My first Guild guitar! (F-50r)

SteveT

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For many years I have been content playing lower/mid range Taylors, Martins and even my saddleback Applause my dad gave me thirty years ago (you never forget your first love). Recently I wanted to upgrade to a higher end dreadnought and have done tons of research. A few months ago I walked into a guitar store and played a Gibson J-200 and fell in love with the jumbo sound but not the price tag of that guitar. After more research on jumbos, I saw amazing reviews of Guilds and narrowed my search to a F-50. This forum had a huge influence on my decision and I would like to thank whomever runs it and the people that post.

Yesterday on Craigslist on the central coast of California I found exactly what I was looking for and I couldn’t be happier. A very kind man who was experiencing some health issues that prevented him from playing sold me his 1984 F-50r. He gave me a great deal on it and I think he was just very happy to see it go to a good home. The guitar is in great shape with no structural issues at all. I love the warmth it produces and you can feel the bass against your belly as you play it. He did replace the nut with an Earvana but included the original one in the case. The only minor issue is that years ago someone with a sharpie pen wrote four numbers inside the sound hole. I am doing some research on how to get it out but I can easily live with it if I have to. I guess it is just part of her history. If anyone can give me some advice on the following questions (or anything else) I would love to hear from you.
1. What type of strings do people like with this guitar?
2. How do you remove sharpie/marker from wood?
3. Any comments or interesting facts about Guild guitars/ jumbos from 1984?

Thanks again Guild fans.

Steve (A happy camper in California!)
sharedalbum


https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0YGWZuqDGSAkCw
 

adorshki

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Hi Steve, I see a first post, welcome aboard!
Lot of F50/F50r love round here.
Not sure about what to doe about Sharpie ink, I suspect there's always going to be some residual ink that soaked into the wood no matter what you used to leach it out. I'd get some luthiers' advice.
I'd be afraid anything strong enough to deal with it might also be very bad for the NCL lacquer, and that it might eventually leach all the way through the backwood and come out underneath the lacquer, causing problems.
Strings? I'm famous for recommending what Guild put on 'em which in '84 would most likely have been uncoated phosphor bronze, either light (.012-.053, "L350") or medium (.013-.056, "M450").
I've seen both gauges on guitars built in that period, now, entered on a blank line on the front of the owner's manual.
Maker was D'Addario as Guild-labeled strings.
That oughta getcha started.
 

Cougar

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Yesterday on Craigslist on the central coast of California I found exactly what I was looking for and I couldn’t be happier.

Whoa, Steve, that is a BEAUTY! Major congrats and welcome to the boards! I too lusted after a SJ200, but I don't think the F50R gives up ANYTHING in that comparison. I'm sure you'll be enjoying the F50R to the max! I sure do mine!
 

richardp69

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Well, you've fallen in love with one of the best IMHO. My F 50R is one of my all-time favorite Guilds for sure. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Stuball48

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First Guild a F50R is what I call knowing the big wood from the kinlin. You can do no better IMHO. Congratulations and welcome.
Beware, the folks on this forum will "enable" to the max.
 

dreadnut

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Welcome Steve, nice "starter" Guild!

1. Whichever strings sound and feel best to you! Having said that I will recommend D'Addario Phosphor Bronze Bluegrass strings; like mediums with lighter top end strings.

2. Mojo; I would leave it alone. Am I right that the Sharpie marker is on the inside of the guitar or is it on the finish?

3. Don't own an '84, but methinks you scored a great Guild at a nice price!
 

jeffcoop

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Welcome, Steve! Heck of a way to get started with Guild.

Sthings are so much a matter of personal choice. I use Elixir Nanoweb 80/20s, but that’s largely because I’m lazy about changing strings, and they last a long time.

Regardless of what you put on it, you’ve got a great guitar there.
 

SteveT

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Thanks already to all for the welcoming comments and helpful feedback. What a great resource this forum is for guitar players. To be honest, the first thing that got me thinking about a Guild was the beautiful headstock and the block/triangle inlay on the neck. A bit art deco in a way and just a beautiful design - classic and timeless. Then I started my research on the Guild jumbos and the positive reviews tipped the scales for me. The fact that many of my musical heroes (John Lennon, Nick Drake, Keith Richards, Neil Young and Stevie Ray Vaughn) also played some type of Guild guitar was pretty cool too.

For the past month or so I was searching the internet daily on Reverb, eBay and Craigslist all over the west coast for an F-50 and I think it was a bit of destiny that brought me to this guitar. I just happened to be visiting my in-laws on the central coast of California for the weekend (a very small town) and I found the guitar on CL about a mile from their house. A great seller who knew what he had but sold it to me for just $1,000 making sure it went to a good home. Although the price was great it is not what is important. It is like owning a house that keeps going up in value but you have no intention of moving. These instruments are works of art to be played and not stocks and bonds. I plan on having this guitar for a long, long time. If I came out ahead in terms of value I will just pay it forward somehow to another person who loves music and guitars much as I do.
 

bobouz

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A real beauty!

With the marker being only on the back-strip brace, I'd use extra fine sandpaper & work gently with a light touch to see how much of it will easily come off. If nothing else, it should at least lighten the numbers and reduce the visual impact.

Congrats & enjoy !!!
 
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Congrats Steve! Great choice! ( I am also a Steve from Calif! LOL)!
I have 2 F50Rs, and they are two of my favorite guitars of all time! ( Mine are Tacoma-builds)
I also have a bunch of others ( see my sig) and I have tried SO many different strings over the years, but for my Guild Jumbos I keep coming back to D’Addario PB 12s. (EJ16)
Also, I swap out the saddle and nut to bone ( if it’s not already) and my bridge pins are ebony.
There is nothing like a well sorted and set up F50R... warmth, clarity, sustain, tone and feel for days!

