A Guild story--a vet's F-30

Ncrews

Junior Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2019
Messages
17
Reaction score
22
I am a long-time reader of this forum, but have never posted. I thought the Guild community might enjoy this story.

A couple of years ago a Craigslist seller had a Guild F-112 I checked out. The seller was an elderly, clearly infirm, older man; his son was with him. There were some serious issues with the guitar, so I politely passed.

As I was leaving, the son said they had another guitar for sale. He pulled a case from behind the couch. Inside was a sunburst Guild F-30. The label indicated a Hoboken origin. Cosmetically and structurally the guitar seemed to be in excellent condition except it had very high action. Given the goodly amount of saddle left, however, I thought I might be able get the guitar in playable condition were I inclined to mess with it — which I really wasn’t.

I’ve seldom bought guitars that needed repairs. I don’t have the skills, tools or the patience that repairs require. Plus, I’ve little faith in the luthiers in my area. I’ve destroyed very expensive guitars shipping them, so I hate to do that. Even under the best of circumstances major repairs are a bother and expensive and there are usually very long awaits involved—as we all know, and sometimes uncertain results. My personal preference has been to spend more and buy a guitar that is where I want it to be.

So I prepared to pass on this one too. Then the older man began to talk—or try to. His jumbled words came haltingly and with difficulty. He told me he was a Vietnam vet who had been exposed to Agent Orange and, as a result, he had developed Parkinson’s Disease. This had left him in his current condition and, of course, unable to play guitar.

He told me in 1967 as a very young man he’d bought the guitar new in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania just before he went into the Army. (A later check of the serial number confirmed the guitar was from that year.) It was his first “good guitar.” He told me after he got out of the war, which hadn’t gone well for him, he’d played the guitar as a form of self-therapy through the years.

By this time in the man’s story, I had the guitar tuned about as good as I was going to get it given its condition. I played a little something and the man began to cry. Through his tears he said that it was good to hear the guitar again and that he hoped someone would enjoy it as much as he had.

Some background: my brother had been a walking casualty of Vietnam before his early death. Another close friend had been an Army medic through several tours and developed bone cancer (that he’d also claimed was from Agent Orange exposure), a horrendous condition that plagued him until he drank himself to death at 50.

Given that several key older men in my life had fallen victim to the war, the man’s story touched me. Now almost in tears myself, I waved my usual practice of walking away from guitars in need of TLC and gave the man his price (which included the original hang-tags, care instructions and warranty card) without haggling.

On the drive home buyers’ remorse began to creep in. The last thing I needed was another 6-string. Not only that, but this guitar was going to probably need substantial repairs. I felt I had let my emotions get out in front of me on this one.

Once I got it home, I was able to get the guitar somewhat playable. But the action was still high and it left my hand cramped. It appeared a probable neck re-set was in the wings, so the guitar mostly sat in the case for a year.

I thought a couple of times I’d sell it and be done with it. I probably would have done just that had it not been for the lingering memory of the man’s story. The experience had strangely left me feeling like I had something like a commitment and connection to this guitar, which seemed strange since I hadn’t really been able to play it satisfactorily. So I held on to it.

I had a trip coming up to Rochester New York where I’d once lived, so I thought I’d take the guitar to my long-time Rochester luthier Bernie Lehmann and see what he could do. If anyone could get this problem child in shape, Bernie could.

Bernie did a re-fret and tweaked the truss rod. He said he didn’t think it needed a neck reset quite yet.

The guitar played wonderfully in Bernie’s shop, but by the time I drove it 1000 miles home where the summer temperature was 30 degrees hotter, it buzzed up the neck. As I put it back in the case, I again reminded myself this was why I didn’t buy guitars that needed work.

As it happened I needed to travel back to Rochester six months later so I took the guitar back to Bernie. In 10 minutes while I stood by he filed the saddle and had the guitar playing perfectly. This time it stayed that way.

