Westerly JF55-NT Questions

bruzmuse

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Hey everyone. Greetings from Arizona!

I am selling my 1996 JF55-NT. While it is my fanciest and perhaps finest guitar, I am going to sell it.

I have a troubled 16 year old and I need to purchase a used enduro motorcycle so that he and I can trail blaze some to keep him more occupied. Father and son time, searching for ways to get him through the "awkward" years before he leaves an undesirable permanent mark on his life.

The sale will support the purchase of a used dual purpose motorcycle so he and I can get lost some as "just a couple guys in the desert wandering free."

I purchased the guitar on eBay 5 or 6 years ago as part of my "collection." It's beautiful, just some finish cracks keeping it real but not at all distracting from the instrument IMHO.

Plenty of saddle, excellent action, crazy great resonance, TKL case.

It has silver tuners and an Fishman pickup installed. I've done nothing to the guitar except play it and keep the strings fresh. Right now DR PB med-lite.

At the time of purchase I had expendable income and I had over 10 Westerlies at one point. I'm more of a wannabe player than a wannabe collector and seeing such amazing instruments sit was more than I could justify personally so over the last few years I sold off all but the 4 I now have left. I'll be down to 3 with the sale.

I just want to be as honest as I can about the guitar, it's expensive and someone should get what they pay for. You guys are the experts, I have all the respect in the world for your Guild expertise as I've witnessed through the years on this site. To me it's just a beautiful instrument all the way around.

Were the silver tuners stock? I see gold tuners were available too? No electronics were stock on this year and model, correct? I'll post it on LTG first with hopes it stays in the community. Any information you can provide would be very much appreciated. Maybe throw in a thought or two about a starting price if you could.

Thank you in advance,

Bruce
 

adorshki

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Hi Bruz:
Sorry to hear about the reason for the need to downsize, but I'm betting it'll turn out to have been well worth it in the end.
Were the silver tuners stock? I see gold tuners were available too?
The '96 catalog pictures it with gold tuners, but they also show a 3- year old pic of a D25, so...?
I would have expected a high-ender like that to have been built with the golds, and they should say "Guild" on 'em.
Possible they've just had the plating worn off the keys over the years? Are the string posts and flanges on the headstock still gold?

No electronics were stock on this year and model, correct?
Bruce
Electronics were optional but should be noted with an "e" on the label if factory installed: "JF55e".
 

bruzmuse

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Rich, I'll get pictures up, etc. once I know exactly what I've got.....I just want to be totally up front with the new owner.

I was a little naive when I bought it. The guitar is fantastic but the value has to be there for the buyer and for me to get what I need out of the guitar for me to go through with putting it on the market.

I'll let you know right away. Like I said, it's a JF55r, it's a player and it's a great one for someone to own after me.
 

bruzmuse

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Thanks Adorshki. Grover on the tuners. Not a bad thing really, just not an original thing. Some peoples' preference to change to Grovers, they make a wonderful product.

No "e" so the pickup was added.

Well, I think that was all I had for concerns so that I could be totally up front.

Any idea of a starting point for price? Still an excellent speciman of a Westerly JF55r-NT guitar with a Fishman pickup and after market Grovers!

Those are actually upgrades in many respects, just not totally original in a "collector's" sense of value.

Ahhh...here we go. I will see how it all goes then!

REALLY appreciate the response.

Bruce
 

adorshki

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I'll let you know right away. Like I said, it's a JF55r, it's a player and it's a great one for someone to own after me.
A '96 shouldn't say "R", the model number was rosewood by definition, although....:
They did make some labeling/model numbering goofs like that early on, late '80's to early '90's, (when they replaced the F50/F50R with "JF 50R" and JF30 for maple back but less bling), but by '90 the JF55 was rosewood and the JF65 was maple by definition, although ....I think we did see a '93 with that labeling goof "JF55R".
Just can't recall ever seeing that goof later than that, but with Guild never say never, LOL!
You might want to verify date by s/n:
http://guildguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf
 
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adorshki

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Any idea of a starting point for price? Still an excellent speciman of a Westerly JF55r-NT guitar with a Fishman pickup and after market Grovers!
One other thing occurs to me about that "R": when it was part of the model number it was usually caps, but the "E's" were typically lower case.
Is it possible that's an incredibly sloppy "e"? We've seen examples of really bad penmanship on labels too.
And Fishman was Guild's factory supplier, but I think those would have 2 knobs on the side of the bass upper bout.
By '96 they also had the "Prefix" which had a "barndoor" with slider controls in same location.
Can't recall seeing a factory "e" type without control knobs of some type from that era of late '80's to '90's.
Mavuser's question about the rosette will help narrow down date built, the abalones were later, started '94, I think ?
 

mavuser

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One other thing occurs to me about that "R": when it was part of the model number it was usually caps, but the "E's" were typically lower case.
Is it possible that's an incredibly sloppy "e"? We've seen examples of really bad penmanship on labels too.
And Fishman was Guild's factory supplier, but I think those would have 2 knobs on the side of the bass upper bout.
By '96 they also had the "Prefix" which had a "barndoor" with slider controls in same location.
Can't recall seeing a factory "e" type without control knobs of some type from that era of late '80's to '90's.
Mavuser's question about the rosette will help narrow down date built, the abalones were later, started '94, I think ?

typically i think the "e" would come after the "NT" not after the "55." it could say JF55R, weve seen much crazier stuff than that.

and technically if a guitar were built without electronics, and then an order came in for that model *with* electronics, yes they may have gone in and installed a passive or otherwise less intrusive pickup after the fact. not common but not unheard of, ive seen a D-4 like that, actually also from right around 1996. but my guess is the Fishman pickup the OP refers to is a soundhole mounted pickup (or else how would he know its a Fishman?) which is not factory original, but honestly that should increase the value of the instrument IMHO, if anything. Tuners...i'd check with Hans. Anything was possible. do they look replaced? again hard to find fault with professionally installed Grovers.
 

