NGD! 1968 F-112

[Mingus]

Been mulling this one over for about a week and finally struck a deal for a 68 F-112 from Hoboken. Its the last serial number listed on all the serial lists for 1968, so that's cool. And Hans confirmed it's a Hoboken.

Shop around the corner from me picked this one up from a customer who didn't want to invest in repairs. To be playable (for me) it's going to need a neck reset, but there are also some interesting humidity related issues with the top that I'll try to correct. The top sinks near the soundhole, but ahead of the x-bracing and all the braces seem tight. Same with th bridge plate. The sinking wasn't tension related as there is zero bulge behind the bridge. Either way, the only thing structurally it needs is the reset and a new saddle. If i can humidify the top a little, it'll just be a bonus!

Shop owner was considering keeping it and doing the reset, but decided to pass it on. He knows I'm a Guild guy and was hoping I'd bite. We worked out a fair deal for all, considering the work that needs to be done, and he even threw in an 80s D25 case that i needed for another guitar.

She will be a little project for awhile as i see what some humidity can do before i have the neck reset and think about things like the frets. Im also really digging into strings. He had put what i think is a custom set of DR Tite Fit .009s in it, which are nickel electric strings, and the feel was really there. Sound was surprisingly nice, too, but i want to try something of similar tension but bronze. So any recommendations, im all ears!

 

[ReevesRd]

Congratulations! It's a beautiful F-112.

 

[GGJaguar]

Very nice, congrats!

 

[mavuser]

congrats. I would try Dean Markley "vintage bronze" 9's for bronze strings, and the Ernie Ball Earthwood "Silk and Steel 12 string soft" in 9's also.

Also nice catch, i've owned 3 of these, all gems. moving away from acoustics and possibly in the dircetion of a Starfire 12 at some point, so no longer own them. enjoy that bird!

 

[Default]

I love those guitars.

 

[Westerly Wood]

Man, these are like unsung 12 string heros in the acoustic 12 string world. If you can find one still. Congrats!

 

[WaltW]

Great Catch! I hope that your plans work out.......it's really nice. A F112 is such a good size for a 12 string, not too large and booming. I have added one to a very short wish list I have. I'm sure it will sound fantastic in short order!

 

[HeyMikey]

Nice rescue Mingus! Hopefully it will be making music again for a long time to come.

 

[portsider]

I'd try Ernie Ball Earthwood lights or D'Addario EJ41s. They work great and are very playable when tuned to concert pitch.

 

[Boneman]

Very nice, congratulations!, great looking top wood, mmm

 

[Guildedagain]

Is that your luthier's bench?

Don't worry bout the weirdnesses in the top, it happens and might just stay that way, shouldn't really affect anything. I have an '71 F30 with more weird hollows/bulges in the top than anything I've ever seen, the top must have been very thin. Oddly, the guitar is stamped F-112 inside, it turns out these two models share a body size.

The F-30 has sunken "cheeks", sunk in on each side of the soundhole, actually worse on the bass side. It sounds fine, in fact, way better than fine.

I happened onto a '68 F-112 a few years ago while going through Guild fever. It was a doozy of a guitar.

'68 F-112 OA 113, so it's one of the first ever ever, probably built with above average attention to detail/timbers.

There is a local player here who has one of the 1st D35's ever made, NAMM show guitar possibly. He had a large collection of guitars for sale, I got the number from a friend who has scored me some amazing guitars over the years, but I never called it, probably a good thing.

But clearing out some old notes, I found the number and called.

He'd sold them all, but, what a small world, he kept one, one only, this early serial numbered D35, said it was just exceptional.

And that's quite a testimonial.

I fell in love with that 12 pretty hard, with the right strings it was intense to play, and would ruin you for a 6 string guitar.

I played an outdoor festival, it sounded so sweet, and that guitar induces a mild trance state, head bobbing.

It had the look of being played a lot, more than any other Guild guitar I've had.

Some amazing grain in that top.

And something you don't see every day, rash on an acoustic, down low, the guitar was worn up high by someone probably more concerned with playing clean chords than looking cool.

And the neck angle was good. Through saddle.

I fantasize about playing it as a 6 string sometimes, but my 6 string version, the F-30 is one mean mother, it's a freakin cannon, makes other 6 string acoustic guitars redundant.

 

[Mingus]

Is that your luthier's bench?

Don't worry bout the weirdnesses in the top, it happens and might just stay that way, shouldn't really affect anything. I have an '71 F30 with more weird hollows/bulges in the top than anything I've ever seen, the top must have been very thin. Oddly, the guitar is stamped F-112 inside, it turns out these two models share a body size.

One of the setup benches at my local shop - That picture was taken by the shop owner when he brought the guitar in and had given it a basic setup. My bench is way messier than that - I've actually got to clean it up a bit to make room for this guitar to sit for awhile. Regardless of structural integrity, i'm still going to rehydrate it a bit to see if i can get some of the top to lift. I also want to hydrate it more before i work on any of the cracks, etc. I'm experimenting with the consistency of humidity between something like dampits vs the Boveda 72% packs - which is supposed to "season" cases and help them absorb moisture.

It's definitely in better shape than I thought with all the wonkyness, but it will definitely need a reset - and i'll consider replacing the frets at that point. I'll definitely replace the nut and saddle with bone (and a compensated saddle) when I figure all that out. I'll be experimenting with a bunch of different strings first. If I can find the perfect tensioned combination, i'll order something from my currently preferred vendor, Stringjoy. I've been going back and forth between Stringjoy and DR Veritas. Like them both, but they have different qualities.

I read a bunch about your F112 in my 48 hour deep dive into F112s that I went through when deciding whether or not to go check this one out. Ultimately, I was convinced I needed to own an F112, even if it wasn't this one. So I went to check it out. She's not perfect, but she's pretty great!