OK, I was getting the guitars mixed up. I have certainly seen flat back maple F47s, but never an F50 that I can think of.
1954 Guild F-50 Navarre eBay
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BradHK
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No idea if they made a flat back non-rosewood F-50 but there is an example of a 1972 flat back F-50R currently on ReverbAhhh..but those were F50R's, Rosewood bodies, no?. Otherwise it had to be a Special. (Waiting to be Hans'd, lol!) (Or Ralf'd.)
Guild F-50R 1974 - 1986 | Reverb
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reverb.com
BradHK
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Found a couple photos of a 1969? flat back F50 from the post below:
www.acousticguitarforum.com
Guild guitar prices in the 70s? F50 or F50R - The Acoustic Guitar Forum
Guild guitar prices in the 70s? F50 or F50R General Acoustic Guitar Discussion
www.acousticguitarforum.com
adorshki
Reverential Member
Right, F50R's were normally flat-backed but there were at least 2 known "batches" (6 instruments) of arched back versions in mid '60's-early '70. Bob Weir's is one, also John Denver got one.No idea if they made a flat back non-rosewood F-50 but there is an example of a 1972 flat back F-50R currently on Reverb
Guild F-50R 1974 - 1986 | Reverb
Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.
adorshki
Reverential Member
From post #12 in that thread:Found a couple photos of a 1969? flat back F50 from the post below:
Guild guitar prices in the 70s? F50 or F50R - The Acoustic Guitar Forum
Guild guitar prices in the 70s? F50 or F50R General Acoustic Guitar Discussion
"All F50s were molded backs, except for a special customer order in 1969 for a solid back. When they made the order, they made 4 more bodys in case they became popular. Now, I had always assumed all F50s were solid backs since mine was."
I rest my case. Even though the label doesn't say "Special" Hans has also said that convention was inconsistently applied, anyway.
Thanks for the heavy lifting in finding that, Brad!
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
And here was the related thread at LTG:
letstalkguild.com
Ralf
Really nice F-50 Bl. owned by new member "CowboyChords"
I am not sure what year this was made, but, it is the real deal. This is not a laminate back, but rather, solid maple. To my ear, this is the ultimate in guild tone. There is nothing like the tone of a finely aged maple body. Steve Hello Steve, Welcome! Hope you don't mind me turning...
letstalkguild.com
Ralf
Al, not sure what case you're resting, but F-50s do not all have arched backs. Surely most do, but it's not universally true. Just like not all F-50Rs have flat backs.
IIRC your old F50R had an arched Brazilian veneer back, correct?
'zacktamundo, Sandy. "Cap" was a 1967 "F-50 Rosewood" that had arched Brazilian laminate that was used both for the outside and the interior of the back. I bought it from the original owner @capquest -- who was a member here briefly -- and I sold it to the guy who owns the "F-412 SPEC" in Hans' book, who I believe still has it. I believe that guitar was originally owned by LTG member @F-412Spec
"Cap" had a soundboard that was built by Augie LoPrinzi in 1971 after Capquest's g/f had el-kabonged the thing because she pissed him off.
. Capquest told me some great stories about that guitar. Hans did an interesting study of the pictures which showed that the F-412Spec, and the F-50 Rosewood were clearly made from the same flitch of wood.
Yes, I remember some of that story. Quite a history that guitar had! (mental note: do not piss of girlfriend)'zacktamundo, Sandy. "Cap" was a 1967 "F-50 Rosewood" that had arched Brazilian laminate that was used both for the outside and the interior of the back. I bought it from the original owner @capquest -- who was a member here briefly -- and I sold it to the guy who owns the "F-412 SPEC" in Hans' book, who I believe still has it. I believe that guitar was originally owned by LTG member @F-412Spec
"Cap" had a soundboard that was built by Augie LoPrinzi in 1971 after Capquest's g/f had el-kabonged the thing because she pissed him off.
Hans did an interesting study of the pictures which showed that the F-412Spec, and the F-50 Rosewood were clearly made from the same flitch of wood.
Ain't that the tooth, Sandy! Or, at least, make sure your favorite guitars are out of reach when you do!!
mavuser
Enlightened Member
Found a couple photos of a 1969? flat back F50 from the post below:
Guild guitar prices in the 70s? F50 or F50R - The Acoustic Guitar Forum
Guild guitar prices in the 70s? F50 or F50R General Acoustic Guitar Discussion
according to serial number would be a 1964, not 69. nice find
adorshki
Reverential Member
My case was that those flatback F50's resulted from a Special Order, they weren't regular production, they were in fact "specials" which I said I suspected from the start, and which I consider distinct from an actual F50.
adorshki
Reverential Member
Excellent catch, think that reference above from the AGF must have been erroneous re date.
SFIV1967
Venerated Member
Read post #46 above...there is the story about what is 64 and what is 69...
Ralf
adorshki
Reverential Member
Once again Ralf pulls my battered and bruised carcass from the steaming wreckage overturned in the ditch.
Yes I see now, 2 different "Batches" of flat-backed F50's. I will say in my defense the '69 (ref'd in the AGF post) was apparently, as I always suspected, in fact a "Special". I would classify all guitars from that batch as true "Specials"
And apparently, even though my comment was intended humorously, the '64's were built "just because they could", ie, as an experiment along with some arched rosewood backs. Which only shows my humorous crack was in fact rooted in truth.
Ultimately, I should have stuck to the truism that "always" and "never" simply don't apply when it comes to Guild's builds. (to coin a phrase)
BTW, how many fingers are you holding up?
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F-412Spec
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Yep.