Guild parlor guitars

Hmm...I was thinking one of the old M-65 3/4 models that are for sale out there now. She gets a lightweight easy to handle instrument, and if you throw in a small amp she'll get the extra thrill of hearing her first chords played at different volumes and tone options. Sometimes 'fun' pulls the casual student in to where the work involved is secondary, like a kick start.

Great suggestion, jedzep. Wouldn't mind having one of those myself...

Here she is awerking. If your kiddo doesn't bond with it you're all set for under a thou.
https://reverb.com/item/3620726-1963-guild-m65-freshman-3-4-vintage-guitar

My father was a sax player who hired a fantastic guitarist from The Lawrence Welk Show named Buddy Merrill. This was '65 and Buddy had tp do his 2 yr military stint. He was assigned to the USMA band at West Point where we lived, and my dad grabbed him for gigs. I was offered lessons and given a full sized Orpheum (Guild) archtop, which ended up being a discouraging experience because of it's high action. Buddy at least got me off on the right foot, but I would have enjoyed more with a manageable instrument. My M-65 suggestion is a serious one, of course pending the approval of your daughter and your wallet, but one other thought I offer is that whatever you get for her, get a nice capo to go with it so that when her hands tire she can slap capo on and continue playing with lower string height. It might help her understand key changes more quickly too. EZ action makes
happy players. Sounds like she already has an ear for tone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJXjV6UY9lc

awerking said:

...Now if I could only get my wife to react the same way when I show her pictures of guitars...

Click to expand...

When you pull that off you, sir, will go down in history!

We all stand with you (at a safe distance, of course). ;~}

jedzep said:

...My father was a sax player who hired a fantastic guitarist from The Lawrence Welk Show named Buddy Merrill...

Click to expand...

Great story, jedzep, and what a legacy that is! I remember watching Buddy Merrill as a boy with jaw-dropping amazement, as I figured I would never be able to play like that! His pedal steel guitar work was inspirational, as well.

jedzep said:

...EZ action makes happy players...

Click to expand...

Excellent advice regarding the use of a capo, one that many players are unfamiliar with.

jedzep, thanks for posting that Buddy Merrill clip. Made my day! Of course I had to then, listen a few other his tunes. A walk down memory lane, for sure.

I got lucky. As a 14 yr old kid whose brain was switched on when I first heard the Stones, 'Satisfaction', I had visions of fast tracking to guitar mastery. What a dummy! Music was math to me, and Buddy required the Mel Bay method be learned. I was exposed as a 'memorizer' and lessons didn't last long. I still play by ear 50 years later, but the Merrills became family friends and I got to visit him in L.A. He's 80+ now and told me he stopped playing when sitting in on studio sessions years ago and observed the younger players displaying advanced skills. Couldn't keep up. Oh well.

What I remember most was walking in to their house across the street for lessons and seeing/hearing that 18 string pedal steel, reel to reels on the shelves and Fenders on their stands. That, and my father's band rehearsals in our basement.

I got lucky, but I should be a much better player.

Something that hasn't really been mentioned but some of the import acoustics have shallower, slimmer necks. My daughter used to play an import Olympia (Tacoma) that had a sleek neck like a strat or something. For small hands, the shallowness can be helpful.

I should say that the woman playing the modified M-65 in the pic is Melinda Gibson. Her band and CD is pretty good. She sold me back my long lost blond '61 M-65. I'm very grateful to have it back.

https://www.facebook.com/melindagibsonmusic/?pnref=lhc

I would think that in 1965 an archtop could be an Orpheum or a Guild but not both. As far as I can determine, an Orpheum-brand guitar might have been manufactured by one of several companies, including Kay. Chasing the brand-name leads to Tacoma and Fender and then to Cordoba, which would appear to own it now. Whether Guild ever built instruments that were badged Orpheum is another question. Here's one bit of possible history from this very site:

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/archive/index.php/t-187504.html

And another, with an odd photo from Hans at the top:

http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?175382

Thanks for that tidbit. I meant to add a question mark after the Orpheum. It was probably Japanese made bought by my dad at McQuade Music in Newburgh, NY. Makes sense as I'm sure he didn't want to spend much, and those freekin' strings seemed to be a good half inch off the fretboard. I later found it in my parents basement folded in half at the heel. Ummm, guess no one bothered to slack off the strings.