Custom Guild - no sticker inside?

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

Got home and pulled out the new redhead. Yummy. Could easily pass for new. I'll take detailed pics later today.

Only odd thing I see is the fact there is no sticker inside the body. Only time I've ever seen that is with counterfeit guitars, and even then there was something there. I even had one that had the sticker scraped off and another placed over it. This one shows no signs of a sticker ever being placed.

Guitar looks and feels like my other X170 that I had, and having had a lot of Guilds, I don't think this one is a fake, but I find it odd that there's no sticker.

It does have an AK171... serial# stamped on the headstock with "Made in USA" beneath it like it should. Seller says he had it custom made in 2001.

Anyone ever seen this?

GAD

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

Interesting update from the seller. Comments re: the switch refer to the fact that I told him the switch was scratchy.

GAD

Yes, the guitar was built in 2000. At the time I was the head guitar
buyer for MARS Music (54 stores nationally at the time) and the guitar
was a project between myself and Bill Acton who was the project
manager for Guild at Fender during that period.

We didn't have Gretsch as a line at the time and were looking for a
6120 killer, I think we succeeded. This guitar was the prototype, we
did a limited edition of 150 later on that had some changes; the coil
tap switch was moved to the lower bout, the woods were not as nice and
I believe some of the guitars got shipped without terms.

I haven't had that guitar plugged into an amp in probably 5 years or
so; it is probably just a little corrosion on the switch from lack of
use. It has been stored in it's case at all times since I got it-
that's why it is so clean. If you wind up having to have the switch
replaced send me a copy of the repar reciept and I will split it with
you; it shouldn't need anything that drastic since it hasn't got more
than a few hours of playing time on it.

It's a cool piece of Guild history, enjoy it.

fronobulax · Apr 13, 2009

GAD said:
but I find it odd that there's no sticker.

FWIW, my JS II does not have a label. They are usually on the plate that covers the control cavity and mine just never was there. Since I am the original purchaser and there is no other reason to question authenticity, I tend to look at the label as adding to the case that a guitar is legit but not necessarily detracting if the label is missing. I have a vague recollection that some of the folks who worked at Westerly did share that sometimes guitars left without labels although my search-fu is presently fubar'd.

hansmoust · Apr 13, 2009

GAD said:
It does have an AK171... serial# stamped on the headstock with "Made in USA" beneath it like it should. Seller says he had it custom made in 2001.

Anyone ever seen this?

Hello GAD,

Yes, I'm familiar with those models that were made for Mars Music. However, those were already made in 2000. PM me the complete serial number and I tell you if that fits in with the ones I have on file.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

Hans you rock as usual. PM sent.

GAD

hansmoust said:
GAD said:

It does have an AK171... serial# stamped on the headstock with "Made in USA" beneath it like it should. Seller says he had it custom made in 2001.

Anyone ever seen this?

Click to expand...

Hello GAD,

Yes, I'm familiar with those models that were made for Mars Music. However, those were already made in 2000. PM me the complete serial number and I tell you if that fits in with the ones I have on file.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

hansmoust · Apr 13, 2009

Hello GAD,

Received the info. Yes, that fits in with the information that I have on those models.
We're not talking about a prototype though. Something like this model would be called a 'special run'. In this case it was an 'exclusive' for Mars Music and it was a variation on an existing model.
Your guitar is one of the first batch and all the other ones from that batch that I've seen had 'nearby' serial numbers and were all labeled X-170T. I believe the label must have come loose. It's a sticker that should stay in place but sometimes they fall off. Maybe you should take a good look inside the guitar (maybe even loosen the pickups and look in there) because the label might be stuck somewhere in there.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

hansmoust · Apr 13, 2009

fronobulax said:
FWIW, my JS II does not have a label. They are usually on the plate that covers the control cavity and mine just never was there. Since I am the original purchaser and there is no other reason to question authenticity, I tend to look at the label as adding to the case that a guitar is legit but not necessarily detracting if the label is missing. I have a vague recollection that some of the folks who worked at Westerly did share that sometimes guitars left without labels although my search-fu is presently fubar'd.

