Guild Deco

[davismanLV]

I doubt he used an amalgamator on this guitar, but I have used them on antique furniture for years to lessen alligator checking on old shellac and lacquer.

Mohawk | Amalgamator & Solvent M400-0006

Amalgamator & Solvent

www.mohawk-finishing.com

Howard's Restor A Finish is a mild one that comes in a variety of shades besides neutral, and I have used some in the past on some really old instruments which had severe checking with grime in the cracks. An amalgamator dissolves the surface of the finish without actually stripping it off--white water marks disappear and a lot of the crazing in the finish smooths out. After drying, the finish can be redone with a padding agent or reshot with lacquer or shellac.

@spoox I've used Howard's on furniture many times but never on an instrument. For some reason that makes me nervous. Not sure why, but it always seemed like a half-assed restoration or solution to a problem. Sometimes, that's all you can expect, but still. One of the prettiest finishes for wood ever is shellac, it's just tragically to fragile for modern life. But as a spit coat it can't be beat and it's NCL friendly. Shellac is imperative for resolution of fisheye. Always glad to hear your furniture and finish tips!!

 

[cupric]

Those inlays! Wow!

 

[F312]

I never saw a Chesterfield like that before, how cool is that. I'm sure it's out of its case for visual pleasure.

Ralph

 

[HeyMikey]

From the Westerly Guild site. The Chesterfield
and everything about it... awesome.

Guild Deco - Westerly Guild Guitars

westerlyguildguitars.com

 

[spoox]

@spoox I've used Howard's on furniture many times but never on an instrument. For some reason that makes me nervous. Not sure why, but it always seemed like a half-assed restoration or solution to a problem. Sometimes, that's all you can expect, but still. One of the prettiest finishes for wood ever is shellac, it's just tragically to fragile for modern life. But as a spit coat it can't be beat and it's NCL friendly. Shellac is imperative for resolution of fisheye. Always glad to hear your furniture and finish tips!!

I've only used the Howard's on some instruments like really old banjo rims and such, where the finish was so badly checkered and dirty you couldn't see inlays
or the true color of the wood. By the end of the '70s I was tired of completely refinishing furniture for my pieces at home, and would try to save any original
finish through whatever means I could. I agree about shellac, it's probably my favorite finish, although rather fragile compared to varnish or even lacquer.
I was overjoyed when receiving my custom taropatch from England a couple of years ago and saw that the builder and finished the mahogany in shellac.

 

[awagner]

i believe it is the Deco that is pictured on the large Guild Acoustics lighted sign that some of us own.

 

[GAD]

i believe it is the Deco that is pictured on the large Guild Acoustics lighted sign that some of us own.

No way!

 

[SFIV1967]

How did he repair the the lacquer cracks, Richard?

On a limited number of cracks you can do it like Frank Ford recommands, but I guess it would be way to much work on a whole guitar top...

FRETS.COM

www.frets.com

Ralf

 

[SFIV1967]

I believe it is the Deco that is pictured on the large Guild Acoustics lighted sign that some of us own.

Yes, looks like the Deco.

There's a bit more about where the DECO was made in those two PDFs:

http://westerlyguildguitars.com/articles/customshop.pdf
http://westerlyguildguitars.com/articles/customshop2.pdf

And here is another one we discussed last year with close up pictures:

Deco Dreadnought

Hi I have a spotless Deco Dreadnought under my bed. I know very little about this model. Can any of you shed some light? Cheers Tom

letstalkguild.com

Deco Restring

letstalkguild.com

FNG also has or had one:

https://letstalkguild.com/ltg/index.php?threads/deco-photos.148556/post-1269693

It sounds like GAD starts the hunt for a Deco and a Finesse now!

Ralf

 

[awagner]

I originally thought it was a D100, but I was corrected by someone who knows.

 

[chazmo]

'Grats on your restored Deco, Richard!

 

[Rich Cohen]

It's a 1997 Rich.

Rich, isn't that the same year as your Finesse?

 

[richardp69]

Hi Rich. I have the Finesse listed as a 1999 but I could be wrong. I'm not sure I ever asked Hans about that one.

 

[SFIV1967]

I have the Finesse listed as a 1999 but I could be wrong.

The last 4 numbers of the serial number would tell. 7059 would be May 1997 as example. (the digits for the year are in opposite order, the month is inside). 9xx9 is 1999.
Ralf

 

[richardp69]

The last 4 numbers of the serial number would tell. 7059 would be May 1997 as example. (the digits for the year are in opposite order, the month is inside). 9xx9 is 1999.
Ralf

You're likely right Ralph, you typically are anyway. I'll need to get ahold of Hans and see if he can verify all that to me.

I'll post some better pics of the inlays tomorrow. I've been boxing and shipping so many guitars I'm whipped.

 

[wileypickett]

I've been boxing and shipping so many guitars I'm whipped.

Packing and unpacking guitar boxes must be practically a full-time job at your house, Richard!

 

[SFIV1967]

You're likely right Ralph.

No Richard, you were right with 1999. You had the one made for "Peter List" and that one was from July 1999, so the last 4 numbers were 9079 on your Finesse. I just gave examples in post # 34. But you sold the Finesse, or? Or is this another one you are talking about?

Ralf

 

[richardp69]

No Richard, you were right with 1999. You had the one made for "Peter List" and that one was from July 1999, so the last 4 numbers were 9079 on your Finesse. I just gave examples in post # 34. But you sold the Finesse, or? Or is this another one you are talking about?

Ralf

I still have that one ending in 9079. And, what the heck is a "Peter List or is that a person"???

 

[SFIV1967]

And, what the heck is a "Peter List or is that a person"???

That's the person who ordered her from the custom shop. So it was made for him. Maybe a detail was different from the normal one.

Ralf

 

[richardp69]

That's the person who ordered her from the custom shop. So it was made for him. Maybe a detail was different from the normal one.

Ralf

I guess I should look at my guitar once in a while huh???