Taylor Martin Guild
Senior Member
I was once told that the F612 that John Denver played was Maple back and sides with a thin Rosewood vernier.
Anyone know if this is true?
Anyone know if this is true?
F 612 Question
- Thread starter Taylor Martin Guild
- Start date
JimbowF212
Member
TMG;
judging from this pic in which you can see the back of the guitar through the sound hole I would say it is a ruse!!!!!
The wood on the inside matched the dark color of the sides showing in the pic.
judging from this pic in which you can see the back of the guitar through the sound hole I would say it is a ruse!!!!!
The wood on the inside matched the dark color of the sides showing in the pic.
GardMan
Enlightened Member
I think the more telling evidence from the pic is the obvious back bracing. I don't know that Guild ever laminated a flat back... so I would expect it is solid rosewood.JimbowF212 said:
Chazmo does have an early, arched back F-50R ("Cap'n") that has been discussed at some length here and here. It does have a laminated back... but apparently great care was taken to match the inside and outside grain, using adjacent slices of rosewood veneer. It may have been in this thread that Hans indicated that the inside "filler" in Guild's laminated arched backs could be "soft" maple, poplar, or other woods they had on hand, dispelling the supposition that all plys of the arched backs were of tonewood.
(edited to add links)
Dave, you're right on with this... I don't know if the arched, laminated rosewood back was done any later than the 1967 builds that gave birth to "Cap," Dave vanRonk's F-50R, and the F-412spec that Hans has a picture of in his book. The F-612s didn't come along until a bit later, and most likely they are solid flat backs. We know from Barbara's guitar (and others) that the F-512s built at the end of the '60s in Hoboken were solid/flat... I think those are the same era as the F-612. For that matter, were *any* 612s built in Hoboken? I don't know. If they're all from Westerly then I think it's highly unlikely that any of them were laminated rosewood....
Taylor Martin Guild
Senior Member
Was the JD F612 an Artists Award?
GardMan
Enlightened Member
The headstock of the 612, with G-shield and checkerboard purfling/binding, but no "artist award"... (In deference to other dial-up users like myself, I edited out the embedded pic... it was HUGE and took >10 min to load via my home connection)
Hans' book includes a F-50 special (rosewood?) with double guards and artist award headstock, seen here.
More pics of JDs Guilds and other guitars are @ www.jdgrs.com Didn't you give me this link, TMG?)...
Hans' book includes a F-50 special (rosewood?) with double guards and artist award headstock, seen here.
More pics of JDs Guilds and other guitars are @ www.jdgrs.com Didn't you give me this link, TMG?)...
JimbowF212
Member
GardMan said:
If you look to John's left in this pic and just judging from the size I would say that the 12-string in the stand is the F-612. Man would I love to play that guitar for just a few minutes I wonder who has that guitar now? :mrgreen:
adorshki
Reverential Member
He did have at least one 12er with the square badge in the headstock, there's a pic on the forum somewhere I think, or at least a reference.
Taylor Martin Guild
Senior Member
The 2 guitars that I identify John Denver with are his Guilds from his early years.
His 6 string with the double pick guards and the fabled F612.
I have to admit that he was the reason that I purchased my first few Guilds.
The word is that both of these guitars are safe and in the possession of John's family.
I hope this is correct.
His 6 string with the double pick guards and the fabled F612.
I have to admit that he was the reason that I purchased my first few Guilds.
The word is that both of these guitars are safe and in the possession of John's family.
I hope this is correct.
I believe I can identify at least a couple more specific Guild 12-strings that John Denver used at various points of his career. The first is the one that is on the cover of the "Rhymes & Reasons" and "Poems Prayers & Promises" albums. Based on Hans' book, I believe this guitar is an F-412 Special, and maybe that's where TMG got the idea about the laminated rosewood back. The guitar clearly has white binding and rosewood back and sides, but it has only the Guild logo on the headstock. No Chesterfield, no G-shield. It also has the funky shaped pearl inlays on the fretboard. This is "Guild 12-string #1" on the John Denver Guitar website.
Later on, he used an awesome custom-made rosewood Guild jumbo 12-string that had a unique "tree-of-life" inlay on the fretboard and fancy inlays on the bridge. This is "Guild 12-string #3" on the website.
Later on, he used an awesome custom-made rosewood Guild jumbo 12-string that had a unique "tree-of-life" inlay on the fretboard and fancy inlays on the bridge. This is "Guild 12-string #3" on the website.
Scratch
Enlightened Member
He had a magical way with that F612. One heckuva talent left us way too soon...
6L6
Senior Member
I believe this is correct.
My youngest daughter roomed with John's daughter when in college at Dartmouth. His daughter is a good player/singer and it would be hard to think she would have let his guitars go. Not sure if his son is a player.
I am a huge John Denver fan and he too was the reason my first high end guitars were the F50R and the F512. I beleive he also played a custom F512 with a vine style ornate fretboard.
Ah, I wish Guild did custom guitars or would do a limited run of the F612. Do they know that there are many people that would buy one?
Ah, I wish Guild did custom guitars or would do a limited run of the F612. Do they know that there are many people that would buy one?
JimbowF212
Member
Yes People would want to buy them but can you imagine what one would cost today?????
adorshki
Reverential Member
Not sure what it is, but here's one with the AA style badge on the headstock:Taylor Martin Guild said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwARpaKH ... re=related