NGD: 1959 Guild X-500 w/ DeArmond pickups

[DjangoLang19]

That's a grand old guitar!

It sure is

Yeah, that’ll float your boat! A keeper for sure. Enjoy it in good health.

Will do, thanks @shihan

That X-500 oozes mojo! It's cool that you found one with the Dearmonds. I actually think the knobs look great with the engraved tailpiece.

Congrats on a nice acquisition!

Ya the knobs seem to just fit in, il probably keep em on

 

[DjangoLang19]

Neat guitar, Adam! Don't really like the way prev. owner installed those Grovers, but that's a small nit. Hope it plays really well for you!

Ya I know @chazmo they don't look so right but they work so for now they're good but I would definitely love to put some diamond Kolb tuners on it lol

 

[DjangoLang19]

Very cool with the uncommon beveled DeArmonds! Congrats and enjoy!

Welcome to the Beveled Dearmond Club! Nice 500.

love those bevel edge dearmonds!!!

Thank you guys, these pickups are really cool. I don't think I've seen them on any other guitars except for Guilds. I was happy to see some of my favorite jazz guitarists were pictured in Guild advertisements with these DeArmonds on X-500s.

 

[DjangoLang19]

Welcome and congratulations on you purchase of such a cool old Guild X-500! Welcome to the club (I have a sunburst ‘68). I bet it sounds fantastic with the DeArmonds. It’s interesting to see the 3-ply plastic spacers under the pickups. Was that how they did it back then to mount DeArmonds? I’ve only seen the Franzes, anti-hums (like mine) and the later HB-1s in person. Mine also has a 3” body depth that I prefer to the later, deeper body I experienced on a 1982 X-175 I once owned.

The slimmer body is really something great. I was looking originally for a Guild X-50 for the smaller body and I think 3" depth as well but when I found this, the first thing I noticed was the slim body, it was very comfortable. Those spacers are an interesting detail, I thought it was really nice. I don't think they show up on the later and more typical variant of DeArmonds.

 

[DjangoLang19]

Congrats! That must sound really sweet. I bet that old girl has some pretty interesting stories to tell!

Lol ya I wish it could talk to me and tell me where it's been. I think about that with all my guitars. My oldest guitar is a 1945 Epiphone I just can imagine it must have played in some big bands over the years. It has that well worked in feel of a seasoned bandstand instrument, this Guild has similar mojo lol

 

[DjangoLang19]

Congrats! That's a beauty, warts and all! And you don't have to be afraid to play it.

I think there is a set of Kolb tuners on ebay currently which would make the guitar look even better!

It looks like you might be able to discern the serial number under the black paint with strong enough lighting.

Weird about the pickguard because it looks like it almost fits.

Makes me sorry I didn't go to the Philly show this year!

Yes it's really cool I'm still in shock lol. I was nervous about the repair but I feel like it'll hold up lol. I'm gonna take a look on ebay, it would be great to have kolb tuners on there. I'm gonna take a deeper look at the serial number, if I can't see it maybe I can see if my luthier can kind of reveal it a bit. The pickguard is very close to fitting lol

 

[Rich Cohen]

Hey everyone,
I was at the Philly guitar show this weekend and found a Guild X-500 from what the seller told me was 1959. I picked it up and it played pretty well. Plugged it in and it sounded great. It has the DeArmond pickups on it that @hansmoust great book on Guild guitars call a rare variant. The sound is really cool and authentic to vintage tone on records. The neck pickup is really sweet and round and the bridge pickup has had that twangy tone and the two together, it's something else, just amazing sounds. They are the same pickups on Carl Kess' X-500 for example. It's not without it's issues though and luckily I paid a price that I believe was according to it's condition. Firstly there was a headstock break that was repaired kind of ugly but it seems to be structurally sound. To my ears the intonation is good and it plays all the way up and down the neck with a really nice acoustic sound with no dead spots. It definitely needs a setup and probably a light fret dressing but right now it plays and the neck angle is good and bridge height is sufficient for downward pressure on the top. I'm sure I will be bringing it to my luthier soon for a checkup just to be sure. Next issue is that whoever did the work painted a stinger on the back of the headstock and concealed the serial number stamp and the ghost label that is in great condition has no model or serial number on it (at least that I can read). The tuners were replaced with Grovers and the pickup knobs seem to be replacements, they are gold knobs with knurling. The engraved harp tailpiece looks amazing. I think the pickguard is a replacement. The cutouts don't match the pickups. I think these type of DeArmonds got the plain black pickguard with no detail or brand name. No cracks in the body to speak of but the binding has shrunk a bit in some spots. Another thing I've noticed was that it has a slimmer body depth than from most X 500s from what I understand. It has a body depth of just a hair under 3 inches. It's very comfortable. My 77' Artist Award I think is 3.5" deep and not as comfortable because of that extra half inch lol. Not sure if this is rare for this guitar in this year please let me know if I'm wrong lol. Overall I really like it. Its a keeper for sure. Thanks everyone, any info on this guitar would be great.

Thank you,
Adam

You scored a good one!

 

[DjangoLang19]

You scored a good one!

Thanks @Rich Cohen , I'm really proud to have gotten this one. This guitar really has such a good feel, very fun to play.

 

[Vermonter]

Hey everyone,
I was at the Philly guitar show this weekend and found a Guild X-500 from what the seller told me was 1959. I picked it up and it played pretty well. Plugged it in and it sounded great. It has the DeArmond pickups on it that @hansmoust great book on Guild guitars call a rare variant. The sound is really cool and authentic to vintage tone on records. The neck pickup is really sweet and round and the bridge pickup has had that twangy tone and the two together, it's something else, just amazing sounds. They are the same pickups on Carl Kess' X-500 for example. It's not without it's issues though and luckily I paid a price that I believe was according to it's condition. Firstly there was a headstock break that was repaired kind of ugly but it seems to be structurally sound. To my ears the intonation is good and it plays all the way up and down the neck with a really nice acoustic sound with no dead spots. It definitely needs a setup and probably a light fret dressing but right now it plays and the neck angle is good and bridge height is sufficient for downward pressure on the top. I'm sure I will be bringing it to my luthier soon for a checkup just to be sure. Next issue is that whoever did the work painted a stinger on the back of the headstock and concealed the serial number stamp and the ghost label that is in great condition has no model or serial number on it (at least that I can read). The tuners were replaced with Grovers and the pickup knobs seem to be replacements, they are gold knobs with knurling. The engraved harp tailpiece looks amazing. I think the pickguard is a replacement. The cutouts don't match the pickups. I think these type of DeArmonds got the plain black pickguard with no detail or brand name. No cracks in the body to speak of but the binding has shrunk a bit in some spots. Another thing I've noticed was that it has a slimmer body depth than from most X 500s from what I understand. It has a body depth of just a hair under 3 inches. It's very comfortable. My 77' Artist Award I think is 3.5" deep and not as comfortable because of that extra half inch lol. Not sure if this is rare for this guitar in this year please let me know if I'm wrong lol. Overall I really like it. Its a keeper for sure. Thanks everyone, any info on this guitar would be great.

Thank you,
Adam

What a beauty!

 

[jp]

. . . it would be great to have kolb tuners on there.

Walter did a fantastic mod to his NS X-175 in which he put aftermarket Shellex Kolb buttons on some Grovers. Check out this older thread. Maybe you could do the same? I'm sure he would give you some tips. He's very generous with guidance and information.

What did you do to your Newark St. guitar?

Hello all, I'm new to the forum having recently picked up a 2017 Guild Starfire IV ST (Newark St. Collection). I am very impressed with the quality of the guitar so far, however, I am feeling the urge to upgrade some of the replaceable parts to a more higher quality. A few of my thoughts so...

letstalkguild.com

 

[Shakeylee]

Do you have any shows coming up, wherein I could hear this?

 

[F30]

I really loving all the early Guild guitar posts. These earlier models are so reasonable compared to the early Gibsons, Gretsches, etc.
and every buit as cool if not cooler. Thanks for sharing.

 

[chazmo]

I really loving all the early Guild guitar posts. These earlier models are so reasonable compared to the early Gibsons, Gretsches, etc.
and every buit as cool if not cooler. Thanks for sharing.

Keep that quiet, F30... Word's leaking out!

 

[jimeradams]

What a gorgeous guitar! The stories she could tell and the tunes she's played. Congratulations!