F-212 Electric ???

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JimBetts

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I may have mentioned in a previous post that I have a desire to acquire a 12 string. Well I came across one advertised with a factory installed pickup; see ad below…

1966 Guild F-212 Electric. 12 string with original factory installed pickup like a Gibson J-160E. This is truly a superlative guitar in great shape. Plays wonderfully, sounds great unplugged or amplified. w/case.

However, a friend of mine looked at it and isn’t convinced the pickup was factory installed. What he means by “like a Gibson J-160E” is that the volume and tone knobs are located in the upper bout near the shoulder.

I’m sorry I don’t have photos of the guitar but can anyone tell me if they’ve seen a guild setup like this from the factory before?

Thanks,
Jim
 
hansmoust

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JimBetts said:
I may have mentioned in a previous post that I have a desire to acquire a 12 string. Well I came across one advertised with a factory installed pickup; see ad below…

1966 Guild F-212 Electric. 12 string with original factory installed pickup like a Gibson J-160E. This is truly a superlative guitar in great shape. Plays wonderfully, sounds great unplugged or amplified. w/case.
However, a friend of mine looked at it and isn’t convinced the pickup was factory installed. What he means by “like a Gibson J-160E” is that the volume and tone knobs are located in the upper bout near the shoulder.

I’m sorry I don’t have photos of the guitar but can anyone tell me if they’ve seen a guild setup like this from the factory before?

Thanks,
Jim
Click to expand...

Hello Jim,

What you've seen is probably original. In 1966 Guild started offering a magnetic pickup on any flat-top acoustic. The controls would be mounted on the top, usually on the treble upper bout. It looks pretty weird. I have an M-20 with that set-up but the controls are in a more 'normal' position.

Here's a link: http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/gallery_detail.php?id=171

As far as the amplified sound is concerned, it's not all that great!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 
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capnjuan

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Hi Hans; clipped from YouTube - thought to be an original F-30 (F-212?)with a pickup and controls on the treble bout.

sideman.jpg
 
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JimBetts

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Oh yes, the guitar in that photo looks exactly like the one I've seen. I really appreciate the the feedback on the pickup; as much as I want a 12 string I think I'll pass on this one.

Thanks again,
Jim
 
stclrob

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I actually bought a 60s one as a gift to a friend. While it sat at my place, I played around with it a bit. Plugged in it sounded OK, clearly not as nice as the modern 412s or 512s, but the one I bought was only $650. If you have the money and want some serious electronics, I'd go for a new one.
 
Scratch

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Jim,
San Marcos luthier, Ross Jennings, installed a K&K Pure Western Standard p/u in mine and it plays nicely. The F212 is a super guitar; highly recommend...
 
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Actually I’m not concerned with having a 12 with electronics but I do like the idea of having a vintage 12. Seeing the one with the pickup and the strange location of the knobs just raised a red flag for me.
 
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capnjuan

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Agree w/ Scratch; the F-212s are very fine guitars and fitted with fresh electronics - passive or active - it would be all you could want. What's in the guitar now is closer to the state of the art 40 years ago; nearly anything would be an uptick. Many 1970s Guilds were factory-fitted with Barcus Berry piezo hot dots embedded in the bridge; fine at the time but long since surpassed. Good luck! CJ
 
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Jim,
Hold out for a good mid to late '70s F-212, no pickup, and go for it. Then, either do it yourself, or have someone do it for you, install your own pickup.

A good one, that is easy to install, and sounds good without much feedback it the LR Baggs M - 1. It is a magnetic pickup with an extra coil that picks up body vibrations. Looks kinda funky, with the creme colored cover (wish it came in black!), but sounds really good!

Here's a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LR-Baggs-M1-Active- ... 7C294%3A50

That was on Ebay. They go for about $159 - $169.

Good luck.

Dennis
 
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JimBetts

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I think I'm going to the guitar show in Austin this weekend, maybe I'll find something up there that'll get me excited.

I really appreciate the input from everyone...
 
Scratch

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Metalman said:
Jim,
Hold out for a good mid to late '70s F-212, no pickup, and go for it. Then, either do it yourself, or have someone do it for you, install your own pickup.

A good one, that is easy to install, and sounds good without much feedback it the LR Baggs M - 1. It is a magnetic pickup with an extra coil that picks up body vibrations. Looks kinda funky, with the creme colored cover (wish it came in black!), but sounds really good!

Here's a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/LR-Baggs-M1-Active- ... 7C294%3A50

That was on Ebay. They go for about $159 - $169.

Good luck.

Dennis
Click to expand...

+1 on the M1. I have one on the G312. Equal to and easier to install than the K&K...
 
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