In my opinion, just leave the Sharpie Numbers alone. Cover them up with some custom colored whiteout... or a small bit of tape over it... but it’s not worth risking damage to the rest of the guitar, and you’ll never get it out completely anyway!
Kristofferson signed one of my F50Rs with a sharpie and it’s never going away!
Just consider it a tiny bit of mojo!

Again, congrats on a sweet guitar!
 

idealassets

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Welcome to LTG. That looks like a superb guitar.

1. I have tried many different strings, and use D'Addario Phosphur Bronze lights. You might prefer medium gage.

2. I would not touch that sharpie ink until you are satisfied with what you want to do with it. I don't think it distracts at all. Did you ask the previous owner how it got there and what the numbers signify? If it has an interesting story I would leave it alone. Tone woods definitely count for a lot, and messed up sanded, tape residue or applying stain to cover up sharpie ink could be an eternal bummer, whereas the 4 ink numbers are not that bad.

3. Any Guild F50 guitar is a great piece. If well cared for a 1984 vintage F50 will only become cooler with more time. Much to my regret I sold my last F50r not too long ago.

The Gibson SJ200 is a cool guitar, but I am quite confident that your F50r will get a lot more compliments than the SJ200 might.

Are you up to speed on the correct temperature and humidity to keep your guitar at?
 
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SteveT

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From reading a lot of the comments I think I am just going to leave the ink mark alone for now. It like a pretty girl with a bad tattoo. Its part of her story and what makes her special. Reminds me of Japanese pottery with the belief that cracks shouldn't be hidden but shown with pride.

(Idealasset) What advice can you give me about correct temperature and humidity? I love having my guitars out to be played and looked at but this one is staying in its case for right now. Sacramento is a pretty mild climate with comfortable humidity levels. Warm dry summers and mild winters. Average humidity is about 60%. The town I bought it in has a very similar climate. I'm also loving the advice people are giving me about strings. I am off to my local music store today to pick up a couple of different recommendations from the forum.
 

gjmalcyon

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...Sacramento is a pretty mild climate with comfortable humidity levels. Warm dry summers and mild winters. Average humidity is about 60%...

I grew up in Rosemont in Rancho Cordova, out your way. Summers were hot and dry - dry enough that we had a swamp cooler and not a Freon air conditioner. It that wondrous F-50R were mine, it would be cased with a humidifier, especially in the summer.
 

Nuuska

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. . . .. Reminds me of Japanese pottery with the belief that cracks shouldn't be hidden but shown with pride. . . ..

I think that is very similar of the way the original habitants in your country thought - only god can be perfect - so humans must leave some imperfections in their otherwise superior handicrafts.

P.S. welcome to forum and congratulations for choosing F50R - mine is 1975 and still unequalled.
 

idealassets

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From reading a lot of the comments I think I am just going to leave the ink mark alone for now. It like a pretty girl with a bad tattoo. Its part of her story and what makes her special. Reminds me of Japanese pottery with the belief that cracks shouldn't be hidden but shown with pride.

(Idealasset) What advice can you give me about correct temperature and humidity? I love having my guitars out to be played and looked at but this one is staying in its case for right now. Sacramento is a pretty mild climate with comfortable humidity levels. Warm dry summers and mild winters. Average humidity is about 60%. The town I bought it in has a very similar climate. I'm also loving the advice people are giving me about strings. I am off to my local music store today to pick up a couple of different recommendations from the forum.

I have a room humidifier set at 45%. If you are at 60% you might need a dehumidifier until the seasons change. 72 degrees, so I have both a air conditioner and space heater in my guitar room. You might want to shop around to pick out some humidity packs to put into the case with the guitar in it.


I play my guitars out, but always use a case into a pre-heated car in the winter. I arrange everything so the guitar is back into the guitar room in 4 to 6 hours at the most being away.
 

Rayk

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Welcome and Wow ! Very nice score .
Hmmm sharpie ink that is ugly and would drive me nuts .

I think Tom has experience in wood finishing he might have a answer. I googled it one said use toothpaste and another said non oily hair spray applied on a paper towel but if the Guild stamp is ink it would take that off to but the Guild stamp is recessed and some did come out I figure it would be to restore but that’s just me .

About Strings , man we all have our loves and likes but don’t let that sway ya just experiment until you find the ones you like the best .😁
 

geoguy

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Congrats, & welcome . . . that sharpie ink would bug me, too.

Blotting the sharpie annotation with a clean cloth lightly dampened in naptha might help remove some of that ink. Naptha is readily available at paint departments of big-box home improvement stores, at least here in New England. (Maybe not in California.)

Naptha is generally considered safe for all guitar finishes, and is commonly used to remove sharpie ink from a finished wood surface. The ink has probably penetrated the bare wood to some depth, and I would be surprised if all of it came out with naptha (or any other solvent).

A "magic eraser" might be another tool to try. More gentle than sandpaper, but I would try naptha first.

The "Guild" label on that back brace should be essentially a branding from wood-burning, and would be unaffected by naptha.
 

SteveT

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Thanks for all of the incoming advice. I just looked it up and Naptha is banned here in California. Still looking at many options. If I find a solution I will post up an after picture.
 

adorshki

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Thanks for all of the incoming advice. I just looked it up and Naptha is banned here in California. Still looking at many options. If I find a solution I will post up an after picture.

Most cigarette lighter fluid is about 98% naphtha, b-u-u-u-t the reaming constituents are oily and may leave stain on bare wood.
Just in case anybody else suggests lighter fluid.
I wasn't sure about straight naphtha's status here myself.
 
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