Back story - a friend has had this guitar for years but because he's part of a couple who are in a group of four couples, friends with whom we hike and camp and have dinners, I've never heard him play. Never saw his guitar. Apparently he's had it since grad school in the 70's. It is a 1973 Rosewood Guild F50. He hadn't played it in years and when he pulled it out from under the bed after all those years the neck heel was completely separated from the body and the neck pulled up to cheese slicer height. There were two top cracks from each far end of the bridge down to the end of the lower bought. He decided to buy a Martin D1 or some like model and is really happy with the Martin. He offered to give me the Guild as he was not interested in having it repaired.
He delivered it some months ago at a dinner with the couples group. After dinner, I took it up to my music room and upon opening the case discovered what he saw when he pulled it from under his bed. I took down the model and serial number, loosened the strings!!, and closed the case. I contacted my luthier and sent it to him. I am getting seriously curious about how all this will turn out. I'll have about $700 into it after shipping to and fro. A neck set, a complete refret, new nut, whatever else my luthier has to do. He's looking at the cracks and I haven't heard back if they had been previously repaired or even need repair.
I have listened to several YouTube videos of this guitar +\- a few years vintage difference. The videos I've heard sound really good. Nothing like anything I currently own which is four Martin dreads, Collings Waterloo WL14XTR, and a CA Cargo. Funny thing is, I've been singing lots of Everly Brothers duets with a fella and though, not a Gibson, a jumbo similar in shape to the Gibson's they played.
Here's where you come in. Any thoughts on what I can expect to hear in this guitar I'm having repaired? Also, I figure its a no lose deal, but still, at what do you reckon a well playing, neckresetted, refretted, top cracked Guild F50 from 1973 would be valued? I'm not over the value of the guitar am I?
Also, and more importantly, what can I expect soundwise from this guitar? Just ... what exactly am I getting here?
He delivered it some months ago at a dinner with the couples group. After dinner, I took it up to my music room and upon opening the case discovered what he saw when he pulled it from under his bed. I took down the model and serial number, loosened the strings!!, and closed the case. I contacted my luthier and sent it to him. I am getting seriously curious about how all this will turn out. I'll have about $700 into it after shipping to and fro. A neck set, a complete refret, new nut, whatever else my luthier has to do. He's looking at the cracks and I haven't heard back if they had been previously repaired or even need repair.
I have listened to several YouTube videos of this guitar +\- a few years vintage difference. The videos I've heard sound really good. Nothing like anything I currently own which is four Martin dreads, Collings Waterloo WL14XTR, and a CA Cargo. Funny thing is, I've been singing lots of Everly Brothers duets with a fella and though, not a Gibson, a jumbo similar in shape to the Gibson's they played.
Here's where you come in. Any thoughts on what I can expect to hear in this guitar I'm having repaired? Also, I figure its a no lose deal, but still, at what do you reckon a well playing, neckresetted, refretted, top cracked Guild F50 from 1973 would be valued? I'm not over the value of the guitar am I?
Also, and more importantly, what can I expect soundwise from this guitar? Just ... what exactly am I getting here?