Is my X-330 guitar a 1953?

[Asteri2]

My guitar is an X-330 S/N 1467 with a NY 3 label. Sunburst finish. One pickup. A guy online says it is NOT a 1953 because it has the wrong peghead inlay. It seems like it would be 1953 to me. Maybe you folks have some ideas?

I saw a video that said an X-330 was the first model Guild made. This one must be from the end of the year if the serial numbers started at 1,000 and went to 1500 in 1953.

The guitar came new from the store in an Epiphone case.

I know of (3) other X-330 Guilds. I heard the Dronge family has the first X-330. One is trashed out in Japan. The other, a dealer has restored from a hacked up one.

I don't know if they made any X-330 guitars after 1953...?

That's all I know about the X-330 model.

My buddy or me have had the guitar since the sixties... I can't remember exactly what year it was when he got it from a dead guys widow.

The guitar plays as easy as can be and the neck is as good as anything I have ever owned. The Guild Custom Shop replaced the binding recently.

Thanks!☺
UPDATE-pictures are on Flikr at the link below:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/137233865@N07/

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. You have done enough research that my comments based on ignorance are not going to help But I can certainly encourage you to post pictures especially if the peghead shape is a factor. Someone who knows what they are talking about will be along momentarily.

 

[AcornHouse]

Welcome! I'm sure Hans will be along soon with the answer.

 

[dapmdave]

Got pics?

 

[killdeer43]

First post WELCOME TO LTG!
Sit tight, help should be along shortly....it always is. eaceful:

Joe

 

[Asteri2]

As soon as I figure out how to post them! Thanks, Dave!eaceful:

 

[Asteri2]

Got pics?

I don't "have permission" to post pics...maybe I am too new here. (Also it says my posts have to be reviewed for awhile) Maybe I can post this link to a guitar with the same peghead as mine inlay for now. Hope it works! :joyous:

 

[rampside]

Welcome Asteri. Sounds like you have a very interesting guitar there.

Took some time for your first post, I see.

 

[fronobulax]

As soon as I figure out how to post them! Thanks, Dave!eaceful:

See here and here

 

[SFIV1967]

Welcome to LTG! S/N 1467 would be a late 1953 one according to The Guild Guitar Book page 46. (roughly 1500 was the last S/N)

X-330 S/N 1001 is owned by the Dronge family (according to Hans no instrument with S/N 1000 is known, so 1001 was the first one). Here is Mark Dronge holding her.
X-330 S/N 1002 is owned by Jay Pilzer: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150411126935720
I don't know about the whereabouts of 1003 but 1004 is a X-440 owned by one of our members.
A X-440 with S/N 1008 was on ebay a few times, those are the earliest I know about.

So your guitar would be the 467'th Guild made.

Actually a X-330 should be a blonde one, a X-300 would be sunburst. So maybe the guitar was refinished at some point in time?

Hans had previously mentioned the X-330 was only made for about one year: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...a-1953-X-330&p=1302221&viewfull=1#post1302221

Ralf

 

[walrus]

Welcome! Looking forward to pictures !

walrus

 

[Asteri2]

Welcome to LTG! S/N 1467 would be a late 1953 one according to The Guild Guitar Book page 46. (roughly 1500 was the last S/N)

X-330 S/N 1001 is owned by the Dronge family (according to Hans no instrument with S/N 1000 is known, so 1001 was the first one). Here is Mark Dronge holding her.
X-330 S/N 1002 is owned by Jay Pilzer: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150411126935720
I don't know about the whereabouts of 1003 but 1004 is a X-440 owned by one of our members.
A X-440 with S/N 1008 was on ebay a few times, those are the earliest I know about.

So your guitar would be the 467'th Guild made.

Actually a X-330 should be a blonde one, a X-300 would be sunburst. So maybe the guitar was refinished at some point in time?

Hans had previously mentioned the X-330 was only made for about one year: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...a-1953-X-330&p=1302221&viewfull=1#post1302221

Ralf

Thank you very much, Ralf !...the guitar was always a sunburst. That we know for sure. Maybe they made a few that way.

 

[Asteri2]

Thanks! I will have to be patient...

 

[Asteri2]

Welcome! Looking forward to pictures !

walrus

Soon, I hope! Thanks

 

[AcornHouse]

Soon, I hope! Thanks

Just to clarify the above links on how to post pics.
Nobody has permission to "post" attachments. They must be hosted on a hosting service like photobucket. Then you copy the links that photobucket (or other hosting service) provides. If they are somewhere on the web, you can copy the weblink.
So, you can post away whenever you wish, just not directly.

 

[Asteri2]

Just to clarify the above links on how to post pics.
Nobody has permission to "post" attachments. They must be hosted on a hosting service like photobucket. Then you copy the links that photobucket (or other hosting service) provides. If they are somewhere on the web, you can copy the weblink.
So, you can post away whenever you wish, just not directly.

OK, THANK YOU! I will have to work on that though...oh well.☺

 

[gilded]

why don't one of you guys send Asteri a private message with your email address. He can send the pics to you and you can post them for him??

 

[Asteri2]

Flikr pictures of X-330 (If Link works)

why don't one of you guys send Asteri a private message with your email address. He can send the pics to you and you can post them for him??

Thank you, "Gilded" . I now have a link to a Flikr page where you can click on the pics and blow them up or read the comments below the pics. Not sure if I can do that here yet but, I will try.

Here is the link.:dry:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/137233865@N07

 

[jcwu]

All I can say is, for a guitar that was made in 1953, that is one incredibly shiny finish:

 

[Asteri2]

It's certainly IS shinier now that they clear topcoated it after the binding repair. If you look at the before photos though...its very shiny too. It's had a great sunburst finish on it since I first saw it decades ago. It was in my humidity controlled shop in it's case for 6 or 7 years while my buddy was in Germany too. He gave gave it to me recently when the binding went bad. It had to be touched up where the binding was scraped down.

The guitar never did the finish checking like I thought it would. I can only surmise that being as well kept and polished often as it was...and in the case, that it never did that cracking. Except at the neck joint and there are slight lines here and there.

It would have to be way before the seventies if it was refinished. The guy that bought it new committed suicide shortly after buying it new. My buddy got it from his widow. His wife said it was under the bed and she never touched it. I got it from my buddy. It was $1,500 plus a lot of shipping costs to have it done.
Kim Keller at Guild was in charge of the job.

So... it is a very old sunburst in great shape with clear shot over it that you see in the photos. (I would probably have used cellosolve acetate to soften the finish and shot it with nitro back in my youth). Too old and tired for that stuff now.

It's maybe worth LESS now that it's been repaired but, it's getting loved and played a lot...( and polished ). eaceful:

Thank you sir...☺