GGJaguar
Reverential Member
I’ve been contemplating getting another Guild 12-string to add something different to the full-size jumbo 12er’s that I have. I lost my mind when I saw this 1979 F-212C on Reverb because it was so clean and looked similar to Ralph Towner’s custom cutaway Guild. It didn’t hurt that it came from the factory with Schaller Mini tuners instead of the usual, not-so-great 6-on-a-strip Japanese tuners. It also had a very well executed neck re-set so that’s something I won’t have to worry about. I made an offer and the guitar arrived two days later.
Like the regular F-212, this guitar uses the small jumbo body shape of the F-40, but with solid mahogany back and sides instead of laminated maple. The “C” in the model name denotes that it has the addition of a Florentine cutaway. The solid Sitka spruce top is fitted with a rosewood bridge and is bound in 5-ply white/black. The 3-piece mahogany neck is topped with an unbound rosewood fretboard. The headstock sports the familiar pearloid Guild logo and Chesterfield inlay. This is a later version so it has pearloid dot fret markers instead of marker-less board. The bracing consists of a straight X-brace with 3 straight tone bars and 2 straight radial braces per side. The bridge plate is a large rosewood unit. As a result, it’s a sturdy guitar.
The neck has a 1 7/8 inch nut width and a chunky profile (0.98 inch at the nut, 0.99 inch at the 7th fret). It takes time to acclimate to it after playing the slimmer necks on the Oxnard F-412 and Martin Grand J. I haven’t explored playing above the 14 fret very much, but the cutaway does make access a little easier, but not as easy as on an electric guitar. I guess I can understand why this model was only made from 1976-81 – the market is small for 12-strings and even smaller for a cutaway 12-string. But I still love the way it looks, especially without the pickguard.
This guitar has a very sweet sound that is well balanced. It doesn't sound as big as the F-412, but still has a lot going on harmonically. As with the jumbo 12er’s, the notes coming from the F-212C bloom and develop after the initial pick attack. The 1980 Guild catalog states “In long, complex lines or solidly percussive chords, the F-212 is a 12-string to help the guitarist play with freedom and intensity”. I know it’s just marketing-speak, but I feel the freedom.
Below is a sound clip of the F-212C with a clip of my Oxnard F-412 for comparison.
F-212C sound clip F-412 sound clip
Overall, this F-212C is pretty fabulous and has a sound all its own. I can see why the non-cutaway model lasted so long in the Guild catalog. Plus, with the cutaway and absent pickguard, I can be a Ralph Towner poseur.
Like the regular F-212, this guitar uses the small jumbo body shape of the F-40, but with solid mahogany back and sides instead of laminated maple. The “C” in the model name denotes that it has the addition of a Florentine cutaway. The solid Sitka spruce top is fitted with a rosewood bridge and is bound in 5-ply white/black. The 3-piece mahogany neck is topped with an unbound rosewood fretboard. The headstock sports the familiar pearloid Guild logo and Chesterfield inlay. This is a later version so it has pearloid dot fret markers instead of marker-less board. The bracing consists of a straight X-brace with 3 straight tone bars and 2 straight radial braces per side. The bridge plate is a large rosewood unit. As a result, it’s a sturdy guitar.
The neck has a 1 7/8 inch nut width and a chunky profile (0.98 inch at the nut, 0.99 inch at the 7th fret). It takes time to acclimate to it after playing the slimmer necks on the Oxnard F-412 and Martin Grand J. I haven’t explored playing above the 14 fret very much, but the cutaway does make access a little easier, but not as easy as on an electric guitar. I guess I can understand why this model was only made from 1976-81 – the market is small for 12-strings and even smaller for a cutaway 12-string. But I still love the way it looks, especially without the pickguard.
This guitar has a very sweet sound that is well balanced. It doesn't sound as big as the F-412, but still has a lot going on harmonically. As with the jumbo 12er’s, the notes coming from the F-212C bloom and develop after the initial pick attack. The 1980 Guild catalog states “In long, complex lines or solidly percussive chords, the F-212 is a 12-string to help the guitarist play with freedom and intensity”. I know it’s just marketing-speak, but I feel the freedom.
Below is a sound clip of the F-212C with a clip of my Oxnard F-412 for comparison.
F-212C sound clip F-412 sound clip
Overall, this F-212C is pretty fabulous and has a sound all its own. I can see why the non-cutaway model lasted so long in the Guild catalog. Plus, with the cutaway and absent pickguard, I can be a Ralph Towner poseur.