of the Guilds, I found them to be just as good if not better than guitars that cost much more. I also played several Martins in guitar shops. So how does it play? Well it is awesome! The tone is unreal, volume is potent when strummed firmly, when strummed or picked lightly it is plenty loud and incredibly articulate with great note separation. It tunes and holds tune like a dream. Taking it out of the box from Sweetwater only the b string had drifted out of tune slightly. The band members I play with (who are much more experienced than I) also love the new guitar and are happy I've replaced my inferior instruments. I would definitely refer this guitar to anyone looking for their first professional, recording or performing grade instrument. So what about Sweetwater sales staff? My sales person was Carl Bleke,, he was knowledgeable, no pressure, and answered my questions and E-mails promptly. I will call Carl personally for future purchases. The treatment of my guitar and the service I received was truly at a VIP level. These guys treated my guitar like it was a precious family heirloom. The , inspection, packaging and shipping were flawless. I was only surprised that they had not activated the humidifier in the case, but I suppose they had to at least leave me one item to do myself. With the rigorous checks they perform on the guitar it is highly unlikely they would send out a lemon or broken guitar. Be advised, this level of service takes a little time as the instruments must acclimate to Sweetwater's warehouse prior to inspection and shipment. Give your self a few extra days for this process, it is totally worth the wait. Finally, if I weren't anxious enough about getting my new music box, Carl sent me a set of professionally done photos to drool over. Thanks Carl for the great service and thank you Ren and the Guild team for an affordable beautiful tone making instrument. I am happily picking and strumming away.

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Great guitar

i never owned a guild before but was really satisfied with this one great sound, feels great and is very beautiful guitar. i have owned martin before and this guitar is right there with martin if not better. plus it is made in the USA.

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