Delima F47 vs F50

stevem5000

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I'm thinking of selling my D50....great guitar...

I'm looking at the F47 and F50....It would have to be a rosewood in either case...

As far as I can see...the only real difference is the F50 has a little larger body...
Everything else seems to be pretty much identical....

Can anyone point out differences between them that I might want to consider...

I'm strictly a finger picker.....old country blues....folk....very little strumming....

I enjoy my D50R but find I spend more time on my F30R....
I'm thinking that the 47 or 50 might be a little more bassy....is that a word to use...???
Looking for a little bigger sound...

Thanks in advance...
 

stevem5000

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BTW....I believe the nut on the F50 is 1 5/8.....Is the F47 same nut size...???
 

Rayk

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My F55E is 1 and 3/4
Lower bout 17.5
Compared to the F47 theres a good bit of feel difference . If your comfortable with the F30 the jumbo could make you a bit sore depending on your age ,not a given haha .
The larger body also shifts the position of the guitar on your lap so if you like leaning over and getting personal with your F30 then this F50 is for those who like to hug a solid woman . 🙂
 

dreadnut

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F-50 has the "G" sheild headstock, AAA spruce top, full binding, and other deluxe appointments not found on the D-50. I'm speaking of vintage F-50's.
 

Rayk

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SFIV1967

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I'd say look for a F-47. As Ray already said, the Grand Orchestra body style is more comfortable compared to the Jumbo. Now nut width is always a question from which periode the guitar is. I am not sure if F-47 and F-50 had different nut width over time.
Ralf
 

adorshki

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I'm looking at the F47 and F50....It would have to be a rosewood in either case...

As far as I can see...the only real difference is the F50 has a little larger body...
Everything else seems to be pretty much identical....
In broadest terms yes, allowing that F47's (from which the F47 was derived) always had a tad less bling in terms of fretboard inlays and headstock logo.
Can anyone point out differences between them that I might want to consider...
I don't think actual F47 models ever got ebony boards/bridges like F50's did although some of the "derivations" did, like the GF55/GF60:
http://www.westerlyguildguitars.com/guitars/gf55.html
An F47 by definition was a 'hog body but there was an F47R (for rosewood) variant available from Tacoma and New Hartford.
If you don't mind a cutaway:
The whole "Fxxce" series was based on the F40 body outline and was kicked off in the early 80's.
Variants followed from there which yielded the F47Rce made consistently from Westerly through New Hartford.
Those should all have the same 25-5/8 scale with 1-11/16" found on D50's.
I'm strictly a finger picker.....old country blues....folk....very little strumming....
Thanks in advance...
There are those who feel the F30 might actually be the a better a better choice based on Paul Simon and Mississippi John Hurt's rep but you already know what you've got there.
Theoretically, the bigger the box the louder the output but it's not a given that the bass "presence" will be the same and increase with the size of the box although it does frequently work out that way.
I'm an F40-body fan myself, but suggest trying out both F50R AND F40R to hear/judge for yourself.
And ideally from the front of the guitar while somebody else plays, you'd be amazed how different it sounds if you're not already aware, and particularly if you intend to record.
If not, then just go by what you hear from the playing position, of course.
For that matter you may want to consider the original F47 'hog body formula, going by the pickguard used on the earliest ones:
whfpuwtk1hka4zfk8hfy.jpg

Yep, that's original, and it was named the "F47 Bluegrass", and as I often like to say, "Read between those lines."
:friendly_wink:

I'd say look for a F-47. As Ray already said, the Grand Orchestra body style is more comfortable compared to the Jumbo. Now nut width is always a question from which period the guitar is. I am not sure if F-47 and F-50 had different nut width over time.
Ralf
Never seen anything but the classic 1-11/16" on F47's from all factories.
 

adorshki

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F-50 has the "G" sheild headstock, AAA spruce top, full binding, and other deluxe appointments not found on the D-50. I'm speaking of vintage F-50's.
EXCELLENT point about the triple AAA top, consistent across F50 production but never spec'd on F47's (discounting GSR's from New Hartford) which were typically AA or Adi in Tacoma and New Hartford.
F50's never got adi, suspect it was seen as overkill on that large of a top, D55's never got it either.
To be honest though, I actually think the AAA is less visually interesting than the AA, going by the difference between my D40 (AA) and my F65ce (AAA)
Grading's supposed to be primarily cosmetic, and I'm thinking the if AAA is supposed to be the most consistently silked and colored, you wind up with a very "white bread" top, visually.
That's my F65ce alright.
Maybe that was the ideal when the criteria were being created, but:
MyD40's got a way more interesting top because of the variation in the silking and coloration striping, to me, anyway.
 
