'62 X-175 Deluxe custom order

[wright1]

Hi guys, I don't know much about early X-175's. Vintage and Rare in the UK have a cherry custom version,twin factory humbuckers,which is supposed to have been custom ordered and they claim that there is no record of such a model being made in 1962. Any thoughts? Is this as rare as they say? If it is a oddball custom what sort of value could it have? May be a job for Hans to give a opinion on? thanks for any input Steve.

http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com or google vintage and rare uk

 

[hansmoust]

Hi guys, I don't know much about early X-175's. Vintage and Rare in the UK have a cherry custom version,twin factory humbuckers,which is supposed to have been custom ordered and they claim that there is no record of such a model being made in 1962. Any thoughts? Is this as rare as they say? If it is a oddball custom what sort of value could it have? May be a job for Hans to give a opinion on? thanks for any input Steve.

http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com or google vintage and rare uk

Hello Wright,

Vintage and Rare have had this instrument on their site for quite some time.

This is the description that goes with the instrument:
Custom order, extremely rare cherry Guild x-175 Deluxe with custom ordered humbucker pickups. Humbuckers were introduced as standard on Guild guitars in 1963. This guitar was custom ordered in 1962 with factory humbuckers. This is a one owner original guitar, possibly the only one as there is no mention of this model in any reference books made in 1962.

The statement that the guitar is rare is correct; the claim that the guitar was custom ordered in 1962 (or any other year for that matter) is not. I'm familiar with the model and I've actually seen a few more.

I contacted them about the guitar a while ago and unfortunately they didn't bother to get back with me.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[gilded]

Hans, I was busy looking at the guitar's photos on the UK site while you were posting.

When I looked at the pics, I believe I could see the '2 on the bass side adjustment screws & rings that are compatible with
late 1970 and up Guild humbuckers. Kind of having a problem with the originality issue, I am.......

 

[hansmoust]

When I looked at the pics, I believe I could see the '2 on the bass side adjustment screws & rings that are compatible with
late 1970 and up Guild humbuckers. Kind of having a problem with the originality issue, I am.......

Hello gilded,

Without holding the instrument in my hands I would rather not say anything about the originality because it's very well possible that the guitar left the factory like that; however not in 1962!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[wright1]

Thankyou Hans and Gilded. I had a strange feeling that all was not as it seemed. I did not know that Hans had seen this guitar before. Thanks for your help. Steve.

 

[hansmoust]

Thank you Hans and Gilded. I had a strange feeling that all was not as it seemed.

Hello Steve,

All this doesn't mean that it is not a rare guitar. Actually, it is a very rare guitar but it is not what they say it is!

When they say it's a one-owner guitar that implies that they know who the first owner is. If that person really is the first owner then he should know when and how he bought the guitar. Somebody is not telling the complete truth!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Walter Broes]

I've been looking at that one with a frown too - are the f-hole - and headstock binding original?

It's hard to say from the pic, but it almost looks as if the humbuckers are the later, bigger type, in which case the guitar with the old-style smaller headstock and those pickups don't go together from "birth".

Which led me to think, could it be a guitar that was sent back to the factory to be refurbished? That would explain a couple of things, I guess...?

 

[hansmoust]

I've been looking at that one with a frown too - are the f-hole - and headstock binding original?

It's hard to say from the pic, but it almost looks as if the humbuckers are the later, bigger type, in which case the guitar with the old-style smaller headstock and those pickups don't go together from "birth".

Which led me to think, could it be a guitar that was sent back to the factory to be refurbished? That would explain a couple of things, I guess...?

Hello Walter,

The f-hole and headstock binding are definitely original. The model is legit; I've seen several others. What I don't buy is the story that comes with the guitar.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[gilded]

Hans,

I think I get it, you're saying the guitar is original, but not from '62. More like '72?

Tell me about those tuners, when were they used?????

Yer pal, gilded

 

[Walter Broes]

Gilded - that headstock shape wouldn't have been used any more in '72, right? I'm having a hard time figuring this guitar out, unless those are regular small sized 60's "mini" humbuckers, but it's hard too see in the pics.
Guitar is marked "sold" on the site btw!

 

[hansmoust]

Hans,

I think I get it, you're saying the guitar is original, but not from '62. More like '72?

Tell me about those tuners, when were they used?????

