Thanks GG for this blast from the past. Guitars'n Jazz in Summit, NJ for a while had an early X-440 on sale for around 2,100 last year. It's gone now, but I did lust after it for awhile. I did finally buy a '57 X-375 from him, which was a surreal guitar I must say. I just couldn't deal with all those buttons!
GG, it was at Guitars'n Jazz http://guitarsnjazz.com/ in Summit, NJ until about a year ago. Lou Del Rosso, the owner, would know where it went.Rich, here's a trade press release from July 1953 for the X-440. Presumably for the summer NAMM show. Where is that guitar today?