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adorshki

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BTW....I believe the nut on the F50 is 1 5/8.....Is the F47 same nut size...???
NEVER saw that size on F50 or F47, see my recap in post 8, always 1-11/16.
Only time I've seen 1-5/8" nut on that body size is my F65ce and some versions of the Fxxce's, but not the F47ce's.
To be fair we have seen examples of off-spec nut widths that appear to be "as built", but I'm sure that'd be an extreme rarity with those 2 models.
 
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swiveltung

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My all flame maple F47 had the 1-5/8" nut. Which is why I sold it. I can't remember what year it was, but was Westerly. Was it an oddball?
Never mind, I think it was an F45mce with florentine cut. NOT F47. Little did I know at the time that it was unusual (I think?) in that it was all flame male, top, sides, back, neck. I haven't seen one since.
 
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adorshki

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My all flame maple F47 had the 1-5/8" nut. Which is why I sold it. I can't remember what year it was, but was Westerly. Was it an oddball?
Never mind, I think it was an F45mce with florentine cut. NOT F47. Little did I know at the time that it was unusual (I think?) in that it was all flame male, top, sides, back, neck. I haven't seen one since.
Same body outline for F45/F47ce's but F45's got introduced in mid-'80's with the 24-3/4 scale and yes, 1-5/8 nut.
I know F65ce's offered that maple top option (and never a Florentine cut) but don't recall ever hearing that option on F45's, mine's got the post '94 version's 25-5/8 scale but still has the 1-5/8 nut.
Your F45mce an oddball? I think probably very few made but it doesn't surprise me at all these days.
Suspect it was a '90 or '91, since F65ce was introduced in '91 overlapping the last 2 years of F45ce production offering that all maple option and think that's when the F45 went away.
Here's a '90 F45ce, note the arched maple back continued on in the F35ce and F65ce:
https://reverb.com/item/5584288-guild-f45ce-blonde-1990
mfdlt0e50p7gf8klhmrm.jpg

ucw2gthkvqwrhsisbqlo.jpg

Think one of the defining characteristics of F47's is they always got flat backs.
It's hard to keep track of all the variations they did on the 16" lower bout GA body (I consider 'em all to be descended from the original F40), but I'm working on it.
:glee:
I still think it's Guild's single most prolific source of model variations and hope Oxnard will revive it.
 

swiveltung

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Pretty sure mine was 25.5 scale too. I always buy that. But can't say for sure. It's been like 8-9 years. And yes, arched back. It was very amber colored compared with that pic above. My computer failed a couple years ago and I lost any pics I had.
 
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adorshki

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Pretty sure mine was 25.5 scale too. I always buy that. But can't say for sure. It's been like 8-9 years. And yes, arched back. It was very amber colored compared with that pic above. My computer failed a couple years ago and I lost any pics I had.
Giveaway on the shortscale was that full 2-octave 24-fret board, giveaway is the 2 dots at the end.
Here's a reputed '89 showing the Florentine cutaway but without a clear shot of the s/n or label, I'm thinking it's actually a '92.
But still has the 24-fret board.
https://reverb.com/item/6803111-guild-f45ce-1989-natural-blond
fea8kjmnsjrk9uutrvij.jpg

Gorgeous back on that sucker though, and showing that heavily ambered shade you mention., think it might actually have been an Amber finish
psq2jtrtupdz2i4o6kkg.jpg

Why do I think that one's a '92?
Because of this one, described as "1992 Guild F30CE or F45CE Acoustic Electric Guitar - Rare Black Finish - Original Hardshell Case":
zyjksrqbzq0cqpb2muvz.jpg

cgh4opuxh9ybqsi7n9r6.jpg

Note that one's also got the Fishman Prefix "barn door" installation which I think was first offered in '91.
Note also the slightly curious shape of the cutaway horn, it actually resembles a Songbird's more than the later more fully rounded horn, I think.
Compare to post '97 Westerly F47ce ('hog body flatback, true to original F47 formula:)
https://reverb.com/item/1954960-16y...-fishman-s-blender-pre-amp-almost-mint-beauty
qq4j05x7o8xoymfky1ob.jpg

ssfubcb5ritwjg6lwdny.jpg


To our OP SteveM:
F50's kinda start seeming common compared to the wonderful world F40 variants, don't they?
:glee:
 

adorshki

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Cool, mine was a sharp cut Florentine. I dont remember those double dots...

Well, I'm runnin' outta steam in hopes of helping you with a memory jog, but I get it..I stumble across CD's I forgot I own, now.
Hell I forgot a verse to "Norwegian Wood" the other night.
HOW MORTIFYIN'!!!


:friendly_wink:
 

Rayk

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Jeez all this talk makes me want a F47 again but dang .... I'm a scared . Lol
I do enjoy seeing beautiful pics of them . 😊
 

Rayk

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Yeah, just keep on consolin' yerself wit dat white bread F55 my friend.
:glee:

Haha ... I opened up the case and gave her a strum and well ... Um .... Yeah she's staying . 😁
 
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