Guild F20 1973

[Badger]

Good evening guys. I have a question for you. I am observing a 1973 F20. It is really bad, it has been used a lot. I can't see it before I take it. In short, it would be a nice jump in the dark. How much could it be worth if the handle is intact and straight?

 

[Badger]

 

[HeyMikey]

The first thing I would suggest is to look at sold F20's on Reverb, comparing what sold most recently in a similar age and condition. It is a good resource for getting rough estimates. For F20s you have over 100 examples. Note that the price shown is the listed price. What something actually sold for is not shown, but you can generally assume it to be within 5-15% of the asking price. From there do the same on eBay. Google searches might turn up additional examples, but I'd start with Reverb.

https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=guild%20f20&show_only_sold=true&sort=published_at%7Cdesc

 

[Badger]

Thank you very much for the suggestion. But in your opinion, can a Guild in such bad condition be worth putting it at home at half the current price?

 

[HeyMikey]

Personally I try to stay away from guitars that need major repairs so I am not the best one to answer that.

The only time I would make an exception is if it’s 1) a rare or desirable model that I really want, 2) can’t otherwise find, and 3) where the purchase price plus the cost of repairs will let me sell it without a sizesble loss should it 4) not be a lifetime keeper.

 

[Badger]

Thanks

 

[Guildedagain]

Is that a crack in the neck on the treble side?

 

[mavuser]

this may be one of the long scale F-20s from the 1970s- there are much fewer of these around than the short scale F-20s from prior and subsequent to those long scales (60s, 90s etc). Hard to say from the photos if it is actually the long scale. those long scales are a significantly different beast than the typical short scale F-20 (a true small bodied guitar) ...longer scale, deeper body, and baseball bat necks from what i've seen on those mid-70s. I had one and sold it, it sounded just like a dread.

Also hard to say if a headstock repair has or has not been done on this one.

overall, since you asked, this is not a guitar I would buy unless I could check it out live and in the flesh first. May turn out to be a gem, just hard to say.

 

[Br1ck]

Assume it needs everything, pay accordingly, and have a 20% chance of being pleasantly surprised. Gosh, I have such a soft spot for these. This is the age where everything is at or close to neck reset time. You have to decide you'd fix it regardless, something you do because you love old war horses, not because it makes sense.

 

[davismanLV]

You can see where the original 3 on a plate tuners were and the screw holes for those as well.

 

[Br1ck]

You can see where the original 3 on a plate tuners were and the screw holes for those as well.

Those three on a plate tuners are adequate at best, but I'm so glad I have them on my D 35. Those big clunky Grovers that were replacements on so many guitars certainly work better, but I'd replace them with some kind of open backed tuner just to save weight.

 

[davismanLV]

Those three on a plate tuners are adequate at best, but I'm so glad I have them on my D 35. Those big clunky Grovers that were replacements on so many guitars certainly work better, but I'd replace them with some kind of open backed tuner just to save weight.

For real, they're heavy AF!!!

 

[kostask]

if you are looking to replace them, look at the Hipshot open back tuners with the UMP plates. The UMP plates will cover up the existing screw holes, and eliminate any need to make new holes for the tuners. Definitely get the open back tuners as well, as they are lighter, and have a higher ratio (18:1) vs. the closed back tuners (15:1). They are great feeling, very smooth tuners as well, and not as expensive as other name brand tuners. See:

Guitar Tuner Upgrade Kit for 3+3 Headstocks (10mm Post Holes)

Grip-Lock Open Dimensions Classic Open Dimensions Instructions Grip-Lock Closed Dimensions Classic Closed Dimensions UMP™ Dimensions Are you spending half your time tuning and the other half playing out of tune? It could be your hardware. The Hipshot® Tuner Upgrade Kit for 3+3 headstocks is a...

hipshotproducts.com

I am not a fan of locking tuners on acoustic guitars (they are fine on electric guitars).

They have a wide variety of tuner buttons, too, as well as finishes. The UMP plates are made for the 10mm tuner holes.