Vintage Monkees Guild Sighting

[Sal]

Here's a great youtube composite video of early Monkees screen tests. Peter Tork is seen in one segment holding what looks like some kind of a D12 that's had it's head stock mutilated but the pickguard and bridge seem to be authentic old Guild:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63nhSFFFfJ4&feature=related

 

[Bill Ashton]

I saw that too and at first glance I thought it was a Guild but then had my doubts...but it may well be...there are some Youtube vids of him (back shots) playing what must be a Guild bass (Thunderbird?) live, but I was not able to capture any of the images...

 

[adorshki]

Here's a great youtube composite video of early Monkees screen tests. Peter Tork is seen in one segment holding what looks like some kind of a D12 that's had it's head stock mutilated but the pickguard and bridge seem to be authentic old Guild:

Very interesting. Pickguard and neck heel do have Guild appearance but I suspect it's only coincidence because of the headstock. Also I don't think there were dreadnought 12's until the mid-70's.
Peter has been shown here playing a Jetstar bass however, and I've seen a photo of him with a definite Guild F-body in a bio of them.

 

[GardMan]

I don't know that Guild ever made a maple bodied 12-string dread. The G-212 (intr 74) was mahogany and the 312 (intro 74) was rosewood.

 

[hansmoust]

Hello Hans, I was wondering if you could give your opinion on a possible early Guild D-12.

Your Guild book says "Except for some special order instruments in the sixties, Guild had never built any 12-string guitars in a shape other than the F-models."

I think the 12 string seen in this early Monkees screen test, circa '66, could be one of those early Guilds but the head stock's been mutilated and does not show the logo.
There would definitely be enough wood material at the top of a guild 12 headstock to create the one Peter Tork is seen holding here. What do you think? Thanks for your thoughts!

Regards
Sal

Hello Sal,

Thanks for your message. I hope it's OK that I post the answer in this thread.

I do agree that the at first glance you would think we're looking at what might be a Guild guitar, but I looked at the footage a little closer and there are too many things that do not look Guild-like to me. There's not a whole lot of detail in these YouTube clips, so some of the things I will mention are not very easy to see, just because of the low resolution but these are the most prominent details that in my opinion do not make it a Guild:

1) The bridge is kind-of-like the design that Guild used during the '60s but it's not really the right shape.

2) The shape of the heel is not what you would expect on a Guild steel string guitar

3) The guitar has a 'spanish style' rosette around the soundhole. Guild didn't do that on steel string guitars.

4) There's a 22nd fret on the treble side fingerboard extension, which is a feature that Guild never used on a guitar.

5) The neck doesn't have the double-truss rod configuration that was used on the other 12-string models during that particular period.

There are a few other things that do not make sense like the square label inside the guitar, the maple body that Guild had not done before on a steel string flat-top, and the 12 big Grover RotoMatic tuners.

I have no idea who made the guitar but the maker definitely tried to incorporate some typical Guild features of which the shape of the pickguard and the shape of the bridge are the most obvious.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Sal]

Thanks Hans, the points you bring up are right-on! I didn't see that fret extension or a label but looking back, that label is indeed square:

I think it's interesting that someone would be copying Guild design features when the brand was still kind of the new kid on the block. Perhaps this can go on record as the earliest known "FrankenGuild" :lol:

I was 6 when the Monkees were created and "Monkees Headquarters" was the first "Rock and Roll" record in our house. Seeing these screen tests is a real kick.