Rich Cohen
Senior Member
Just landed, my new love: a 2014 American Patriarch X-500 Stuart. Guild got hold of a 1956 X-500 Stuart and in 2014 as part of their American Patriarch series (3 models comprising the M-75, X-500 and Artist Award) and reproduced it in every detail. The only difference between the old and new, as far as I can tell, is the 2014 version's top of its headstock is the "modern" one as opposed to the moustache profile. I love the overall look, and especially the "frequency tested" single coil pickups in white soapbar casings. The abalone triangles on the fretboard are in the size of the 1950s models. The Guild "G" on the headstock logo is abalone and shimmers with colors. The harp piece is, well, gorgeous. There's nice tiger maple on the back and neck. I even traded my 1956 A-500 for it, and am not disappointed. The two pups give me more sound, tone color options. I feel good about trading my A-500 to a professional player and guitar teacher over in Providence, Rhode Island. The backstory of this particular guitar is that as Fender was closing the plant in New Hartford, a Fender executive grabbed this one before it was listed as "for sale." Thus, though it has a serial number stamped on the back of the headstock, there is no label inside the guitar.
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