Hello Frono,

If your JS-II bass is from 1971 it probably pre-dates the practice of gluing the label to the inside of the back plate. The lowest serial number with one of those that I have in my database is in the low 70000s. If your number is lower, that probably explains it.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

Hey Hans - thanks again for looking.

This one is different than all the MARS models I've seen, which seems to lend credence to theprototype theory (in my mind at least).

The coil tap and pickup selector switches are both on the top bout on this model, whereas the coil tap is on the bottom bout on the MARS models I've seen.

Then again I've seen this type in all sorts of arrangements.

Here's one with no tap. Is it just an orange 170 with a bigsby added?

Here's one that looks like the MARS I know about with the coil tap on the bottom bout. This one has been on Ebay forever, has issues and is way overpriced:

Hans was there a standard MARS model, and did it have a certain configuration?

There is really not a lot of info on these guitars online that I could find. Gonna have a nice chapter on these in the new book I hope?

GAD

hansmoust · Apr 13, 2009

GAD said:
Hans was there a standard MARS model, and did it have a certain configuration?

Well, this is what some of the first ones looked like:

Is your guitar like that?

The coil tap moved to the other side shortly after that, which is probably what you will see the most.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust

matsickma · Apr 13, 2009

Looks like GAD has the earlier model.

http://www.letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12438

M

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

hansmoust said:
GAD said:

Hans was there a standard MARS model, and did it have a certain configuration?

Click to expand...

Well, this is what some of the first ones looked like:

Is your guitar like that?

The coil tap moved to the other side shortly after that, which is probably what you will see the most.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust

Yes, except the bridge on mine is solid metal. It also appears to be pinned if that matters.

GAD

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

Here's a pic of mine from today:

GAD

hansmoust · Apr 13, 2009

GAD said:
Yes, except the bridge on mine is solid metal. It also appears to be pinned if that matters. GAD

Hello GAD,

The Schaller roller bridge on the X-170 that I posted was an often used option before the 'updated' Bigsby-style rocker bridge became available. The 'updated' bridge, which is the one on the guitar you just bought, made it possible to use a string set with a plain G-string; of course you were stuck if you used an old-fashioned wound G-string.
Both guitars are from the same early batch and they are only 3 numbers away from each other.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

tele4tone · Apr 13, 2009

Gad, I remember those guitars when they rolled into Mars. We are all excited...Then we saw the price tag. yeeeesh. Great looking guitar.

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

hansmoust said:
Both guitars are from the same early batch and they are only 3 numbers away from each other.

Well... is mine first?

GAD

hansmoust · Apr 13, 2009

GAD said:
Well... is mine first?

Serial numbers do not necessarily work that way. A lower number in the batch is just a lower number. That doesn't mean it was finished earlier. Since your X-170 has the 'updated' rocker bridge, it probably was made later.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

GAD · Apr 13, 2009

hansmoust said:
GAD said:

Well... is mine first?

Click to expand...

Serial numbers do not necessarily work that way. A lower number in the batch is just a lower number. That doesn't mean it was finished earlier. Since your X-170 has the 'updated' rocker bridge, it probably was made later.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

I was being silly, but thanks for the info.

GAD

fronobulax · Apr 13, 2009

GAD said:
I was being silly, but thanks for the info.
GAD

Please check the LTG bylaws. I think all silly posts have to be accompanied by pictures unless the poster has at least 200 posts. Please don't let it happen again.

db62 · Apr 13, 2009

Great looking guitar!

cc_mac · Apr 14, 2009

db62 said:
Great looking guitar!

True that and GAD takes some snazzy pics as well and I'll love to see some more. I like redheads so take a bunch!

Custom Guild - no sticker inside?

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