1973 Guild F212 Pre-Sale Questions

Hi guys, after 40+ years of playing my F212 as a 6-string, I've had it set up again as a 12-string. Was a bit apprehensive. Okay, scared. But the luthier laughed at me and said, "You DO know this is a Guild tank, right? Stop sweating." He said he barely touched it. Sounds soooooooo good. And, I know I won't play a 12-string, so...I'll sell it. I don't *have* to sell it, so if it doesn't go for a decent price, I don't mind picking it up every once in a while. But, I'd rather it find a home with someone who will love it.

Integrity is important for me. I asked the luthier what condition it's in, he said, definitely excellent. Now, he's a guy who goes out on the road with major bands so he probably sees all sorts of seriously road-impacted guitars which may affect his view. How do I determine whether to say, Excellent or Very Good? I'll have detailed photos of all parts of the guitar. Your thoughts on this?

Also, I just recorded two minutes of my less than stellar playing to provide as an audio track. Should I offer it as a 17MB 44.1/24-bit file? Or a 320 or 192 mp3 file or Flac file?

Finally, offer it here first? Or also elsewhere, like Reverb.

Thanks all!

My uninformed opinion, but someone has to offer something.

If I see the condition of anything used advertised as "excellent" then I would expect it to be indistinguishable from new. The only difference I expect to find between the item and a new item purchased at retail is the former does not have a factory warranty. I should not be able to find scratches, dings, rattles, buzzes etc.

"very good" can have minor cosmetic issues, but I get to choose what is "minor" and what is not.

I assume an instrument is set up or otherwise playable as is so "excellent", "very good" and "good" are primarily cosmetic descriptions for me. I can also be picky and I often find that the arbitrary cosmetic description provided by the seller is one notch higher than my opinion of the description.

My cynicism kicks in when I see "excellent" in an ad so I am actually more inclined to believe an add that says very good. But it is my assessment of the condition that drives the price I will pay, not the words you use so the question only matters in a first impression. What condition gets me to read the ad instead of moving on?

It is generally easy for most people to handle an mp3 file. I have never heard of anyone rejecting an instrument because of the encoding rate of a sound file so pick what is convenient for the site that hosts it.

If you are willing to make a contribution to LTG offer it here first and wait about a week before going to Reverb.

Chamblin, yes, offer it here first.

Also, where are you located?

Reverb has a rating system related to words like "mint", "excellent" "Fair" "good" etc. Maybe check those out.

Some may say changing it to a 12 string would bring down the value.

Ralph

F312 said:

Some may say changing it to a 12 string would bring down the value.

Ralph

Click to expand...

We just won't tell Joe!

Thanks for all the responses and support. Really.

1. I'm in the San Diego area.
2. Great, I'll just make the mp3 at 192 and it will serve.
3. The condition discussion was very helpful. I'm not looking to take anyone for a ride. I know how we all are with our guitars and the last thing I'd want is for anyone to be disappointed in their new guitar. That would suck. I want whoever takes this instrument that I've babied for 44 years to cherish it as much as I have, and to feel that it was a great value.

Got the photos done. Kind of hard with reflective surfaces and light but I'm taking close ups of any nicks so people can see what's what. Will work on posting today.

How does one get the photos to appear in the post?

Chamlin said:

Thanks for all the responses and support. Really.

1. I'm in the San Diego area.
2. Great, I'll just make the mp3 at 192 and it will serve.
3. The condition discussion was very helpful. I'm not looking to take anyone for a ride. I know how we all are with our guitars and the last thing I'd want is for anyone to be disappointed in their new guitar. That would suck. I want whoever takes this instrument that I've babied for 44 years to cherish it as much as I have, and to feel that it was a great value.

Got the photos done. Kind of hard with reflective surfaces and light but I'm taking close ups of any nicks so people can see what's what. Will work on posting today.

How does one get the photos to appear in the post?

Click to expand...

A photo hosting site
Here in this thread is the info on the new in thing
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?193634-What-are-our-alternatives-to-photobucket

Great, just getting everything ready now. Thanks!

Hey frono, thanks for upleveling my awareness. I just made a $25.00 contribution to the forum.

AcornHouse said:

We just won't tell Joe!

Click to expand...

