Guild D-240E

A solid (topped) and dependable dread’

The Concert model’s Westerly sibling is a good ol’ dreadnought. And there’s a reason why it’s the most popular acoustic shape, it usually yields an all round performance that will suite most needs. And true to form we find that lower end warmth that the M-240E doesn’t have to spare is present and correct here.

Feature-wise it’s the same recipe as the smaller guitar. A classic Sitka Spruce look in matte but with that Guild headstock better proportioned here to the larger dreadnought body shape. Like its smaller sibling, those Guild open gear tuners are stable when we try a few alternate tunings. It’s a balanced guitar in sound, as a good dreadnought should be, though in terms of projection it doesn’t sound like the subtle looking Archback design makes as much audible difference compared to the more diminutive M240. It turns in a fine performance though, notably warm for a spruce-topped guitar, without losing harmonic definition.

First impressions when plugging in are mixed. We find the AP-1’s nine-volt battery in its pouch sliding around inside the body; they’ve become separated from the Velcro fixture near the base of the neck. It’s easily remedied, though not without taking the strings off first, but it might be something to keep an eye on to prevent potential damage.

The AP-1 looks to be styled after Fishman’s Sonitone system (found on the higher end Westerly electros) though we note that on all three of these guitars, the signal cuts in and out as we adjust volume. More surprising still is our test D240 yields around 50 per cent less plugged in output than the concert model (we even change the battery to make sure). But there is a payoff; there’s less plasticky piezo quack here and an electro performance that’s more organic compared to the M240.