Need Help From the Archtop Crowd

[Neal]

New to this section, but have already been heavily brainwashed by the Acoustic guys...

In my never-ending quest to be penniless, I have decided that I need an archtop Guild to join the closet full of acoustic Guilds I have obsessively gathered over the past few years.

I just happened upon a pawn shop in my home town today, and they are selling a perfect (and I do not throw that word around lightly) 1997 X-150 Savoy in sunburst (single pup). $900. I initially assumed it was a new Savoy, but the serial number and label confirm it is a Westerly. Original case included.

Opinions on the X-150? Good price? I have no clue.

Neal

'71 D-25
'71 F-20
'73 D-35
'81 D-212
'12 F-50
'13 M-120
'13 F-47R
'13 Orpheum 12-fret D
'14 Orpheum 12-fret 000 RW

 

[Walter Broes]

If there's nothing really wrong with it, I'd say that's a great price.

 

[AcornHouse]

Objectively, the VGGuide lists them at $1200-1500 for excellent condition.
Subjectively, it's hard to go wrong with the classic jazz archtop setup of a single neck pup. I have an earlier example, and it really sings.
I say, as long as you like the feel (and what's not to like), jump on that puppy!

 

[Los Angeles]

Yeah, this is a no-brainer. even if you don't like it, you should have no problem getting your money back. If it is indeed a 1997, then the there's no telling what kind of pickup is under the HB-1 looking cover.

Not everyone is thrilled with the sound of the Fender-made humbuckers from the late 90's, the good news is that you can swap out the pickup with any number of great pickups out there. Just keep the original so you can switch the guitar back to factory spec if you ever try to sell.

 

[jcwu]

I say, why not?? And that sounds like a more than decent price!

 

[Neal]

Thanks, guys!

Really, other than a few swirls in the finish, which I am sure I could easily polish out, it is immaculate.

It hangs there in the shop, visually shoving all the other wanna be's out of the way, as if to say, "Look at me, look only at me." Like some kind of tractor beam. I am powerless.

Neal

 

[guildman63]

And you were able to resist long enough to post this thread? You have much to learn, grasshopper. :biggrin-new:

Looking forward to pictures!

 

[Zelja]

I'm confused. Why haven't you bought it yet?

In my never-ending quest to be penniless

Love that phrase - much empathy from me...

 

[cc_mac]

I've got the dual pick-up X150D and it's a really fine guitar. $900 is a decent price. Does it come with the case? Also, it's hard to say if it has SD1 or the later Fender version. I know those pickup don't get much love but frankly I've dialed mine in and they sound great.

 

[Sleeko]

Not only yes but hell yes! That's a great price for one of these. I rarely see them for sale and when they are they're usually around $1700.00
Paid $1100.00 for mine and I thought that was a steal. I've enjoyed mine and put it right up there with my best.

 

[walrus]

+1 on all of the above - the price is a steal!

walrus

 

[Neal]

So, I did what I usually don't get to do, which is actually sit down with the guitar, get acquainted, and play it for a good little bit before purchasing.

I played through a decent Fender tube amp at the pawn shop, and the tone was spot on. Action was perfect. And it is just drop-dead gorgeous in all of its flame maple deliciousness.

However, despite the spec'd 1 11/16" nut (which felt a little narrower), I found that chords on the first few frets were tight going, given that I have unusually fat fingertips and have struggled for years to comfortably play my 1 11/16" Guild acoustics without muting strings (to the point where I sold four of them, despite the fact that they had awesome tone). With the ones I have left, I nearly always find myself reaching for a capo to get some additional width higher up on the fretboard. I am afraid that this would also be the case with the Savoy, leaving me with yet another beautiful Guild that doesn't really fit me.

What does fit me (and my playing style) are my 12-fret Orpheums, both of which are short-scale and 1.8" at the nut.

So, I decided to pass. I could buy and flip, but that's really not my thing.

I still might change my mind, given that I walk by that pawn shop twice a day, to and from work. But I doubt it will be there long at that price.

Anyway thanks for all the excellent advice/enabling. If anyone knows of a Guild Archtop that has at least a 1 3/4 nut, I would be all ears.

Neal

 

[Zelja]

The issue may not be neck width but string spacing. If there is some real estate to the side of the 2 E strings then perhaps a nit could be installed & cut to provide a wider string spacing - 1mm extra can be abig difference in feel. Some mucking about of course & hard to tell if it would suit until you actually tried it, so risky.

It may be really hard to find a Guild archtop with a neck wider than 1 11/16".

 

[Neal]

You are killing me with the photos, Sleeko...guitar porno, on purple velvet, no less.

That is exactly what the X-150 in question looks like!

Neal

 

[Sleeko]

Oh I'm here for Ya Neal!
Say where exactly is this pawn shop ... Lol

Yooo hoooo! Come and get me big boy!

 

[Neal]

Clearly, Sleeko is not a well man...:fat:

Neal

 

[JavelinaJoe]

Quite the contrary. Sleeko knows GAS when he sees it. Just puttin' a little gas on the fire! Amen, brother.

JJ

 

[Sleeko]

. . . never gonna be respectable. :laughing:

 

[mbuc]

The issue may not be neck width but string spacing. If there is some real estate to the side of the 2 E strings then perhaps a nit could be installed & cut to provide a wider string spacing - 1mm extra can be abig difference in feel. Some mucking about of course & hard to tell if it would suit until you actually tried it, so risky.

It may be really hard to find a Guild archtop with a neck wider than 1 11/16".

Certainly worth a look if wider string spacing with a new nut would be possible.

If you're looking for a Guild archtop with a nut wider than 1 11/16", I recommend you take a look at those made in New Hartford. All three that I own have a nut width wider than 1.7". However, the string spacing is what really matters. My X-170 from Westerly has a very narrow nut but still a wide string spacing and it plays just as fine.

GSR T-500 nut= 1.710", String spacing from E to e at the nut = 1.428"
X-500PM nut = 1.713", String spacing from E to e at the nut = 1.420"
M-75 nut = 1.730", String spacing from E to e at the nut = 1.433"
X-170 nut = 1.660", String spacing from E to e at the nut = 1.422"

 

[cc_mac]

Skeelo and his guitar casting couch......yeah, I need one of those too.

I just put the machinist rule to my 2000 X150D and the width at the nut is also 1 11/16" which compared to my '69 Starfire 4 at 1 9/16" feels huge. For the X150D there is a bit of space to put a nut with wider string spacing. One could possibily increase string overall E-E string spacing by 6/64" which doesn't sound like a lot but it would be a noticeable difference especially if one were to reslot the bridge a commensurate amount. This has me thinking that I need to make a new nut for the Starfire and widen the string spacing a bit.

In this case I can respect that this might not be the right guitar for Neal but it certainly represents a very good deal for what it is. I sometimes ponder finding a natural finish single pickup X150 despite that fact they my shoulder wouldn't appreciate it as much as the rest of me would.