's ok, Joe's is a 112.
:friendly_wink:

Testing photo uploads: first one...
https://imgur.com/u2gAPiy

2nd method:
https://i.imgur.com/u2gAPiy.jpg

Okay, that didn't work. Hmmm...how about:
<a href="https://imgur.com/u2gAPiy"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/u2gAPiy.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

or:

Okay, that's friggin' big. How about this:

And now that I'm ready to post, 4 questions:

1. Hey guys who are using imgur, what's the setting to use so that the images aren't so in your face big???

2. Would you agree with me that this '73 is in very good condition? From Reverb.com... Very Good describes items with perhaps a few more cosmetic imperfections than Excellent but is still in great condition overall. With a Very Good guitar, for example, you might find some scratches, buckle rash, or other minor blemishes but nothing that affects the playability or function of the instrument.

3. Is this the right place to post the for sale post or is there a different place in the forum?

4. How do I make the mp3 available? Don't use SoundCloud.

5. And oh! frono had written a while back, "there are several measurements I would want - bridge height, action at 12th fret, etc. etc." Is it important for me to take the guitar somewhere to have a tech measure that before I offer it up for sale anywhere?

Chamlin said:

And now that I'm ready to post, 4 questions:

1. Hey guys who are using imgur, what's the setting to use so that the images aren't so in your face big???

2. Would you agree with me that this '73 is in very good condition? From Reverb.com... Very Good describes items with perhaps a few more cosmetic imperfections than Excellent but is still in great condition overall. With a Very Good guitar, for example, you might find some scratches, buckle rash, or other minor blemishes but nothing that affects the playability or function of the instrument.

3. Is this the right place to post the for sale post or is there a different place in the forum?

4. How do I make the mp3 available? Don't use SoundCloud.

5. And oh! frono had written a while back, "there are several measurements I would want - bridge height, action at 12th fret, etc. etc." Is it important for me to take the guitar somewhere to have a tech measure that before I offer it up for sale anywhere?

Click to expand...

The FS section is here. You might want to check the sticky threads first but you are not acting like someone who will need to be reminded to include a price or pictures.

If you listed it a VG I might make a snarky comment but my standards are weirder than Reverb's. Since the goal is an honest assessment that gives you and the buyer a common staring place I think VG would be OK. Anyone who doesn't agree will hopefully understand that it is your opinion and not an attempt to deceive, and G might drive off some buyers.

The pick marks on at the treble side waist bother me and then I see several other dings on the top but I actually want to commend you for taking pictures that show the guitar at its worst. Good thing this house is satisfied with a D25-12 for its 12 string needs.

I have in the past linked to sound clips in my Dropbox. Expand that to possibly include Microsoft OneDrive or Google (soon to be replaced) Drive and one of them might be an alternative to SoundCloud. Interested parties may have to copy the file to their machine to play it, but that shouldn't be a problem.

On the measurements you can take them yourself. The basic idea is that people want to know whether the instrument needs a neck reset and whether the action can be easily adjusted.

This is going to be a fun sale to watch. Thanks.

Chamlin,

Agreeing with the comments regarding dimensions / measurements reflecting playing condition.
Consider posting clear photos that show low "E" action at 12th fret, neck angle relative to bridge, and height
of low "E" above the top at the bridge. A shot of the back / bottom of the bridge showing that it's not
pulling up is good too.
Great article: http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/NeckAngle/neckangle.html

Thanks, guys. Great input. Took the rear of bridge photo. Yes, frono, the photos have to show everything. The sound on this beast is so big and sweet I do NOT want some aesthetic issue to ruin the new caretaker's experience.

There's no way this thing needs a neck reset, and, I'll happily take the photos as Bonneville88 clearly detailed for buyer awareness and comfort. Just ordered a String Gauge and will have it Sunday.

I saw Rich's '75 F212XL just sold. Mine might not go that quickly as I would not sell it for that low an amount. I'm not using my sale to fund another guitar so I can be patient. Plus, someone must stand for the value of these incredible guitars. If it doesn't sell, that'll be fine with me. It's hard to let go of anyway!

Right on - looks like a sweet guitar.
Fwiw, I like Reverb's classifications - IMO, cosmetically I'd consider it Good Condition.
If clear photos show an excellent playing condition, I'd be sure to state that
in the ad. I own of couple of Guild 12s, a jumbo and a dread, both are great, but never have played an
F212, gotta do that someday! Good luck with the sale.

Hey guys, I've listed the guitar. Thanks for all your help!
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...73-Guild-F-212-For-Sale&p=1774504#post1774504