A '56 Guild in Good Company!

zizala

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Hi all,

I had these out and saw a good photo opportunity to send to an interested friend.

Its interesting to compare the shapes and proportions of these three 17" archtops from the 50's era, and just posted this to the jazz forum.
I thought some here might also appreciate a look.

They are from left to right:

1949 Gibson L-7c, 1950 Epiphone Triumph Regent and 1956 Guild X-175 Manhattan



I think its interesting to see three 17" cutaways lined up this way......common influences, and attempts for each to have an individual look all come into play.

Oh yes...its the Guild forum now........that '56 X-175 is a wonderful electric archtop guitar! Quite beautiful too.
My own take on these is.....the Epi's big and kind of awkward looking, but a great acoustic archtop...the Gibson....well its hard to beat that classic style. The Guild has the best features of both.

Hope you enjoy!

D
 
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jimmyl51

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Gorgeous guitars! I'm just curious regarding how the pickups on that '56 X-175 are wired, is the up position on the toggle switch synced to the front pickup i.e. bass with the rear pickup geared to the down position of the toggle switch or treble position? Was always curious as to why Al Dronge wanted the guitars of that era wired that way as I would think that the NY studio players who were his friends might have requested that kind of wiring maybe? Will have to ask Hans on that! jim in Maine
 

jimmyl51

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Lastly I have to ask you WHERE did you find that X-175 as it looks to be brand new! I am thinking that your location in CT may have had something to do with it maybe? jim in Maine
 

zizala

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Jim,

It has master volume and tone for both pickups and the usual three way switch.
Its simple but effective, but I sometimes miss the individual volume control of each pickup. Individual tone controls not so much.

If I decide that this one stays, I might have it wired like a three knob Gibson ES-350...a volume on each pickup and a master tone pot on the cutaway horn.
I'd get more possible and useable blends.

D
 

zizala

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I found it on my local Craigslist a few weeks ago...

A 75 year old jazzer was selling down his stuff.....he had this for 40 years and took very good care of it.
Keeping up appearances, up to snuff, that sort of thing as some are prone to do thankfully.

We played some, and I just about had to pass an audition for him to agree to sell it to me! He had already refused to sell it to two other potential buyers. Not good matches for his "ol girl"!
Bet they were a bit miffed.....

D
 

jimmyl51

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Thanks for the response. I ran into an ole Maineahhhh Farmer up in an area of Maine where basically all you have up there are Moose............anyways the ole guy is originally from Brooklyn and wanted quiet.............well he found quiet I must say............getting to the point this fellow has a whole bunch of old beautiful Guilds as well as some Gibsons from the 1950's that to quote 'HE AIN'T SELLING!'..............so I asked him 'why did you call me up then in the first place'..........he says to me 'I like to show them off to guys who know what they are however and I repeat 'I AIN'T SELLING'..........nice guy albeit a bit different you might say ;>)................jim in Maine p.s. did that ole 75 year old jazzer ever actually play that X-175 as the thing looks to be brand new ;>)............
 

Walter Broes

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They're all beautiful, but wow...that's an exceptionally nice X175! You have exceptionally good taste in guitars!
 

mad dog

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Beautiful guitars. Love that Gibson in the middle, but thinking it's trumped by the right-side guild.
MD
 

Zelja

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I found it on my local We played some, and I just about had to pass an audition for him to agree to sell it to me! He had already refused to sell it to two other potential buyers. Not good matches for his "ol girl"!
You know that's kinda cool that he went through that process & made sure the guitar was in good hands. I mean, if you had to give up your children, you would want them to go to a good home where they would be loved and taken care of.
 

a.modernist

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That '56 X-175 is just beautiful! And what a great story to boot. Just think if we all had to audition for our guitars…although I would gladly brave it for something like that. I will proudly admit my jealously and again wonder if I am just plain on the wrong Coast for finds like this.

I absolutely love pre-CMI/Gibson-era Epiphones, particularly those from the mid/late-1940s, but I just never really dug their cutaway shape. I can't tell you why. Too deep of a cut perhaps? Regardless a beautiful example of one and I am sure it sings.

Nice one all around.
 

zizala

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I'm enjoying the responses....thanks!

Yes getting the Guild is a great story......lots of details from that meeting that are too many to post.
It was quite spur of the moment...as I really wasn't looking for another guitar at the time.
So.....saw the guitar listing, we talked on the phone about general interests, made our appointment and he asked me to bring a guitar.
The last thing I took to be more of a "lets look at old guitars" session but as t turned out he had more than that in mind.

So I brought an L-7 that he played while I played the Guild.....he loved that L-7.....I'm sure it helped!
Plus lots of talking about music, influences, approaches to practice, etc. The "audition" aspect began to dawn on me when he began talking about who he wouldn't sell it to. Understand that I'm a fair jazz player/student. I have a good ear and can hear and play on changes and know how to get around on some standards....sort of a perpetual aging student with a penchant for noodling exploration.. He was far more accomplished to say the least.
We just hit it off well. I had "good hands"....(no one told me that before).

So lucky me.....lucky us.....we both got quite a boost!

D
 

mad dog

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That's quite a compliment ... "good hands". You got more than just a fine guitar that day.
MD
 

guildman63

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Diane,

You may think the Epi looks big and awkward, but it looks pretty sweet to me! I would love to have a 40's to very early 50's Epi archtop just like yours one day!
 

The Guilds of Grot

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Good thing I've never had to audition to buy a Guild!

I like how the Guild "F" holes are tilted over a little bit more!
 

jimmyl51

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Can we ask how much he sold the '56 X-175 to you for out of curiosity? jim in Maine
 
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