Picture of X375 with "CUSTOM" marking on fret
Matsickma,
That's a great looking guitar! It has most of the features of a '56 guitar but with that I only mean the features of the neck.
Re. the 'CUSTOM' designation:
As I mentioned in my earlier posting, an inlay with 'CUSTOM' engraved in it would be very unusual for Guild.
First of all, they didn't use the 'CUSTOM' designation for anything that was not standard. For that they used the 'Special' designation. I have about 50 'Specials' in my database from the period between 1953 and 1970 and in all cases the Special designation was written on the label.
Secondly, I believe that particular inlay was added to the fingerboard at a later date. Guild uses 8 block inlays on their fingerboards, not 9.
I can't really see the edges of the other inlays but none of my '50s guitars has so much 'bad fit' filler around the inlay.
It's hard to say from the photos because they do not show enough detail but it also looks like the guitar had a total refinish. It's too glossy for an original '50s finish and the bindings on top do not look like Guild bindings from the '50s and there are other things with the body that do not make sense. I'm not even referring to the laminated maple top.
That type of tailpiece wasn't around until 1964. The volume and tone knobs are from a much later date, the bridge is not a '50s style, the Schaller M-6 machines are ca. 1970. and the push-button mounting plate is not the right one for a '50s guitar, so all in all there was a lot of work done to this instrument.
Since there are a lot of parts changed on this guitar it looks like a total restoration and I would think that the inlay was probably added when all or some of this work was done to the guitar.
Now I'm not judging the quality of the work. It looks like a neat job but looking at the guitar from a 'historic' viewpoint I don't think there ever was something like an X-375 Custom.
Sincerely,
Hans Moust