What can you tell me about this guitar?

[spooky]

I don't want to tell you what I've been told about it, lest it influence what you can gauge from the picture. Sorry it's a poor shot, I'll upload something better if you need.

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. Since it's not a Starfire bass anything I said would be wrong, but the headstock suggests 1950's or thereabouts and it looks to be a Guild. I could guess more if I went to the bookshelf and looked things up.

 

[hansmoust]

I don't want to tell you what I've been told about it, lest it influence what you can gauge from the picture. Sorry it's a poor shot, I'll upload something better if you need.

Hello spooky,

Welcome! Well, to me that looks like a ca. 1960 T-100, but what's up with the body binding?
Is it rebound or is it just the photo that makes it look like the binding was replaced?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[spooky]

I honestly don't know! The binding has come away from the body on the top (left) curve slightly, but you can't see it so well in the photo.

What is it about the appearance of the binding that prompted your question?

 

[hansmoust]

What is it about the appearance of the binding that prompted your question?

It might look alright in real life but with that straight on lighting it looks weird.
Like I said, maybe it's just the photo!

So what is it ........... 1960 or 1961?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[spooky]

I've been told it's a 1959 t-100, but you never can be too sure...

I was also told that it's a Franz pickup, but have no way of checking this for sure.

 

[hansmoust]

I've been told it's a 1959 t-100, but you never can be too sure...

I was also told that it's a Franz pickup, but have no way of checking this for sure.

1959 is possible too and if the guitar is all straight then the pickup should be a Franz pickup.
If you give me the serial number, I can tell you exactly from what year it is.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[spooky]

from memory, it's 11940.

 

[hansmoust]

from memory, it's 11940.

That would be very late 1959, so most likely completed early 1960.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[spooky]

Thanks very much for your help, Hans!

I was wondering if you, or anyone who might also own a T-100 from around this time, might be able to recommend a gauge of string to use on it. I quite like Thomastik-Bebop 12's, but a guitar tech I spoke to said that anything heavier than 11's (!) occasionally proved too much for these things.

 

[Walter Broes]

I wouldn't worry about big strings - the average string set was a good deal bigger than now when these things were built. If your guitar is showing no signs of heel/neck stress, you'll probably be fine.