Good Golly, I DID score with that '53 X-50

[john_kidder]

Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

I think I might have just gotten a win (increasingly rare, we know) on eBay. I might have missed something, but I think this is the real McCoy?? a 1953 X-50 all(?)-original first-year Guild.

I once had a '56 X-50, lovely little guitar, my swing pals thought it was just right. I was looking for a replacement '50s X-50, none attracted me and all seemed overpriced, until this one. Aside from the case, this one looks real to me - hope I'm not deluded. I've always wanted a guitar from the first experimental days of Guild. Nifty headstock logo, what? With luck, it'll be a good player for another 54 years.

 

[Jahn]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

well the headstock and label definitely look like the real deal - lookit the measly price you paid for it too, nice score!

 

[hansmoust]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

I was looking for a replacement '50s X-50, none attracted me and all seemed overpriced, until this one. Aside from the case, this one looks real to me - hope I'm not deluded. I've always wanted a guitar from the first experimental days of Guild. Nifty headstock logo, what? With luck, it'll be a good player for another 54 years.

Hello John,

Congrats! Nice one!
Yup that should be a very late '53 model. The ones in my database that are similar have serial numbers between # 1350 and # 1400, so I would expect your guitar to be from around there too.

Let me know when you get it!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[Graham]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Congrats John,

I was watching that one, as I'm starting to get a rumbly im my tumby. :shock:

 

[FNG]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Very Kewl!! 8) 8)

 

[jp]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

I saw that one as well, but I knew there had to be LTG eyes upon it. Glad it went to someone who's really gonna appreciate it! Very funky, melty-looking Franz PU. Nice score.

 

[northbayj]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Congrats, John. Looks like a great deal. We'll, of course, need a full report on delivery!

 

[guildzilla]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Nice hit, JK. Great price for a beautiful historic piece. Can't wait to hear how it plays and sounds.

 

[Smiert Spionam]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Excellent -- looks very similar to the one I had and sold (unfortunately). I wouldn't mind getting that one back. I should look up the SN# of mine (Hans probably has it). 1334 sticks in my mind, but I'd have to look it up.

 

[john_kidder]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Well, folks, I picked up the '53 X-50 today. Almost properly packed, luckily arrived undamaged.

Better than I'd hoped for. I'm a happy camper.

'53 X-50, Full front

'53 X-50 Body rear

'53 X-50 Headstock front

'53 X-50 Headstock rear

'53 X-50 Neck

And a litle bit of weirdness just for fun

'53 X-50 Pickup cover
How someone managed to get the pickup cover hot enough to make this art deco version without any (apparent) damage to anything else is beyond me. But the pickup still measures 7.2 Kohms, so it's fine internally.

Overall, it's just a beauty. Everything original, small repair to binding at top of heel, frets (fine for another 20 years or so) all v. good, neck straight and online, minor fingerboard wear and a little on the back of the neck, v. good original uncompensated bridge, 5-ply b/w/b/w/b truss rod cover (mounted upside down), logo 6 separate pieces of inlay per 2nd version on p.26 of Hans' book, clear ungraduated knobs, Wabverly tailpiece and open tuners, rounded pickguard (here I'm not so sure of original parts - this one's all black w/o lamination - Hans?).

Plays hot. New D'Addario .011-.049 nickel wounds, and it sounds like a '50s wet dream through my T1-12. More sustain than I expected from an all-laminate guitar.
Comfortable and simple. The perfect complement to the Nightbird - together they make the very picture of what scientists call "punctuated evolution".

Here's the Guild wall to date:

This new (oldest) one's a keeper. Think I'll curb the GAS for a while now, and learn how to play them. It's just the very best of fun to start at one end of the line, play a tune once through on each guitar, and then go back to the beginning and start again with another song. Contentment abounds.

Cheers, all

 

[Graham]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

very nice John, and a very nice collection as well.

Whats the little one, third from the left? Very cool pickguard. 8)

 

[john_kidder]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Whats the little one, third from the left?

'57 M-20 (I also have a '58, on long-term loan to my brother)

 

[guildzilla]

Re: Scored (I hope) a 1953 X-50

Mighty fine acquisition, JK, and such a great deal, too.

 

[john_kidder]

Just tried for the first time to edit the Subject line of a thread. Seems to have worked.

Bump.

 

[Jahn]

WOW nice guild spread! i only see one missing from that collection - a semi-hollobody thinline like, say, a Starfire? muahahaha...

 

[Jeff]

Just tried for the first time to edit the Subject line of a thread. Seems to have worked.

Bump.

Excellent edit, subject line is much more appropriate.

Yes, an excellent score. A deal like yours would go a long way towards curing my electric GAS.

I turned 59 today, another 6 months & I can access the 401K penalty free. Really should check myself in to the clinic for some aversion therapy.

 

[Graham]

Happy Happy Jeff.

 

[Scratch]

You da man, John. Beautiful pickup...

 

[hansmoust]

Yup that should be a very late '53 model. The ones in my database that are similar have serial numbers between # 1350 and # 1400, so I would expect your guitar to be from around there too.

Let me know when you get it!

Hello John,

And .......... is it anywhere near those numbers?

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[john_kidder]

Hans:

Yes, 1391 all right, New York 5 label.

Do you know of others from this period with a single-ply black pickguard?

I'll send more detailed photos if you'd like.

Cheers,
John