1970's Guild F-612

[Ivory Bridge]

Any very early 1970's Guild F-612's out there...in Brazilian Rosewood? The last 612 I saw was at Mac Yashuda's compound in Costa Mesa where he kept a good number of his guitars back in the early 90's. He wanted to trade me my 1969 Martin D-45 for his F-612. Needless to say, as much as I wanted his 612, I was not about to be bamboozled by his moronic offer. :wink:

 

[Karl Teten]

I would buy a Tacoma limited F612 in a heartbeat. 8)

 

[BluesDan]

I guess I would fall into the moron category, that Martin not being pre WWII, I would have made the trade! :wink:

 

[Ivory Bridge]

Back in the late mid to late 80's, a 1968 or 1969 Martin D-45 was worth about 6-8 thousand dollars. Today, those same 68-69 Martin D-45 guitars are worth about 40+ thousand dollars, even though they are not "pre-war".

The Guild 612, while very attractive and desirable, is not worth anything close to that. I did however find a 612 and paid 5,000 dollars for it, and I love it, would not part with it either. I am still looking for another one to buy. I think you read my post wrong, I said the offer that was made was moronic, not the person.

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Ivory Bridge; I had to go look to find out what that a Martin D-45 was Martin's top-of-the-line product. Lot's of things I don't know too much about including Martin's product line. Funny; if you had traded him, you've have an F-612 now and wouldn't be GASsing for another. According to your math, it might have been the world's most expensive 12-string but it's ironic that, if you can write a big enough check, you can find a D-45; I'm not sure the same applies to F-612s.

Cheers, cj

 

[FNG]

Good luck finding a 1968 BRW Martin D-45.

 

[Ivory Bridge]

I already have an F-612 that I use almost daily, I am just looking for another one to enjoy as well. I also own four Martin D-45's, two are 1968's and two 1969's. It is not about writing a "big check" as you so eloquently put it. I paid very little for three of the four D-45's I own. What it is all about, is playing and enjoying fine instruments that anyone can find if they are not in a hurry.

Ivory Bridge

 

[FNG]

We need some pics!!!

 

[Ivory Bridge]

*hahaha*. I posted my guitar collection pictures once, then found them all over the internet attached to other people's pages, eBay, forums, you name it. My wife recently found a picture of me as a 27 year old (I am now 54) holding my 1927 Martin 0-45 attached to some goofball's Myspace page, and she thought I had a secret Myspace deal going. It took me a week to prove it was not my page. Never again! If there was a way to post pictures that others couldn't swipe, I would do it.

 

[capnjuan]

I already have an F-612 that I use almost daily, I am just looking for another one to enjoy as well. I also own four Martin D-45's, two are 1968's and two 1969's. It is not about writing a "big check" as you so eloquently put it. I paid very little for three of the four D-45's I own. What it is all about, is playing and enjoying fine instruments that anyone can find if they are not in a hurry. Ivory Bridge

Hi IB; D45s are still in production - if a person was willing to write a check - regardless of amount, they could own one. By comparison, the vintage F612s are pretty rare; so rare that if none are on the market, it doesn't matter what someone would be willing to pay. Cheers! cj

 

[BluesDan]

Back in the late mid to late 80's, a 1968 or 1969 Martin D-45 was worth about 6-8 thousand dollars. Today, those same 68-69 Martin D-45 guitars are worth about 40+ thousand dollars, even though they are not "pre-war".

The Guild 612, while very attractive and desirable, is not worth anything close to that. I did however find a 612 and paid 5,000 dollars for it, and I love it, would not part with it either. I am still looking for another one to buy. I think you read my post wrong, I said the offer that was made was moronic, not the person.

IB, My apologies if you took my post as an insult to the monetary value of your D45. I understood completely the inferred statement "moronic offer". I was simply admitting that I would accept such a moronic offer and therefore was putting myself in the "moron" category. Taking a shot at myself if you will. I am well aware of the value of the D45's, correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there were only a few hundred made during '68 & '69. I owned a '69 D45, bought it on a whim (used) after I had seen Neil Young with one. I sold it while raising funds to purchase my first home. Many acoustic guitars have come and gone in my life, some I have missed dearly, some not so much. For whatever reason, the D45 never "did it" for me and I never missed it. As it turns out, I have discovered that I have a penchant for fine quality instruments that happen to be of a lesser monetary value. To each his own, eh? Good luck on your quest for another 612, enjoy the D45's, enjoy life and all the fine instruments one can find, and again, sorry if there was any misunderstanding.
Kindest regards,
Dan

 

[Ivory Bridge]

No misunderstanding at all. I am OK with what you said and how you feel about your particular collection. I too have joy in finding guitars that play well and have very little monetary value. I just bought a 1968 Venture V-13 Cowboy guitar for 25 bucks. A Ventura V-13 was my very first real guitar I ever owned, my mom bought it for me when I was a lad, and it replaced my cardboard cutout guitar I used to walk through my neighborhood with. You are right about a 69 D-45 not sounding very good, late in 1968, Martin started using larger rosewood bridgeplates to strengthen the tops and bridge for medium string use. Changing from the small maple bridgeplates to small rosewood, then bigger rosewood bridgeplates, I feel was the real decline of Martin Guitars in my book. No matter, those 231 brazillian rosewood 68 and 69 D-45's are valuable and are going up every year. I actually prefer playing my Kleins and Taylors, and lately, my new/old Ventura V-13.

 

[William63]

I would buy a Tacoma limited F612 in a heartbeat. 8)

I would too. I am in the market for an F512 and will be buying one in the next couple of months but my Holy Grail is an F612. I would love to find one. Does anyone know how many were made back in the 1970s?

Anyone here that owns one care to share some pics?

 

[RussD]

Found a link with several nice pics...
http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunofficialmartinguitarforumfrm150.showPrevMessage?topicID=498.topic

 

[songsmith7]

That link tells an incredible story. The Tyrannosaurus Rex of 12-strings. For $1000.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Karl,

You mean Tacoma or Guild is making F612 guitars again?

Hatted Frau

 

[Ivory Bridge]

I am surprised that Guild has not reissued the 612 after so many years. Whats the deal with that? On a 512 note, I was lucky enough this week to find two Takamine F395 12 strings for sale. These are the copies of the Guild 512 that are called "lawsuit guitars" from the 70's. One is a 1975 maple, and the other is a 1976 rosewood version. I made offers that were less than the asking price for each, and was able to get them both. One didn't have a case, but I found a very very clean, almost new, 60's yellow interior Guild case today just asking around the local shops. Got a deal on that too, 80 bucks. I am styling this week......

 

[12 string]

Reissue the F-612!?!?? I'd buy some!

 

[Ivory Bridge]

I just received the 1976 Takamine F395 12string rosewood model in the mail yesterday, and it is well beyond my expectations. The guitar is light, action is awesome, and sound is near comparable to my 1970 512, and it plays like a dream. Now I am waiting for the 1975 F395 maple version due to arrive this coming Friday.

 

[William63]

Karl,

You mean Tacoma or Guild is making F612 guitars again?

Hatted Frau

I don't think they are but I wish they would! I read the feature article in Acoustic Guitar mag and Guild said something to the effect that although they are keeping the traditional line they are not looking to the past to move forward. I took that to mean don't hold your breath waiting for reissuing old favorites like the F612.