Has anyone ever seen this before?

[messenger]

Came across this when I took the truss rod cover off. My Westerly Guild/Benedetto X-700, serial # GBB1036. Has anyone seen this before? My bill of sale said it was a 2002 model. Any thoughts?

 

[GAD]

I found your guitar on Reverb where it was listed as a 2002. A Westerly Benedetto would be far more likely to be a 2000 or 2001. Reverb sellers rarely know how to properly date any Guild let alone one of these.

Hans would know for sure, but I'd think 2000 makes sense.

 

[GAD]

I'd imagine it's also possible that the neck was made in 8/2000 and then attached to the body in early 2001, but without a useful chart to pull, @hansmoust is the only source of factual information. If he doesn't chime in you could try calling Fender (not Guild) and asking them.

 

[messenger]

I'd imagine it's also possible that the neck was made in 8/2000 and then attached to the body in early 2001, but without a useful chart to pull, @hansmoust is the only source of factual information. If he doesn't chime in you could try calling Fender (not Guild) and asking them.

Thanks!

 

[chazmo]

That's a really beautiful guitar, messenger! Enjoy it!

 

[adorshki]

Came across this when I took the truss rod cover off. My Westerly Guild/Benedetto X-700, serial # GBB1036. Has anyone seen this before? My bill of sale said it was a 2002 model. Any thoughts?

Yes we've seen signature notes in truss channels before, kind of hard to make out the initials, though. I agree with GAD that it's most likely mis-dated. An '02 would absolutely have a Corona label for one thing, and in fact there was no X-700 in '02. Westerly was last year under that model name, last appearance in '01 catalog as X700 Stuart.

In the '02 price list (Corona's first year) it became the Benedetto Signature "Stuart" model.

 

[fronobulax]

We have seen writing inside a couple of TRC cavities before, but not often.

I cannot say anything about the relationship between that serial number and 2000 or 2002.

I can throw out some ideas that may have a grain of truth:

• The 2002 on the Bill of Sale was wrong.
• The 2002 model on the bill of sale was correct because there were no spec changes between 2000 and 2002. Guilds don't have model years like cars so "2002 Model" can be ambiguous.
• The instrument was under construction in 2000 but not finished until 2002.

 

[mavuser]

JT is Jeffrey Tougas, he posts over on Facebook all the time. You can see his initials in many, many, many, Guild truss rod cavities. It means he is the one who fit the neck to the body.

 

[messenger]

JT is Jeffrey Tougas, he posts over on Facebook all the time. You can see his initials in many, many, many, Guild truss rod cavities. It means he is the one who fit the neck to the body.

I reached out to Jeffery on FB. I don't know if he'll reply. Just wanted to let he know, 23 years later the guitar still plays like butter.

 

[messenger]

Thanks to everyone who answered my post, I learned a lot. You guys are like an encyclopedia.

 

[mavuser]

I reached out to Jeffery on FB. I don't know if he'll reply. Just wanted to let he know, 23 years later the guitar still plays like butter.

He has posted in the FB group "Guild Guitars Owners and Fans." If you join the group, you should be able to reach out to him there.

 

[chazmo]

I reached out to Jeffery on FB. I don't know if he'll reply. Just wanted to let he know, 23 years later the guitar still plays like butter.

I'm absolutely sure he'd love to hear that! The guys who did neck sets over the years were usually very long-term employees who really loved their work. At least that's the impression I've gotten over the years. Now, over a beer on a Friday afternoon at the local pub....