1965 Guild F-20. I'm still looking for the right Truss Rod Cover + 5 new [pics]

[gilded]

Hi gang, I'm still looking for the correct TRC. It looks like one or two sold recently for $50.00. Another sold for $26.00, so I guess the market ranges in between $25 and $50.

If anybody sees something, please let me know. I'll post a pick in a few minutes to show what I'm looking for.

As well, I took a few more pics of the '65 F-20, so people could get a better idea of what the complete guitar looks like at one time, plus the mahogany on the back has a pretty cool look to it!

 

[walrus]

Very nice! Love the 'burst!

walrus

 

[F312]

Nice dimples in the backside. Are you going to leave the hog bridge in place?

Ralph

 

[gilded]

Thanks, walrus. I hope it looks good. I'm trying to show the beautiful part and the 'used' part at the same time.

That and trying to find a TRC!

 

[hansmoust]

I'm trying to show the beautiful part and the 'used' part at the same time.
That and trying to find a TRC!

Hello Harry,

Should be able to help you out. Will send you an email later!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[gilded]

Hello Harry,

Should be able to help you out. Will send you an email later!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Sounds good, Hans! Thanks.

 

[gilded]

Nice dimples in the backside. Are you going to leave the hog bridge in place?

Ralph

Yeah, I just noticed the dimples this morning. They're pretty cool.

On the bridge, I'm just gonna have to talk to my luthier and take it from there.

I know the guitar sounds good as it sits, but I don't have the frame of reference of playing a lot of F-20s
The seller put the bridge on a few months ago. He's a very good guitar builder and I imagine that he picked a very good piece of Mahogan for the guitar.

But it's a good question, Ralph.

 

[kostask]

Bridge doesn't look like mahogany to me. It has stripes, which are very rarely seen in Mahogany. I would say a light rosewood, or one of the Palo species of woods. A very good guitar builder wouldn't use mahogany for a bridge.

 

[gilded]

Bridge doesn't look like mahogany to me. It has stripes, which are very rarely seen in Mahogany. I would say a light rosewood, or one of the Palo species of woods. A very good guitar builder wouldn't use mahogany for a bridge.

kostas, I hear what you're saying. Hans told me it was rosewood early on.

The seller and I talked about this subject for a half hour or so. In no particular order, here's what he told me:

1) The bridge was cracked at the pin line and needed replacing.

2) He looked at the original bridge for a long time before heading in the mahogany direction.

3) He sanded a small edge of the original-to-the-guitar bridge and it came out a 'lighter' color.

4) He did some research on the web and saw that particular wood on other Guild guitars from the '65 era.

5) He has access to lots of different types of wood and strongly considered putting a Brazilian bridge on it, but in the end, thought he was going back 'stock' by using mahogany.

6) Oh, he said it even 'tasted like mahogany.' The Tongue Test. What could be more empirical than that?

From my own musings:
Another thing to consider since the top has been re-glued in the last year, is I think there would be a significant chance that some of the top wood under the bridge will be damaged/pulled off in the process of removing the 2nd bridge and replacing it with a 3rd, non-mahogany bridge.

So I'm gonna punt and talk to my very own Guitar Dude/Luthier/Repairman about it!

Thanks for your interest. I appreciate your time and your knowledge.

Best, Harry aka gilded

 

[kostask]

If the intent is "to go back to stock", then you should be going to rosewood, as the guitar was build that way by Guild. The current bridge is a replacement, so may not be of the correct material. I think that Guild was also not using a trough saddle at this time in their manufacturing history. All of this is subject to verification by authorities better than me, of course, but I cannot recall any guiar manufacturer using machogany as a bridge.

 

[gilded]

If the intent is "to go back to stock", then you should be going to rosewood, as the guitar was build that way by Guild. The current bridge is a replacement, so may not be of the correct material. I think that Guild was also not using a trough saddle at this time in their manufacturing history. All of this is subject to verification by authorities better than me, of course, but I cannot recall any guiar manufacturer using machogany as a bridge.

I was telling you the seller's intent, not mine. At the end of his investigation, he (not me) decided to go with what he thought was the correct wood. It probably isn't supposed to be mahogany, but that's what's on there.

My goal with the instrument is to have the best sound possible, regardless of what the bridge wood is. That said, the first 'cracked' guitar bridge has already been pulled up. The 2nd 'new' bridge has been glued in place, in all it's mahogany glory (see pic below). If we decide to replace the 2nd bridge with bridge number 3, I think it's fair to say that the act of removing the bridge may result in damage to the portion of the spruce top under the bridge.

Since I'm worried about that, I'm gonna show it to my own Guitar-Dude-Luthier
(not the seller, who is also a luthier) and let him make the call on what to do on this guitar.

That's all I got, except that you brought up the subject of through bridge saddles. Looking at pics on the internet, I see '64 and '65 bridges on F-20s that definitely have saddle-through bridge slots. Of course, since it's a Guild product, there will definitely be exceptions to the Rule!

Have a great Holiday, gents!

Harry aka gilded

 

[hansmoust]

That's all I got, except that you brought up the subject of through bridge saddles. Looking at pics on the internet, I see '64 and '65 bridges on F-20s that definitely have saddle-through bridge slots. Of course, since it's a Guild product, there will definitely be exceptions to the Rule!

Hello Kostask,

The 'through-saddle' was standard during that particular period. No exceptions there! If you see a guitar from that period with a 'drop-in' saddle ......... it's already a replacement!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl