Help identifying this c.1955-1957 Guild archtop

a.modernist · Sep 16, 2013

Hello Everyone,

I've become increasingly curious about this particular mid-'50s Guild archtop:

http://flic.kr/p/fTEp8G

Does anyone know what model it might be? This particular print ad is from 1957, however I have seen photos of Barry Galbraith with a similar guitar in 1955. Of course, a single cutaway from this era suggests an X-150, but notice the deluxe headstock and engraved harp tailpiece.

Nick Rossi
San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A.

AcornHouse · Sep 16, 2013

With the single pup and sunburst, i think it's an X-300. I've seen pics of Barry with a 2 pickup model which I think was an X-440.

The great and powerful Hans will know it exactly, so I'm sure he (or others) will chime in shortly.

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

Nick, I actually have that very guitar sitting in front of me at the moment. Mine is a X-150 from 1960. Weird thing is that I cannot find anything on Mike Andre anywheres on the internet......jim in Maine

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

I just found out an interesting fact about the Ernie Felice Quartet which featured Mike Andre. If you google the Ernie Felice Quartet you will eventually find a photograph of him holding an accordion with at the top of the page it says: Alfred Dronge Sonola Accordion Corp.........I will have to take a look at Han's book but I would bet that that X-150 of Mike Andre's was an upgraded version of my X-150 as Mr.Dronge's clientele at that time was the top of the hierarchy of the professional studio players et.al. in New York.....jim in Maine

Los Angeles · Sep 16, 2013

This is one of the things I love about this forum. History comes to life every time I come in.

Nice sleuthing, Jim!

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

Funny thing is that I used to live in Venice when it wasn't that nice of a place when I went to UCLA years ago. I also remember seeing Guild archtops in the old Hollywood shops985/7777777777777= for $300 as it seemed back then people only wanted Gibsons...........jim in Maine

a.modernist · Sep 16, 2013

AcornHouse said:
With the single pup and sunburst, i think it's an X-300. I've seen pics of Barry with a 2 pickup model which I think was an X-440.

The great and powerful Hans will know it exactly, so I'm sure he (or others) will chime in shortly.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Chris, I think we both may be thinking of the same photos of Galbraith, but I could have sworn it looked like a 1-pickup model. I could very well be wrong, I will dig around. Regardless, I think you are on to something with the X-300 designation. I just found this '53 X-300 on Flickr:

http://flic.kr/p/9UWtan

As for the Ernie Felice Quartet, one of my favorite jazz blogs ran a bit on Felice some time ago. It's worth checking out aloe for the photo of Mike Andre with a D'Angelico Excel fitted with a DeArmond "Guitar Mike":

http://www.jazzwax.com/2013/03/interview-ernie-felice.html

Thanks again.

Nick

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

Sorry my Norwegian Forest Cat his the numbers bar which is why you see 985/7777777777777777= ! jim in Maine

Sleeko · Sep 16, 2013

Interesting. Except for the G shield on the headstock it looks an awful lot like my X150 Savoy.

a.modernist · Sep 16, 2013

PS - Jim here is the link I think you were referencing: http://www.erniefelice.com/index.html

AcornHouse · Sep 16, 2013

ner1971 said:
Thanks for the responses everyone. Chris, I think we both may be thinking of the same photos of Galbraith, but I could have sworn it looked like a 1-pickup model. I could very well be wrong, I will dig around.

The pic I'm thinking of is in Galbraith's Jazz Standard's Vol. 1 right after "Darn That Dream". He's playing a 2 pickup natural with a Guild 66 or 99J behind him. I've looked for that pic online but haven't found it.

a.modernist · Sep 16, 2013

Very cool Chris, I need to check that out. The photos I was referencing are on the front cover of Hal McKusick's 1955 Bethlehem 10" LP and the back cover of Dinah Washington's 1955 EmArcy LP "For Those In Love". Both photos are obscured, but after looking really close I suspected they were single pickup sunburst Guilds similar to the one Mike Andre is holding in the print ad I linked to.

