Chuck Sanzone and latest GSRs

[SFIV1967]

By the way, the Guild Master Luthier who was overseeing the entire 70th Anniversary GSR D-55 built in 2023 was Chuck Sanzone.
Don't think that was ever mentioned before at LTG, and his name is mentioned on the Guild webpage now.



http://www.sanzoneguitars.com/sanzoneguitars.com/Home.html

His own made guitars have a Flat top base price of (nylon & steel) $6,000, and Archtops start at $10k...
He lives in Ventura now as above homepage shows and used to work in Stowe, Vermont as his previous archived homepage shows:

http://www.sanzoneguitars.com/Sanzone_Guitar_&_Mandolin_Co./Home.html


Chuck Sanzone now also makes other expensive Guild GSR models, here a GSR "M-55 Special" for a store in Italy:

https://reverb.com/de/item/70460534-guild-m55-special-limited-edition-by-chuck-sanzone

It has a bookmatched Macassar Ebony headplate and a "1960 Guild tribute Macassar Ebony bridge".

And no fretmarkers except the 12th fret GSR logo. Unfortunatelly the pictures have low quality only.







Ralf

 

[HeyMikey]

By the way, the Guild Master Luthier who was overseeing this entire 70th Anniversary built is Chuck Sanzone. Don't think that was ever mentioned before at LTG.



http://www.sanzoneguitars.com/sanzoneguitars.com/Home.html

His own made guitars have a Flat top base price of (nylon & steel) $6,000, and Archtops start at $10k...

He lives in Ventura now as above homepage shows and used to work in Stowe, Vermont as his previous archived homepage shows:

http://www.sanzoneguitars.com/Sanzone_Guitar_&_Mandolin_Co./Home.html

Chuck Sanzone now also makes other expensive Guild GSR models, here a "M-55 Special" for a store in Italy:

https://reverb.com/de/item/70460534-guild-m55-special-limited-edition-by-chuck-sanzone

It has a bookmatched Macassar Ebony headplate and a "1960 Guild tribute Macassar Ebony bridge".




Ralf

That’s gorgeous! Pricey too! Funny I can see it from your link but not from a search or from the seller’s listings. Probably because there is no US shipping designated. It looks tiny in his picture compared to the dreads. More F20 vs F30 size. Do you know the dimensions and specs?

 

[twocorgis]

That’s gorgeous! Pricey too! Funny I can see it from your link but not from a search or from the seller’s listings. Probably because there is no US shipping designated. It looks tiny in his picture compared to the dreads. More F20 vs F30 size. Do you know the dimensions and specs?

Definitely looks F20 size to me. That's a rare bird, for sure!

 

[SFIV1967]

More F20 vs F30 size. Do you know the dimensions and specs?

It's actually a store in Italy selling that new guitar.
A "M-55" in Oxnard terms is:
M=Concert (means former F-20 size)
50=Spruce/Rosewood
+5 = Speciality or Flagship (here GSR, Hazelfichte Italian Spruce, special railroad inlay fingerboard,...)
So actually the label "M-55 Special" is now a double Special as a 55 is already Special...



Ralf

 

[chazmo]

It has a bookmatched Macassar Ebony headplate and a "1960 Guild tribute Macassar Ebony bridge".

And, look... Even the TRC matches. I think this is beyond cool. Matching wood TRCs are something I've always thought Guild should do.

I mean, sure, it's not traditional, but I love it!!!!!

 

[chazmo]

Haselfichte (sp) spruce???? That's a new one on me!!!!

 

[chazmo]

Oh, and is that a zero fret, or did he actually inlay a vertical bar? It looks like there's another one at the end of the fretboard so I'm thinking inlay???? I don't think I've ever seen Guild do that?

 

[chazmo]

Final question.... Do you know if these are being built in the same building in Oxnard as the other Guilds? I seem to recall a thread recently where it was discovered otherwise?

I gotta' say, price notwithstanding, this is the kind of a GSR that I've been waiting to see. Truly unique.

 

[GGJaguar]

is that a zero fret, or did he actually inlay a vertical bar?

It's fingerboard purfling. There's a matching horizontal piece after the last fret at the bottom of the neck.

 

[GGJaguar]

The specs indicate V-block fret markers, but they aren't there. Oops!

 

[chazmo]

The specs indicate V-block fret markers, but they aren't there. Oops!

Haha. Great catch, GG. Wouldn't be the first time the specs are wrong, would it?

 

[chazmo]

It's fingerboard purfling. There's a matching horizontal piece after the last fret at the bottom of the neck.

That's what I thought. Although I don't remember Guild ever doing that on the first fret before...

 

[HeyMikey]

.

Well we veer now away from the 70th Anniversary model...
It's actually a store in Italy selling that new guitar.
A "M-55" in Oxnard terms is:
M=Concert (means old F-20)
50=Spruce/Rosewood
+5 = Speciality or Flagship (here GSR, Hazelfichte Italian Spruce, special railroad inlay fingerboard,...)
So actually the label "M-55 Special" is now a double Special as a 55 is already Special...



Ralf

No where can I find the dimensions, scale, nut width for this one. Not that I could afford it anyway. Still magnificent though and clearly a true GSR in the historic sense. It does make me appreciate even more what the old Custom Shop and prior factories put out as GSRs.

 

[chazmo]

.

No where can I find the dimensions, scale, nut width for this one. Not that I could afford it anyway. Still magnificent though and clearly a true GSR in the historic sense. It does make me appreciate even more what the old Custom Shop and prior factories put out as GSRs.

Hey, don't ask Chuck... He still thinks there's block inlays in the fretboard!!!

 

[SFIV1967]

Haselfichte (sp) spruce???? That's a new one on me!!!!

Haselfichte is the German name for "bearclaw spruce"! Coming from the Alps or Carpathian Mountains in Europe, in above case from the Italian Alps. Same like used on the GSR F-30 Rosewood in NH.

Ralf

 

[Westerly Wood]

Haselfichte is the German name for "bearclaw spruce"! Coming from the Alps or Carpathian Mountains in Europe, in above case from Italy. Same like used on the GSR F-30 Rosewood in NH.

Ralf

I bet it smells really really good.

 

[SFIV1967]

No where can I find the dimensions, scale, nut width for this one.

The homepage of the store also has no more technical info but one always could ask the store for more specs.

Ralf

 

[SFIV1967]

It's fingerboard purfling. There's a matching horizontal piece after the last fret at the bottom of the neck.

On both ends! So it's not just a copy of a D-55 neck but new for Guild.
And no fret markers on the fingerboard except the GSR logo on the 12th!





Ralf

 

[SFIV1967]

Final question.... Do you know if these are being built in the same building in Oxnard as the other Guilds? I seem to recall a thread recently where it was discovered otherwise?

I think only the Kim Thayil Polara was made in the Cordoba Custom Shop opposite of the Guild building as this was an entire different built compared to the acoustics. I would not see any reason for Guild acoustics to be built in the Cordoba Custom Shop where they usually make the Hauser and Torres models and which was/is not large by any means.

Ralf

 

[SFIV1967]

And I have a feeling we will see more such special models with a very high price tag in the future as this is exactly what Yamaha wants to promote according to their annual report. So not those initial Oxnard "pseudo GSR" guitars but such "better" and higher end GSR models. Employing somebody like Chuck Sanzone and mentioning his name in the sales process is promoting something "unique". Fender is hyping their custom shop guitars by mentioning the custom shop luthiers names since ever.
I mean it's not like using Ren Ferguson for opening the NH custom shop but a step in the right direction I think. Yes many would love seeing lower priced US made models but who knows what Yamaha envisions.

Ralf