"Special"
- Thread starter chadt
- Start date
AcornHouse
Venerated Member
More information would help. Model? Year? Some pics of the guitar and label. There are members that can give you very detailed answers if given half a chance and a little info.
Th
Thanks. Would the fact that it's lefty make it a special order?
adorshki
Reverential Member
"Special" covered a lot of variations from the "standard" offering including but not limited to tuners, a non-standard finish color, or more complicated work such as mounting an F50 neck on a D50 for Tommy Smothers in '63 and calling it a "D50 Special".
Typically they were "special ordered" by the customer to obtain a unique spec, like the ornate neck of the F50 on the "mid-level" D50 body.
Other details might include special fretboard inlay, and special bridge/fretboard/neck wood.
Some "specials" were built just for the sake of experimentation or to "dress up" stock models without having any specific customer order.
Also, the labeling and tracking of specials wasn't rock-solid consistent.
In the early '80's Guild did introduce some models that didn't lend themselves to "simple" left-hand conversion. Some price lists from the era and into the '90's list a standard fee to order left-hand versions of most flattops and hollow/semi-hollow bodies, but a couple of models were specifically exempted from left-hand versions, like the Songbird. It had a solid routed body and flattop. I suspect setting up a reverse jig for the body was cost-prohibitive, but there may have been other issues as well.
Another example from that time (mid '80's): when the F45ce was introduced, left-hand versions had to be special ordered. I could see a lefty F45ce from that era bearing a "special" designation just for being left-handed, as @mavuser pointed out.
Y'got my curiosity up! What model/vintage do you have?
"Special" covered a lot of variations from the "standard" offering including but not limited to tuners, a non-standard finish color, or more complicated work such as mounting an F50 neck on a D50 for Tommy Smothers in '63 and calling it a "D50 Special".
Typically they were "special ordered" by the customer to obtain a unique spec, like the ornate neck of the F50 on the "mid-level" D50 body.
Other details might include special fretboard inlay, and special bridge/fretboard/neck wood.
Some "specials" were built just for the sake of experimentation or to "dress up" stock models without having any specific customer order.
Also, the labeling and tracking of specials wasn't rock-solid consistent.
In the early '80's Guild did introduce some models that didn't lend themselves to "simple" left-hand conversion. Some price lists from the era and into the '90's list a standard fee to order left-hand versions of most flattops and hollow/semi-hollow bodies, but a couple of models were specifically exempted from left-hand versions, like the Songbird. It had a solid routed body and flattop. I suspect setting up a reverse jig for the body was cost-prohibitive, but there may have been other issues as well.
Another example from that time (mid '80's): when the F45ce was introduced, left-hand versions had to be special ordered. I could see a lefty F45ce from that era bearing a "special" designation just for being left-handed, as @mavuser pointed out.
Y'got my curiosity up! What model/vintage do you have?
Mine is a 1970 D-40.
With some photos these knowledgeable folks may be able to answer your original question precisely - why is there a 'special' sticker on it?
Yup, photos please, chadt. I'm not what would constitute a special on a D-40...
mavuser
Enlightened Member
There are lefty Songbirds out there, a member here has one or two or three of them. Have also seen lefty S-70, S-300, SF-3, and several others, that are escaping me now.
"Special" means special order. It does not mean anything else, for USA Guilds. they used stamps in the early 70's, or else it is hand written on the label.
If you had a Gibson "Les Paul Special," that would be something completely different. Guild did not designate model names in such fashion.
mavuser
Enlightened Member
There are definitely many, many, others (F-112 and S-60 come to mind, and many acoustics), this was just a 60 second search.
Also you all have already seen photos of Chad's D-40, which he recently posted in another thread (inquiring about headstock logos)
adorshki
Reverential Member
Based my statement on lists like this 96 list where left hand models are shown with a specific art number as on the F65ce and B30e, but Songbird doesn't show a lefty:
There are definitely many, many, others (F-112 and S-60 come to mind, and many acoustics), this was just a 60 second search.
Also you all have already seen photos of Chad's D-40, which he recently posted in another thread (inquiring about headstock logos)
in '90 there was a flat 15% upcharge for lefties on A/E's:
The '01catalog has the specific disclaimer about lefty S4's
'72 list shows all models available as lefty for 10% upcharge:
And finally we've seen dual 'guard pieces from the '70's labeled as specials
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F-412Spec
Member
Special order could mean internal factory-designated special order. My old guitar, 1966 F-412Spec. AE176 was part of a group of guitars which were essentially prototypes for the F-512. I'd guess there were about 10 of them made.