F-30 Questions

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What's a good price for what I believe is a 1976 F-30 in reasonably good condition? Any worries with F-30s from this era?
 

DCannon

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Not sure on the price but be sure to check the action, neck set, and saddle height.
 

tommym

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What's a good price for what I believe is a 1976 F-30 in reasonably good condition? Any worries with F-30s from this era?

You are inquiring about the F-30 Mahogany, and not the F-30R Rosewood, correct???

In any case, the F-30's will also have a 1 11/16 nut, which some find a bit too cramped. The newer F-30 "Standards" out of New Hartford have a 1 3/4" nut, which might be a better deal in the long run if you find a 1 11/16 nut a bit too cramped.

I've purchased used F-30's (Mahogany) from the 1970's from $800 to $1,200. The $800 F30 was in the best shape of them all, but still needed some TLC from the local luthier to bring it up to snuff. I've never found a used guitar in perfect condition in any case, so I pretty much expect to spend a little more money to tweak the setup to my satisfaction. On one of my F-30's the saddle was a too far away from the nut, so an intonated saddle alone would not have solved the tuning issue; I chose to leave that F-30 as is, and enjoy it for what it is.

Tommy
 

JimmyD

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Good price.....reasonably good condition. The Guild detectives here will need more info to help you in your quest. Personally after checking the usual suspects, intonation and string height at the 12th fret, overall playability, fret condition, any cracks or detrimental defects anywhere, I will stick my nose in the sound hole and check for the right smell......after owning enough guitars, you'll know it when you smell it. Then I'll remove my right shoe and sock (always the right side, so I'm properly grounded to the earth), make sure I'm aligned to the slightly off angled north south electromagnetic pulse frequency (you'll feel it as a slight tingle in your extremities), hold the guitar firmly to my chest (feel that heart vibration), and in a low, but clear voice proclaim; "Oh Lords of Guild, give me a sign that I may know in my heart of hearts, that this Guild, child of your spiritually anointed loins, is the guitar for me and me alone....and chicks will dig the sensitive singer songwriter type songs that will pour forth as if from the ancestral fountain of creativity itself".

Take a deep breath (prana prana prana), exhale, and strum the open six strings, not five, not four, but six....and yea verily, you will know. In fact, you will the knowing of the know.
 

Neal

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Wow. JimmyD is a tough act to follow...but here goes.

I was recently on a F-30 quest and saw basically the same thing that tommym is suggesting above in terms of price range, maybe a bit higher.

Today on ebay, the lowest price I could find on a used F-30 was $1,299 BIN. There's a pretty '82SB for sale at $1,350.

I chose a different route, and may live to regret it. I offered $600 for what could be a train wreck of an '72 F-30NT, which is being shipped from Vermont today (delayed due to the Polar Vortex).

It has a lifting bridge, a bit of top seam separation below the bridge, and a 2-3 inch crack on both sides of the upper bout (both well away from the neck joint), neither looking too awfully bad, but there nonetheless. It had been left in a closet for nearly two decades, according to the seller, after a teenager abandoned it for other pleasures. To top it off, it is sitting in a dreadnought case. Sad, forlorn, downcast-looking thing, calling out "Save me from this closet!" It needs someone who can appreciate its internal beauty.

The prayer I am throwing out there to the "Lords of Guild" is that the neck angle is OK. We will see when it gets here.

It is possible, if I mutter the secret incantation (how does it go, Jimmy? "Prana prana prana"?) and spread just the right offering into the case, that with a little humidification, a bridge reset and a few cleats on the cracks, that the Lords of Guild will smile upon me, and find me worthy, for maybe an investment of only $150-$200 in luthier love. If so, good deal. If in need of a neck reset, probably not, and probably going back to Vermont.

Stay tuned.

Neal

'71 D-25BR
'72 F-30NT (maybe)
'73 D-35NT
'77 D-50NT
'81 D-212SB
 

tommym

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.....what could be a train wreck of an '72 F-30NT.....

That pretty much describes my current 72 F-30NT....must have been from the same family....:wink-new:
Mine does need a neck reset too, and will be getting one next year (2015).

Tommy
 
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Thanks for all the responses! I ended up with what I think is a 76 F30 for about $900. I took it to a guitar tech to check out immediately and he noticed that the high e string is set as absolutely low as it can possibly go - possibly to compensate for some warping on the top by the bridge. This kind of bummed me out and I'm considering returning it and continuing my search for one that I won't have to spent hundreds of more dollars (potentially) on a neck reset. Seems like it's no guaranteed that this would happen, but it looms out there. Right now, the sound is awesome and I'm just stoked to have a very high quality guitar.

Is this a common issue with the F30? Is there a particular set of production years that I should look for or stay away from? I knew that a guitar that is close to 40 could have some issues ... but I was hoping to avoid them :)

Thanks!
 
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