adorshki

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typically i think the "e" would come after the "NT" not after the "55." it could say JF55R, weve seen much crazier stuff than that.
Seen it exactly the way I described, "e" before color.
I think. LOL!

and technically if a guitar were built without electronics, and then an order came in for that model *with* electronics, yes they may have gone in and installed a passive or otherwise less intrusive pickup after the fact. not common but not unheard of, ive seen a D-4 like that, actually also from right around 1996. but my guess is the Fishman pickup the OP refers to is a soundhole mounted pickup (or else how would he know its a Fishman?) which is not factory original, but honestly that should increase the value of the instrument IMHO, if anything.
No "argument", except that if it actually turns out to be a "Prefix", those are labeled Fishman.

Tuners...i'd check with Hans. Anything was possible. do they look replaced? again hard to find fault with professionally installed Grovers.

My '96 D25 has nickel ("silver") "Guild" tuning machines, and I think by '96 Fender would have got their "standardization" down pretty pat, but still, like you say, anything's possible, especially if it's actually pre-Fender.
(Note to Bruz: Fender bought 'em in late '95 so a '96'd definitely be a "Fender era " Westerly, which is a very very good thing amongst knowledgable fans.)
 

bruzmuse

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Man, I love this site and the knowledge and passion that exudes from it!

Apologies for the confusion in the later post when I mistakenly typed the "r." The label is JF55-NT. The rosette is abalone. The s/n AJxxxx81, definitely '96.

I cannot 100% state that the under saddle pickup is a Fishman. Not sure how I'll be able to verify the pickup make unless there's something marked on the battery holder that I can see.

What I know: Silver Grover tuners, clearly stamped. JF55-NT. Built in '96, verified by the s/n on both the label and the head stock. Abalone rosette. Under saddle pickup. No tone or volume controls but the pickup is active as noted by the 9v battery I can see in the sound hole towards the neck.

I REALLY appreciate all of your input, I just want to be totally honest when I put my guitar on the market in the next few days.

Bruce
 

adorshki

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I REALLY appreciate all of your input, I just want to be totally honest when I put my guitar on the market in the next few days.
Bruce
SO the only other thing that occurs to me is that for some reason those rosewood-backed jumbos seem to be scarcer than the maples like the flagship F50/JF65, at least I see them far less frequently.
To me that implies that they built fewer of 'em, and/or possibly that owners love 'em so much they don't often part with 'em.
Either way, I think that'd mean they should carry a modest premium over the average price of a used F50/JF65, but I don't know what that would be as I don't follow the internet listings very much.
TXbumper is one guy who follows the listings pretty regularly and could probably offer good advice on an asking/minimum acceptable price.
Heck, now that I think about it, Mavuser does a fair amount of watching himself.
Good luck with the sale!
 

mavuser

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theres 3 on Reverb.com right now, 2 at reasonable asking prices with watchers and offers. So that should give you some idea of the current market for this. I will say, 1- you need to post a bunch of pictures, both here and in your FS post, 2- I am not personally able to assess or appraise the condition or value of *any* acoustic guitar, not even my own, without bringing it to a trusted luthier first, and 3- my best advice by far, keep this 1996 JF55-NT in your stable and instead sell the GF-30 or the JF30-12! The maple 12 string Guild can be replaced the easiest down the road, and depending on its condition with some patience may bring close to the same coin as the JF55 (at least enough to buy a cheaper bike!). The market is funny right now, but acquiring a nice Guild 12 string is always a good idea, and hanging onto a rosewood guitar, especially a Guild JF55, right now in the short term present day appears to be an equally good idea (endangered species laws, domestic rosewood crops, import/export issues all starting to surface now more then ever). id sell a nice Guild maple from the stash! you came here looking for honesty, well, now you got some. good luck, whatever you decide!
 

adorshki

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My best advice by far, keep this 1996 JF55-NT in your stable and instead sell the GF-30 or the JF30-12! The maple 12 string Guild can be replaced the easiest down the road....and hanging onto a rosewood guitar, especially a Guild JF55, right now in the short term present day appears to be an equally good idea (endangered species laws, domestic rosewood crops, import/export issues all starting to surface now more then ever). id sell a nice Guild maple from the stash! you came here looking for honesty, well, now you got some. good luck, whatever you decide!
Y' know what, I agree 100%.
Walked right by the other guitars in your sig, and this is a good example of why several opinions are better than one.
Unless for some reason the JF55 just ain't floatin' yer boat.
 

bruzmuse

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Thanks guys. Interesting thoughts. I started loving Guilds because I played a jumbo 12 back in the early 80's and fell hard in love. So, 12 string Guilds were my initial connection and the first Guild I bought. The 12 I have now is the second Guild 12, the first had some structural issues (rookie purchase) so it went to another home. Meaning it's not as sentimental but it would be tough to let it go.

I guess I want to always invest wisely and pass a valued instrument to each of my four kids BUT I'm about playing and seeing the instruments put to the use they were created for more than I am just the investment.

Wow, the twists and turns created by the minds that dwell on this site amaze me! ALWAYS appreciated and entertaining!

I was all revved up, decision made, and now I'm wallowing with all these new angles. So, you've introduced some new perspective, given me some direction and knowledge of the JF55-NT but I'm feeling more on my own than ever and that is how it should be when making these personal Guild decisions, right?

I'll keep you guys posted and whatever axe I decide to finance my motorcycle with I will let everyone on LTG know first. Right now I think I'm more exhausted from this decision than I was before and I need to rest on it.....

Thanks again, you guys rock! Have a great weekend and beyond.

Bru
 
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