Tools of the Trade lets an artist share their love for their favorite piece of gear.

In this edition, we asked Fredericksburg, Virginia multi-instrumentalist Daniel Bachman to tell us why he loves his 1985 Guild D-55 guitar.

I’m not a guitar head. I like guitars, and I play them, but I never really lose it if I’m at a shop and they’ve got something hanging on the wall. I just want it to play and feel right to me. I don’t have a large number of guitars floating around so it’s easy for me to choose one and write some words about it. This isn’t the guitar I learned on—I have an old Martin that’s been beaten to hell and remains in a case from now on—but it’s the one that’s put in the most work.

This one is an 1985 Guild D-55. My dad bought it back then and had never really played it. He had a bunch of other guitars that he played while this one sat and waited for me. When I started touring I needed something reliable, so I took it out and never switched back. It’s been everywhere with me.

Sometimes I feel like I should try something new—try a new guitar and a new sound—but I honestly can’t find anything that puts out like this one. Its very loud and very heavy, and has a great uncontrollable buzz when you whack your thumb against the low strings. With new strings on, I think it really sings. It’s starting to fall apart from the couple years of heavy abuse, dropping it every once in a while and playing it everyday, but it’s built like a tank. I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Listen to a new single from Daniel Bachman’s forthcoming TBA release—featuring his 1985 Guild D-55 guitar—below: