1968 Guild F212

[Guildedagain]

I got a '72 (?) F212, it was beautiful but something wasn't quite right about it and while I had it I bought a '68 F112, my only chance at what was possibly a Hoboken guitar, and that turned out to be the kind of guitar that makes all others sound dry and lifeless. I couldn't even play six string anymore. It is totally enchanting. The F212 didn't stick around for a week after I got the F112.

I'm probably the only person to find this really far out, but the F112 was the 12th F112 to ever roll off the line. In it's original but tattered snakeskin case with purple lining.

It's Guild heaven.

This was the 212. Hard to let go, very pretty guitar, and below the F112.

 

[donnylang]

Those look nice man.

I personally did not like the 1970 F-112 I had, which might have soured me on them a little. BUT - I wonder if ‘68 was the magic year for Guild 12 strings???

 

[donnylang]

Really like that case too

 

[davismanLV]

So why so many? Over how long? Are you just a restless sort, always seeking the ultimate.... or what?? Just curious. Nice guitar, congratulations amigo!!

 

[donnylang]

So why so many? Over how long? Are you just a restless sort, always seeking the ultimate.... or what?? Just curious. Nice guitar, congratulations amigo!!

Good question

Restless spirit I suppose, and partially related to being a one-guitar man - looking for the one that covers all the bases. I used a cheap
Alvarez 12 for about 10 years, along with my ‘65 Fender Electric XII. When I sold them both, I went on a hunt for just the right 12 string. I tend to approach a guitar in a personal way, so I guess you could say I’m particular about all the normal stuff like playability and sound - but also the vibes and writing songs etc.

This hunt has been going on about 3 years. I settled on a Martin D12-20 for a couple years before that.

 

[Cougar]

Thanks! Will widen my search! Any ideas on what a good price? I know the variables will matter, but kinda baseline looking to see if it’s a $1200 or $2200 deal (or something more!)

I had a near mint cutaway F212XL out of New Hartford. It was a great deal at $1200. It was a great guitar but I just didn't love the cutaway, and I liked the sound of my Corona JF30-12 more, so I let it go for about the same price. I know there are guys who are seriously into the vintage models, but.... I'm just not one of them.

 

[fronobulax]

Yeh, it seems for an F212, the change occurred sometime toward the last serial numbers of 1968. They used the Hoboken label through 1969-70. Not sure there are any post-1968 Hoboken guitars, and no post-1970 Hoboken labels. Hans would of course know for sure.

I am notorious for remembering part of what Hans says, repeating it and getting it wrong. Get your salt shakers out. From approximately 1965-1970 (and I say approximately because I am not looking up year or month) both factories produced guitars. Westerly production was phased in. They started with one model, "debugged" the manufacturing process, so to speak, and then added more models until Hoboken ceased production. Hans has data about when models "moved" from one factory to the other. Instruments that were completed in Westerly got Hoboken labels until the supply ran out.

So for that time period the model number and serial are a better predictor of where something was made than just the serial or the label.

I don't know whether there was a time when some Westerlys got Hoboken labels while others got newer labels. I do know that my '71 came from the factory without a label and Hans said that was expected(? not unusual?) for that time so it may be that they didn't even order new labels until the old ones were gone and kept producing guitars while waiting for labels

I don't know whether there was ever overlapping production on a model, i.e. the last Hoboken was finished after the first Westerly.

I seem to recall that Guild did not abandon the Hoboken location after ceasing guitar production so there is a time when Hoboken was still Guild but not making guitars. If I had to justify that claim I would look at repair work and things related to Guild branded amplifiers.

 

[donnylang]

To muddy the waters even further - it seems in some cases, there are individual guitars that have some parts Hoboken, some parts Westerly.

Based on what I've learned on the F212s, I think 1968 was the transition year. With the other '68 I had (AN-1919), Hans initially thought it was Hoboken but then indicated Westerly after seeing more pictures. He confirmed the one in this thread (AN-1637) as Hoboken. I'm still not sure what the indicators are, but the biggest differences I can note between the two are the back of the neck has that "grip" contour (not sure what that's called?) near the headstock on the Hoboken one (not present on the Westerly), and the headstock veneer is shrunken a bit (not so on the Westerly). I've noticed both of these distinctions on all Hobokens vs Westerlys I've had/seen.

I am not sure I've seen any 1969 or later guitars confirmed as Hoboken-completed. Hans of course can let us know if there are any.

 

[davismanLV]

..... back of the neck has that "grip" contour (not sure what that's called?) near the headstock on the Hoboken one (not present on the Westerly)

That's called a "volute" on the guitar neck at the base of the headstock. It adds strength and a design flourish as well.

 

[donnylang]

That's called a "volute" on the guitar neck at the base of the headstock. It adds strength and a design flourish as well.

Ah thanks - easier to reference when you know what to call it