Steve Hoffman said:
I have had a minty Stratford A-350 sunburst for a few years. The serial number is 8121. It was sold to me as a 1958, due to the number but taking a look at the Guild label inside I can see that it is oval, with the logo on top and the "Hoboken, New Jersey" line without "U.S.A" at the bottom, making this (according to Hans' fine book) a 1961-62 era guitar. But the serial number! Way wrong for 1961 era, too low.
Is this another example of a wacky "small" number that was sometimes used at the end of the 1950's that doesn't correspond to the usual numbering system?
First of all, these 'smaller' serial numbers from the late fifties do fit in the regular serial number system. It's just the physical size of the numbers stamped into the back of the peghead that make 'm stand out as a separate series; it's not a separate series by themselves!
Your guitar was started before that took place and consequently it should have the 'regular' big digits imprinted into the back of the headstock
The number 8121 is on the oval label and the same number stamped (faintly) into the back of the headstock. It has a post-1958 rounded Lucite pickguard with the "Guild" name and pickguard outline in gold.
This is another good example of how things were done at the Guild factory. Maybe you should first read the following text, which I've posted many times already but it easier to post it again, than referring to an earlier thread:
Guild guitars were made in batches of 6, 12 or 24 etc. From a manufacturing standpoint it was easier to make them in batches because of the change of tooling necessary to produce the different models. When the superstructures were completed they were serial numbered, which took place in the 'finishing' dept. After that the finish was applied and the guitars were hung to dry. After sufficient drying they would be buffed and placed in racks, where they would stay till an order came in. Obviously, if they started production they already had orders, but not always for the complete batch. Only the guitars they had orders for (plus the guitars that could be put in inventory because they were ordered on a regular basis) would be taken to 'final assembly', where the superstructure would get all the necessary parts to become a musical instrument and where it would be set up. Now the order in which they were taken from the racks was random, so it was possible for a higher serial number to come through 'final assembly' before a lower number. A lower serial number could stay on the racks for a very long time while a later serial number would already be hanging on a dealer's wall.
So the serial number on a guitar doesn't automatically tell you when a guitar was completed and in some cases this explains some of the quirky stuff you might come across.
So, if your A-350 has # 8121 stamped into the back of the peghead, it means that it was serial numbered and finished ( finished as in lacquered) during 1958. Consequently it should have all the typical superstructure specs. of an A-350, which would include a rosewood fingerboard and block inlays with corners that are 'rounded off'.
Since you say that the instrument has an 'oval' label it means that the instrument wasn't completed any earlier than 1961 and consequently it should have the parts and hardware of a later guitar. In your case that would mean gold engraved Kolb Deluxe tuners w. 'diamond' shaped buttons, a Lucite pickguard with the Guild 'Chevron' and gold outline that's painted black from the backside and probably a metal truss rod cover. If the guitar had been completed during 1958 it would have had gold plated Kluson Deluxe tuners w. metal buttons, a laminated black pickguard and a '50s style laminated truss rod cover.
If the guitar had been started after 1960, it would have had an ebony fingerboard with square mother of pearl block markers!
If what I've described above is what you have, then we're looking at a guitar that was started during 1958 and not finished earlier than 1961. It's even possible that it was completed at a later date but I need to see the hardware to be able to say anything definitive about that.
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl