1974 Guild F50 pawnshop find

DADGAD

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Thanks, chasmo! My luthier gave me a great price on the new nut and other work so I did not push him about the TRC. :angel:
 

adorshki

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He fetched it and $10 later, I had a 1968 Kalamazoo (Gibson). $10 was his asking price.
The Kalamazoo:
qeI86Q8.jpg
And you didn't even try to work him down?
:biggrin-new:
 

Stuball48

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Been to all the pawn shops in Dickson today. Not only were there no acoustic deals--there was not one acoustic made in USA. I will keep checking.
 

DADGAD

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Been to all the pawn shops in Dickson today. Not only were there no acoustic deals--there was not one acoustic made in USA. I will keep checking.

Always ask if they have any others in the back. My local pawn shop has twice as many guitar in the back room as they have on display. Stores only have so much display area, especially in a crowded pawn shop full of TV's, computers, sporting goods and stereos. The worst they can say is, "No."

In my case, I was just in the right place at the right time on January 4, 2018.
 

adorshki

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The case even had case candy. Two old sets of Darco strings. From the pictures, can you tell me any more about this guitar? I appreciate any info you can share about it. Thanks!

OK:
Bridge pins are replacements: They're black, should be white (and they didn't have ab dots).
Pickup jack:
"Danger Will Robinson, Danger! Danger!". Guild didn't mount jacks there, they went through the tailblock. Unless there's a reinforcing block inside the body there, it's a weak mounting method and asking for a crack.
Minimal if any impact on the guitar's sound, though.
Fishman UST's weren't available when that guitar was built, but they far surpass what was. Sounds like the T's dust anyway if there's only half of it left.
Strap peg: I'd take that sucker out, I think it's an accident waiting to happen the first time there's an oopsie and it hits something.
(Ask you luthier how he'd fill the hole, but I'm thinking something along the lines of sawdust in glue topped by ground up binding material dissolved in super glue)
Guild actually never installed upper strap pins on acoustics except for the purpose-built cutaway a/e's, on the upper side bout.
Again, they were reinforced with a mounting block inside.
I'd remove that sticker from the guitar carefully and soon, some of those adhesives will react with NCL over time and leave gummy mess: that's degraded lacquer not just label glue..
I can re-orient that TRC for you in about a week, free of charge, but you'd have to pay for the shipping.
Still, all in all, ya done good.
I am so jealous.
My jealously is only mitigated by the fact that I'm personally lusting after an F40. (it's an inch smaller across the lower bout)

PS I see those Darco's are 80/20 bronze but I'm about 99.9% positive that in '74 Guild would have been shipping 'em with PB's as they were the first to start installing 'em as factory spec, and that's when D'A introduced 'em.
D'Addario actually was Darco until they broke away to sell strings under their own name in '74, coincidental with bringing pb strings to market.
They'd been an OEM supplier to Guild since at least the early '60's though, so Guild was already using 'em even before they "went solo".
What I don't know (because is it's very poorly documented), and they seemed to change at a whim anyway, is whether it shipped with medium or light gauge.
Waitaminnit, did you say case candy?
Does it have the owner's manual with a stamp saying what strings are on it?
I'm notorious for suggesting stringing 'em with what they came with so I'm gonna suggest D'Addario EJ-16's (pb light uncoated), since Guild doesn't offer strings anymore themselves.
Those'll also conserve neckset life even if it did ship with mediums.
 
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DADGAD

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Thanks, adorshki. That information is much appreciated. By “case candy” I was just joking about the DARCO strings.

Boy, this guitar is LOUD when played!
 
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adorshki

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Thanks, adorshki. That information is much appreciated. By “case candy” I was just joking about the DARCO strings.
Darn, it's one of my pet research projects.

Boy, this guitar is LOUD when played!
Yeah they're kinda notorious for that.
If it starts to bug you, at least you should be able to unload it pretty easy, here.
 

chazmo

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DADGAD, I don't know if anyone mentioned this earlier, but the F-50 is truly one of Guild's iconic models. Many folks got their minds blown when they eventually got to play one of these instruments, and it made them Guildphiles for life. There are other "jumbos" out there, but none of them sound like the F-50.

You'll probably never see another deal like that one, but if you have an opportunity to play the rosewood version (F-50R) you'll find a very different (but equally mind-blowing) character to it.

Anyway, congratulations again!
 

D30Man

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Been to all the pawn shops in Dickson today. Not only were there no acoustic deals--there was not one acoustic made in USA. I will keep checking.

Stu my last 20 or so pawn shop visits ( and I hit a bunch at once usually ) have yielded "0" good deals on guitars. A few pedals / speakers here and there. I take that back I found an Art & Lutherie Canadian made dreadnought that was pretty toasty. They wanted $50 and I talked them down to $35. Put new strings on her, oiled the fb, cleaned her up and sold her on CL for $125. That was a good deal but nothing to write home about.

I have found people aren't getting rid of their us made guits. If they are then Pawn Shops in a lot of cases are asking store prices for them and keeping them behind the counter. I also believe fewer people are buying US. There doesn't seem to be the pride of ownership with the newer generations for an American made instrument. Maybe I am wrong. My buddy who works at Guitar Center in Plano, TX - a super busy store - says he sells 1 US strat for every 10-12 squiers easily. In all fairness, what is coming out of China isn't what it used to be. Squier's Classic Vibe line alone is a high value axe for less than half of what it is for a US. I think all of that plays into what you are seeing or not seeing at pawn shops these days. I remember going to pawn shops and seeing US made guits in every one I went into. Hell both of the US strats I have owned came from Pawn Shops in Houston.

My best pawn shop deal was at EZ Pawn in Houston when they mis-priced a sunburst 1991 RW strat in mint condition for $299.99.. I grabbed it. Still nothing like getting an F50 for $150..
 

gjmalcyon

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Guild actually never installed upper strap pins on acoustics except for the purpose-built cutaway a/e's, on the upper side bout.
Again, they were reinforced with a mounting block inside..

Picking one small nit - both of my Tacoma examples (DV6 on the right, with the tan line, and F47R on the left) came with strap pins mounted on the on the upper side bout with small backing blocks behind each. The DV-6 was purchased new (and led me to this den of iniquity), and the F-47R came from forum member mikemo6string.

uKWI87R.jpg
 

richardp69

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I do believe that Pawn Shop should relocate to Barton City, Michigan. I've got lots of business for them at those prices.
 

DADGAD

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DADGAD, I don't know if anyone mentioned this earlier, but the F-50 is truly one of Guild's iconic models. Many folks got their minds blown when they eventually got to play one of these instruments, and it made them Guildphiles for life. There are other "jumbos" out there, but none of them sound like the F-50.

You'll probably never see another deal like that one, but if you have an opportunity to play the rosewood version (F-50R) you'll find a very different (but equally mind-blowing) character to it.

Anyway, congratulations again!

Thanks chazmo. If I'm not mistaken, the F50 was Guild's top of the line flat top. I am blown away by this guitar and can see myself becoming a Guildophile. Mine is huge, loud and plays like an electric guitar. I have 11's on it and may move up to 12's. There will never be another deal like this and getting there as the store opened and they put the guitar was put out was pure happenstance.

If I remove the strap button from the neck heel, how should I attach a strap to my F50?
 

chazmo

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"Top of the line" is relative, DADGAD. While the F-50 was there first (sometime in the '50s), the D-55 which came (much) later is arguably Guild's flagship acoustic guitar. Then there have been many shorter run or special models which could easily qualify for top of the line. That all said, I think the F-50R is the best 6-string I've ever played. Of course, it's a personal matter. :)

If you are referring to the 1/4" input jack connector, yeah that's a shame. I would relocate that to the endpin, where it belongs. But, if you meant the strap button... Well, there are many places to put strap buttons, DADGAD. I like mine downward facing in the neck heel, but other folks like 'em on the bass side panel. If you do that latter, you'll need a block to secure the button as the side wood is insufficient. We had a thread on this once, but I don't remember the link.
 

DADGAD

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I won't be plugging in the guitar using that 1/4" jack. I may replace the under saddle transducer and if I do, I'll relocate the jack to the endpin strap button location. I was wondering how people attached straps to Guilds "back in the day" because someone previously posted about the button on my neck heel being incorrect. BTW - Years ago I saw a player at a church with a BRAND NEW Gibson J200. He installed a strap button with a wood screw into the upper bout. One minute into the first song, the screw ripped out, making a 1" diameter hole in the guitar. The wood splintered and went flying everywhere. I won't be making that mistake.

My luthier said that the tuners on this F50 are shot. The back popped off of the G string when he was tuning it up. He said there is no screw holding the gear to the string post. The whole tuner is held together by the pressed-in back cover. So, what tuners should I replace them with? He recommended Gotoh. Should I go with gold plated again? What were the original that came with this guitar, the Grovers or something else?
 

chazmo

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Those are the original Grover Rotomatics, DADGAD. I believe you can just get new replacements for these, which is what I did a few years ago when I replaced the originals on a 1971 F-50R. I'd stick with gold. As I recall, these required no changes to the guitar. The ferrule which locked down the tuner was a bit thicker than the original, but that didn't make any difference after I installed it.

More recently, Guild has been using a Gotoh tuner which open-back. I'm not sure of the model.
 

adorshki

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Picking one small nit - both of my Tacoma examples (DV6 on the right, with the tan line, and F47R on the left) came with strap pins mounted on the on the upper side bout with small backing blocks behind each. The DV-6 was purchased new (and led me to this den of iniquity), and the F-47R came from forum member mikemo6string.
Touche my friend.
When I wrote that I was thinking only of Westerly and so was technically incorrect by not specifying that.
And in fact I knew they did it again in New Hartford but didn't recall (if I ever knew) they did it in Tacoma.
Are those UST -equipped, at least?
That seemed to be the definitive reason for installing a strap button.
 

DADGAD

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If I remove the strap button from the neck heel, how should I attach a strap to my F50? How did they do it back in the day?
 

adorshki

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Thanks chazmo. If I'm not mistaken, the F50 was Guild's top of the line flat top.
Oh yes, it was, ever since day one.
The only other (6-string) contender would be the D55 which was introduced as special-order only in '68, and only became a standard production model in, coincidentally, 1974...
I have 11's on it and may move up to 12's.
As I mentioned earlier I'm about 99.9% you can't hurt it with.12's
If I remove the strap button from the neck heel, how should I attach a strap to my F50?
OK That's a good question that comes up periodically too.
Several of us have a preference for this location:
49927

That helps keep the strap in place just by gravity, and the neck free of interference (and possible stress on the neck) from a strap at the peghead, but some guys are just fine with that.
Should also be out of the way of your hand if you do get up that high occasionally.
I do and that's where I would have put one on my D25 but I finally realized I'd probably never play it standing up and never mounted one.
I think the present location would be kind of "un-ergonomic", tending to make the guitar want to fall forward, but if you're ok with it you could just leave it and just always bear in mind to be careful with it.
Like I said I could see an impact on it being very bad for the neck joint or the heel, and it does kind of stick out a bit from the plane of the back, right?, kind of leading with its nose so to speak?.
BTW I never mentioned how much I like the subtle stain on the back/sides, kind of a faded iced-tea 'burst type color but looks t same over the whole body?
Hard to tell from the pics, but does it look in person like they might have actually done some fading on it right up to the body edges, and in the waist, as if they might have been spraying an actual' burst with the top masked off?
I think Rampix's '79 F40 has a very similar coloration, or I've seen somebody's F40 that looks like that.
I prefer that very subdued look.
 
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