1968 Guild Studio 301-ST Sunburst

[Toy]

This is my first time posting here. I have a question, but don’t know if it’s a silly one or not…I have a 1968 Guild Studio 301-ST Sunburst. From what I understand there weren’t too many of this version (1968 Guild Studio 301-ST) made. Also I’ve seen it mentioned that the guitar was intended as more of a student guitar. With its single ‘mickey mouse’ pickup. So one might assume not too many mainstream preforming/recording artists used this guitar. But my question is…is there anyway to find out who might have originally purchased the guitar based on its serial number? I know there may have been consecutive owners since the first owner, but I thought I might be cool to find out who bought it first.
Did or does Guild keep any record of sales from the ‘early days’?
Cheers T.

 

[AcornHouse]

Guild did keep records and @hansmoust is the keeper of them. Whether they would have who purchased it remains to be seen. That sounds like whatever shop ordered it for their inventory would have had that information.

 

[GAD]

Moved to Semi-hollow forum

Cool guitar!

 

[Norrissey]

Beautiful guitar. These Studio guitars are on my wish list. I love those mickey mouse pickups. In the late sixties Guild mostly put them on their more affordable models but I think they are outstanding single coil pickups. The guitar I have with the mickey mouse pickups is a '69 Guild Galanti which was also a student guitar. I doubt you can find out who was the original owner unless by chance @hansmoust already has the guitar in his archives.

 

[GGJaguar]

Welcome to LTG and thanks for sharing your cool ST-301! The music store that sold the guitar would have a record of who they sold it to, but that assumes 1) the store is still in business and 2) they kept records from the late 1960s. Guild would have had a record if the owner filled out the warranty registration, but Guild changed hands so many times, those records likely don't exist (unless Hans has them).

BTW, I have an ST-301 just like yours. It's a fun guitar!

 

[mushroom]

Do these have headstock binding?

 

[GGJaguar]

Do these have headstock binding?

No. The plastic headstock veneer shrinks over time and creates the illusion of binding. I kind of like it.

 

[mushroom]

Cool thanks

 

[walrus]

Great guitar! Welcome to LTG!

walrus

 

[Toy]

Thank you all for your comments and reply’s. Absolutely agree it is a fine looking guitar, I don’t play it much if at all because it has an issue with the jack, which is fixable, but I‘m not the man to do it. Also regards the plastic headstock veneer, mine has shrunk and buckled…is there anyway to fix or replace that? Or should one do that or leave it as is in ‘original vintage condition?’
It seems like Hans is the man to ask my initial question…but what is the etiquette here…do I message him or wait until he joins the conversation?

 

[Toy]

Welcome to LTG and thanks for sharing your cool ST-301! The music store that sold the guitar would have a record of who they sold it to, but that assumes 1) the store is still in business and 2) they kept records from the late 1960s. Guild would have had a record if the owner filled out the warranty registration, but Guild changed hands so many times, those records likely don't exist (unless Hans has them).

BTW, I have an ST-301 just like yours. It's a fun guitar!

Wow…beauty!

 

[AcornHouse]

Thank you all for your comments and reply’s. Absolutely agree it is a fine looking guitar, I don’t play it much if at all because it has an issue with the jack, which is fixable, but I‘m not the man to do it. Also regards the plastic headstock veneer, mine has shrunk and buckled…is there anyway to fix or replace that? Or should one do that or leave it as is in ‘original vintage condition?’
It seems like Hans is the man to ask my initial question…but what is the etiquette here…do I message him or wait until he joins the conversation?

You can contact Hans through his website, www.guitarchives.nl, his preferred contact method.

 

[Toy]

You can contact Hans through his website, www.guitarchives.nl, his preferred contact method.

Perfect thank you…

 

[Toy]

Have sent a message will let you know what I hear back. Cheers

 

[Norrissey]

I don’t play it much if at all because it has an issue with the jack, which is fixable

I had a jack replaced on one of my Guild electrics recently. It was very inexpensive. I think my luthier charged me $5 or $10. The headstock repair might take more finesse/time. No idea how much that would cost.

 

[fronobulax]

Also regards the plastic headstock veneer, mine has shrunk and buckled…is there anyway to fix or replace that? Or should one do that or leave it as is in ‘original vintage condition?’

Welcome.

There is not always a good repair option. The overlay is not available as a replacement part so your tech would have to make something and then preserve or reuse the inlay. Stripping it and painting also requires fiddly work to preserve the inlay. Some folks have trimmed the veneer so that the exposed white is uniform and looks like binding. Sometimes the lift can be countered by a precise application of glue. But this is not a deal breaker for anyone who knows '60's Guilds.

 

[BradHK]

Nice Guild! I would just glue down the original overlay. I have had to do this on a couple of mine with good results. I removed the tuners and bushings then used fish glue and a caul shaped to the headstock to apply even pressure but still allow access to the edge to wipe off any glue that squeezes out before it sets. I have also made a headstock overlay by using an original inlay and making the black part. That was not a simple job and I would avoid unless this is the only option. It is also less original but my headstock overlay was completely missing.

 

[SFIV1967]

I removed the tuners and bushings then used fish glue and a caul shaped to the headstock to apply even pressure but still allow access to the edge to wipe off any glue that squeezes out before it sets.

And make sure to do this in short time as the celluloid overlay shrinks very fast when the tuners are removed. With very fast I only mean do not leave the tuners out of the holes for more than a couple of days. Those 55 year old celluloid overlays are tricky.

Ralf

 

[Toy]

So I did hear back from Hans, but, to quote…

“Thanks for your email. Unfortunately I cannot help you with that. While Guild encouraged buyers of Guild guitars to fill in and return the owner's registration card with their personal information, they did not actually keep that info on file. They may have kept the info for the period of the warranty period after the purchase date, but nothing was kept after that. Also a lot of people did not send it that card, since I found many of those cards in the string compartment of countless vintage guitar cases that I've come across. I would think that most people figured that the sales receipt from the store would be sufficient in case something was wrong with the guitar and legally that would be correct.”

Also I have incorrectly described the guitar as ST where as it should be SB for sunburst.
1968 Guild Studio 301-SB