Yer pal, gilded

Hello gilded,

Not sure if the guitar was done around that time but those tuners were used during the early '70s.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Chris Metcalfe]

Hi
I'm familiar with the pictures of the X175 shown on the vintage and rare site. This guitar looks identical to a used guitar I bought privately in about 1972 or 73 from an address in south london. It was a HB equiped manhattan 175 that had been refinished in dark cherry by the vendor, complete with UV aged binding etc. It was very well done. Before I sold the guitar I ( stupidly!) installed binding on the head. By a strange coincidence, the guitar in question also has head binding. I am not suggesting they are the same guitar necessarily, but if my guitar is still around then there are two cherry 175's in circulation...............I emailed vintage and rare about it but never got a reply.
chris

 

[hansmoust]

Hi
I'm familiar with the pictures of the X175 shown on the vintage and rare site. This guitar looks identical to a used guitar I bought privately in about 1972 or 73 from an address in south london. It was a HB equiped manhattan 175 that had been refinished in dark cherry by the vendor, complete with UV aged binding etc. It was very well done. Before I sold the guitar I ( stupidly!) installed binding on the head. By a strange coincidence, the guitar in question also has head binding. I am not suggesting they are the same guitar necessarily, but if my guitar is still around then there are two cherry 175's in circulation...............I emailed vintage and rare about it but never got a reply.
chris

Hello Chris,

Even though your modified and refinished X-175 may have looked similar to the instrument on the 'Vintage & Rare' site, it was by no means identical to it.
The X-175 Deluxe was a legitimate Guild model that was quite different from a regular X-175.
It had many 'deluxe' features (hence the X-175 Deluxe designation) like an ebony fingerboard with real mother of pearl blocks, unlike the rosewood fingerboard with pearloid blocks that was standard on the X-175. The headstock overlay, which was originally bound on the X-175 Deluxe, sported the G-shield inlay, not unlike the X-500, while the X-175 would have an unbound headstock with the Chesterfield inlay. Another typical feature of the X-175 Deluxe was the laminated mahogany body combined with the Cherry finish, like the typical Starfire Cherry finish from that period. A regular X-175 would have a laminated spruce top and laminated maple sides & back.
As I pointed out in my earlier postings, the X-175 Deluxe on the 'Vintage & Rare' wasn't 'special ordered' like that in 1962. I have no way of knowing if anything was changed on that guitar at a later date, but I do know that the superstructure of that guitar was originally built in 1962. However, it may have left the factory at a much later date, which could explain the pickups, pickguard and machineheads that are on it now.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Default]

In other words, it might be like the last of the DE models that were put together from NOS components and shipped in the 70's?

 

[hansmoust]

In other words, it might be like the last of the DE models that were put together from NOS components and shipped in the 70's?

Hello Default,

That is at all possible and it would not have been a 'first' for Guild.

During the mid-'50s they were already 'dressing up' the older and leftover, early '50s X-model superstructures. They did it again shortly after the move to Hoboken, when they 'changed' a lot of X350/375 superstructures into X-500s and X-175s just to get rid of the older 'long scale' models ( see Guild Guitar Book, chapter on scale lengths, page 22). If you would like to see one of those, here's a link to an X-175 Special from that period:
http://www.lucchesivintageinstruments.com/product.php?id=32

While going through the '60s ledgers from 'final assembly' I found numerous examples of guitars that were re-done at a later date, so it was definitely kind of routine for Guild.
During the move from Hoboken to Westerly a lot of 'old' stuff had come out of the closets and I've seen many instruments that were assembled during the early '70s with parts that did not necessarily match the dates that the 'superstructures' were made.
I'm not saying that the subject of this thread is one of those, but it could very well be.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Zol]

Wow - that's a beatiful guitar at Lucchesi's. Thanks for the link Hans.

 

[wright1]

Hello All, I did not know that I would open up such a very interesting can of worms. Some of the comments have been very enlightning to say the least. Thankyou again Hans and everybody else. The guitar in question now seems to be SOLD. I just hope whoever bought it didn't pay too much and realised that he/she may be getting a cock and bull story over the history of the instrument. I would certainly like to know who the first owner was and contact them if it was still possible. It can be difficult. I know that if anybody was buying my guitars they would have to employ a clairvoyant and a jack hammer to prise them out of my cold hands!
That '55 blonde special is very nice. I never really had a desire for blonde guitars but I suppose as you get older your tastes change and when I saw a Epiphone Elite Byrdland in blonde at a local store for not very much money it came home with me. After a complete proper setup(whoever had it before had made a complete mess of the bridge,frets,neck etc) it played very nicely. I stuck some TV Jones pups in it and it goes twang!! I surely would love a Guild like it at some point. You never know..........
All the best,Steve

 

[Walter Broes]

Here's another X175 "Special" on Ebay, beautiful guitar :
click!

 

[hansmoust]

Here's another X175 "Special" on Ebay, beautiful guitar :
click!

Hello Walter,

Actually, that's the same guitar as the one I posted earlier in this thread:

http://www.lucchesivintageinstruments.com/product.php?id=32

It looks like it's making the rounds very fast.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[hansmoust]

Too bad the owner added the strap button on the heelcap!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl