Guild M-30 How much is it worth?

[Deleted member 63537]

Could you show us another image of the bridge but from an angle. So we can see the height of the white saddle. Like this:

 

[Deleted member 63537]

Your M30 is cosmetically nice no doubt and being uncommon and desirable is definitely worth putting money into if needed. BTW that wooden rosewood bridge is gorgeous.

Selling here is a good way to go as members are pretty straight up and typically will see to it that the guitar is taken care of and producing beautiful music again.

I can’t really tell from the pictures of the bridge area because the shots are dead on and not at an angle, but the saddle appears to be very low. There is very little string break angle coming over it from what I can see. An angled shot would be helpful.

Below is a great online source for doing a quick DIY assessment of the “neck angle”. Also the action (string height) at the 12th fret will be part of the concern. On older guitars this is a common issue due to the tension of the strings pulling the neck downwards towards the bridge. It is a primary concern as a neck reset (which often also requires a new saddle, fret re-leveling and sometimes a new nut) is often and easily $500-$1000.

Another common issue is fret wear, requiring at least a re-leveling and crowning or possibly a partial or full fret replacement ranging from $150-600. If any cracks or loose braces need to be glued it could be $100+ per repair.

Like someone said earlier the nut width will be of interest as the necks were hand made and varied. People will want to know if it is 1-5/8, 1-11/16, 1-3/4 or in between. Many years ago 1-5/8 was popular but these days most players want 1-1/16 to 1-3/4.

FRETS.COM

Does this photo tell you anything?

 

[CLMacPherson]

You should check your personal messages.

 

[Deleted member 63537]

I just replied

 

[fronobulax]

The original case might have been the fiberboard style, but where is it now?

If it fell apart from gigging, it would have been replaced but this doesn't look gigged, therefore thecase should have been in as good a shape as the guitar, so it is sad it's gone but this is a better case for the guitar for shipping.

To me cases affect value too. I don't want to buy an expensive guitar and then hunt down the right case, because I've done that time and again and you never recoup the cost of the original case when you find it, but at least with Guilds the cases are not that hard to find or expensive whereas with Gibson a vintage electric case could be a couple grand or more.

Nice pictures btw, the guitar looks fabulous.

Do not assume there was an original case, fiberboard or otherwise, that was purchased with the guitar.
.
At various times, cases were an extra cost add-on. See https://www.gad.net/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Guild-1964-10-Price-List.pdf and I know from personal experience that was true in 1971.

 

[Guildedagain]

True all cases were extra - with some exception for really expensive models - and not cheap, although the idea of walking out of guitar store with naked acoustic is terrifying, and this guitar looks like it was cased from day one.

Cases also work as a humidifier of sorts, in a drier climate, like a guitar safe, the idea of an acoustic not in a case is nuts to me. I feel better about mine knowing they're in cases, it's the least I can do while caretaking them.

 

[HeyMikey]

Does this photo tell you anything?

No, what are you trying to show?

 

[Deleted member 63537]

No, what are you trying to show?

Sorry, the spacing between the nuts

 

[HeyMikey]

Sorry, the spacing between the nuts

Sorry for the confusion. By nut width we are talking about the width of the guitar neck at the “nut” and/or the nut itself (which is sometimes very slightly different). The nut is the white bone/plastic strip at the top going across the neck with slots cut into it that the strings rest in. You can measure it by sliding a flat ruler under the strings and measuring right at the nut. A digital caliper is great too if you have one. Here is a short youtube.

 

[jedzep]

Glad you picked up in that, Mike. Maybe OP will give us the measurement. I'm not sure why my Guild neck was a hair wider, but I was able to squeeze a Martin 1 3/4" nut onto my F30, the spruce top version of the M30.

 

[davidbeinct]

Sorry, the spacing between the nuts

It’s funny because that is exactly what you showed but as you now know not what anyone was looking for.
That’s a beautiful bridge in your other pic. To me it looks like it still has enough break angle. I also really like the looks of a through saddle like that.
I’ll be shocked if you have to put the guitar on Reverb. I’m pretty sure someone here will want it. I mean, I do, but the CFO has given me strict instructions re: guitar purchases.

 

[Deleted member 63537]

Lol, thank you all for being so helpful. This is a foreign language to me

 

[davismanLV]

Lol, thank you all for being so helpful. This is a foreign language to me

No worries. No one was born with this knowledge. We'll get you through this.

 

[HeyMikey]

It’s funny because that is exactly what you showed but as you now know not what anyone was looking for.
That’s a beautiful bridge in your other pic. To me it looks like it still has enough break angle. I also really like the looks of a through saddle like that.
I’ll be shocked if you have to put the guitar on Reverb. I’m pretty sure someone here will want it. I mean, I do, but the CFO has given me strict instructions re: guitar purchases.

I agree David that the pictures on reply #21 show that the saddle is low but there is still enough string break angle at this time. That is a very good thing but only half the puzzle.

You would still need to know either what the neck angle looks like (where a straight edge on the neck touches the wooden bridge), or with the guitar in tune what the action is (distance between the top of the 12th metal fret to the bottom of the lowest & highest strings.)

 

[Nuuska]

. . . these days most players want 1-1/16 to 1-3/4. . . .

I know that it is a typo . . . - but even banjo-players might feel a bit upset

 

[HeyMikey]

What, you don’t like a thin neck? Yep, I meant 1-11/16. What can I say, I can’t type and I can’t see.

 

[Nuuska]

I did NOT say that I don't like it . . .

This post is here merely to collect postings.

Unlike some unnamed LTG:ers - I decided not to expand this to several posts . . .

 

[adorshki]

The original case might have been the fiberboard style, but where is it now?

Hmmmm...no M30 listings in '63-'65 price lists on GAD's site. I suspect it wasn't offered "with case", as all those lists only show guitars and cases as stand-alone items. The buyer could then choose which style they wanted.

 

[mavuser]

Hmmmm...no M30 listings in '63-'65 price lists on GAD's site.

The M-30 was actually discontinued after the 1959/ghost label run.

as per @hansmoust, somewhat randomly...ONE large batch of M-30's was done in 1964. However, also per Hans...it may not have been that random after all-

Hans surmizes after the Beatles invasion in early 1964, the immediate demand was so high for guitars (mostly lower end/beginner, and smaller models) that either a) a school district made a large order for M-30's (or M-20/M-30/F-20 combos), or b) Guild simply did whatever they could to get as many guitars out the door as possible, or c) a combination of both of those things/the overall frenzy at the time. Hans has asked for people in middle/high school during 1964 and the years that followed, to look in those old year books, to look for photos of the M-30 in action!

As for the guitar for sale that is the op/subject of this thread, I have been in touch with the owner/seller and if the guitar lingers for a bit, I hope to connect with him face to face, and see if we can get it done. hoping to get down that way soon, just have my hands full on the homefront at the moment.

 

[Norrissey]

The M-30 was actually discontinued after the 1959/ghost label run.

Interesting. But how long did the 1959 Ghost Label run last for? Was it like in the late '60s when the Westerly factory kept using Hoboken labels for 2-3 years after the Westerly factory opened?