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

I e-mailed Dan who is Ernie Felice's son to see if his dad can shed any light on whatever happened to Mike Andre as I just cannot find any information on the internet regarding him jim in Maine

a.modernist · Sep 16, 2013

jimmyl51 said:
I e-mailed Dan who is Ernie Felice's son to see if his dad can shed any light on whatever happened to Mike Andre as I just cannot find any information on the internet regarding him jim in Maine

You beat me to the bunch Jim, I was just about to do the same thing. Please do let us know what Dan says. It's very interesting how many D'Angelico players Guild was actively courting in the mid-'50s.

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

To this day I believe that old Guild jazz guitars are far and above their Gibson equivalents in quality and sound, the problem being of course is that in comparison to Gibson...... Guild just didn't make that many guitars..............heck those were the only guitars that George Benson played as a teenager/early something 20's kid as at that time he couldn't afford a Gibson as told to me from guys here on the East Coast who remember him before he became famous.........jim in Maine

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

I also just found out that Lenny Breau used to live right down the street from me here in Auburn,Maine jim

a.modernist · Sep 16, 2013

jimmyl51 said:
To this day I believe that old Guild jazz guitars are far and above their Gibson equivalents in quality and sound, the problem being of course is that in comparison to Gibson...... Guild just didn't make that many guitars..............heck those were the only guitars that George Benson played as a teenager/early something 20's kid as at that time he couldn't afford a Gibson as told to me from guys here on the East Coast who remember him before he became famous.........jim in Maine

You'll get no argument from me Jim. I think Gibsons are indeed over-rated (not to mention over-priced) in general.

Interesting info on Benson. I know he played Guilds from about '66 until '71 or so. I have seen some earlier photos of him as well with a variety of instruments: a couple of Gibsons and a Gretsch. The earliest photo I have seen of him is from about '63 or so with McDuff and George is playing a Les Paul gold top, which I seem to recall was a hold-over from his R&B days. He would have been around 20 at that point of time.

VERY cool that Breau lived down the street from you. Maybe he left some extra chops hidden under a rock? He certainly had plenty to spare!

AcornHouse · Sep 16, 2013

ner1971 said:
Very cool Chris, I need to check that out. The photos I was referencing are on the front cover of Hal McKusick's 1955 Bethlehem 10" LP and the back cover of Dinah Washington's 1955 EmArcy LP "For Those In Love". Both photos are obscured, but after looking really close I suspected they were single pickup sunburst Guilds similar to the one Mike Andre is holding in the print ad I linked to.

So hard to find good pics of him. He was one of the best at the time, but because he was content being a sideman, he never got a chance at a wider recognition.

jimmyl51 · Sep 16, 2013

Lenny's brother Denny Breau is always playing around here. Denny has chops just like his brother but luckily never got into drugs. Their mom is still with us and is a real character. I am always running into guys that grew up with Lenny..........just too bad the guy moved out to California and got heavily into drugs.............jim

a.modernist · Sep 17, 2013

AcornHouse said:
With the single pup and sunburst, i think it's an X-300. I've seen pics of Barry with a 2 pickup model which I think was an X-440.

The great and powerful Hans will know it exactly, so I'm sure he (or others) will chime in shortly.

Kind of answering my own question here...BUT...I took Hans often suggested advice and went back and READ the book a bit more carefully this morning. I do suspect that Chris is correct and the guitar is very likely an X-300. I don't know why that never sunk in before, but it does fit the description perhaps a little more closely than a later X-150. I know that there were really no "standard" appointments during this early era, so it does make sense that an X-300 might end up with a higher-end harp tailpiece. For fun, here are a couple of very poor shots of Barry Galbraith playing what I think is a similar guitar in 1955:

Next? Getting my hands on one!

Help identifying this c.1955-1957 Guild archtop

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