hansmoust
Enlightened Member
Re: the "20" in F20
Hello Russell,
When Guild started they only had X-models which stood for electric archtops; the only thing they were making at that time.
Soon acoustic flattops were added and where the original Epiphone people used FT for their flat top range, Guild decided to call them F-models. It is my opinion that F stood for Flat Top as well. Folk is probably a term that came into general use during the '60s. (I'm not 100% sure about that, because I wasn't around).
The cheapest models did get the lowest number and the higher the number, the bigger the guitar. The number itself didn't mean anything.
Around 1955 acoustic archtops were introduced and they were called A-models ( for arched top). For every X-model there was an A-model with the same number. An X-500 would have the same trimmings as an A-500 but the first one was a laminated guitar with pickups, while the other one was a full acoustic guitar with a solid top etc. etc.
At the end of the '50s the all-mahogany M-20 and M-30 were introduced and apart from the woods they shared the same measurements with resp. the F-20 and the F-30.
During the early '60s the dreadnought size models were introduced and those did get the D-designation. Unlike the F-models, there was only one D-size. A D-40 guitar was the same shape as a D-50 but the cheaper guitar did get the lower number, pretty much like in the original Martin model designation system.
During the sixties a bunch of other models were introduced but they were all F-style models that did not necessarely have the same shape. Basically just like the 6-string versions.
The 12-strings did get higher numbers ( 112/212/312/412/512 etc) but it wasn't very logical and it didn't get better during the '70s, when G-models were introduced that were all dreadnoughts but not necessarely all the same shape as most D-size guitars.
I could go on an on, but to go back to the original question (I believe).
I think that F stood for Flat top and the numbers were just eh ................
numbers!
Sincerely,
Hans
Russell Letson said:
Hello Russell,
When Guild started they only had X-models which stood for electric archtops; the only thing they were making at that time.
Soon acoustic flattops were added and where the original Epiphone people used FT for their flat top range, Guild decided to call them F-models. It is my opinion that F stood for Flat Top as well. Folk is probably a term that came into general use during the '60s. (I'm not 100% sure about that, because I wasn't around).
The cheapest models did get the lowest number and the higher the number, the bigger the guitar. The number itself didn't mean anything.
Around 1955 acoustic archtops were introduced and they were called A-models ( for arched top). For every X-model there was an A-model with the same number. An X-500 would have the same trimmings as an A-500 but the first one was a laminated guitar with pickups, while the other one was a full acoustic guitar with a solid top etc. etc.
At the end of the '50s the all-mahogany M-20 and M-30 were introduced and apart from the woods they shared the same measurements with resp. the F-20 and the F-30.
During the early '60s the dreadnought size models were introduced and those did get the D-designation. Unlike the F-models, there was only one D-size. A D-40 guitar was the same shape as a D-50 but the cheaper guitar did get the lower number, pretty much like in the original Martin model designation system.
During the sixties a bunch of other models were introduced but they were all F-style models that did not necessarely have the same shape. Basically just like the 6-string versions.
The 12-strings did get higher numbers ( 112/212/312/412/512 etc) but it wasn't very logical and it didn't get better during the '70s, when G-models were introduced that were all dreadnoughts but not necessarely all the same shape as most D-size guitars.
I could go on an on, but to go back to the original question (I believe).
I think that F stood for Flat top and the numbers were just eh ................
numbers!
Sincerely,
Hans
