1968 Guild D-55
The inaugural Guild D-55 — Guild's answer to the Martin D-45. Built at the new Westerly, Rhode Island factory with scalloped X-bracing and premium rosewood back and sides. A commanding dreadnought voice.
Current Market Value
* Prices are estimates based on recent market data. Actual value depends on originality, condition, and provenance. Pricing methodology
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Specifications
| Body Wood | Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides |
| Neck Wood | Mahogany |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Scale Length | 25.625" |
| Frets | 20 |
| Pickup Config | None |
| Bridge | Rosewood belly bridge with bone saddle |
| Tuners | Grover Rotomatic |
| Finish Options | Natural Spruce Top, Sunburst |
| Est. Production | 200 |
Pickups & Electronics
Acoustic — no pickups. Projection and tone are entirely from the body and bracing.
What Changed in 1968
First year of the Guild D-55 — Guild's flagship dreadnought. Introduced at the Westerly, Rhode Island factory (Guild moved from Hoboken, NJ in 1966). Scalloped X-bracing, rosewood body, spruce top — built to compete with Martin D-28 and D-45.
Notable Examples
Richie Havens played Guild acoustics at Woodstock. The D-55 became a favorite of fingerstyle and flatpicking players.
Collector's Notes
First-year D-55s are the rarest. The Westerly factory was new in 1966 but already producing excellent instruments. Verify bracing pattern — scalloped X-bracing is standard. Rosewood species may vary (Brazilian rosewood possible on earliest examples).
How to Authenticate a 1968 Guild D-55
Guild maintained excellent serial number records — verify the number on the neck block or interior label against Guild tables for 1968. Early Westerly, RI production. Brazilian rosewood back and sides for pre-1970 models — verify wood species carefully. Guild's top-of-line dreadnought. Multiple-bound body, ornate rosette, bound fingerboard. Brazilian rosewood is most valuable. Check Guild headstock logo and chesterfield inlay — style changed over decades. Verify bridge is original, check for top cracks, neck angle, and structural integrity. Tuners should be Grover Rotomatic. Finish should be nitrocellulose lacquer with natural wear. Original case adds value.