It took two years, two 1000-mile drives, some expense and, worst of all, periodic bouts of self-doubt and frustration, but I’ll say the F-30 now is one of best sounding and playing guitars I’ve come across in my 30+ years of playing. It’s almost eerily so.

I play it now almost exclusively. I have a lot of guitars, including very old and costly Gibsons and Martins (and Guilds), but they have little or nothing on this guitar, the instrument that, when new, caught the eye of a young Pennsylvania man 52 years ago… back before his life changed forever.

I just retired and this will probably be the last guitar I’ll buy. I glad my last is this one. I’m grateful that a chance encounter with a man and his story brought this guitar into my life — rather against the odds. I’m honored to own it. It’s a special, even magical, guitar. I love its contours, finish, playability and bell-like sound, of course, but perhaps above all I treasure its provenance and story.
 

Bonneville88

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Feb 10, 2017
Messages
2,695
Reaction score
1,255
Location
St. Louis, MO
Guild Total
40
That is one wonderful guitar story and thanks for posting - and agreed with bronzeback, on no better day than today.
 

HeyMikey

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
5,417
Reaction score
4,727
Location
MA
Guild Total
9
Thank you Ncrews, you just really made my day! Best first post ever.
 

davismanLV

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
19,197
Reaction score
11,813
Location
U.S.A. : Nevada : Las Vegas
Guild Total
2
Well that's probably one of the best first posts, ever!! We expect so much of them and they get neglected at times and they age (just like we do!) and need some work. I'm glad you stuck with this one, my friend!! What an amazing story!! :encouragement:
 

bobouz

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
2,228
Reaction score
1,827
My neighbor is currently suffering the progressive symptoms of Parkinson's. He too was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Having lived next to me for the last fourteen years, it's very sad to see what the disease has done to him. I graduated from high school in 1969, and was ripe for the draft. With a student deferment, I ended up being in the second lottery selection. That year, my number was ten north of what they ended up calling. Simple twists of fate can have such varying consequences.

You bought that guitar for a good reason. Perhaps it was fate - brought on by your good heart.
 

Cougar

Enlightened Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
5,319
Reaction score
3,014
Location
North Idaho
Guild Total
5
....With a student deferment, I ended up being in the second lottery selection. That year, my number was ten north of what they ended up calling. Simple twists of fate can have such varying consequences.....

Cheers to you, bobouz. I was in a similar situation, and the draft lottery didn't reach my number. I joined the Peace Corps anyway.
 

Cougar

Enlightened Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
5,319
Reaction score
3,014
Location
North Idaho
Guild Total
5
....I’ve seldom bought guitars that needed repairs. I don’t have the skills, tools or the patience that repairs require.....

I'm with you there, Ncrews, although my most recent acquisition is in the shop to work on a fairly serious cosmetic gouge to the top. Sounds like you did the right thing buying and then sticking with your F-30, notwithstanding the multi-year lag time before it really came to life!
 

Nuuska

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
7,668
Reaction score
6,028
Location
Finland
Guild Total
9
Welcome to LTG - a place with many yet unknown new paths :watermelon:
 

geoguy

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
3,519
Reaction score
1,640
Location
metrowest MA
I also greatly enjoyed reading your story, Ncrews. Good on ya, and I'm glad to hear that you're now enjoying that F-30.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,790
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
By this time in the man’s story, I had the guitar tuned about as good as I was going to get it given its condition. I played a little something and the man began to cry. Through his tears he said that it was good to hear the guitar again and that he hoped someone would enjoy it as much as he had.

Damn.
There but for the grace of God go I.
Thanks.

Ok gotta lighten up now:
"What a salesman!!!!!"
:smile:

(And welcome aboard!)
 

Cheab

Junior Member
Joined
May 7, 2015
Messages
98
Reaction score
12
You're a good man Charlie Brown! I was just telling a friend yesterday, I'm a firm believer that guitars find the owners, not the other way around. :)

As a retired veteran myself, I'm sure the price you paid was nothing in comparison to how that man felt, knowing that his guitar was going to someone that would take care of it.
 
Top