Is my X-330 guitar a 1953?

[fronobulax]

my humidity controlled shop ... Kim Keller

What kind of shop? Something I want to drive down I95 for?

Kim's good people. He posts here once in a while and visits LTG gatherings in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area.

 

[Asteri2]

What kind of shop? Something I want to drive down I95 for?

Kim's good people. He posts here once in a while and visits LTG gatherings in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area.

Yes sir,
kim was very nice and gave me a good fair price on the repairs. I hear the New Hartford place closed right after my guitar was done there...I hope Kim stayed on with the company.

My shop was back in the 70's into the 1988 range somewhere. I went to Roberto-Venn in Phoenix right when they started out. ( Bob Venn & John Roberts) Bob taught us to build the Semie Mosley way...kind of seat of the pants and eyeball. They were buddies. Bill Eaton has it now, I think. He built a kind of hex pickup and ran it through six amps in a circle out back one day. Played a big old chord arpeggio and blew our minds. He is an artist and a genius. That Anderson Guitar guy was in my class. Nice guy and talented. They had stacks of Brazilian rosewood logs out back of the school! I wanted to build guitars and I did but, quickly found out the money was in repairs for manufacturers and the local music stores. I did a fair amount of refinishing and lots of fretwork . Some inlay work. Ovation warranty...they sent me parts from New Hartford back then. That was in Mass. I am in VA now. I'll wave at ya when the sun comes up.☺

Oddly, my shop showed up on a rating a review site a year or so back. It closed before very many people had PCs at home. I even got a good review from a non-existent customer and my non-existent employees were courteous and helpful...

Almost went into business with Julio Julietti ( The accordion guy ) He had a warehouse full of guitars with push buttons and hardware left over from the accordion factory when things slowed down. He told me, " You don't a lay nobody off in Italy...they kill a you! " He had guitars covered in real floral cloth...then like a quarter inch of salad bowl finish or something!☺

Cheers

 

[SFIV1967]

I hear the New Hartford place closed right after my guitar was done there...I hope Kim stayed on with the company.

No, Kim is no longer with Guild. Ren Ferguson is the Vice President of Manufacturing and R&D for Guild now. New Hartford got closed when FMIC (Fender) sold the Guild brand to Cordoba Music Group (CMG) in Santa Monica/CA. CMG now built a new Guild factory in Oxnard/CA which should start production any day now. We had actually just recently talked about Kim as I thought I spotted him there, but it wasn't him. See here: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?186990-Kim-back-at-Guild

One question about your X-330: How was that truss rod cover fixed? I see no screw holes? https://www.flickr.com/photos/137233865@N07/22181366178/

Ralf

 

[Asteri2]

No, Kim is no longer with Guild. Ren Ferguson is the Vice President of Manufacturing and R&D for Guild now. New Hartford got closed when FMIC (Fender) sold the Guild brand to Cordoba Music Group (CMG) in Santa Monica/CA. CMG now built a new Guild factory in Oxnard/CA which should start production any day now. We had actually just recently talked about Kim as I thought I spotted him there, but it wasn't him. See here: http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?186990-Kim-back-at-Guild

One question about your X-330: How was that truss rod cover fixed? I see no screw holes? https://www.flickr.com/photos/137233865@N07/22181366178/

Ralf

Thanks for the update on Kim, Ralf...

The truss rod cover is in process...I have not drilled the holes yet. The strings hold it on!☺ I hesitate to finish it. I should though. The old one was broken over time and then lost by me or my buddy! The original had the screw hole very close to the bottom tip and right at the string nut. It was destined to break. The new one will share same fate one day.

I also may make one more fatter looking. I have a bunch of pictures to work from and I am trying to average out what I see. It's tedious and my hands and eyes are not at all skilled as they once were.

Cheers

 

[gilded]

Very nice guitar, sir! Thanks for bringing it to everybody's attention.

 

[gilded]

Hey, Asteri, I do have a question for you. I was looking at your photo of the label. I noticed that there are two letters that are above and to the right of the X-330 model designation. I can almost make them out, looks like 'G P' or something like that.
Can you tell us what they are? They certainly seem to be written by whoever filled out the label, so I would think they would have some bearing on the features of the guitar. For example, if the initials were 'SB', I would think it would refer to the sunburst finish.

Again, thanks for bringing this guitar out into the world and for telling us your story, too.

All the best, gilded

 

[Asteri2]

Very nice guitar, sir! Thanks for bringing it to everybody's attention.

Thanks very much! I hope it's fun to see it for everybody.Those early Guilds were well made...

We came here from Bastrop, TX. Say hello to the good people of TX for us!eaceful:

 

[Asteri2]

Hey, Asteri, I do have a question for you. I was looking at your photo of the label. I noticed that there are two letters that are above and to the right of the X-330 model designation. I can almost make them out, looks like 'G P' or something like that.
Can you tell us what they are? They certainly seem to be written by whoever filled out the label, so I would think they would have some bearing on the features of the guitar. For example, if the initials were 'SB', I would think it would refer to the sunburst finish.

Again, thanks for bringing this guitar out into the world and for telling us your story, too.

All the best, gilded

Thanks again sir,

Hans contacted me and will get back to me. I mentioned the initials(?) to him.

If anybody has an early Guild with similar initials maybe they can let me know.

We might never figure that out though. Maybe it's the guy or gal who glued the label in or the top on...it's fun to think about!

Cheers

 

[jcwu]

He built a kind of hex pickup and ran it through six amps in a circle out back one day. Played a big old chord arpeggio and blew our minds. He is an artist and a genius.

Can you imagine the sonic possibilities with this?? Mic'ing each amp on its own channel, panned left to right, and then playing arpeggios.... oh, what would that sound like on headphones. Wow!! I can just imagine the notes traversing left to right and back again in my head.....

 

[SFIV1967]

Hans contacted me and will get back to me.

Good! So I guess we will learn in future what you really have. Because the headstock logo does not match a 1953 or even 1954 guitar, almost like the neck was changed at some very early point in it's life...I guess there will be a few interesting things to learn. Also about the sunburst finish on a blonde model name. I'm looking forward to the developments...
Ralf

 

[Asteri2]

Good! So I guess we will learn in future what you really have. Because the headstock logo does not match a 1953 or even 1954 guitar, almost like the neck was changed at some very early point in it's life...I guess there will be a few interesting things to learn. I'm looking forward to the developments...
Ralf

Thanks, Ralf!

There is lots to ponder and wonder about on old guitars. It's fun...

Although, the picture on my Flikr page is said to be Mr. Dronge in 1952... with that same logo as mine on a neck in the picture.

Also other 1953 models seen online, have the same logo as mine. I think in the first years, perhaps guitar makers often try out a few things that may not fit the assumptions folks today may have.

Even Guild says that you can't count on the serial numbers and years being accurate in the early years.

I worked at manufacturing plant that had an "Experimental" department that turned out oddball models of machines that were never in the catalogs. Serial number plates were sometimes lost and then found months later and stuck on something totally out of sequence. Some things were repaired and sent back out with combinations of things that never existed in a catalog.

In any case, this guitar never belonged to someone like Elvis Presley and it is not very sought after or rare, so it's value is mostly sentimental to the two old men that made wonderful memories with it from the sixties until a few minutes ago at my house!☺

Cheers, amigo. Happy picking!eaceful:

 

[Asteri2]

Can you imagine the sonic possibilities with this?? Mic'ing each amp on its own channel, panned left to right, and then playing arpeggios.... oh, what would that sound like on headphones. Wow!! I can just imagine the notes traversing left to right and back again in my head.....

It made me tilt my head like a puppy hearing a squeaky toy!

You can still find William Eaton's instruments and music online, I think. Everything he does is unique and original.

 

[SFIV1967]

Although, the picture on my Flikr page is said to be Mr. Dronge in 1952... with that same logo as mine on a neck in the picture.

According to Hans' book page 12 that picture was taken already in the Hoboken plant. Means after 1956.
Ralf

 

[Brown-Recluse]

Good! So I guess we will learn in future what you really have. Because the headstock logo does not match a 1953 or even 1954 guitar, almost like the neck was changed at some very early point in it's life...I guess there will be a few interesting things to learn. Also about the sunburst finish on a blonde model name. I'm looking forward to the developments...
Ralf

The neck replacement and refinish would explain a lot of things. The tailpiece isn't what I would expect to see on a '53 either. Has the bridge also been replaced?

 

[D30Man]

Not much to add in the way of knowledge as it appears you got more then plenty of that sent your way by the highly informed folks here at LTG. I will just say welcome and that is a gorgeous guit. They re-finished it nicely. Looks like it possibly has a new life.. Very cool. Not sure anyone asked, but if you have any files of her recorded we love to hear them.. Soundcloud is a great way to share audio on this forum.

 

[SFIV1967]

The tailpiece isn't what I would expect to see on a '53 either.

That's a good question. Hans said on page 39: "within a year Guild came out with it's own "harp" tailpiece". However it is nether the first version as shown on page 39 nor the engraved 1956 tailpiece, so not sure when that version of tailpiece was introduced, but after 1956 I would think. So yes, it was added at some point in time. But let's wait what Hans can find out. It's really interesting to learn about all those little details and I am sure Hans has much more info about those 1953/54 guitars today vs. when he wrote the book 20 years ago.
Ralf

 

[hansmoust]

Hello Asteri,

From what I can see in the photos, I believe that this guitar started out as an original X-330 and it most likely had a blonde finish (as the X-330 model name implies), but it looks like the instrument at some point in time did get a complete overhaul.

It doesn't look like it was done by Guild though, but by somebody who did a pretty good job making the headstock overlay and a completely new fingerboard. The lay-out of the G-shield and the Guild 'rooftop' logo looks like it was copied from an original Guild from the end of the fifties when Guild was trying out a couple of 'new' headstock overlays. If that was indeed what the maker copied it from, the work must have been done around 1960 at the earliest. It seems logical to conclude that the guitar was refinished at the same time that the work was done and it all looks like professional work.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Asteri2]

Hello Asteri,

From what I can see in the photos, I believe that this guitar started out as an original X-330 and it most likely had a blonde finish (as the X-330 model name implies), but it looks like the instrument at some point in time did get a complete overhaul.

It doesn't look like it was done by Guild though, but by somebody who did a pretty good job making the headstock overlay and a completely new fingerboard. The lay-out of the G-shield and the Guild 'rooftop' logo looks like it was copied from an original Guild from the end of the fifties when Guild was trying out a couple of 'new' headstock overlays. If that was indeed what the maker copied it from, the work must have been done around 1960 at the earliest. It seems logical to conclude that the guitar was refinished at the same time that the work was done and it all looks like professional work.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Thanks very much for your thoughts and insights Hans! I will just enjoy the instrument for what it is today and what it means to me. eaceful:

 

[Asteri2]

That's a good question. Hans said on page 39: "within a year Guild came out with it's own "harp" tailpiece". However it is nether the first version as shown on page 39 nor the engraved 1956 tailpiece, so not sure when that version of tailpiece was introduced, but after 1956 I would think. So yes, it was added at some point in time. But let's wait what Hans can find out. It's really interesting to learn about all those little details and I am sure Hans has much more info about those 1953/54 guitars today vs. when he wrote the book 20 years ago.
Ralf

The tailpiece was replaced for sure.

 

[SFIV1967]

I will just enjoy the instrument for what it is today and what it means to me. eaceful:

Absolutely you should! It's a very special guitar and we all enjoy playing history detectives! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures and stories you knew so far with us!
Ralf